The life of George Washington

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Introduction

In the year 1486, a foot traveller, holding a boy by the hand, stopped at the gate of a convent in Spain, to ask for some bread and water for his wearied child. While he was receiving it from a kind Friar, he gave him a history of himself, and told him for what purpose he had come into that country. At that time, the inhabitants of Europe, Asia, and Africa, did not know that there was any other land than those continents, and some islands not very distant from them.

The most learned men, who were endeavouring to increase their knowledge of geography, thought that the ocean surrounded those countries like a great belt, and Christopher Columbus, the stranger who stood at the convent gate, was perhaps the first person who thought that belt might be crossed to the land on the opposite side ; which was supposed to be the eastern part of Asia. He ^vas born about the year 1436, and was the son of a wool-comber, who lived in a city of Italy, called Genoa, and Avho was too poor to give him much education ; but Columbus was very attentive to the instructions which he received in the few years that he went to school. When he was a child, he said he would like to be a sailor, and he was very diligent in using every opportunity to gain a knowledge of geography and navigation.

At the age of fourteen, he went to sea. A seafaring life was, at that time, a very dangerous and toilsome one ; and the years of his boyhood were passed in hardships, which were severe but useful lessons to teach him to command his naturally hasty temper, and to endure sufferings without shrinking or complaining. He reflected on what he observed in his voyages, and on what he had learned of geography, and felt convinced, that if a vessel sailed from Europe towards the west, it might reach a land which was then unknown ; and that land he thought it was probable was an inhabited one. The Bible would have taught him that a time will come when ** All the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God," and he might then have felt the religious hope that he should be permitted to carry the glad tidings to the unknown land, the discovery of which he began to speak of with as much certainty as if he had seen it. He considered his almost infant desire to become a sailor as a proof that he was thus early preparing to be the discoverer of that land ; and Jthis confidence never left his mind, but cheered him in his darkest hours of disappointment.

He thought deeply on the subject for many years, and at length resolved to undertake a voyage of discovery, which the more he thought of, the stronger became his hope that it would be successful. He was too poor to fit out even a small vessel, and he could not persuade any person to assist him in what was considered a wild and useless project. He formed the bold resolution to go to Portugal, and ask assistance from the king, who at first seemed willing to grant it ; but after raising his hopes, disappointed them, and Columbus returned to liis own country, and made an application there to the government for aid ; but his request was disregarded. Poor as to earthly treasures, but trusting to the divine promise, " Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established," he persevered in his intention, and was on his way to seek assistance from Ferdinand and Isabella, the king and queen of Spain, when he stopped at the convent gate to ask for refreshment for his child, whom he was taking with him.

The kind man, to whom he related his plan, became interested for his success, and offered to keep his son, Diego, and educate jiim ; and said he would give him a letter to a friend, who he thought could assist him to gain the favour of the queen. Columbus left his son with him, and travelled to the city where the king and queen resided. They would not even listen to his proposal to discover a new country for them, but he determined to remain there for some time, and he supported himself by designing maps. He was very pleasing in his appearance, and bea2 ing master of his hasty temper, his manners were agreeable. In a short time, he gained the good will of some persons who interested themselves for him, and introduced him to the Archbishop of Spain, to relate to him the favourite subject of his thoughts. The Archbishop obtained permission for him to appear before the king and queen, and the favourable manner in which they listened to him, gave him lively hopes that they would grant to him the assistance which he desired. They appointed persons to examine his plan for a voyage of discovery, who kept him for a long time uncertain as to what opinion they would give, and then said that they disapproved of it entirely.

Discouraged, but not despairing, Columbus resolved to leave Spain, and seek assistance elsewhere, and was on his journey when he received a letter from a friend, desiring him to return immediately. That friend had succeeded in gaining permission to speak to the queen, and he had interested her so much by an eloquent account of the views of Columbus, that she said, " I undertake the enterprise, and pledge my jewels to raise the necessary funds." These were joyful words to the ear of Columbus ; and they were not vain words ; for an order, signed by the king and queen, was given to him to enable him to fit out three caravals, or small vessels, for his voyage. 'I'hey were to be prepared at the town of Palos, and such frightful tales were there told about the dangers of the unknown deep, that even old seamen spoke of the intended voyage with dread; and Columbus had great difficulty to obtain crews for his little vessels.

