Two hundred and thirty-one years ago tomorrow, Colonel James Paterson, adjutant to General William Howe of His Majesty’s army, was admitted to General George Washington’s headquarters at No. 1 Broadway in New York City.

Col. Paterson was attempting to deliver a letter from his commander’s brother, Admiral Lord Richard Howe – a letter addressed to “George Washington, Esq., etc., etc.” This letter supposedly contained an offer of peace terms . . . because British and Hessian troops under General Howe were gathering on Staten Island, and more troops were arriving almost daily on Lord Howe’s ships in New York Harbor. If the Continental Army did not surrender, New York might soon see the same sort of bloodshed that Boston had seen at Bunker Hill.

This was Lord Howe’s third attempt to have the letter delivered. The first time, on July 13, 1776, a British lieutenant under a flag of truce had been turned away because the letter had simply been addressed to “George Washington, Esq.” He had made another attempt three days later – this time with “etc., etc.” added to the letter’s address – but again the letter had been rejected.

On July 17, a British captain appeared and asked whether Washington would meet with Colonel Paterson. The answer was yes – so on July 20, Col. Paterson found himself seated at a table across from General Washington himself.

Formal pleasantries were exchanged . . . and then Col. Paterson placed Lord Howe’s letter on the table.

It was still addressed to “George Washington, Esq., etc., etc.”

Washington wouldn’t touch it.

He did, however, once again explain what members of his staff had already explained to their previous British visitors:

Lord Howe’s letter was clearly addressed to a private citizen named George Washington. But there was no such person to be found at No. 1 Broadway. The only Washington at that address was the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, an individual properly addressed as His Excellency General Washington.

Col. Paterson weakly attempted to suggest that the addition of “etc., etc.” implied everything else that might be appropriate.

“So it does,” General Washington replied. “And anything.”

Furthermore, General Washington said, it was his understanding that any overture of peace from Lord Howe would include an offer of pardons. But since “those who have committed no fault want no pardon,” Lord Howe could go piss up a rope.

Of course, General Washington did not use those rude words. He and his staff were thoroughly polite.

But when Lord Howe received Col. Paterson’s report, the gist of General Washington’s message was nevertheless quite clear:

Go piss up a rope.

The Continental Congress had proclaimed American independence just two weeks earlier. So this was the first time that Washington had formally communicated with the enemy not as the leader of an army of rebellious colonials, but as the supreme military commander of the United States of America.

Lord Howe would not deign to recognize him as such.  But for the next seven years, in both defeat and victory, General Washington would never comport himself as anything less.

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Epilogue:  Exactly one hundred and ninety-three years after General Washington’s meeting with Colonel Paterson, on July 20, 1969, the U.S.A. would successfully land two of its citizens on the Moon. 

(No, I don’t know what the connection is.  But it seems as if there ought to be one.)