Newburgh Conspiracy - End of The War

End of The War

The soldiers continued to grumble—the unrest now spread to the noncommissioned officers (sergeants and corporals). Riots occurred and mutiny threatened. Washington rejected suggestions that the Army stay in operation until the states found the money for the pay. On April 19, 1783, that the General Orders of the day announced the end of hostilities against Great Britain. Everyone agreed that a large army of 10,000 men was no longer needed; the men were very eager to go home. Congress gave each soldier three months pay, but since they had no funds Robert Morris issued a total $800,000 in personal notes to the soldiers. Over the next couple of months, much of the Continental Army was furloughed and simply faded away, effectively disbanding nearly all the soldiers. The official disbanding came in the following November, and left only a small force at West Point and several scattered frontier outposts.

The main long-term result was a strong reaffirmation of the principle of civilian control of the military, and banishing any possibility of a coup as outside the realm of republican values. It also validated Washington's stature as a leading proponent of civilian control.