George Washington's Death
George Washington, the first President of the United States, passed away in December 1799 at his estate in Mount Vernon, Virginia. After retiring from public life in 1797, Washington dedicated his final years to managing his plantation. On December 12, he undertook a long inspection of his property despite harsh weather conditions. After developing a sore throat, his health rapidly declined over the next couple of days. Despite the efforts of three doctors, Washington's condition worsened, and he acknowledged his impending death, expressing gratitude for their care.
He died late on December 14, and his funeral was held on December 18, attracting a solemn crowd that included military personnel, clergy, and Masonic representatives. The procession to his burial vault featured ceremonial honors, including cannon fire and Masonic rites. Washington's death elicited widespread mourning, both nationally and internationally, with tributes from various leaders and public displays of respect, including a formal day of mourning in Congress. Although there were plans for his remains to be moved to a grand monument in the Capitol, Washington's wishes led to the construction of a new vault at Mount Vernon, where he was ultimately interred alongside his wife, Martha, in 1831.
George Washington's Death
George Washington's Death
Like the legendary Roman hero Cincinnatus, George Washington returned to Mount Vernon in Virginia after serving his country in its time of need. From the time of his retirement as president in 1797 until his death two years later, he devoted himself to this property.
On December 12, 1799 Washington set out on horseback. Ignoring the cold rain and snow, he made a five-hour inspection of several areas of his plantation. He returned from his ride with snow clinging to his hair and clothing. The following day he complained of a “trifling” sore throat, although the discomfort did not deter him from his work. That afternoon, when the storm ended, he went outdoors and marked the trees on the front lawn that he wished cut down. By dinner time his cold was perceptibly worse, and when he attempted to read aloud that evening he was quite hoarse.
By the morning of December 14, his breathing was labored and his speech almost unintelligible. Every effort was made to relieve his condition. Three doctors applied standard remedies and bled him four times, but to no avail. Washington realized this and late that afternoon said: “I feel myself going. I thank you for your attention. You had better not take any more trouble about me; but let me go off quietly; I cannot last long.” Several hours later, shortly after 10:00 P.M., he died.
Funeral services took place on December 18. At 3:00 P.M. a solemn procession, which included military personnel, members of the clergy, and representatives from Masonic lodges in addition to friends and relatives, accompanied his casket to the burial vault at Mount Vernon. In the procession was the general's horse, fitted with holsters and pistols. At the vault the Reverend Thomas Davis read the Order of Burial from the Episcopal Prayer Book. There was a brief eulogy, and then Elisha Dick, grand master of the Alexandria Masonic Lodge, conducted full Masonic rites. When these were concluded, cannons mounted on a schooner in the Potomac River began firing and 11 artillery cannons behind the vault retorted. Then there was silence. Washington's funeral ended and everyone departed.
Grief over Washington's death was not limited to those at the burial site, nor did it end with his interment. Across the Atlantic, one London newspaper prophesied: “His fame, bounded by no country, will be confined to no age.” In honor of the American president, units of the British fleet blockading the harbor at Brest, France, dropped their ensigns to half-mast. In Paris Napoléon Bonaparte ordered a ten-day requiem
When the news of Washington's death reached Philadelphia on December 18, Congress recessed. The temporary capital of the nation observed December 26 as a formal day of mourning. At dawn on that day 16 cannons began firing and continued to boom every half hour until 11:00 A.M., when a procession of troops marched to the Lutheran Church. There, Representative Henry Lee of Virginia gave a description of Washington that was to become immortal:
First in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen, he was second to none in the humble and endearing scenes of private life.…The purity of his private character gave effulgence to his public virtues.
As a lasting memorial to Washington, Congress voted to build a marble monument in the Capitol Building then being constructed in Washington, D.C. The legislators also wanted the seat of government to be the final resting place of the first president. A crypt was provided beneath the building's dome, and Martha Washington agreed to the transfer of her husband's remains. However, the plan was never carried out. Instead a new vault was constructed at Mount Vernon according to instructions that Washington had personally given before his death. When it was completed in 1831, the bodies of George and Martha Washington (she died in 1802) were moved to this tomb.