Life of Washington

Preface

Although more than a century has passed since the death of Washington, his name is still the most illustrious upon the pages of American history. Living during a period of expansion and changes, as ambassador, statesman, captain-general, and President, he served his country long and faithfully. Inasmuch as the question of expansion is again rife and the conditions of our government are changing, it is well to review his life and character and to place them anew before the youth of our country. Let our young men imitate his unselfish devotion to duty and to the broad and deep principles of true liberty, and we need not fear for the future of our great Republic.

In compiling this work, I have been forced to omit much of interest in regard to Washington; yet I have endeavored to include those incidents and facts which in my opinion best bring out his life and delineate his character.

M. L. WILLIAMSON

New Market, Va., Feb. 22, 191L

Contents

Chapter Page

I The Boy and Young Surveyor 9

II The Ambassador. . 22

Chapter I The Boy And Young Surveyor

George Washington was born in Westmoreland county, Virginia, on Feb. 22, 1732. The Washington family in Virginia came of good old English stock which may be traced back to the century following the conquest of England by William of Normandy, A. D. 1066.

The feudal name of the family, De Wessyngton, is found many times in chronicles of England. In the lapse of time the name became Washington; and in 1546 we find a certain Lawrence Washington living at Sulgrove Manor, Northampton. He was a man of property and distinction, being Lord Mayor of Northampton. The family continued to reside at Sulgrove Manor until 1606, when Lawrence Washington, the grandson of the Lord Mayor, removed to the village of Little Brington where his home and tomb may yet be found. This place, which is sometimes called the ''Cradle of the Washingtons," is only two hours' journey by rail from London.

The Washingtons were royalists, and as England was an unsafe place for all friends of the unfortunate Stuarts while Cromwell was at the head of the government, we find the two sons of the Rev. Lawrence Washington, John and Lawrence, coming to Virginia. They arrived in 1657 and bought lands in Westmoreland county, between the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers — the region called, the ''Northern Neck." John, whom we afterwards find as Colonel Washington leading the Virginia troops against the Indians, became a noted planter, a magistrate, and a member of the House of Burgesses. Augustine, his grandson, ^was the father of our Washington.

Augustine Washington is described as a tall man of noble bearing, with a fair complexion and fine gray eyes. He was a worthy man and commanded the respect of his neighbors. He married Jane Butler and settled down as a planter in Westmoreland county. In 1728 his wife died, leaving him four children, of whom only two, Lawrence and Augustine, lived to manhood. Two years later he married Mary Ball, the beautiful belle of the Northern Neck.

The young bride had passed her life quietly at Epping Forest, her father's country seat, where she had been carefully trained in all the domestic duties of her day. Though she had little book learning, she must have possessed a commanding character, as we are told that her sons, though ''proper, tall fellows," were wont to sit as ''mute as mice" in her presence.

For several years after his second marriage, Augustine Washington resided in the old homestead on Bridges Creek, where George, the eldest child by his second marriage, was born. A few years later the homestead was burned, and he removed to an estate in Stafford county, opposite Fredericksburg. Here he died in April, 1743.

Besides her stepsons, the young widow was left with five children of her own — George, Elizabeth, Samuel, John, and Charles. To these children she devoted her Hfe, being intrusted with the care of all their property until they should each come of age. A charming picture has been given us of Mary Washington with her children gathered round her, reading to them from her favorite volume, Sir Matthew Hale's Contemplations, Moral and Divine. This book, bearing her name written with her own hand, may still be seen at Mount Vernon.

Augustine Washington's large possessions were divided by will among his children; the home and the estate on the Rappahannock was to become the property of George when he should reach the age of twenty-one.

During his father's lifetime George went to school to an old man named Hobby, who doubtless taught him to read, write, and cipher. When he was about eight years old, his halfbrother Lawrence, who had been sent to England to complete his education, returned home an accomplished young gentleman. A remarkable affection now sprang up between Lawrence and his little brother, which lasted as long as the 'former lived and which had great influence upon the life of George,

Lawrence Washington must have inherited some of the mihtary spirit of his ancestors, for we find him, when twenty-two years of age, raising a company and joining a mihtary expedition to the West Indies, commanded by Admiral Vernon, for the purpose of punishing the Spaniards for interfering with British commerce. Thus it came about that George received his first lessons in military affairs. He saw the preparations made for the expedition and afterward heard of the war through his brother.

Fighting mimic battles was at that time one of the favorite amusements of the pupils of the old-field school. George entered into this sport with much pleasure. He was commander of one army, while a schoolmate named William Bustle led the opposing forces, and it is said that George was always victorious.

