George Washington takes a crash course in commanding an army… right before commanding an army!

>Compared to the cream of the British officer corps that he would encounter in Boston, [Washington](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Gilbert_Stuart_Williamstown_Portrait_of_George_Washington.jpg) was a rank amateur who had never commanded more than a regiment in battle. He purchased several books on military organization and tactics on the way out of Philadelphia in the hope of giving himself a crash course on commanding an army. ______________________ **Source:** Ellis, Joseph J. “The Year.” *American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic*. Vintage Books, 2008. 31. Print. **Original Source Listed:** Ellis, *His Excellency*, 71-72. ______________________ **Further Reading:** [George Washington](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington)