It was received with great rejoicings by the troops
at Newburgh, and under Washington's order, was the occasion of
an appropriate celebration. In the evening, signal beacon lights
proclaimed the joyous news to the surrounding country. Thirteen
cannon came pealing up from Fort Putnam, which were followed by a
_feu-de-joie_ rolling along the lines. The mountain sides resounded
and echoed like tremendous peals of thunder, and the flashing from
thousands of fire-arms, in the darkness of the evening, was like unto
vivid flashes of lightning from the clouds. From this time furloughs
were freely granted to soldiers who wished to return to their homes,
and when the army was finally disbanded those absent were discharged
from service without being required to return. That portion of the
army, which remained at Newburgh on guard duty, after the removal of
the main body to West Point in June, were participants here in the
closing scenes of the disbandment, when, on the morning of November
3, 1783, "the proclamation of Congress and the farewell orders of
Washington were read, and the last word of command given.
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