The Last Letter I Shall Ever Write

This is the last Letter I shall ever write while I continue in the service of my Country - the hour of my resignation is fixed at twelve this day - after which I shall become a private Citizen on the Banks of the Potomack, where I shall be glad to embrace you, and to testify the great esteem and consideration with which I am - my dear Baron, yr most obedt & affect. Servant.

On the morning of his resignation, George Washington wrote to Baron Von Steuben, an inspector general from Prussia who helped lead the Continental Army throughout the war. This letter captures Washington’s understanding of the significance of the bow to Congress he was about to make, and his imminent transformation into a private citizen.