of gigantic strength, but it was generally
believed, by good judges, that their commander in chief was the
strongest man in the army.

During all his life, Washington was fond of dancing. He learned in
boyhood, and danced at "balls and routs" until he was sixty-four. To
attend a dance, he often rode to Alexandria, ten miles distant from
Mount Vernon. The year he died he was forced, on account of his
failing health, to give up this recreation. "Alas!" he wrote, "my
dancing days are no more."

Many and merry were the dances at the army headquarters during the
long winter evenings. General Greene once wrote to a friend, "We had
a little dance and His Excellency and Mrs. Greene danced upwards of
three hours, without once sitting down." Another winter, although
they had not a ton of hay for the horses, as Greene wrote, and the
provisions had about given out, and for two weeks there was not cash
enough in camp to forward the public dispatches, Washington
subscribed to a series of dancing parties.

Amid all the hardships of campaign life, Washington was ever the same
dignified and self-contained gentleman. At one time, the headquarters
were in an old log {66} house, in which there was only one bed. He
alone occupied this, while the fourteen members of his staff slept on
the floor in the same room. Food, except mush and milk, was scarce.
At this homely but wholesome fare, the commander in chief presided
with his usual dignity.

For a man so large and so strong, Washington ate sparingly and of the
simplest food. We are told that he "breakfasted at seven o'clock on
three small Indian hoecakes, and as many dishes of tea." Custis, his
adopted son, once said that the general ate for breakfast "Indian
cakes, honey, and tea," and that "he was excessively fond of fish."
In fact, salt codfish was at Mount Vernon the regular Sunday dinner.
Even at the state banquets, the President generally dined on a single
dish, and that of a very simple kind. When asked to eat some rich
food, his courteous refusal was, "That is too good for me." People at
a distance, hearing of the great man's liking for honey, took pride
in sending him great quantities of it. During fast days, he
religiously went without food the entire day.

Washington was fond of rich and costly clothes. In truth, he was in
early life a good deal of a dandy. His clothes were made in London;
and from his long letters to his tailor we know that he was fussy
about their quality