Ask George Washington

By Mary Alice Garrett

This story originally appeared February 13, 1997 in the News Journal of Wilmington, Delaware.

Carl E. Closs has a great admiration for George Washington and says he feels it's unfortunate that more Americans don't know about him. Closs has a replica of Washington's Regimental uniform, complete with cloak, weighing 40 pounds.

Q. We've all heard so many stories about Washington and the cherry tree and "George Washington slept here," etc. Are there a lot of myths about our first president?

A. Yes, many, many.

I always said, if he had been Catholic, he would have been nominated for saint. The truth was even better than the stories.

Jefferson was a great thinker and writer, but Washington lived what Jefferson wrote. Washington chose people [for the Continental Army] who were not necessarily great military geniuses. He was a leader, a natural leader, sort of like Kennedy. He had charisma.

The cherry tree story was a total fabrication. Parson Weems [who wrote a book on Washington] mixed truth with fiction. Washington was known to be extremely honest, extremely gracious to people he didn't even like.

Wahington held the rank of lieutenant general, the highest rank at the time. He was unpaid. Washington never accepted a salary.

He did sleep in certain places. That's why we hear the stories, "Washington slept here," but he always paid. He did not commandeer.

Q. What was he like?

A. George Washington was 6 feet 3 inches tall. He was a little bit vain. His clothes were a little tight. He cut quite a dashing figure.

He was very interested in the military. He was a surveyor by the time he was 16. He had a lot of land.

He had very long hair. His servant brushed his hair back. He wore it with a black ribbon in the back.

People came to his home by the thousands. Some guests stayed for weeks. He would never ask them to leave. Some wedding guests stayed two weeks after his wedding [to the widowed Martha Dandridge Custis]. He and Martha rarely dined alone. He rose at sunrise - at 5 o'clock - and retired for the evening at 9, unless he had extremely commodious company.

He was considered an expert horseman. He was an extremely accomplished dancer. He was quite a ladies man. He was imposing, charming, considerate, an extremely good conversationalist. He did not tick anyone off.

At Mount Vernon, his favorite breakfast was hoe cakes, which were corn pancakes smothered in butter and honey, and huge mugs of tea. He liked port wine.

He never had wooden teeth. They were a composite of animal bones formed into a cement mixture. They didn't fit well. He lost his teeth due to a gum disease.

Q. Washington is supposed to have been born on Feb. 22, but we celebrate his birthday on Presidents Day. What's the correct date?

A. Washington was really born on Feb. 11, 1732. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII did away with the Julian calendar after his scientists discovered a time difference in the Julian calendar and the solar calendar. The country was 10 days behind the Gregorian calendar. In 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Gregorian calendar. All true patriots were encouraged to move their birthdays 11 days ahead.

Washington first celebrated his birthday on Feb. 22 at Valley Forge in 1777.

Washington had horses shot out from under him, but he never got injured. He endured the same hardships his men did. He slept in tents, etc. He never put himself above his men.

Q. How did people address him?

A. Everybody called him "General." He was extremely generous to his people. He didn't have children of his own, which greatly concerned him. He was sterile. He became sterile after he was exposed to smallpox, although he didn't have smallpox. ... He died at 67 after making the rounds [on horseback] of his farms.

Q. Was Washington your hero?

A. I greatly admire him. If just half the people aspired to be half as good [as Washington], it would turn the country around. It is just unfortunate that most of us don't know more about Washington.

Washington chose the land for Washington, D.C. Initially, it was to be called Federal City. Maryland and Virginia each ceded land for it.

Q. How did you become so interested in Washington and the Revolutionary War period?

A. I've always been interested in history. My family were Italian immigrants. My mother was at Ellis Island and settled in Marcus Hook. She only went to the third grade, but she was always into American history.

My whole family went to Williamsburg [when I was young]. That was pretty much when I got the history bug. I became more interested in what I thought was dull - the American Colonial period.

Q. Your household furnishings certainly reflect the American Colonial era.

A. Yes, we are very much into the period. There's a footwarmer on the hearth and a [fireplace] toaster you can move with your foot.

My wife stenciled the American flag border in the family room. She participates in Revolutionary War re-enactments. At Greenwood School last year, she dressed as Deborah Sampson, who ran away and joined the Massachussetts Regiment of the Continental Army. [Sampson's gender wasn't discovered until much later when a regimental surgeon examined her.]

PROFILE

February 13, 1997

Carl E. Closs

AGE: 54

RESIDENCE: Kennett Township, Kennett Square, Pa.

FAMILY: Wife, Norma; daughter, Cynthia, 21; and son, Eric, 12.

OCCUPATION: Former teacher in New South Wales, Australia, and Salem, N.J.; with the World Book Encyclopedia Co. for nine years; currently a sales manager/consultant with a management training and consulting firm.

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree in secondary education from West Chester (Pa.) University

HOBBIES: Studying American history and horseback riding.

SNAPSHOT: Closs makes appearances as George Washington before schools and organizations. He also is active in two area Revolutionary War units - the Secondary Pennsylvania Regiment of the Continental Line and His Majesty's 43rd Regiment of Foot.