GEORGE WASHINGTON {PART 3 OF 3} (TV)

Summary

The third of this three-part miniseries about the life of first President of the United States George Washington, focusing on his life before and during the Revolutionary War.

In the December of 1776 at an encampment in Pennsylvania, Washington confers with his generals, who bemoan their dwindling supply of troops and low recruitment numbers, as well as the advancing position of British forces. They advise Washington to call upon help from General Charles Lee and ask him to march his troops north from Jersey. Despite these difficulties, Washington is determined to continue fighting the war and insists on never giving up. His generals put aside their reticence in solidarity with Washington. Later he is visited by Captain John Laurens of South Carolina, and Washington appoints him his staff secretary on the spot. He has Captain Laurens write a message to General Lee ordering him to bring his troops as reinforcements. General Lee, however, mocks Washington’s tactics and the mass desertions his army faces; he expresses a desire to replace Washington as Commander in Chief. While resting at a tavern he is found by British troops and ordered to surrender.

Washington attempts to rouse his troops to re-enlist by having Captain Laurens read inspiring speeches to them. He is informed that General Lee has been captured, although his troops are still advancing to reinforce the forces in Pennsylvania. Captain Laurens makes a personal plea to the troops as to the urgency of their continued service, and many are sufficiently moved by this plea to re-enlist. Washington proposes a bold battle strategy to attack the German Hessian garrison at Trenton over three separate river crossings simultaneously, a plan lambasted as “preposterous” by the Continental Congress. Washington feels that he has no other choice and discusses the plan with his generals, planning to attack just after Christmas Day so as to take the enemy by surprise. His generals are skeptical of the plan; they point out the logistical difficulties of attacking in the dead of winter and the danger of navigating the Delaware with such a large number of troops; they point out that an unsuccessful attack would leave their forces trapped and compromised. Nevertheless, Washington believes that he has a unique opportunity to alter the shape of the war and believes that a victory could re-invigorate his men and convince them to re-enlist.

The Continental troops navigate the frozen Delaware River, slowly making their way to Trenton in the night during a snowstorm. The soldiers express concern when the snow dampens their gunpowder, which will interfere with their musket fire. That morning they ambush the Hessian encampment and fire their cannons at them, confusing the Hessians and preventing them from getting into proper formation. They then charge the Hessian line, forcing them to retreat as the American troops enter melee with their bayonets. These tactics prove to be highly effective, forcing the Hessians to surrender. Following this victory, a Continental Army headquarters is set up in Morristown, New Jersey, where Captain Alexander Hamilton is made an aide-de-camp to Washington. Hamilton impresses Washington with his bravado and successfully petitions Washington to promote him to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Washington, believing that the Continental Army is not yet strong enough to face the British in an open confrontation, adopts hit-and-run tactics to harass the enemy and slowly weaken them. He asks John Adams to convince the Continental Congress to set up new regiments with terms of service lasting the entirety of the war, although Adams does not believe this goal is realistic. Adams tells Washington that it is rumored that some wish to appoint Washington as an “American king,” although Washington dismisses the idea as “preposterous,” feeling that the newly-liberated colonies have no need for monarchs.

In August 1777 at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Washington argues that Benedict Arnold be promoted to the rank of general for his service to the Continental Army, although the Congress labels him a “troublemaker” and resists this request. They argue about reassigning generals, such as replacing General Schuyler with General Gates at Ticonderoga. Washington expresses frustration at the internal squabbling within the Congress and attempts to disengage himself from their decisions. Washington is introduced to Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, a French military officer who expresses his admiration for Washington and voices his ardent desire to fight on his behalf. Washington takes him into his service, much to Lafayette’s appreciation. At this time, Washington is informed that the British are sending a fleet led by General Howe towards the Delaware, intent on taking Philadelphia. The British advance is successful; Congress evacuates and Washington and his army retreat from Philadelphia as well. They are unable to appropriate sufficient supplies from Philadelphia before their march, and Washington dismisses criticisms from Colonel Conway about his untrained troops. The defeat does little to dampen Washington’s resolve to continue fighting. During the march, Washington receives word that a major British invasion force from Canada was stopped at New York by forces led by General Gates and General Arnold. However, Washington later learns that Colonel Conway and General Gates have expressed dissatisfaction with him, blaming the Continental Army’s various defeats solely on Washington. General Gates learns that Washington has found out about his letter decrying him, disrupting his plans to promote Colonel Conway and usurp Washington’s place as Commander in Chief. He instead hopes to promote Conway to Inspector General, hoping that this will provoke Washington into resigning.

