and under Washington's order, was the occasion of
an appropriate celebration. In the evening, signal beacon lights
proclaimed the joyous news to the surrounding country. Thirteen
cannon came pealing up from Fort Putnam, which were followed by a
_feu-de-joie_ rolling along the lines. The mountain sides resounded
and echoed like tremendous peals of thunder, and the flashing from
thousands of fire-arms, in the darkness of the evening, was like unto
vivid flashes of lightning from the clouds. From this time furloughs
were freely granted to soldiers who wished to return to their homes,
and when the army was finally disbanded those absent were discharged
from service without being required to return. That portion of the
army, which remained at Newburgh on guard duty, after the removal of
the main body to West Point in June, were participants here in the
closing scenes of the disbandment, when, on the morning of November
3, 1783, "the proclamation of Congress and the farewell orders of
Washington were read, and the last word of command given." From
Monell's "Handbook of Washington's Headquarters" we also quote a
general description of the house and its appearance when occupied by
the commander-in-chief. "Washington's family consisted of himself, his
wife, and his aid-de-camp, Major Tench Tilghman. The large room, which
is entered from the piazza on the east, known as 'the room with seven
doors and one window,' was used as the dining and sitting-room. The
northeast room was Washington's bedroom and the one adjoining it on
the left was occupied by him as a private office. The family room was
that in the southeast; the kitchen was the southwest room; the parlor
the northwest room. Between the latter and the former was the hall and
staircase and the storeroom, so called for having been used by Colonel
Hasbrouck and subsequently by his widow as a store. The parlor was
mainly reserved for Mrs. Washington and her guests. A Mrs. Hamilton,
whose name frequently appears in Washington's account book, was his
housekeeper, and in the early part of the war made a reputation for
her zeal in his service, which Thacher makes note of and Washington
acknowledges in his reference to an exchange of salt. There was little
room for the accommodation of guests, but it is presumed that the
chambers were reserved for that purpose. Washington's guests, however,
were mainly connected with the army and had quarters elsewhere. Even
Lafayette had rooms at De