George Washington’s Victorious Christmas (1781)
Washington and the Spanish
George Washington in 1781, his happiest and saddest Christmas was spent among Spaniards.
After the victory of Yorktown, the war was ended. George Washington’s Christmas, after Yorktown
George Washington’s Christmas vacation at the home of Spaniard Francisco Rendón.
As the representative of Spain in the 13 colonies, Francisco Rendón invited George Washington and his wife Martha to spend a vacation during Christmas and the end of the year, at his property in Philadelphia.
The two already knew each other, Rendón was previously the Secretary of the Representative of Spain, someone whom George Washington considered his friend, Juan de Miralles.
When George Washington had problems he always went to the Spanish. And these always solved most of his problems. And above all the fundamental the pay of their soldiers, their uniforms, their weapons, preventing the British from being reinforced and preventing them from supplies etc.
In decisive moments, Spain was always by her side, from the Battle of Saratoga to the final Battle of Yorktown.
Both could remember that December 31, 1778, (3 years earlier). when Miralles organized the first dinner in honor of General Washington taking advantage of his stay in Philadelphia.
Miralles had arrived in Philadelphia with the best letter of introduction. He was backed by tangible facts in favor of Spain’s support for the North American patriots. Months before, one of the shipments organized by Diego de Gardoquí, directed to the Continental Army, had arrived at the port of New Orleans.
Spain’s support for the North American revolution was undeniable. Only 2 months earlier, the US Army had collected in New Orleans a donation consisting of:
9000 rods of blue cloth, 18000 rods of red woolen cloth, 1600 rods of white cloth and almost 3000 rods of white cloth from Alcoy in Spain
Which meant that almost all of the clothing for George Washington’s army uniforms came practically from that area of Alicante, Spain, as well as other Spanish shipments consisting of dozens of boxes and barrels of medicine, gunpowder and rifles.
Its origin had to be a secret that it was necessary to keep up appearances with Great Britain until Madrid decided to officially join the war.
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