After his father's death George was sent to school to a Mr. Williams at Bridges Creek. Here he learned to draft all kinds of deeds, bonds, and mercantile papers, for his teacher believed in giving boys a practical education. His manuscript books, which are still to be seen at Mount Vernon, are models of neatness.

This training was of great service to him in after life, as he was always able to draft legal documents with the skill of a lawyer. While still at school he collected and transcribed fiftyfour rules of etiquette which govern in good society.

At this period of his life George grew up rapidly into a tall, well-proportioned youth, and by practicing himself in all kinds of athletic exercises became noted for his agility and strength. A place is still pointed out at Fredericksburg, where, when a boy, he threw a stone across the Rappahannock river. He was also a fine horseman. A story is told that when only ten years old, he mounted a beautiful but vicious colt, which belonged to his mother and which no one could ride. The colt reared and plunged and ran, but the young horseman kept his seat. At last the animal made a furious plunge, struck his head against a wall, and fell dead. His companions were all frightened. What would Mrs. Washington say to the killing of her fine colt? Going to the house, George said to his mother, "Your sorrel colt is dead, mother; I killed him." Then he told just how it had

GEORGE RIDING THE COLT.

happened Mrs. Washington was of course much grieved at the loss of her colt, but after a few moments she said, '*I am very sorry to lose my colt, but I am very glad to have a son who is not afraid to speak the truth."

When our hero was fourteen years of age, arrangements were made by his brother Lawrence for him to enter the navy as a midshipman. His mother at first consented to let him go but after his trunks had been packed and the time came to say good-by, she was so deeply distressed that he gave up the idea and returned to school. > For the next two years he devoted himself chiefly to the study of mathematics. He made a special study of land-surveying, which in those days was a very important profession. He learned the "highest processes of the art," and spared himself neither trouble nor fatigue to become proficient. He made surveys in the neighborhood and kept field books in which notes and plots were entered with great neatness. ''Nothing," says the historian Irving, ''was left half done, or done in a hurried or slovenly manner. The habit of mind thus cultivated continued throughout Hfe; so that however .compHcated his tasks and overwhelming his cares, he found time to do everything and to do it well." V

In 1747 George left school and went to live with his brother Lawrence at Mount Vernon. The latter had married Anne, the daughter of Hon. William Fairfax, brother of Lord Fairfax, and had settled on his estate upon the banks of the Potomac river. This estate he called Mount Vernon in honor of his beloved admiral.

While living with his brother, George was constantly in the company of the most intelligent and refined people, and by this association the manners of the home-bred boy received the stately polish of those colonial times. As Lawrence Washington was a member of the House of Burgesses and also adjutant-general of the district, there were statesmen as well as soldiers visiting at Mount Vernon. Their conversation relating to government and military affairs must have made a deep impression upon the mind of the thoughtful and manly boy. >-

When Washington was about sixteen, he was engaged by Lord Fairfax to survey his lands beyond the Blue Ridge. These lands had been taken up by lawless settlers, or ''squatters,** and Lord Fairfax now desired to survey the vast region and bring the whole under his own control. Though Washington was only a youth, he possessed the necessary vigor, courage, and ability to perform the task, and very soon we see him ready to begin the difficult undertaking.

N In March, 1748, Washington set out on horseback accompanied by George William Fairfax, a nephew of Lord Fairfax. They entered the Valley of Virginia through Ashby's Gap, a pass through the Blue Ridge which then formed the western boundary of Virginia settlements. Here they found a beautiful region extending from the Blue Ridge on the east to the North Mountain, a spur of the Alleghanies, on the west, and watered by the beautiful Shenandoah river, which means in the Indian tongue ''Daughter of the Stars." In his diary Washington dwells with delight upon the magnificent forests and fertile lands of this region.

The travelers first stopped at a kind of lodge where the steward of Lord Fairfax lived, about twelve miles from the town of Winchester.

From there they followed the course of the Shenandoah for many miles. Usually they would camp out in the open air, but sometimes they would be invited to share the scanty fare of the woodman's cabin.

. When at last, having turned northward, they reached the Potomac, they found it so swollen by heavy rains that it was not fordable. Procuring a canoe, they crossed over in it, swimming their horses. They then traveled in a pouring rain forty miles up the river to the home of a Colonel Cresap. Here Washington saw for the first time an Indian war dance. A party of savages appeared at the settlement and were induced by Colonel Cresap to dance for the amusement of his guests. The horrid appearance of the savages and their terrible yells and whoops made a deep impression upon Washington, as he tells us in his diary.