On Friday, the third day of August, in the year 1492, he sailed from Palos, and the friends of the sailors who accompanied him took leave of them with lamentations, and abuse of Columbus ; for they felt certain his little fleet would never return. It was borne across the waves for several weeks, and no tokens of land appeared. The sailors became very anxious and discontented. One evening, a long dusky strip, like land, excited glad expectations, but the dawn of the next day showed that it was only a gray cloud along the horizon. They were several times disappointed in the same manner, and at length became desponding, and reproached Columbus with anger, and insisted that he should turn back towards Spain. He tried to soothe them, and encourage them to go on ; but finding that their desire to give up the voyage increased, he told them resolutely, *' Happen what will, I am determined to persevere, until, by the blessing of God, I shall accomplish the enterprise." When he had made this declaration, his sailors became desperate, and resolved to force him to comply with their wishes. While they were planning how they should do so, on the 11th October, being- sixty-nine days since their sailing, some fresh grass, such as grows in rivers, floated by the ships, and one of the sailors drew up a carved staff, and a thorn branch with berries on it, which the waves dashed against the side of the vessel.

As the olive leaf, which God sent to Noah by the dove, cheered him in his ark with the hope that he should soon behold " the dry land," so, the carved staff and thorn-stem gave Columbus the expectation that he was drawing near to the land which was the object of his perilous voyage. To the sailors they were peace branches ; for the hopes they raised that an inhabited country was not far distant, quieted their angry feelings, and each one became engaged in watching for land, that he might give the first signal of discovery ; for which a reward had been promised. Tlie little fleet was moved rapidly on by a fresh breeze, which blew all day.

It was the custom of Columbus to close each day with an evening hymn, for he was a devout man ; and on the evening of that joyous day, on which the staff and thorn stem were seen, he spoke with great feeling to his sailors, and endeavoured to lead them to be grateful to the mighty Ruler of the waves, for his" protection and goodness in guiding them safely to that hour of cheering hope. He then seated himself at the end of his vessel, and as it was borne along swiftly by the breeze, his eyes were fixed in watchfulness on the dusky horizon, until it was hid by the darkness of night. His anxiety prevented all disposition to sleep, and as he sat, with the silence of midnight around him, suddenly a light appeared, which seemed like a torch in the hand of a person, raising and lowering it as he walked. Long, very long, no doubt, appeared the hours from that moment until the dawning of the day. At length that dawn came. It was the 12th of October, in the year 1492, and the little vessel of Columbus became to him what " the mountain of Nebo','* was to the leader of Israel ; for as Moses had been led through the dangers of the wilderness, to that mount from which he saw " the promised land," so Columbus had been guided by the same mighty hand over the desert of the ocean, to a spot from which his joyful eyes beheld the unknown land, on which his thoughts and hopes had been for many years engaged. It was a beautiful level island, covered with trees like an orchard, and the inhabitants were soon seen running towards the shore, to gaze at the wonderful sight which was presented by the little fleet of Columbus. He entered his small boat, and was rowed to the rural spot ; he sprung on it with joy, and kneeled down to offer thanksgiving to God with tears of gratitude. As he approached, the wild natives fled ; but one of them, more courageous than the rest, venture(^ to return ; and others, seeing that he was not harmed, soon joined him. They expressed their astonishment by making signs that they thought Columbus and his companions had come from the sky, and that the sails of the vessels were the wings on which they had flown down. He remained all the day amidst the refreshing groves, noticing the artless natives, and giving to them glass beads, and other trifles, which they received with wonder and gladness, and brought in return cakes, formed from the roots of a plant which they cultivated in their fields. They had ornaments of gold around their necks, and made Columbus understand that they got them from a country to the south of their island. As he thought that the island was near India, he called the natives Indians ; and that name has been continued to all the original inhabitants of the new world. He gave the name of San Salvador to the island ; it is one of the cluster which is now called the Bahamas.

When he had spent two days in examining the island, he determined to sail again and visit others, which he understood from the natives, were not distant. He continued sailing in different directions, and discovered the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola ; he then returned to Spain, and entered the port of Palos, March 15, 1493, after an absence of 7 months and 12 days. When the inhabitants heard of his arrival, there was a great tumult; and when they knew he had discovered " the unknown land," and that some of the natives had willingly returned with him, they were ready to receive him with such honours as they would have paid to the king. What a contrast to the time of his departure, when every tongue was uttering lamentations or abuse !

