Discipline Is The Soul Of An

Written on July 29, 1759, in a letter of instructions to the captains of the Virginia Regiment during the French and Indian War, when Washington served as commander of Virginia's frontier forces. Frustrated by the difficulty of maintaining order in a militia force under constant strain, Washington impressed on his officers that discipline — not numbers — determined effectiveness in battle. The experience of commanding Virginia's troops on the frontier deeply shaped the military philosophy he would later apply as commander of the Continental Army.