Commander-in-Chief's Guard

Commander-in-Chief's Guard
Banner of the Guard, illustrated by Benson Lossing, 1852
Active	1776–1783
Country	United States of America
Branch	Continental Army
Type	Infantry and cavalry
Role	Security
Size	180–250 men
Assignment	Main Army headquarters
Nickname(s)	Washington's Life Guard
Motto(s)	Conquer or Die!
Arms	muskets, bayonets, side arms
Commanders
Captain commandants	Caleb Gibbs (1776–1779) William Colfax (1779–1783)

The Commander-in-Chief's Guard, commonly known as Washington's Life Guard, was a unit of the Continental Army that protected General George Washington during the American Revolutionary War. Formed in 1776, the Guard was with Washington in all of his battles. It was disbanded in 1783 at the end of the war.

The Second Continental Congress, the de facto governing body of the United Colonies (soon to be the United States) during the American Revolution, created the Continental Army on June 14, 1775, and appointed George Washington as General and Commander-in-Chief the next day. The army was organized in Massachusetts during the siege of Boston. Enlistments in the army expired at the end of 1775, and in 1776 a newly organized army was created by George Washington and the Congress.

The Commander-in-Chief's Guard was authorized on 11 March 1776 and organized the next day at Cambridge, Massachusetts. The purpose of the unit was to protect General Washington as well as the money and official papers of the Continental Army. General Washington directed the formation of a "corps of sober, intelligent, and reliable men". "Despite its impressive unit designation and its important mission," wrote military historian Mark Boatner, the Guard "appears to have been nothing more than what today would be called a headquarters security detachment."

The unit was initially created by selecting four men from each Continental Army regiment present at the siege of Boston. Washington's general order on 11 March outlined the type of men he hoped to recruit:

The General being desirous of selecting a particular number of men, as a Guard for himself, and baggage, The Colonel, or commanding Officer, of each of the established Regiments, (the Artillery and Rifflemen excepted) will furnish him with four, that the number wanted may be chosen out of them. His Excellency depends upon the Colonels for good Men, such as they can recommend for their sobriety, honesty, and good behaviour; he wishes them to be from five feet, eight Inches high, to five feet, ten Inches; handsomely and well made, and as there is nothing in his eyes more desirable, than Cleanliness in a Soldier, he desires that particular attention may be made, in the choice of such men, as are neat, and spruce. They are all to be at Head Quarters to morrow precisely at twelve, at noon, when the Number wanted will be fixed upon. The General neither wants men with uniforms, or arms, nor does he desire any man to be sent to him, that is not perfectly willing, and desirous, of being of this guard. They should be drill'd men.