George Washington and Vegetius

[Renatus]

In 1927, Lt. Col. William Goff Caples of the U.S. Corps of Engineers wrote an article in which he stated that George Washington carried with him a copy of Lt. John Clarke's translation of Vegetius' Epitoma Rei Militaris constantly during the American Revolution (W. G. Caples, 'George Washington's Military Guide', The Military Engineer, Vol. XIX, No. 105 (May-June 1927), 244-247). He went on the say that this had been proved by Col. C. R. Howland but, unfortunately, did not give a reference. The alleged fact of Washington's use of Vegetius has been repeated several times since, sometimes citing Caples' article as authority, sometimes referring to the 'Preparatory Note' to a mimeographed copy of Clarke's translation prepared for the 1927-1928 course at the U.S. Army War College which was almost certainly written by Caples (the author is identified by the initials 'W.G.C.'), and sometimes without any reference at all.

This is a nice story but is it true? I have been unable to trace anything to support Caples' statement. What and where is Col. Howland's proof? Has anyone else written on the subject? I would be most interested to know if any members of RAT have any information on this, particularly if they can cite a reference that I can follow up.

[AK_Jenny]

I know Dr. Benjamin Rush wrote up a piece for the Continental Army on field sanitation and clothing and such that heavily referenced Classical sources. I'm afraid I didn't know of Vegetius at the time, so I can't recall if that's the source he referenced. Regardless, the text of the original work is still floating around.

If no one else knows it right off, I'll find the source again for you by this evening.

-J

[Renatus]

Thank you. I'd appreciate that.

[AK_Jenny]

Found it!

Directions for Preserving the Health of Soldiers, Addressed to the Officers of the Army of the United States
Dr. Benjamin Rush

Benjamin Rush, (1746-1813)
Then Physician general to the Military Hospitals of the United States., Published by order of the Board of War.
(The Colonial Williamsburg Post Office prints a period reproduction of this work, I believe.)

I don't see a direct reference to Vegetius, but a search for "Roman" through the text yields things like:

Perhaps it was the danger to which flour was always exposed of being damaged in a camp, or being rendered unwholesome from the manner of baking it, that led the Roman generals to use wheat instead of flour, for the daily food of their soldiers. Caesar fed his troops with wheat only, in his expedition into Gaul. It was prepared by being husked and well boiled; and was eaten with spoons in the room of bread. If a little sugar or molasses is added to wheat prepared in this manner, it forms not only a wholesome food, but a most agreeable repast.

---

Spirituous liquors were unknown to the armies of ancient Rome. The canteen of every soldier was filled with nothing but vinegar; and it was by frequently drinking a small quantity of this wholesome liquor mixed with water, that the Roman soldiers were enabled to sustain tedious marches through scorching sands, without being subject to sickness of any kind. The vinegar effectually resists that tendency to putrefaction, to which heat and labour dispose the fluids. It moreover calms the inordinate action of the solids, which is created by hard duty.

---

The Dress of a soldier has a great influence upon his health. It is to be lamented, that the peculiar situation of our country, from the infancy of our foreign trade and domestic manufactures, has obliged us to clothe our soldiers chiefly in linen. It is a well known fact, that the perspiration of the body, by attaching itself to linen, and afterwards, by mixing with rain, is disposed to form miasmata, which produce fevers. Upon this account I could wish the rifle shirt was banished from our army. Besides accumulating putrid miasmata, it conceals filth, and prevents a due regard being paid to cleanliness. The Roman soldiers wore flannel shirts next to their skins. This was one among other causes of the healthiness of the Roman armies. During the last war in America, general (then colonel) Gage obliged the soldiers of his regiment to wear flannel shirts, from an accidental want of linen; and it was remarkable, during a sickly campaign on the lakes, not a single soldier, belonging to that regiment was ever seen in any of the military hospitals. I have known several instances where the yearly visits of the intermitting fever have been checked in the state of Pennsylvania, in places most subject to that disease, by nothing else but the use of flannel shirts.

I've no idea how closely Dr. Rush's text adheres to what the Romans actually did, or how much Washington took any of this to heart - certainly at one point Rush was in favor of removing General Washington from his position.