Doug Cartland's Four Minute Newsletter
Doug Cartland, Inc.04/12/2011
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George Washington made a bad decision.

 

It was August, 1776...just days after the final signees attached their names to the Declaration of Independence.  Washington was in Long Island with about twenty thousand American amateurs.  The British had just landed thirty-two thousand professional troops from an astonishing 400 ships anchored in New York Harbor. 

 

Washington responded by inexplicably sending half of his men across the East River and keeping the other half to somehow fend off the British.  The river was to the Yankees' backs.  If the British pressed their advantage there would be no immediate escape for the Americans. 

 

On came the Redcoats.  The Americans were beaten senseless, driven back to the river's edge.  Fourteen hundred Americans were killed, wounded or captured.  Night descended as the Americans waited for the decisive attack.

 

John Adams concluded in his own succinct way about that day, "In general, our generals were outgeneraled." 

 

In an essay for the 1999 book What If?, David McCullough wrote that the whole revolution hung in the balance right there.  If Washington and his troops were destroyed-and it certainly looked like they would be- the revolution most likely would have been stillborn. 

 

The Americans were trapped and outnumbered almost four to one.  General Washington seemed not to realize this.  A few British warships down the East River behind him and all hope of escape would be lost. Instead of withdrawing across the river immediately, the general actually ordered more reinforcements be rowed over from New York.  He wanted to fight. 

 

Fortunately for the Americans, the wind was blowing in a direction that prevented the British ships from immediately cutting off the Yankees' escape, buying them some time.

 

American General Thomas Mifflin made his night rounds and discovered that the British were preparing to press forward.  The end was coming and he knew it.  He went to Washington and told him emphatically that retreat was imperative...it was the only choice.  They must get across the river under the cover of darkness or they were doomed.  Other generals agreed.

 

Washington thought on it for a moment...and then made his decision. 

 

The Americans withdrew in haste, ferrying across the East River silently through the night.  When they weren't fully across by morning, nature intervened again and a great fog descended until every soldier made it without being detected by the British.

 

Staying until the last boat pushed off to safety was George Washington.

 

Washington acknowledged later that the decision to escape when they did came on "the advice of my general officers."

 

Ah the greatness of Washington!   It was not that he was perfect.  Far from it.  Quite to the contrary, the greatness of Washington was that he knew how imperfect he was.  He knew his need for other men, for other ideas, for more sets of eyes than his own.

 

He was not a leader who felt threatened by the ambition, skill or outspokenness of other men.  Just the opposite-he surrounded himself with the best he could find.  And when it was time, he listened to them.  And he was secure enough in himself to give credit where credit was due.

 

Washington understood that where he himself might miss something, less escapes through the net of multiple sets of eyes.  Foolish are the leaders who don't get this.  Foolish are the leaders who protect their positions and egos at the expense of making the best decision. 

 

Could you imagine where we might be today if General Washington had an ego that shut his ears to the wise counsel of his underlings and caused him to stubbornly stick to his plan no matter the consequences?  America may not be as we know her.

 

But, alas, his men lived to fight another day and...well...you know the rest of the story.

Till next week...
 

I'd love to hear from you. Reply to this email and let me know your thoughts.

 

Doug

 

Doug Cartland, President
Doug Cartland, Inc.

 

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