Several weeks were now spent by the young explorers in the mountains of Frederick county, surveying lands and marking off the boundaries of farms. The weather was stormy and their trials were many. Once the straw in which Washington wa§ sleeping caught fire and he was awakened just in time to escape a burning. Again their tent blew down and they were driven out into the pitiless rain. In a letter to one of his friends, Washington wrote: ''I have not slept above three or four nights in a bed, but after walking all day have lain down before the fire upon a little straw or fodder or a bear skin, whichever was to be had, with man, wife, and children, like dogs and cats; and happy is he who gets the berth nearest the fire."

About the middle of April, Washington was again at Mount Vernon. For wages he had received each day a doubloon (between $15 and $16). He had done his work so well that Lord Fairfax secured for him the appointment as public surveyor. His surveys w^ere now recorded in the county offices and many of the lines run by him remain unchanged to this day.-^'

The description of his possessions given by the two young men was so pleasing to Lord Fairfax that he moved across the Blue Ridge and took up his residence at the lodge, known afterwards as ''Greenway Court." The fine manor house which he planned was never built;, but th^ qM stone bouse, in which the steward had lived, served for the entertainment of his guests. Here Washington was always welcome, and here too he indulged in hunting and other sports of the forest. Lord Fairfax was a man of culture and varied experience and it is probable that Washington derived both pleasure and profit from the 'conversation of his lordship. ^ He followed the occupation of surveying for three years and found that it paid him well, for there were then few surveyors for the vast tracts of country then being thrown open to adventurous settlers. -^

Throughout the beautiful valley, there are still colonial homes which claim to have sheltered Washington when yet a young surveyor.

Chapter II The Ambassador

Meanwhile some of the most enterprising men of Virginia had formed a plan to settle the vast region west of the Alleghanies. You remember that both the English and the French claimed the country from the Great Lakes to the Ohio river. The French claim was based upon the discovery of the Mississippi by Marquette (mar ket^ and Joliet (zho lya') in 1673. According to an unwritten law of nations, France had a right to claim not only the lands bordering upon the Mississippi, but also those drained by its tributary streams.

To this claim the English opposed that of a purchase of the territory from the Indians. In 1744 a treaty had been made at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, between commissioners from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia and the Six Nations. By this treaty the Indians gave up for the sum of four hundred pounds all right to the land west of the Alleghanies, which region, they said, had been conquered by their forefathers.

It Is true that the treaty and purchase did take place, but it is just as certain that the Six Nations at that time possessed not a foot of land west of the Alleghanies.

The time had now come for this great region to be settled. Both France and England began to make known their shadowy claims to it, and each of these nations prepared to forestall the other by taking possession.

In 1749, to gain a foothold in tbat country and to obtain wealth by its trade, an association called the ''Ohio Company," was chartered, and five hundred thousand acres of land west of the Alleghanies was granted to it by the king of England. Both Lawrence and Augustine Washington were members of the company and upon the death of the president, Mr. Thomas Lee, Lawrence Washington took his place. The company now began to make preparations to send out settlers.

In the meantime the French under Bienville (byaN vel) had taken possession of the country. He gave presents to the Indians, and after warning them not to trade with the English, nailed great leaden plates to the trees and buried others in the ground on which were inscribed notices to the effect that the land belonged to the king of France.

News of these proceedings was brought to the members of the Ohio Company, but they continued their preparations. In the fall of 1749 they sent Christopher Gist, a hardy pioneer from the banks of the Yadkin, to explore their possessions and to find out something about the native tribes.

Accompanied by several woodsmen, Gist went northward until he reached Logstown, the home of Tanacharisson, the Half King. As he was absent on a hunt. Gist pushed on to Muskingan, where he was well received and where a council of the nation was held. He afterwards visited the Delawares, the Shawnees, and the Miamis, all of whom expressed their friendship for the English and promised to attend a meeting at Logstown the next spring to make a treaty with Virginia. Logstown was situated a little below the site of the present city of Pittsburg.

Upon hearing of the proposed meeting of the western tribes at Logstown, the governor of

Canada sent another embassy to the Indians, but to no purpose. The savages not only refused to Hsten to the French, but rejected the offered belt of wampum, the sign of peace and friendship. The embassy then left, making threats against the English and all others who might venture to trade upon those lands. In spite of all these warnings, Gist, under the protection of the Virginia legislature, surveyed the lands south of the Ohio river that belonged to the Ohio Company.

The French now prepared for war. The English colonies also began to make ready for the contest which they saw approaching. There was quite a stir in Virginia, for the territory in dispute was within her boundaries. The colony was divided into military districts, in each of which there was an adjutant-general, with the rank of major, whose duty was to organize and equip the militia.