When the king and queen heard of his return and success, they ordered great preparations to be made for welcoming him, and he was every where surrounded by a wondering and admiring multitude. Who would have thought that he was the same Columbus, who but a few years before, had stood at the convent gate, begging bread and water for his child ! In the course of the next twelve years he made four very important voyages, and in honour of him, all the newly found world should have been called Columbia. He was deprived of this distinction, by a rich merchant of Italy, Amerigo Vespucio, who sailed with a large fleet, in 1501, and aided by the publications and maps of Columbus, reached a more southern part of the continent than the great discoverer, and gave so interesting an account of his voyage, and of the country he had seen, that his name was given to it, as if the discovery were his. But the people have given the names Columbia and Columbus to several places in America, especially in the United States, where there is a district called Columbia, in which is the city of Washington, the seat of government. Thus the names of the two great men are connected, to whose genius and virtue our country owes so much.

While he was engaged in making discove ries, Columbus endured various trials of mind, and toils of body ; and after all his faithful services, the king of Spain refused even to furnish him the means of paying his seamen, for whom he pleaded earnestly, although many of them had acted as his enemies. The amiable queen, Isabella, was an unchanged friend ; but she died, and then it was vain for Columbus to ask for justice. He wrote to a friend, that he had done all in his power, and that he left the result to God, who had never forsaken him in his time of need. In his seventieth year, he felt that all his cares would soon cease, and he settled his earthly affairs and prepared for death. He charged his children to be active in spreading abroad the Christian religion ; and on the 20th of May 1506, he uttered his last words, which were, *' Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit."

The accounts which had been published by Columbus, caused many nations to desire to have possession of some portions of the new world. French,* Dutch, and English

INTRODBCTION. 15

navigators made voyages of discovery, and claimed those parts on which they landed ; and their governments made settlements on them. In the year 1496, John Cabot had the command of a small English fleet, with which he sailed to the west, and discovered a large island, which his sailors called Newfoundland. He then sailed along the coast of North America, for some distance, but did not land. Several attempts were afterwards made by the English to form settlements in it, but they were not successful until April, 1607, when one hundred and live of them landed in Virginia, and built a town, which they called Jamestown, in honour of their king.

One of the most active of those settlers was Captain Smith, who gained the good will of all the natives near the settlement ; but being one day at some distance from it, he was seized by a party of strange Indians, and taken to their king, Powhatan. It was determined that the prisoner should be put to death by having his head beat with clubs. He was laid on a large stone, and the death clubs were raised, when Pocahontas, the daughter of the king, threw herself beside him, and folding her arms around him, laid her head on his, and entreated that his life might be spared. She was only thirteen years of age, and was the darling of her father, who consented to her request, and Captain Smith was permitted to return to Jamestown. Some time after, she was married, with the consent of her father, to a young Englishman, named Rolfe, and this secured Powhatan as a faithful and powerful friend to the settlers. Pocahontas professed belief in the Christian religion, and was baptized by the name of Rebecca.

In 1620, the second English settlement in North America was made. A number of families, who were not at liberty to worship God as they thought right, went over to Holland. They were kindly received, and had remained there for ten years, supporting themselves by their industry, when they resolved, after frequent and serious prayer, to cross the Atlantic, and seek a residence in America; the manners of the people in Holland being such as they feared might lead their offspring astray. One hundred and one arrived, like pilgrims, in the beginning of winter, (Nov. 11, 1620,) in a strange country, where there was no friend to welcome them, nor shelter for them to enter. They purchased land from the Indians in Massachusetts, and began to clear a spot for a town which they called New Plymouth. They endured, with resolute cheerfulness, the toils and dangers of forming homes in a wildeirness, because they believed that God would "not leave them, nor forsake them." They desired to " worship him in spirit and in truth," and trusted in his promise that " all things should work together for their good.

