1783
After months of inaction and no pay from Congress, unrest began to boil in the Continental camp. Desertions were becoming commonplace, and the rank ans file seethed with resentment, even to the point of hanging of their officers in effigy. Among the officers themselves, the mood was no brighter. A number of anonymous letters began to circulate through the officers corps, advocating the threat of force or disbandment against the Congress to loosen the purse-strings. Even rumors of a military coup-d'etat began to swirl.
These letters culminated in the proposal for a meeting of the key officers in the army to discuss how to deal with Congress. The meeting was convened on Saturday, March 15 (ironically, the "Ides of March"), by none other than Washington's chief rival, General Horatio Gates. Just as Gates called the meeting to order, Washington himself appeared at the door of the church where the meeting was taking place. Washington had been aware of the letters and had quietly tried to discourage the meeting. However, now he was at this meeting to address his troops, probably much to the consternation of Gen. Gates.
Washington addressed the assembled officers with a heartfelt speech, trying to dissuade them from their nefarious plottings. After his speech, the officers remained largely unmoved. In a last attempt to restore sanity, Washington presented a letter from a confidante in Congress pledging support for the Army. But as he began to read, he struggled awkwardly to make out the writing. Then, the most amazing thing happened.
Washington removed from his waistcoat a pair of spectacles to read the letter. Since very few people had ever seen the general wearing eyeglasses, the majority of the men were plainly stunned. Washington looked into their surprised faces and said, "Gentlemen, you will permit me to put on my spectacles, forI have not only grown gray but almost blind in the service of my country. Nothing coule have been a more pointed reminder of all that their general had suffered alongside them in the course of the war.
As a visibly emotional Washington left the room without another word, the men sat in silence or wept quietly. Amotion was quickly made and passed to disavow the contents of the treacherous letters and to reaffirm their allegiance to Congress. Thus ended the so-called "Newburgh Conspiracy".
Sources: "A Brief Profile or the Continental Army", by John K. Robertson and Bob McDonald
"The Rise and Fall of the Newburgh Conspiracy: How General Washington and his Spectacles Saved the Republic", by George L. Marshall, Jr.