In late December of 1777, Washington and his troops set up fortifications at Valley Forge in northern Philadelphia. He confers with Arnold about General Gates’s plans; Arnold is furious that Washington is being so callously regarded. He promises to promote Arnold as soon as he recovers from a serious leg injury. Captain Laurens and Lafayette return from a visit to Congress, reporting that General Gates has been elected president of the Board of War, thus entitling him to supervise the entire army. Washington attempts to focus his efforts on repelling the British, unwilling to engage in debilitating political infighting. The troops at Valley Forge suffer from food shortages, and Washington attempts to send foraging parties out to resupply them. At the British army headquarters in Philadelphia, General Lee, now aligned to the British cause, gives them his plan to prevent troops from marching northward from Maryland and Virginia. Washington’s aides urge him to consider General Gates’s plot against him more seriously. He refuses to assume more power in his leadership role, unwilling to become a “tyrant.” Conway arrives at the camp as the new Inspector General, announcing his intention to reform the army. Washington prevents him from carrying out his duty until his written instructions arrive from Congress. He is furious at Conway for engaging in political maneuvering while he and his men suffered to fortify and train themselves.

Martha visits Washington at Valley Forge, happy to be reunited with him. They take the opportunity to spend time together, and Washington laments the poor conditions his troops must suffer. He expresses doubts about his ability to lead, but Martha reassures him that his role is absolutely essential to the war effort. In February of 1778, the bitter cold takes its toll on Washington’s men; Martha helps one of them, Joseph, to the sick hut after he suffers from frostbite and delirium. She watches as Joseph’s foot is amputated, which affects her emotionally. The sergeants from Washington’s various regiments assemble and speak to Washington personally; they insist that despite their constant complaints about the lack of food and brutal conditions, they are still loyal and ready to fight for him. Several of Washington’s men attempt to requisition supplies from a nearby farmhouse, getting into a fight with the farmer there. They are interrupted by the unexpected arrival of British troops and get into a skirmish with them, managing to kill or drive them away through surprise. They make it back to camp with equipment taken from the dead British soldiers, as well as a goose which they roast. Joseph is visited by his wife, announcing that she is pregnant with his child and that she is taking him home. This seems to give him some comfort and he departs with her.

Washington meets Baron von Steuben, a Prussian military officer offering his service to Washington’s army. He picks one unit to serve as his “model company,” leading them in various drill exercises so they can become drill sergeants for their own regiments. Martha prepares to leave Washington and return home, albeit reluctantly. She reveals that she knows about his former attraction to Sally, but says that she is not bothered by it. They share an emotional farewell, knowing that they will likely not see each other again for months. As Washington’s troops get properly trained, the British become uncomfortable with a recent French alliance with America. They debate about what to do about Washington, as their assumption that he and his men would not survive the winter have proven to be false. They plan to consolidate their forces in New York, hoping to draw out Washington and his army and defeat him once and for all during the march there. General Lee leaves British custody and rejoins with Washington and his men, discussing their next move. They hope to send a small force to retake Philadelphia and shadow the march to New York from hiding. After careful surveillance Washington selects a site along the British march to attack, and Lafayette asks for the opportunity to lead his men in the attack; Washington declines to grant this request, as well as a similar request from Laurens. Washington and Lee argue about the timing of the attack, as Lee believes they should wait for French reinforcements before engaging in a major battle. Washington argues that the attack is worth the risk and changes his mind about allowing Lafayette to lead the attack. However, Lee attempts to convince Washington to allow him to lead the attack instead.