Other settlements were gradually made in different parts of the country. Maryland was colonized in 1633, under Lord Baltimore. The settlers of Connecticut received a charter in 1662, from King Charles II. permitting the people to make their own laws, and in 1663 similar rights were given to Rhode-Island, both of which provinces were settled by independent colonies, chiefly from Massachusetts. The country now forming the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia were granted to Lord Clarendon and others, in 1663. New York and New Jersey, which had been previously occupied by the Dutch, were granted by King Charles to his brother, the Duke of York, and were easily subdued by the English. In October, 1682, William Penn, from whom Pennsylvania was named, brought from England a number of families, who had been persecuted on account of their religious opinions. He purchased land for them from the Indians, who kindly taught them how to make sodded huts, on the spot where Philadelphia now stands. Each settlement was called a Province, and the inhabitants made regulations for their own government, but acknowledged themselves to be subjects of the king of England. Those who had fled from their native land, that they might worb2 ship God with freedom, believed that they should have fulfilled to them His promise which they found in the Scriptures — " Though I have scattered them, yet I will be unto them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come."

THE

LIFE OF WASHINGTON.

To give us the delightful assurance, that we are always under the watchful care of our almighty and kind Creator, He has told us that He notices the movements of every little sparrow ; and as we are " of more value than many sparrows," He will surely ever care for us. It was His powerful and kind care that protected and guided Columbus, the once poor sailor boy, to obtain the favour of a great king and queen ; and then to pass over the waves of a dangerous ocean, in a little vessel, and reach in safety an unknown land. The same powerful and kind care which protected and guided houseless strangers to a land of freedom and peace, gave Washington to their children, to lead them on to take a place amongst the nations of the earth. His history is as a shining light upon the path of virtue ; for he " acknowledged God in all his ways."

George Washington was the third son of Augustine Washington, whose grandfather left England, his native country, in 1657, and settled at Bridges Creek, in Virginia, where, on the 22d of February, in the year 1732, his great grandson, George, was born.*

One of the first lessons which young Washington received from his faithful parents, was, the importance of always speaking the truth; and they enjoyed a satisfactory reward for their attention to this duty ; for through his childhood, " the law of truth was in his mouth," so that he was not known in one instance to tell a falsehood, either to obtain a desired indulgence, or to escape a deserved punishment or reproof. His character as a lover of truth, was so well known at the school which he attended, that the children were certain of being believed, when they related any thing, if they could say, " George AVashington says it was so." In all the little disputes of his school-fellows, he was called on to say which party was right, and his decisions were always satisfactory.

When he was ten years old, his worthy father died, and he became the care of an anxious mother, whose fortune was not sufficient to enable her to give him more than a plain English education. He was very fond of studying mathematics, and applied his mind

* The birth day of Washington was tiie eleventh Fel> ruaiy, 1731, according to the dates used at that time ; but, as in the year 1752, the English dates were altered to conform with those of the rest of Europe, llie day is that which is here given, twenty-second February. 1732.

diligently, in improving all the instruction which he could get in that science. As he grew up to manhood, he was remarkable for the strength and activity of his frame. In running, leaping, and managing a horse, he was unequalled by his companions ; and he could with ease climb the heights of his native mountains, to look down alone from some wild crag upon his followers, who were panting from the toils of the rugged way. By these healthful exercises the vigour of his constitution was increased, and he gained that hardiness so important to him in the employments designed for him by his Creator.

Mrs. Washington was an affectionate parent; but she did not encourage in herself that imprudent tenderness, which so often causes a mother to foster the passions of her children by foolish indulgences, and which seldom fails to destroy the respect which every child should feel for a parent. George was early made to understand that he must obey his mother, and therefore he respected as well as loved her. She was kind to his young companions, but they thought her stern, l3ecause they always felt that they must behave correctly in her presence. The character of the mother, as well as that of the son, are shown in the following incident. Mrs. Washington owned a remarkably fine colt, which she valued very much ; but which, though old enough for use, had never been mounted ;

no one would venture to ride it, or attempt to break its wild and vicious spirit. George proposed to some of his young companions, that they should assist him to secure the colt until he could mount it, as he had determined that he would try to tame it. Soon after sunrise, one morning, they drove the wild animal into an enclosure, and with great difficulty succeeded in placing a bridle on it. George then sprang upon its back, and the vexed colt bounded over the open fields, prancing and plunging to get rid of his burden. The bold rider kept his seat firmly, and the struggle between them became alarming to his companions, who were watching him. The speed of the colt increased, until at lengtli, in making a furious effort to throw his conqueror, he burst a large blood-vessel, and instantly died. George was unhurt, but was much troubled by the unexpected result of his exploit. His companions soon joined him, and when they saw the beautiful colt lifeless, the first words they spoke were, " What will your mother say — who can tell her ?" They were called to breakfast, and soon after they were seated at the table, Mrs. Washington said, " Well, young gentlemen, have you seen my fine sorrel colt in your rambles ?" No answer was given, and the question was repeated ; her son George then replied — " Your sorrel colt is dead, mother." He gave her an exact account of the event. The flush of displeasure which first rose on her cheek, soon passed away; and she said calmly, " While I regret the loss of my favourite, / rejoice in my son, who always speaks the truth,^^

