5. Washington’s leadership by example
A story which is readily found tells of a squad of Revolutionary soldiers digging up large stones to erect a wall known as a breastwork. When an elegantly attired but unrecognized officer appeared on horseback, he directed one of the men to place the largest of the stones in the center of the wall. The soldier protested that he was a corporal, leading the officer to apologize, dismount, place the stone in the wall, and then telling the corporal that if a similar situation arose to send for him again at headquarters, as he was the Commander in Chief of the army, George Washington. The tale is often told as an example of leadership. Unfortunately, it is entirely fiction.
The story, or one which contains all of the elements of the Washington tale, first appeared in a pension application from a veteran of the Revolution in 1832. The pensioner claimed to have been the corporal in the story, and the general who placed the stone was Israel Putnam. Seven years later, in 1839, the story began to appear in New England periodicals with Washington replacing Putnam. The Putnam version was likely fiction as well, created by a would-be pensioner to demonstrate his detailed knowledge of events during his service, which supported his application for compensation. Neither Putnam nor Washington ever mentioned the event in their personal papers.