The Continental Army and George Washington

During the American Revolution, George Washington served as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. After eight years of service, the 1783 Treaty of Paris ended the war. Washington’s last official orders, written while in Rockingham NJ, included the Farewell Orders to the Armies of the United States.

George Washington formally resigned his military commission in Annapolis, MD on December 23, 1783. Congress planned the ceremony, and Washington's resignation is considered a “final revolutionary act”, returning military control to the people instead of using his military power to assume political control of the fledgling United States.

While the Continental Army largely disbanded after the Treaty of Paris, a small contingent of soldiers remained to guard military stockpiles. The Continental Army's 1st and 2nd Regiments became the "Legion of the United States" in 1792, serving as the foundation for the modern US Army. 

In The Hesperus Prophecy, George Washington uses his resignation from Continental Army command as a loophole. Having never been discharged from the Continental Army, President Washington reasserts his command. The most loyal and noble soldiers of his remaining forces become the founding members of his resurrected Continental Army, known only to insiders by their secret name - the Clypeate.

George Washington resigns military command of the Continental Army

Same painting engraved on the $5,000 bill

Modern photograph of the resignation room in Annapolis, MD