In his fifteenth year, he had so strong a desire to be actively employed, that he applied for a place as a midshipman in the English navy, (for our country was then under the government of Great Britain,) and succeeded in obtaining it. Full of youthful expectations of enjoyment in a new scene, he prepared ardently to engage in it, when he became convinced that by doing so, he would severely wound the heart of an anxious parent; and with a true spirit of heroism he denied himself, and in obedience to the command, " Honour thy mother," he gave up his fondly cherished plan, and yielded his own inclinations, to promote her comfort. Thus, while his manly superiority to companions of his own age caused admiration, his filial tenderness was an example to them of compliance with the direction which is given to children in the word of God. " Let them learn first to show piety at home, and to requite their parents," and they are assured that " this is good and acceptable to the Lord." Washington proved the truth of this assurance ; for, to the act of filial regard which " requited" the anxious cares of his mother, may be traced his usefulness to his country, and the glory of his character. If he had crossed his mother's wish, and entered the British navy as a midshipman, it is not probable, that he would ever have deserved, or obtained, the title of " Father of his country."

Being unwilling to remain inactive, young Washington employed himself industriously and usefully in surveying unsettled lands ; and when he was nineteen years of age, he was appointed one of the adjutant generals of Virginia, with the rank of a major. At that time, the French nation had large settlements in Canada, and in Louisiana, and they determined on connecting those settlements by a line of forts ; in doing this they took possession of a tract of land, which was considered to be within the province of Virginia. The governor of Virginia, (Mr. Dinwiddie) thought it was his duty to notice this, in the name of his king ; and it was very important, that the person whom he employed in the business, should have resolution and prudence. Young Washington was worthy of his confidence, and willingly undertook the perilous duty ; as it gave him an opportunity of being actively employed for the advantage of his native province. The dangers which he knew he must meet, did not, for a moment, deter him from consenting to set out immediately on the toilsome journey, although winter was near. He was to take a letter from the governor, to the commanding officer of the French troops, who were stationed on the Ohio river; and the way he had to go, was through a part of the country that had never been furrowed by the plough, or, indeed, marked by any footsteps, but those of wild animals, or ferocious Indians. Many of those Indians were enemies, and those who had shown any disposition to be friendly, could not be safely trusted.

The same day, (October 31, 1753,) on which Washington received the letter which he was to be the bearer of, he left Williamsburgh, and travelled with speed until he arrived at the frontier settlement of the province ; and there engaged a guide to show him the way over the wild and rugged Alleghany mountain, which, at that season of the year, it was difficult to pass. The waters to be crossed were high, and the snow to be waded through, was deep ; but persevering resolutely, he arrived at Turtle Creek, where he was told by an Indian trader, that the French commander had died a short time before, and that the French troops had gone into winter quarters.

He went on with increased ardour, because the difficulty of his duty was increased ; but he did not neglect the opportunity of examining the ^country through which he passed ; wishing to discover the best situations on which forts could be erected for the defence of the province.

As the waters were impassable without swimming the horses, he got a canoe to take the baggage about ten miles, to the forks of C the Ohio river; intending to cross the Alleghany there. In his journal he wrote, " as I got down before the canoe, I spent some time in viewing the rivers and the land in the fork, which I think extremely well suited for a fort, as it has the absolute command of both rivers. The land at the point is twenty or twenty-five feet above the common surface."

The spot thus described was soon afterwards the site of the French fort Duquesne. It was subsequently called fort Pitt by the English, and from this the name of the town of Pittsburg was taken, which was built near the fort, and is now a city, containing 15,000 inhabitants. Washington remained a few days in that neighbourhood, for the purpose of endeavouring to persuade the Indian warriors to be friendly to the English. By a firm but mild manner, he gained friends among the inhabitants of the forest, and obtained guides to conduct him by the shortest way to the fort, where he expected to find a French officer, to whom he might give the letter from the governor, as the commander was dead.