Many may not know that during the Revolutionary War, General Washington stayed and slept in over 90 homes and buildings. In order to assist with the transitions, he traveled with what he called his “military family.” This included his aides-de-camp, personal servants, cooks, a laundress, and a housekeeper. General Washington would have needed this support staff in order to ensure that he could focus on his duties. His household included aides-de-camp and their wives, guests, as well as Mrs. Washington. A housekeeper’s duties involved: Supervising the packing and unpacking of the HQ each time it shifted locations; conducting household inventories and recording expenses; planning as well as cooking for up to 30 people with correct portions so as not to waste; bartering or buying various sundry items or small articles; tidying up the house or field camp; ensuring the household ran smoothly; and, paying other servants.
The housekeeping position was very demanding. It would have required someone with energy, stamina, honesty, trustworthiness, and one who could handle the responsibility. This included taking instruction from General Washington, his aides, and/or Mrs. Washington herself. The trust placed in the housekeeper was crucial.
Not many know that General Washington’s “military family” actually included two paid housekeepers. The first to hold this position was Mary Smith. She worked for him for approximately two months (April to June 1776) as there seems to be no entries in his diary or receipts before that timeframe. She was able to read and write which allowed her to keep inventories of household items, pay expenses, as well as other duties as mentioned. Unfortunately, General Washington received a letter from an anonymous source hinting that she was doubling as a spy. She was dismissed immediately. Her credibility was now questioned and she fled to England. She was able to retire and received a pension for her services to the Crown. Just what those services were, we can only speculate.
General Washington was then “entirely destitute, & put to much inconvenience” without a housekeeper. Mrs. Elizabeth Thompson, “a very worthy Irish woman” was recommended to him and he wrote immediately to have her come for an interview. Mrs. Thompson was born circa 1704 and was about 72 or 73 years old when she first came to the HQ. She was paid 50 pounds a year, New York money, for her services. She was let go after a year and there is speculation that this occurred because the Spring campaign was eminent. She was rehired within days due to Mrs. Washington’s insistence, and turned out to be with the “military family” for over 5 years from July 1776 until she retired at 77 in December 1781. She must have been a very strong woman! Legend has it that she was making pickles while the Battle of Harlem Heights was raging. She had by then been a part of the General’s military family for four months and was already a seasoned veteran of war. She was responsible for supervising all female servants, which included free blacks such as Margaret Thomas, a laundress, who washed shirts and bed linens on a weekly basis. She had assistance by a man named Isaac who was also thought to be a free black.
Mrs. Thompson arranged each room so that General Washington and his guests had a comfortable place to stay, made up the beds, ordered the food, inspected the linens and cutlery, and bartered for various items in the market place. She relied on an aide-de-camp, Caleb Gibbs, to keep the household accounts and was given money to pay other servants for their work. Others who worked at various times for General Washington during the Revolution were: Edward Hunt – Cook; Mrs. Morrison – Kitchen Woman; Mary Kettle – Washer Woman; Eliza Chapman; Timothy Austin; and, James Munro.
Mrs. Thompson to keep House, 9 July 1776
Mrs. Thompson's Camp Kitchen
William Lee, also known as Will or Billy, was a mulatto slave and Washington's valet before the War began. He proved to be the General's most trusted companion. Billy Lee would have assisted him with shaving, combing, and queing the General's hair every morning. He would also have ensured the General's clothes and uniform were clean and presentable. Billy was also in charge of the General's personal baggage that was transported to the next location along with the housekeeping staff. Billy was athletic, had a sturdy build, proved to be, possibly second maybe to the General himself, an excellent horseman, and could always be spotted on the field riding close behind. He spent the entire War with Washington, and was put in charge of the General's most important papers. Also during this timeframe, Billy married a free black woman named Margaret Thomas, who was hired as part of the housekeeping staff, during the early years of the war.
Horses
"There is not, among the whole Animal Creation, a beast of a more noble and generous nature than the horse, nor any one so capable of contributing to the ease and pleasure of mankind. In the horse, we know not which to admire most, the beauty of his form, the docility of his temper, or the various powers with which he is endowed." ("The Compleat Horseman." 1772 by Charles Hughes)
November 1785
"Magnolia, or Magnolio, was an Arabian horse which GW had bought for £500 from the estate of John Parke Custis (LEDGER B, 224). He was a five-year-old, "a chesnut colour, near sixteen hands high, finely formed, and thought by all who have seen him to be perfect. He was got by the Ranger Arabian, his dam by Othello son of Crab, her dam by Morton's Traveller, and her dam was Selima by the Godolphin Arabian" ( Va. Journal, 24 Mar. 1785)."
(The Diaries of George Washington. Vol. 4. Donald Jackson, and Dorothy Twohig, eds. The Papers of George Washington. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1978. p. 234)