The attack commences on June 28th, 1778 at Monmouth, New Jersey, although it initially goes poorly due to miscommunications between General Lee and his officers. He argues with Washington, who relieves him of command mid-battle. Washington assumes command and hastily organizes his men into a defensive position atop a hill as the battle is joined. By carefully directing the rate of his men’s fire, he is able to repulse a British cavalry charge. Coordinated musket and artillery fire hampers the British infantry advance, and eventually both sides end up in melee atop the hill. The British are forced to retreat, but Washington decides to break off pursuit to give his men a chance to recover from the heat. General Lee complains that Washington disrupted his tactics and cost him his victory, but Washington, disgusted with the arrogance of professional soldiers such as him, strips him of his rank and sends him away. The Continental Army encamps there, but by 1780 there is unrest among the troops due to lack of food and pay. They threaten mutiny if they do not receive proper supplies, forcing Washington’s aides to try to keep them in line.

Meanwhile, Washington attempts to secure proper payment from Philadelphia, stymied by the devaluation of Continental currency and by colonial merchants’ business practices. He is informed that Arnold, now military governor of Pennsylvania, is under investigation for association with Tory speculators, although Washington refuses to believe such accusations without evidence, particularly in light of Arnold’s extensive military service. Washington attends Arnold’s wedding reception and speaks to him about this matter; Arnold claims that the investigation is a roundabout way of attacking Washington via their friendship. He tells Washington that the executive committee has charged him with illegal transactions in support of loyalists to the British crown. Washington promises to help him clear the matter up and get him a field commission once again; Arnold requests the command post at West Point. Washington becomes increasingly frustrated at the progress of the war, demanding that the French move their fleet from the West Indies to lend aid. He learns that General Gates’s army has been routed out of the Carolinas, jeopardizing the entire southern front of the Continental Army. Washington decides that he must strike at New York in order to save the south, hoping to utilize the French forces at Newport.

Arnold receives word at his home in West Point that he is to send an armed guard to escort Washington so that he can negotiate with the French General Rochambeau personally. However, it turns out that Arnold is secretly in communication with Major Andre of the British army, making him a traitor to the Americans. Washington arrives at General Rochambeau’s headquarters in Hartford, Connecticut, with Lafayette acting as an interpreter between the two. Rochambeau expresses concern about Washington’s plan to attack New York, believing that their combined forces are not strong enough to breach the heavy British fortifications there. Washington asks him to try to move the West Indies fleet, but Rochambeau instead proposes a plan to use a smaller French naval force to cut off the British supply lines to Virginia and then march south directly, bypassing New York entirely. He is confident that Washington would be able to formulate a means of doing so while evading the notice of the British. Washington and his aides go to meet with Arnold, but find that he is not at West Point as they had previously arranged.

Washington soon learns about Arnold’s betrayal in the form of various articles of military intelligence delivered into the hands of the enemy. He is deeply emotionally affected by Arnold’s betrayal and swears to capture and execute him. He finds Arnold’s wife Peggy in hysterics, screaming and shouting various incoherent phrases about how Arnold is “gone forever.” His attempts to capture Arnold are unsuccessful, and it is rumored that Arnold has been made a brigadier general in the British army. Meanwhile, Continental troops in Trenton carry through on their threat to mutiny. Washington reluctantly orders that several of the mutineers be tried and sentenced to execution by their fellow troops, knowing that it could risk further rebellion in the ranks. Virginia is threatened by the advance of British warships into the Potomac, but Washington is unwilling to split the army in order to rescue it. Hamilton attempts to negotiate with Rochambeau and both he and Washington grow frustrated with the slow pace of French aid; Hamilton and Washington argue and Hamilton threatens to resign. He expresses frustration that he has not been given the chance to lead men in battle, and continues to threaten resignation until Washington relents and promises him a command.

The French fleet is finally mobilized as per Washington’s request, and Washington devises a plan: he intends to break camp and fool the British into believing that they still intend to attack New York while actually advancing troops south to Yorktown. In order to accomplish this, he orders a small portion of his forces to move towards New York, setting up false camps to give the impression that their unit is much more numerous than it actually is and using their position to harass British outposts in the night. They advance and plan to meet a force of French troops at Jamestown, thus preventing the British from escaping by sea. The Continental forces arrive in Yorktown on October 8th, 1781. They set up cannon emplacements around the city and begin firing. He hatches a plan to dismantle a pair of British redoubts preventing their troops from properly besieging Yorktown in tandem with the French troops. He appoints Lafayette, Hamilton, and Laurens in key command positions in the upcoming assault, ordering them to attack stealthily at night. Their surprise tactics catch the British off-guard and Hamilton and Laurens’s forces enter into a melee at the first British redoubt. The attack is successful and the British commander surrenders. The French assault is similarly successful and the British forces at Yorktown are forced to surrender entirely.