Through the influence of Lawrence Washington, his brother George was appointed adjutant-general of his district. The compass and surveyor's chain were now laid aside for the sword and manual exercise, A veteran, Adjutant Muse, instructed the young officer in the art of war, while Jacob Van Braam, a fencingmaster, gave him lessons in the use of the sword.

In the midst of this excitement, Lawrence Washington's health became so delicate that by the advice of his physicians he determined to pass a winter in the West Indies, taking George as a companion. They reached Barbadoes in the fall of 1751, and were charmed with the tropical fruits and balmly climate of the island. Here Washington for the first time visited a theatre, and here, too, he was taken down with smallpox. After an illness of three weeks, he was restored to perfect health. He then visited various sections of the island and enjoyed greatly the strange scenes of a tropical country.

Lawrence Washington did not improve in health as it had been hoped, so he determined to visit Bermuda in the spring. George returned to Virginia to escort Mrs. Washington to her husband at Bermuda. But before the plan could be carried out, his brother's condition had become w^orse and the invalid hastened home to die under his own roof. On July 26,

1752, at the age of thirty-four, this accomplished and noble-hearted gentleman passed away, beloved and lamented by all. His infant daughter was left heiress to his wealth, but in the event of her death and that of her mother, the property was bequeathed to his brother George.

While Washington had been lingering at the bedside of his brother, stirring events had taken place along the Ohio. The treaty had been made at Logstown with the Delawares, Shawnees, and Mingoes; and Gist had been instructed to build a fort on the east side of the Ohio, not far from where Pittsburg now stands. The Ohio Company had also a trading post at Will's Creek (now Cumberland, Maryland.)

The French, however, refused to give up the territory, and by various means induced some of the tribes friendly to the English to join them. They had even advanced to Piqua,the great town of the Miaimis, sacked the place and raised the French flag.

Hearing of these events. Governor Dinwiddie sent Captain Trent to warn the French not to trespass on British soil. Trent found affairs so threatening along the frontier that he became discouraged and returned home without having deHvered his message.

As it was necessary to send another ambassador to the French, Governor Dinwiddie began to look about for a person better fitted for the task than the unlucky Captain Trent. George Washington was recommended as having the necessary courage and determination, and Governor Dinwiddie chose him at once for the mission. He was directed to go to Logstown and there interview the Half King and the rest of the sachems. He was to tell them his mission and ask for an escort to conduct him to the French commander. He was to deliver to the commander a letter written by Governor Dinwiddie and in the name of the king of England demand an answer. It was also his duty to gain all the information possible about the forts and forces of the French and also about the Indians.

Washington left Williamsburg on Oct. 30, 1753. Going by Alexandria and Winchester, he pushed on to Will's Creek, where he was met by Gist. He engaged the latter as guide and one Johu Davidsgn ^s iaterpr^ter.. His old friend Van Braam and four frontiersmen also accompanied him. On Nov. 15 the Httle party set out on their long and wearisome journey.

Winter had now set in with storms of rain and snow which rendered the trails almost impassable and the rivers past fording. After many hardships they reached Logstown on Nov. 24. Half King was absent at his hunting lodge fifteen miles distant. Washington, however, sent out runners and invited the Half King and other chiefs to a meeting on the next day. The Half King came promptly and gave Washington much information about the French.

The next morning the chiefs came to the council where W^ashington made his first speech. He told them that their brother, the governor of Virginia, was sending a letter to the French commander and that he needed the services of some of their young men to guide his party and to guard them against the French Indians, who were on the warpath. He then gave the chiefs a string of w^ampum, the emblem of peace.

The Half King replied that they would help their brothers, the English, but that three days would be necessary to prepare for the journey. Washington protested at the delay, but soon found that to hurry the departure would offend his savage allies. He, therefore, awaited their pleasure. After much discussion it was determined that, for fear of arousing the suspicions of the French, only the Half King and two others should go as guides.

So stormy was the weather that it was not until December 4 that they reached Venango, the first French post. There Washington was told that he must deliver the governor's letter to the officer at the next fort. A storm detained them at Venango for three days, during which time Washington gained much information about the French; and the Half King and his brother sachems consumed more of the French liquor than was good for them.

On Dec. 12 the party at last reached Fort

Le Boeuf (le bef) on French Creek, about fifteen miles south of Lake Erje. Washington immediately presented the letter of Governor Dinwiddie to the commander, Chevalier de St. Pierre (she va lya'de saN pyar). Two days later St. Pierre delivered his reply.

