To misbehaving soldiers Washington showed little mercy.  In his first service he had deserters and plunderers “flogged,” and threatened that if he could “lay hands” on one particular culprit, “I would try the effect of 1000 lashes.”  At another time he had “a Gallows near 40 feet high erected (which has terrified the rest exceedingly) and I am determined if I can be justified in the proceeding, to hang two or three on it, as an example to others.”  When he took command of the Continental army he “made a pretty good slam among such kind of officers as the Massachusetts Government abound in since I came to this Camp, having broke one Colo, and two Captains for cowardly behavior in the action on Bunker’s Hill,—­two Captains for drawing more provisions and pay than they had men in their Company—­and one for being absent from his Post when the Enemy appeared there and burnt a House just by it Besides these, I have at this time—­one Colo., one Major, one Captn., & two subalterns under arrest for tryal—­In short I spare none yet fear it will not at all do as these People seem to be too inattentive to every thing but their Interest” “I am sorry,” he wrote, “to be under a Necessity of making frequent Examples among the Officers,” but “as nothing can be more fatal to an Army, than Crimes of this kind, I am determined by every Motive of Reward and Punishment to prevent them in future.”  Even when plundering was avoided there were short commons for those who clung to the General.  The commander-in-chief wrote Congress that “they have often, very often, been reduced to the necessity of Eating Salt Porke, or Beef not for a day, or a week but months together without Vegetables, or money to buy them;” and again, he complained that “the Soldiers [were forced to] eat every kind of horse food but Hay.  Buckwheat, common wheat, Rye and Indn.  Corn was the composition of the Meal which made their bread.  As an Army they bore it, [but] accompanied by the want of Cloaths, Blankets, &c., will produce frequent desertions in all armies and so it happens with us, tho’ it did not excite a mutiny.”  Even the horses suffered, and Washington wrote to the quartermaster-general, “Sir, my horses I am told have not had a mouthful of long or short forage for three days.  They have eaten up their mangers and are now, (though wanted for immediate use,) scarcely able to stand.”

Two results were sickness and discontent.  At times one-fourth of the soldiers were on the sick-list.  Three times portions of the army mutinied, and nothing but Washington’s influence prevented the disorder from spreading.  At the end of the war, when, according to Hamilton, “the army had secretly determined not to lay down their arms until due provision and a satisfactory prospect should be offered on the subject of their pay,” the commander-in-chief urged Congress to do them justice, writing, “the fortitude—­the long, & great suffering of this army is unexampled in history; but there is an end to all things & I fear we are very near to this.  Which, more than probably will oblige me to stick very close to my flock this winter, & try like a careful physician, to prevent, if possible, the disorders getting to an incurable height.”  In this he judged rightly, for by his influence alone was the army prevented from adopting other than peaceful measures to secure itself justice.