Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/345

 WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON

eldest brother Lawrence, who was stricken with consumption, to the West Indies, returning to Virginia in February, 1753. In July, 1752, Law- rence Washington died, leaving George guardian of his daughter and heir to his estates in the event of her death. George had been carefully schooled for the career of a soldier under two old companions-in-arms, Adjutant Muse, of Vir- ginia, and Jacob Van Braam, a Dutch soldier of fortune, and this secured for liim an appointment as one of the adjutant-generals of Virginia, with the rank of major. Governor Dinwiddle sent a Captain Trent into the Ohio country to remon- strate against the aggressions of the French. Trent, however, became alarmed and refused to proceed to the French forts, and Washing- ton being selected for the task set forth in October, 1753. accompanied by Van Braam, and Christopher Gist, a Virginia frontiersman, proceeding to Venango, the first French post, thence to the fort on French Creek, and later tak- ing to the woods on foot, and pressing on to Wil- liamsburg, having made friends with several In- dian chiefs, and obtained much information in re gard to the strength of the French garrisons. He was appointed lieutenant-colonel of a Virginia re- giment, under Colonel Fry, and was sent out, Aj^ril 2, 1754, with two companies from Alexandria to Wills Creek, where he found that the French had taken possession of the English fort at the junc- tion of the Alleghany and Monongahela. He immediately marched against the enemy at Great Meadows, surprised the French camp, and captured and killed thirty-one French soldiers under Jumonville. This was the first blood shed in the war, and brought Washington to the public notice. He succeeded to the command of the regiment on the death of Colonel Fry, and re- sumed work on Fort Necessity, at Great Meadows. There he was starved out by the French and re- turned to Virginia, where a vote of thanks was tendered him by the House of Burgesses. When, however. Governor Dinwiddle divided the troops into independent companies, with no officer higlier than captain, Washington resigned his commis- sion, and withdrew to his estate at Mount Vernon. On Feb. 20, 1755, General Braddock arrived in Virginia with two picked regiments and camped at Alexandria, and hearing of Washington's past service, gave him a place on his staff with the rank of colonel. Numerous delays caused by the non-support of the colonists made the advance into Canada slow, and the army did not reach Little Meadows until June 16, 1755, where, on the advice of Washington, the army was divided, thus allowing the van-guard to hurry forward in light marching order. Braddock repeatedly ig- nored the warnings against surprise from the sav- ages, and marched his troops on in glittering

ranks. On July 9, 1755, they were attacked in ambush, and receiving orders to fight in platoons, the army was overcome, and Braddock was mor- tally wounded. Washington rallied the broken troops, conducted the retreat, and four daj's later, read the burial service over the gallant though reckless Braddock. The assembly of Virginia, now thoroughly alarmed, voted sufficient money, and raised a regiment of one thousand troops, Washington being placed in command of all the Virginia forces. The troops, however, were ob- tained with difficulty, and the French and Indians devastated the unprotected frontier. In 1758 his health broke down, and he again withdrew to Mount Vernon. Meanwhile General Forbes was sent to undertake the task which Braddock had failed to accomplish, and Washington's aid was gladly received. Delays and a disregard of ad- vice caused the defeat of a detachment, but news that the French were withdrawn from America, reached Washington, who after taking possession of Fort Duquesue, thereafter known as Fort Pitt, resigned his commission in the army. On Jan. 6, 1759, he was married to Martha (Dandridge) Custis, widow of Daniel Parke Custis. He was elected a member of the house of burgesses in 1759 ; and on the death of his ward, became one of the wealthiest men in the country. He was present in the house of burgesses when Patrick Henry introduced his famous resolutions of May 29, 1765, and in May, 1769, he offered the non- importation resolutions, and formed an associa- tion. After the news of the Boston Port bill was received, and the assembly was dissolved, he pre- sided over a meeting of Fairfax county, in which he urged Union, and non-importation, and re- commended a congress. On Aug. 1, 1774, he was a representative in the meeting of Virginia, and made an eloquent speech in which he declared " I will raise a thousand men, subsist them at my own expense, and march them to the relief of Boston." The convention chose him a delegate from Virginia to the Continental congress, and he started on his journey north, in company with Patrick Henry and Edmund Pendleton, and ar- rived at Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia, Sept. 5, 1774. The congress sat fifty-one days. He was chairman of the military committees during the second session of the Continental congress in 1775. On June 15, Washington was made commander- in-chief of the Continental army, and on June 16 he accepted the trust, and started on his journey north to review and organize the troops. He arriv- ed at Cambridge, Mass., July 2, 1775, and on July 3, took command of the first American army, which at this time numbered but fourteen thousand men, enthusiastic, but undisciplined. The task of dealing with the general and provincial con- gresses was extremely difficult, as he was obliged