The most speculative and pivotal parts of the book—and really the major reason for writing it as a novel—is how George Washington considered and was tempted to lead the revolt and set up an American monarchy or dictatorship. Most historians have ignored these questions, largely, I believe, because they assume that since Washington was a man of great character who did not take leadership of the revolt, he must not have been tempted. To the contrary, I believe that it would have been impossible for any person in that situation not to have considered such a course, as shown by the barrage of written and oral pleas to become king or dictator that Washington received, which we know to be factual, and which form an important part of this novel. Washington certainly knew that he alone had the ability to lead a new government in the perilous transition to peace. I believe his temptation and his triumph over that temptation, rather than diminishing Washington, enhance his greatness.
For those seeking to read more about our country’s first leader, there have been hundreds of biographies, too many to read or list. Just about all focus on his early life, his generalship, his bringing about of the Constitutional Convention, and his role as our first president. There are few that devote more than several pages to the week at Newburgh in 1783. I believe one of the most underrated and unread biographies of Washington is the first one written, The Life of Washington by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall, published soon after Washington’s death. Marshall’s five-volume (and later one-volume) biography has the disadvantage of being both overly long and written so soon after Washington’s life that it does not benefit from years of research and perspective. It has the advantage, however, of being written when memories were fresh by one who knew Washington. The latest biography, by Ron Chernow, Washington, is easier to digest, as are biographies by John Ferling, James Flexner, and Richard Norton Smith. To grasp Washington’s character and his incredible hold on the American people in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the best books are Barry Schwartz’s pathbreaking George Washington: The Making of an American Symbol, Joseph J. Ellis’s penetrating His Excellency (where Ellis writes of the General’s “Last Temptation”), and Richard Brookhiser’s thoughtful Founding Father, as well as Gary Wills’s Cincinnatus: George Washington and the Enlightenment: Images of Power in Early America and Edward G. Lengel’s Inventing George Washington. I found the best histories of Washington’s generalship during the Revolutionary War to be David Hackett Fischer’s Washington’s Crossing and John Ferling’s Almost a Miracle. Very little has been written about the critical period after Yorktown and before the signing of the peace treaty—the period when the week at Newburgh takes place—but two books have remedied this: Thomas Fleming’s The Perils of Peace: America’s Struggle for Survival after Yorktown, 1781–1783 and William M. Fowler Jr.’s American Crisis: George Washington and the Dangerous Two Years After Yorktown, 1781–1783.
For those interested in pursuing Martha Washington’s life and twisted family background, Martha Washington, First Lady of Liberty by Helen Bryan contains much information. For books about the founders’ attitudes about slavery, there are Henry Wiencek’s books on George Washington and Thomas Jefferson as well as his exploration of the subject in the October 2012 issue of Smithsonian magazine. There have been many books on Washington’s colleagues during the Revolution, but for sheer reading pleasure few rival Harlow Giles Unger’s Lafayette.
To all the authors listed above and many others, I am indebted. Without their historical research, I would not have been able to construct this novel.
I wish to thank William Ferraro and his colleagues at the Washington Papers of the University of Virginia, who are compiling the foremost collection of Washington’s papers and provided me with copies of those written during the eventful week at Newburgh, as well as many excellent suggestions. Editor-in-Chief Ferraro was also invaluable in checking for historical inaccuracies. Also of inestimable help were Kathleen Mitchell, Aaron Robinson, and Lynette Scherer at Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site, Chad Johnson at the New Windsor Cantonment State Historical Site, and Joan Stahl at the Mount Vernon estate and gardens, as well as the Library of Congress and the Massachusetts Historical Society. I have benefited from the help of Nick Robinson, librarian at the University of California at Berkeley’s Institute for Governmental Studies, where, as a visiting scholar, I wrote and researched much of this book. Without Nick’s help, this techno-peasant would not have been able to navigate through computers to many crucial sources. Linda Bennett of the Marin Public Library also helped track down sources, and Joseph Escalle provided almost weekly help with computer challenges.
To B. Gerald Johnson, a friend and colleague in an earlier political life, I am indebted for suggesting that the story be told through the eyes of the aide, Josiah. Debra Saunders and Wesley Smith gave great encouragement and ideas about structuring, which have been gratefully adopted.
To the late William Safire, author of the historical novel Freedom about Abraham Lincoln’s role in the Civil War, I owe the idea of explaining in the notes in Appendix A much of what is real and what little is fictional.
There is a time in the writing of every book when someone steps forward and stimulates the author’s lagging spirits. That person was Louisa Gilder, who for almost two years patiently edited and improved this book, asking questions that needed to be answered and suggesting scores of improvements in the style and language.
Later, Carmen Johnson, David Blum, and Jeff Belle of my publisher, Amazon, all stepped in to provide much help.
For proofreading I owe thanks to many for spotting grammatical, spelling, duplication, and just plain mistakes: Editor-in-Chief William Ferraro, the late Paul Kraabel, Stuart Wagner, June Miller, Stephanie Brown, and Sidney Saltz.
A special thanks is due to the anonymous elderly lady who sat next to me when, as a congressman back in the 1980s, I attended a Daughters of the American Revolution observance of Washington’s birthday alongside the statue of the General on the University of Washington campus. Following a long speech about Washington’s deeds in winning the Revolutionary War, organizing the Constitutional Convention, and serving as our first president, she leaned over and said, “Congressman, they always talk about what he did and never about what he didn’t do.” When I asked what she meant, she responded, “He didn’t seize power when the troops wanted to revolt in 1783 at Newburgh.” Being totally unaware of the events of that week, I was interested by her remark, which resulted in decades of off-and-on research and the writing of this book.
Lastly, I thank my partner and friend, Stephanie Brown, who has encouraged, supported, and tolerated this effort for almost six years.
The author takes responsibility for all errors, as well as the opinions expressed on how General Washington surmounted the challenges that fateful 1783 week in Newburgh. I further take responsibility for the moral convictions expressed justifying the Hartford (Connecticut) Courant’s words in the 1790s quoted at the end of this novel as to why, no matter what has happened in the past or may happen in the future, George Washington may be esteemed the greatest figure in American history.
APPENDIX A: NOTES
PROLOGUE
JOSIAH RECALLING EVENTS SIXTY YEARS AGO FOR HIS GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN, PAGES 3-4