Brotherhood Preserved

A few weeks before resigning as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, on December 4, 1783, George Washington bade farewell to his officers, saying, “With a heart full of love and gratitude, I now take my leave of you.” Yet the brotherhood formed on the battlefield endured beyond that moment. Before the Treaty of Paris was signed, the Society of the Cincinnati was formed in May 1783, and Washington was elected its first president, serving until his death in 1799. The Society was named for Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus, a Roman farmer of the 5th Century B.C. who, like Washington, was called from his fields to lead his country’s army. Its members today, descendants of American Revolutionary War officers, continue its original purposes of preserving the rights and liberties its founders fought for, promoting national honor and dignity, and reinforcing cordial affection by caring for members and their families.

Virginia · United States