After the Battle of Boston ended in March 1776, General Washington realized that a surprise raid on his headquarters was a serious possibility. To counter that possibility, Washington decided to form an elite unit of soldiers who would be responsible for protecting his own person and household, as well as the official papers of the Continental Army. On 11 March 1776, General Washington sent a general order to each regiment surrounding Boston, requesting that 4 soldiers be selected for this unit, which would meet for the first time the next day at noon. The letter requested that the men be selected based on their "sobriety, honesty, and good behavior," and that they be "from five feet, eight inches high, to five feet, ten inches; handsomely and well made." The Commander-in-Chief's Guards were popularly known by the soldiers as "Washington's Life Guards."
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