A formal ceremony is held the next day to officiate over the British surrender. At the Continental Army encampment in Newburgh, New York, Washington complains at not being allowed to attend a secret meeting held by the Continental Congress. Hamilton warns him that if his soldiers are not given the back pay and pensions they were promised, they may try to overthrow Philadelphia. He learns that Laurens has been killed in action during a battle outside of Charleston, South Carolina. Washington laments that he was killed in a “pointless skirmish” near the war’s end, believing that his death is meaningless. General Gates attempts to play on the soldiers’ dissatisfaction with Congress, hoping to incite them to a military coup led by him. Washington interrupts this meeting and convinces the soldiers not to overthrow the government, believing that it would represent a poor start to their burgeoning nation and that it would undermine the honor they have achieved on the battlefield. The war ends with a victory for the revolution, and at Fraunces Tavern in New York City on December 4th, 1783, Washington resigns from the military and bids a tearful farewell to his closest officers. Washington returns home to Mount Vernon and is enthusiastically welcomed back by Martha. Commercials deleted.

Details

NETWORK: CBS
DATE: April 11, 1984 8:00 PM
RUNNING TIME: 2:29:00
COLOR/B&W: Color
CATALOG ID: B:60515
GENRE: Drama, historical
SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, historical; History - American; Presidents - United States
SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1984
COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

