Founding Fathers Facts - George Washington (1)
- Washington spoke with a rather weak, breathy voice thanks to pleurisy he suffered as a young man. Nor was he comfortable with public speaking.
- He was obsessed with punctuality.
- He was a diligent boss to his plantation and rode twenty miles a day to oversee it.
- A painstaking record keeper.
- Loved to dance and was a bit of a lady’s man on the ballroom floor.
- Not one to laugh much, however, Washington could be more easily humored after a few drinks. While not one to tell funny stories himself he enjoyed good humor from others.
- Enrolled his stepson Jacky at King’s College around a similar time that Hamilton was also there. Jacky arrived in May of 1773 and Hamilton began in late ‘73 or early ‘74.
- Washington had a “type”. For his personal guard, he wanted men from 5′8 to 5′10 feet tall, handsome, well-made, and clean. He later tightened the requirements to only 5′10 and wanted them to be “sober, young, active, and well made.”
- Never had a good relationship with his mother but continued to be a dutiful son to her throughout her life and gave her money and property. She never said a word of praise to him for everything he did for the new nation.
- Washington got along better with young men than men his own age, likely because he felt less competitive with them.
- Described John Laurens as “…he had not a fault that I ever could discover, unless intrepidity bordering upon rashness could come under that denominations, and to this he was excited by the purest motives.”
- Washington would allow his soldiers to have alcohol to fortify their courage before battle.
- Was practically immune to bullets and would ride into battle without fear. Had many horses shot out from under him.
- Once after a battle, a dog wandered into camp and Washington sent it back to the British with the message: “General Washington’s compliments to General Howe. He does himself the pleasure to return [to] him a dog, which accidentally fell into his hands, and by the inscription on the collar appears to belong to General Howe.”
- After Lafayette returned to France, Washington asked a visiting French secretary if he had seen Lafayette and Washington cried when the secretary told him of the praise the French king heaped on Lafayette.
- George and Martha raised two of their grandchildren (ages 2 and 4 at the time), a niece, and a nephew after the war along with paying for the education and mentoring many young relatives. Washington gathered a new collection of young aides as well.
Source: Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow