The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

388 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. [1783.
a private consultation of several officers} it was agreed,
that a meeting of the general and field officers, a
commissioned officer from each company, and a delegate from the medical staff, ought to be called for
the purpose of passing a series of resolutions, which
should be forwarded to their committee at Congress.
On the 10th of March a notification to this effect
was circulated in camp, fixing the time and stating
the object. The same day an anonymous address to
the army was sent out, written in a strain of passionate
and stirring eloquence, and extremely well suited to
excite the feelings and rouse the spirit of those for
whom it was intended. Foreseeing the fatal consequences that might result from an assembling of the
officers under such circumstances, and at the same
time deeply impressed with -the justice of their complaints and the reality of their wrongs, Washington had
a delicate task to perform; but he executed it with his
characteristic decision, firmness, and wisdom. He sought
rather to guide and control the proceedings thus begun,
than to check or discountenance them by any act of
severity.
In general orders the next morning, after censuring
the anonymous paper and invitation as irregular and
disorderly, he appointed a day and hour for the meeting of the officers, when they might "devise what further measures ought to be adopted, as most rational,
and best calculated to attain the object in view." This
was followed by another anonymous address, in a tone
more subdued than the former, but expressing similar
sentiments, and representing the orders as favorable to
the purpose desired, the time of meeting only being
changed. The Commander-in-chief, however, took
care to frustrate the design of this interpretation by
conversing individually with those officers in whom he