David Gerber … Executive Producer
Buzz Kulik … Supervising Producer, Director
Richard Fielder … Producer, Writer
David Silver … Associate Producer
James Thomas Flexner … Based on the books on George Washington by
Laurence Rosenthal … Music by
Barry Bostwick … Cast, George Washington
Patty Duke Astin (See also: Patty Duke) … Cast, Martha Washington
David Dukes … Cast, Will Fairfax
Jaclyn Smith … Cast, Sally Fairfax
Lloyd Bridges … Cast, Caleb Quinn
Jose Ferrer … Cast, Governor Dinwiddie
Hal Holbrook … Cast, John Adams
Trevor Howard … Cast, Lord Fairfax
Jeremy Kemp … Cast, General Gates
Richard Kiley … Cast, George Mason
Stephen Macht … Cast, General Benedict Arnold
James Mason … Cast, General Braddock
Rosemary Murphy … Cast, Mary Ball Washington
Clive Revill … Cast, Lord Loudoun
Robert Stack … Cast, General Stark
Anthony Zerbe … Cast, General St. Pierre
Robert Schenkkan … Cast, Alexander Hamilton
Leo Burmeister … Cast, Eban Krutch
Patrick James Clarke … Cast, Joseph Mooney
Kevin Conroy … Cast, John Laurens
John Glover … Cast, Charles Lee
Philip Casnoff … Cast, Lafayette
Harry Groener … Cast, Patrick Henry
Josh Clark … Cast, Tench Tilghman
William Prince … Cast, William Fairfax
Ann McDonough … Cast, Anne
William Lyman … Cast, Lawrence
Patrick Horgan … Cast, General Howe
Jace Alexander … Cast, Dan
Barrie Ingham … Cast, General Clinton
Scott Hylands … Cast, General Greene
Ned Romero … Cast, Tanachriston
J. Kenneth Campbell … Cast, Richard Henry Lee
John Horton … Cast, General Cornwallis
Jon Matthews … Cast, Jacky Custis
Peter Evans … Cast, Colonel Mifflin
Tom Mason … Cast, Colonel Reed
Megan Gallagher … Cast, Peggy Shippen
Leon B. Stevens … Cast, Joseph Galloway
Nicolas Surovy … Cast, Colonel Conway
Farnham Scott … Cast, General Knox
Louis Turenne … Cast, General Rochambeau
Kelsey Grammer … Cast, Lieutenant Stevens
Elva Leff (See also: Elva Josephson) … Cast, Patsy Custis
John Ridge … Cast, Van Braam
Brad Sullivan … Cast, General Artemus Ward
Vigo Mortenson (See also: Viggo Mortenson) … Cast, Lieutenant at LeBoeuf
John Means (See also: John Meanes) … Cast, General O'Hara
Christine Estabrook … Cast, Abigail Adams
Louisa Flaningham … Cast, Milly
Robert Elston … Cast, Peyton Randolph
Richard Fancy … Cast, Sam Adams
Justin Freiman … Cast, Jacky Custis as Teenager
Kurt Knudson … Cast, Baron Von Steuben
David McGinley … Cast, Colonel Wilkinson
Robert O'Neill … Cast, Lee's Aide
Jerry Gatlin … Cast, Bob
Randy Anderson … Cast, Major Andre
Matt Calahan (See also: Matt Callahan) … Cast, Lieutenant Tarleton
Doug Wing … Cast, James Delancey
Patrick F. McDade … Cast, Isaac Low
John Klaus Becker … Cast, Colonel Roll
Tom McCarthy … Cast, Dockworker Spy
Robert Noble … Cast, Enos Tarbell
Bonnie Patrick … Cast, Patience
Tim Moyer … Cast, John Jay
Sally Mercer … Cast, Prudence Mooney
Gavin Pearce … Cast, George Washington (as a child)
Jennifer Johnson … Cast, Betty Washington (as a child)
James C. Scopeletis (See also: Jim Scopelitis) … Cast, Captain Mercer
B.J. Morrison … Cast, Jacky Custis (as a child)
John A. Washington V … Cast, John Augustine Washington
Tom Assalone … Cast, Augustine Washington
Teresa Ann Payne … Cast, Betty Washington (as a child)
Kristi Alford … Cast, Patsy as Child
Rex Ellis … Cast, Benjamin
Bill Grimmett … Cast, Martha's Butler
Mike Hodge … Cast, Breechy
David Lively … Cast, John Alton
Greg Ashburn … Cast, Execution Officer
June Thorne … Cast, Nanny Jane
Richard Rhodes … Cast, Lieutenant Colonel Verick
Terrence Currier … Cast, Captain Mackay
Ron Canada … Cast, Billy Lee
Octavia Arnold … Cast, Mrs. Blair
Wally Doyle … Cast, Major Campbell
Michael Allinson … Cast, General Gage
Ralph Cosham … Cast, Braddock's Captain
Doug Roberts … Cast, Auctioneer
Richard Learman … Cast, Daniel Custis
Carroll James … Cast, Reverend Massey
Donald Neal … Cast, Genn
Richard Nephew … Cast, Running Elk
Timothy Rice … Cast, Lawyer Turnbull
Bentley Anderson … Cast, John Blair
Norman Maxwell … Cast, Trelawny
Ian Goodwin … Cast, Speaker of the House
Dennis Telfer … Cast, Surgeon
Michael Fealy … Cast, Hobart
Kelly Kathleen Learman … Cast, Betsy Potts
Robert Albertia … Cast
Eddie Allen … Cast
Josh Ashland … Cast
T.G. Cody … Cast
Pennell Colodny … Cast
Brian Corrigan … Cast
Hugh B. D'Alessandro … Cast
Janis Dardaris … Cast
Ed Dolan … Cast
Malcolm Edwards … Cast
Douglas T. Estadt … Cast
Elizabeth Fielder … Cast
John Fielder … Cast
Richard Fielder Jr. … Cast
Tom Finn … Cast
Willie Fitts … Cast
Eric Forsythe … Cast
Sandra Freck … Cast
Josiah James Hill … Cast
Sean Kelly … Cast
Greg Learman … Cast
Gretchen Learman … Cast
David Long … Cast
Thomas Jeffries Madigan … Cast
Matt McCreavy … Cast
Dave Moordigian … Cast
J. Craig Nannos … Cast
Michael Ostrowski … Cast
Frank Reifsnyder … Cast
Jerry Rowe … Cast
Terry Smith … Cast
Brett Smrz … Cast
Henry Strozier … Cast
John Tatum … Cast
Glenn Taylor … Cast
Mitchell Thomas … Cast
Richard Timberlake … Cast
Guillame Tostain … Cast
Christopher Whelan … Cast
Doug Wild … Cast
John D. Williams III … Cast
Al Wright … Cast

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