of the diplomat.

But much to the surprise of travelers and visitors, Washington never
appeared to be a brilliant man. He was always a trifle reserved, and
this habit grew on him with years. His methods of work were homely and
painstaking, reminding us somewhat of Lincoln; and the laborious
carefulness of his military plans seemed to European critics to imply a
lack of genius.

But it was difficult to judge him by European standards, because the
conditions of the warfare he conducted were totally unlike anything in
Europe. He never commanded a real army with well-organized departments
and good equipment. His troops were usually barefooted, half-starved,
and for several years incapable of performing the simplest parade
manoeuvre. Brilliant movements, except on a small scale, as at
Princeton, were rarely within his reach; and large complicated movements
were impossible because he had not the equipment of officers and
organization for handling large bodies of men spread out over a great
extent of country. He was obliged to adopt the principle of
concentration and avoid making detachments or isolated movements that
could be cut off by the British. To some of his contemporaries it
therefore seemed that his most striking ability lay in conciliating
local habits and prejudices, harmonizing discordant opinions, and
holding together an army which seemed to the British always on the eve
of disbanding.

He reasoned out, however, in his own way, the peculiar needs of every
military position, and how he did this will appear more clearly as our
narrative progresses. He often spoke of his own lack of military
experience, as well as of the lack of it in the officers about him; and