George Washington

George Washington (February 22, 1732–December 14, 1799) was an American planter, political figure, and military leader. Born of English descent into a moderately wealthy family in the Province of Virginia, Washington worked as a surveyor before inheriting his half-brother's plantation, Mount Vernon.

Retirement, death, and honors

After retiring from the presidency in March 1797, Washington returned to Mount Vernon with a profound sense of relief. He established a distillery there and became probably the largest distiller of whiskey in the nation at the time. In 1798, his distillery produced 11,000 gallons of whiskey and a profit of $7,500.

Related Topics:
March - 1797 - Distillery - Whiskey - 1798

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During that year, Washington was appointed Lieutenant General in the United States Army (then the highest possible rank) by President John Adams. Washington's appointment was to serve as a warning to France, with which war seemed imminent. Washington never saw active service, however, and upon his death one year later the U.S. Army rolls listed him as a retired Lieutenant General, which was then considered the equivalent to his rank as General and Commander in Chief during the Revolutionary War.

Related Topics:
Lieutenant General - United States Army - John Adams - France

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Within a year of this 1798 appointment, Washington fell ill from a bad cold with a fever and a sore throat that turned into acute laryngitis and pneumonia and died on December 14, 1799, at his home. Modern doctors believe that Washington died from either a streptococcal infection of the throat or, since he was bled as part of the treatment, a combination of shock from the loss of blood, asphyxia, and dehydration. One of the physicians who administered bloodletting to him was Dr. James Craik, one of Washington's closest friends, who had been with Washington at Fort Necessity, the Braddock expedition, and throughout the Revolutionary War. Washington's remains were buried in a family graveyard at Mount Vernon.

Related Topics:
Laryngitis - Pneumonia - December 14 - 1799 - Streptococcal infection of the throat - Shock - Asphyxia - Dehydration - Bloodletting - James Craik - Mount Vernon

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Congressman Henry Light Horse Harry Lee, a Revolutionary War comrade, famously eulogized Washington as "a citizen, first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen."

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With the exception of Dwight Eisenhower, who held a lifetime commission as General of the Army (five star), George Washington is the only President with military service to reenter the military after leaving the office of President. Even though he had been the highest-ranking officer of the Revolutionary War, having in 1798 been appointed a Lieutenant General (now three stars), it seemed, somewhat incongruously, that all later full (that is, four star) generals in U.S. history (starting with General Ulysses S. Grant), and also all five-star generals of the Army, were considered to outrank Washington. General John J. Pershing had attained an even higher rank of General of the Armies (above five star—though the most stars Pershing actually ever wore were four). This issue was resolved in 1976 when Washington was, by Act of Congress, posthumously promoted to the rank of General of the Armies, outranking any past, present, and future general, and declared to permanently be the top-ranked military officer of the United States. https://www.perscom.army.mil/tagd/tioh/rank/goa.htm

Related Topics:
Dwight Eisenhower - General of the Army - Ulysses S. Grant - John J. Pershing - 1976 - Congress - General of the Armies

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Summary of Military Career

• 1753: Commissioned Lieutenant Colonel of the Virginia Militia
• 1754: Led abortive expedition to Fort Duquesne, later served as aide to General Edward Braddock
• 1755: Promoted to Colonel and named Commander of all Virginia Forces. Commissioned a Brigadier General later that year
• 1758–75: Retired from active military service
• June 1775: Commissioned General and Commander in Chief of the Continental Army
• 1775–81: Commands the Continental Army in over seven major battles with the British
• December 1783: Resigns commission as Commander in Chief of the Army
• July 1798: Appointed Lieutenant General and Commander of the Provisional Army to be raised in the event of a war with France
• 1799: Dies and is listed as a Retired Lieutenant General on the U.S. Army rolls
• 19 January 1976: Approved by the United States Congress for promotion to General of the Armies
• 11 October 1976: Declared the senior most U.S. military officer for all time by Presidential Order of Gerald Ford
• 13 March 1978: Promoted by Army Order 31-3 to General of the Armies with effective date of rank July 4, 1776