P R E F A C E
THE following publication originated in the author’s
wish to place within reach of the great body of his
countrymen an authentic biography of General
Washington.
Judge Marshall, in his valuable life of this illustrious
patriot, has embraced not only the settlement and general
history of the North American Colonies, but also the
political history of the United States. His work is therefore
necessarily too expensive to be obtained by all classes of
American people. The writer of these memoirs
apprehended, that by publishing the Life of Washington in
one volume, reasonable in its price, he should enable those
of his fellow citizens, who are not in possession of
Marshall, to leave to their posterity the memorial of a man
who was pre-eminently distinguished as a soldier and
statesman.
General Washington was from his youth devoted to his
country; his character therefore cannot be portrayed,
without bringing into view many important public
transactions. The plan of the writer has been to notice no
individual or even further than was necessary to display the
principal character.
He has made Judge Marshall his leading authority for
fact, and has in some measure followed him in order of
events. The histories of the war by Doctors Ramsay and
Gordon, and several original writings, have been consulted;
but he trusts that greater liberty has not been taken with any
of them than is fair and honourable.
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