HOT SPRINGS — For the past 15 years, members of several Colonial-era heritage societies have met to celebrate the birthday of George Washington … on his actual birthday of Feb. 22, whenever possible. This year was no different.
More than 100 people gathered Feb. 22 at the Hot Springs Country Club to celebrate the 286th birthday of Washington, who is often referred to as “first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” Those words come from a eulogy written in December 1799 by Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee, a major general in the Continental Army, a member of the Continental Congress, governor of Virginia, father of Civil War Gen. Robert E. Lee and a close friend of George Washington, according to information found on the Mount Vernon website mountvernon.org.
Susan Page Veal of Hot Springs Village, honorary state regent, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, and a member of Akansa Chapter, NSDAR, served as master of ceremony for the event, which she has done for the past several years.
“This event was started by the late Duane Vandenberg and his wife, Peggy, and the late Bill Cox, who felt Gen. Washington deserved his own birthday celebration as it had been in the past, instead of combining it with others on Presidents Day,” Veal said, adding that the founders of the event were members of various Colonial-era organizations. “As a child, most of us honored Washington on his birthday. We continue to celebrate his birthday on Feb. 22 when we can. Peggy Vandenberg now serves as general chairwoman of our committee.”
Other committee members include Sheila Beatty of Hot Springs Village, publicity; Peggy Cara of Hot Springs Village, name badges; Judith Coleman of Hot Springs, chaplain; Linda Jester of Hot Springs, registration; Frankie Ochsner of Hot Springs, registration; Cindy Smith of Hot Springs, decorations; John Ochsner of Hot Springs; Charles and Patricia McLemore of Mount Ida; Jimmie Weber of Hot Springs Village; and Linda K. Vandenberg White of Hot Springs.
More often than not, the guest speaker at the local event talks about George Washington, giving additional insight into the first president of the United States. This year’s speaker, Angela Boswell of Arkadelphia, talked about Washington, but she concentrated on his wife, Martha Dandridge Custis Washington, and her contributions to her husband’s success as first, an army commander, and second, as president of the new nation. Boswell titled her presentation Martha and George Form a New Nation.
“Martha Washington loved a celebration,” said Boswell, dean of the Matt Locke Ellis College of Arts and Sciences and professor of history at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia. “George Washington’s choice of her as his wife was one of his greatest accomplishments. She was instrumental in [gaining] America’s independence.
“George Washington was younger than she was,” Boswell said, adding that Martha was a widow with four children. “He was quite a striking figure … looking for a good wife. ‘Patsy,’ as he called her, was socially vivacious and entertaining, and she brought 17,779 acres of land with her. George and Martha married in 1759, and he assumed management of her estate, [along with his at Mount Vernon], and had the right to make decisions about it, but he never made decisions that would override her objections.”
Boswell, who has taught women’s history and Colonial and early American history courses at Henderson for 20 years, said that during this time in history, women were getting involved in political matters by writing letters to their husbands, “but Martha Washington did not take an active role in this.”
Boswell said that after war broke out in April 1775 with the battles of Lexington and Concord, the Continental Congress created the Continental Army, and Washington was nominated to serve as the army’s commander-in-chief.
“Martha soon joined her husband in his encampments. She was there for her husband. She helped keep up morale among the officers. She stood on the side of the American soldiers,” Boswell said.
“She was a favorite of the soldiers. She even took material with her when she went back to Mount Vernon and organized other wives to make clothing for the soldiers,” Boswell said.
“She would go back and forth from Mount Vernon to stay with George at his winter quarters. She was a favorite of the soldiers. She was benevolent to the soldiers. … She was able to let them know that Washington cared about them,” Boswell said.
“By 1782, when the war was winding down, Martha was a celebrity,” Boswell said, smiling. “And by 1783, at the end of the war, all of the soldiers adored Martha. When they returned to Mount Vernon in 1784, their finances were in a wreck. Martha managed to get the large household up and running again, and they began to receive visitors. She took care of their social life.
“And in 1789, the Constitution of the United States was ratified. A new country was born, and they needed a president and came to George. No doubt, Martha was not happy about this, but the Washingtons again made personal sacrifices for the good of the country. They set up a mansion in New York City, and she entertained and socialized as the nation’s first ‘first lady.’”
Boswell said Martha Washington did what she did for the good of the country.
“What she did was incredibly crucial and important to the nation, but she hated it,” Boswell said. “She referred to herself as ‘a state prisoner.’ The couple moved from New York to Philadelphia, where she also entertained as the first lady.
“She steered clear of politics. She did not talk politics in public. She destroyed all of the letters she and George had written to each other. That set a precedent for future first ladies for years to come,” Boswell said.
“In March 1797, she was very relieved [his presidency] was over,” Boswell said. “She and George went back to Mount Vernon. Two years later, in December 1799, George Washington died.
“She was grief-stricken. As she was preparing for his funeral, she received requests asking that he be buried in Washington, D.C. She agreed to once again give her husband up to the new nation,” but that never happened.
“And in 1802, Martha Washington died,” Boswell said.
George and Martha Washington are buried at Mount Vernon.