Framed William Washington Portrait by Rembrandt Peale

William Washington by Rembrandt Peale is a wonderful portrait honoing the cavalry officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. In our opinion, William is one of the more underappreciated Revolutionary War heroes. A cousin of George Washington, he became one of the most important American cavalry commanders of the war. William  fought at the Battle of Long Island (1776), and he was wounded at the Battle of Trenton (December 26, 1776), where his regiment played a key role in the surprise attack against the Hessians. In 1778, Washington was transferred to the Continental Light Dragoons (Cavalry) and eventually became commander of the 3rd Continental Light Dragoons. He was sent to the Southern Theater, under the command of Nathanael Greene to counter British forces. In the south he fought in the Battle of Monck’s Corner (April 1780); the Battle of Cowpens (January 17, 1781) – His most famous victory where Washington’s cavalry helped rout Tarleton’s feared British Legion, capturing Tarleton’s men and forcing him to flee; the Battle of Guilford Courthouse (March 15, 1781); the battle of Hobkirk’s Hill (April 25, 1781), and the Battle of Eutaw Springs (September 8, 1781)  where washington led a daring cavalry charge but was wounded, captured, and imprisoned in Charleston, SC for the remainder of the war.