His mission having been accomplished, Washington now made ready to leave. The wily Frenchman, however, detained the party for another day, during which he did all that he could to win the Half King to the side of the French. It was a time of great anxiety to Washington, but at last he prevailed upon the Half King to start upon the return journey.

They had gone to the fort from Venango in canoes and now began their return in like manner. The creek was swollen and full of broken ice. Often the canoes were in danger of being dashed against the rocks, and again the travelers would have to leap into the icy water in order to draw them over shoals. At one place where the river was dammed by ice, they carried their canoes for a quarter of a mile across a neck of land. Finally, however, they reached Venango on Dec. 22, and on Christmas Day set out for home.

THE AMBASSADOR 3S

The weather was bitterly cold and the earth was covered with a deep snow. The packhorses were weak from exposure and lack of food, and it was feared that they would give out. Washington and his companions dismounted and gave up their saddle horses to assist in carrying the baggage. For three days they toiled on in this way, when Washington, impatient to complete his mission, decided to hasten in advance of the party by taking the nearest trail through the forests. Leaving Van Braam in charge of the party, he, with his pack upon his back and a rifle in his hand, stepped out into the wilderness accompanied only by Gist.

When night came on, they made a fire and rested for a few hours. Starting again long before day, they pushed forward until they reached a place called Murdering Town. Here they came upon a party of Indians and employed one of them to act as guide through the trackless forests which no\^ lay before them.

After traveling some distance, they came about twilight to an opening in the forest. The Indian, who was ahead, turned suddenly and fired at them. Washington was startled, but, finding that neither he nor Gist was wounded, pursued the Indian and seized him as he was reloading his gun. Gist would have killed him on the spot, but Washington interfered and saved his life.

They took his loaded gun from him and made him march in front. Gist now concluded that it would be best to get rid of him; so Washington said to the Indian in a friendly way, ''I suppose that you had lost your way and fired your gun merely as a signal. Now as you are near your home, you can go there for the night." *'Yes," said Gist, ''as we are tired, we will remain here and follow your track in the morning. Here is some bread and you must have meat ready for us early to-morrow."

As soon as the guide had left them, they kindled a large fire and set their compass by the light of it. They then began their journey again. Fearing pursuit by the Indians, they traveled all night and the next day until nightfall, when they reached the Alleghany river.

After passing an anxious night, they arose in the morning to contrive some way to cross the river. At last they determined to build a raft. Though they worked with all speed, they could not complete it before the sun had gone down. They launched it in the gathering darkness, and tried to push it across the river with poles. Before they were half way over, the raft was caught between cakes of ice, and in trying to get it loose, Washington was jerked into the water by the force of the current. Fortunately he was able to grasp one of the logs and by his great strength to climb back upon the raft.

They were now unable to reach either shore. At length they drifted near a small island on which they took refuge. Here they spent a most miserable night. The cold was so severe that Gist's hands and feet were frozen. When morning came, the river was so gorged with ice cakes that they easily made their way to the opposite shore.

Before night they had reached the house of Frazier, an Indian trader on the Monongahela. They left these comfortable quarters on January 1, and arrived at the home of Gist on the next day.

Having bought a horse, Washington continued his way alone and reached Williamsburg on January 16. He lost no time in delivering to Governor Dinwiddie the letter of the French commander and in making a full report of his journey. The letter was evasive; it indicated, however, no intention of giving up the territory.

The report of Washington convinced all parties that the French would take possession of the Ohio Valley in the spring. It was published and sent throughout the colonies and to the mother country in order to arouse the people and make them take measures to forestall the French.

There were then stirring times in the Old Dominion. Captain Trent was ordered to raise a company of one hundred men on the frontier, and then to march to the Fork of the Ohio and complete the fort begun by the Ohio Company. Washington was sent to Alexandria to raise another company and to forward supplies to the forces under Captain Trent.

The journey from Williamsburg to Fort Le Boeuf and back again was fully one thousand miles, across streams, through dense forests, ^nd regions frequented by hostile Indians, The fidelity with which Washington executed his dangerous commission was the foundation of his future greatness and caused him to be regarded as the "rising hope of Virginia." "

Chapter III The Lieutenant-colonel

Governor Dinwiddie now appealed to the governors of the other colonies for help. He also convened the House of Burgesses and demanded a grant of money to equip troops and fortify the frontier against the French. The governors all sent excuses, but the House of Burgesses voted ten thousand pounds for defense of the disputed territory.

A regiment of six companies of volunteers were called out, and Washington was offered the command; but with his usual modesty he refused it, assigning as a reason that he was too young and inexperienced. Colonel Joshua Frye of North Carolina was then placed in command, and Washington was made second officer with the rank of lieutenant-colonel.