W. L. Ormsby, Portrait of George Washington (After Gilbert Stuart), c. 1800, engraving, 20 1/8 x 13 1 /16 inches, Brigham Young University Museum of Art, 1969. On this day in 1775, George Washington was made Commander of the Continental Army. 'I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.' - George Washington