GEORGE WASHINGTON, BRITISH OFFICER
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/pre ... dies/27515George Washington is remembered for many things. He was the victorious
general who defeated the most powerful army on earth to win our
nation's independence. He then provided the leadership for the
Constitutional Convention that formed our new government. He then led
our new government as our first president. He was "first in war, first
in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen." But few people know
anything about his early military career.
Washington began his military career at the age of 20. He idolized his
half-brother Lawrence, who was the adjutant of the Virginia militia.
When Lawrence died in 1752, George applied for his job. George had no
military experience, no military training, in fact very little formal
education of any kind since he had dropped out of school at 15. Still,
as though it were a family possession to be inherited, he received
Lawrence's job as adjutant of the Virginia militia. At 20, with no
training or experience, he became a major in the largest military
organization in the Western Hemisphere.
In October 1753, looking for duty more exciting than drilling and
training rural militia, Washington volunteered for a dangerous
mission. British Governor Robert Dinwiddie had received word that the
French had come down from Canada and built a fort in the western
territory near the Ohio River. The Governor sent Washington and a
small force to carry a message to the French to leave English
territory. (Virginia claimed this land, as well as most of the lands
west of all the English colonies from Georgia to New York.)
Washington left in November and took two months to make the hazardous
journey through the winter snows and the wilderness to the French Fort
Le Boeuf, (near present-day Erie, Pa.), and back to Virginia. The
French commander's blunt reply was, "As to the summons you send me to
retire, I do not think myself obliged to obey it." Washington informed
the Governor that the French were probably going to build another fort
on the Ohio River near present-day Pittsburgh. Governor Dinwiddie had
already sent men to that place to build a fort. Washington's report
convinced the Governor to send troops to protect the workers from
French attack.
In March 1754, Washington, now a lieutenant colonel, led an expedition
to the Ohio River to hold the region for Britain. His force consisted
of less than 200 poorly trained militia. After a month, and having
covered less than a third of the distance, he received word that the
French had already captured the uncompleted British fort that was his
objective. Still, he pressed forward.
George Washington is remembered for many things. He was the victorious
general who defeated the most powerful army on earth to win our
nation's independence. He then provided the leadership for the
Constitutional Convention that formed our new government. He then led
our new government as our first president. He was "first in war, first
in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen." But few people know
anything about his early military career.
Washington began his military career at the age of 20. He idolized his
half-brother Lawrence, who was the adjutant of the Virginia militia.
When Lawrence died in 1752, George applied for his job. George had no
military experience, no military training, in fact very little formal
education of any kind since he had dropped out of school at 15. Still,
as though it were a family possession to be inherited, he received
Lawrence's job as adjutant of the Virginia militia. At 20, with no
training or experience, he became a major in the largest military
organization in the Western Hemisphere.
In October 1753, looking for duty more exciting than drilling and
training rural militia, Washington volunteered for a dangerous
mission. British Governor Robert Dinwiddie had received word that the
French had come down from Canada and built a fort in the western
territory near the Ohio River. The Governor sent Washington and a
small force to carry a message to the French to leave English
territory. (Virginia claimed this land, as well as most of the lands
west of all the English colonies from Georgia to New York.)
Washington left in November and took two months to make the hazardous
journey through the winter snows and the wilderness to the French Fort
Le Boeuf, (near present-day Erie, Pa.), and back to Virginia. The
French commander's blunt reply was, "As to the summons you send me to
retire, I do not think myself obliged to obey it." Washington informed
the Governor that the French were probably going to build another fort
on the Ohio River near present-day Pittsburgh. Governor Dinwiddie had
already sent men to that place to build a fort. Washington's report
convinced the Governor to send troops to protect the workers from
French attack.
In March 1754, Washington, now a lieutenant colonel, led an expedition
to the Ohio River to hold the region for Britain. His force consisted
of less than 200 poorly trained militia. After a month, and having
covered less than a third of the distance, he received word that the
French had already captured the uncompleted British fort that was his
objective. Still, he pressed forward.
n late May, he encountered his first French troops, and had a skirmish
which is considered by many to have been the first shots of the French
and Indian War. In Washington's own words:
"I was the first man that approached them, and the first whom they
saw, and immediately they ran to their arms and fired briskly till
they were defeated....I fortunately escaped without any wound, for the
right wing, where I stood, was exposed to, and received, all the
enemy's fire; and it was the part where the man was killed and the
rest wounded. I heard the bullets whistle, and believe me, there is
something charming in the sound."
When this last quotation was reported to King George II later in the
year, he is said to have commented that Washington "would not say so,
if he had been used to hear many." Washington himself, years later
when asked about the quote, would only say that it had been made "when
I was young."
In this brief fight, Washington's troops killed 10 Frenchmen and
captured 21, with the loss of only one Virginian. One of the killed
was the French commander. Washington now set about building a stockade
fort, which he named Fort Necessity. Governor Dinwiddie rewarded him
by promoting him to full colonel.
The French sent a retaliatory attack against Washington before he
could complete his fort. He was surrounded by the French. It was
raining hard, and his poorly trained and ill-disciplined troops were
cold, and their gunpowder was wet. They broke into the rum supply and
got drunk. With drunken troops with wet gunpowder, there was nothing
Washington could do but surrender. Although he had refused when asked
twice before, the third time he could not refuse. In an ironic twist
of fate, Washington surrendered on July 4th, 1754. Having dropped out
of school, he had never learned to speak French, which all English
gentlemen learned. When he could not read the written French demands,
he had to rely on a Dutchman among his troops who spoke some French.
Due to the faulty translation, Washington signed a surrender document
which admitted to the assassination of the French commander killed in
the battle. He admitted that the French commander had been captured,
and killed while an unarmed prisoner. He had also agreed that the
"disputed" lands belonged to France, and agreed that the British would
not "invade" the area for at least a year. The French broadcast this
document widely in justification of their actions during the French
and Indian War that continued for the next nine years. Washington
immediately returned to Williamsburg to give a first hand report to
the Governor. He was absolved of all blame, with the Dutchman being
held responsible. Washington was acclaimed for his soldierly courage.
Shortly after this incident, word came from London that all militia
units would be placed under one commander, and that no colonial
officer would be higher than a captain, with all higher officers
supplied by the English. Washington retired rather than accept the
demotion. But this was not the end of his military career.
In the Spring of 1755, Major General Braddock prepared to lead a
regiment of regular British troops to the Ohio and capture French Fort
Duquesne. Knowing of Washington's courage and previous experience, he
invited Washington to join him as an aide-de-camp. In July, they
reached the Monongahela River and fought a battle with the French.
During the battle, Braddock was killed and the British troops
defeated. Washington took command of the British troops and prevented
a rout. He got the British troops home safely, again being hailed for
his courage. At 23, Washington was now the most experienced military
officer in Virginia. He was again appointed commander of the Virginia
militia with the rank of colonel.
Colonel Washington traveled to Philadelphia, Boston and New York to
confer with northern military leaders. He made a most favorable
impression on these leaders, and they remembered him later. In 1758,
Washington led an expedition which captured Fort Dusquene and re-named
it Fort Pitt. With the French driven from Virginia's lands, Washington
retired. Later, he was elected to the Continental Congress to
represent Virginia. With an army being formed to fight the British,
Washington arrived in Congress wearing his colonel's uniform, giving a
clear message as to wear he stood on the issue and his readiness to
join in the fight. Congress unanimously voted to name him commander of
the Continental Army, and the rest, as they say, is history.
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