Washington the Soldier

Before he was a statesman, Founding Father, and first President of the United States, George Washington was a soldier. He fought in the French and Indian War and, as the Commanding General of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, he oversaw the defeat and surrender of British forces at the Siege of Yorktown. 

It is Washington’s life before becoming Commander-in-Chief that Henry B. Carrington focuses upon in Washington the Soldier. As an officer in the United States Army during the American Civil War, Carrington was no stranger to being a soldier, and he brings all his military experience to bear in this riveting account of Washington’s war years.

Published in 1889, the book is a detailed study and analysis of the strategies and tactics Washington used as a military leader. Carrington takes the reader on an extensive journey of Washington’s military career, from the militias of Virginia to his final victory over the British. His wonder at what Washington achieved in the face of overwhelming odds is evident on every page. As the author writes, Washington had “neither the troops, resources, and knowledge, nor the broad range of field service which have characterized modern warfare.”