Mary Clark

“ Few persons ever found themselves for the first time in the presence of Washington, without being impressed with a degree of veneration and awe; nor did those emotions subside on a closer acquaintance; on the contrary, his person and deportment were such as tended rather to augment them. The whole range of history does not present to our view a character upon which we can dwell with such entire and unmixed admiration. [78] The long life of Washington is unstained by a single blot. ”

“ As the late rains had rendered the rivers impassable without swimming their horses, Washington sent two of his men, with the baggage, in a canoe, about ten miles down the river Monongahela, to meet the rest of the party at the fork of the Ohio, now Pittsburg. As young Washington arrived at the fork before the canoe, he spent some time in viewing the two rivers, Monongahela and Allegany, at and near their junction which forms the Ohio, and examining the land in the fork, which, having the command of both rivers, he thought well situated for a fort. ”

“ His fame, bounded by no country, will be confined to no age. The character of Washington, which his contemporaries admire, will be transmitted to posterity; and the memory of his virtues, will remain while patriotism and virtue are esteemed among men.—From an English publication. ”

“ Washington’s family government was steady and reasonable; his treatment of his children was kind and affectionate. George was an intelligent boy and a dutiful son. Never were parent and child more strongly attached. But, in the providence of God, only a few years more were to be allowed them for the enjoyment of each other’s society, on earth.
About the year 1739, when George was about seven years old, his father removed from his estate on Pope’s Creek to a farm which he owned in Stafford county, on the Rappahannock river, directly opposite to Fredericksburg. ”

“ In the course of the march, the friendly Indians brought to Washington frequent reports of French scouts being seen in the woods. When he had advanced about fifty miles beyond Wills Creek, he met a messenger from the Half-King, informing him that a French force (how large he could not tell) was on its march to attack the English, and warning him to be on his guard. This induced Washington to fall back a few miles to a favorable place for meeting the enemy, called the Great Meadows. ”

“ Washington says in a letter to his brother John Augustine, (the father of Judge Lund Washington,) written on the march, that the advance of the first division of the army, though retarded by many real obstacles and difficulties, was yet unnecessarily slow, in consequence of halting to level too many mole hills, and to build bridges over too many brooks. Colonel Washington accompanied the advanced division until a fever with which he was taken on the march became so violent, that he was obliged to fall in the rear, into Colonel Dunbar’s division. ”

“ Colonel Washington left Mount Vernon on the 23d, and overtook the army in a few days at Fredericktown, in Virginia. The army arrived at Fort Cumberland about the middle of May. It then consisted of more than two thousand men. About one thousand of them were colonial troops. The army was detained at this post three weeks; nor could it then have moved on, but for the personal exertions of Benjamin Franklin, and his influence among the Pennsylvanian farmers, in procuring horses and wagons, to transport the artillery, provisions, and baggage. ”

“ General Braddock, after having five horses shot under him, had received a mortal wound, and many of his best officers had fallen by his side. Sir Peter Halket was killed upon the spot. Colonel Washington had two horses shot under him, and his clothes were shot through in several places. The bodies left on the field were stripped and scalped by the Indians. All the artillery, ammunition, provisions, baggage, everything in the train of the army fell into the enemy’s hands, [64] and were given up to be pillaged by the savages. ”

“ When another speaks, be attentive and disturb not the audience. If a person hesitate in his words, do not in general help him out, nor prompt him without being desired; interrupt him not, nor answer him, till he has done speaking. ”

“ He possessed the most perfect self-government, and in a remarkable degree the faculty of hiding the weaknesses inseparable from human nature. He ever bore his distinguished honors with meekness and equanimity. ”

“ He was then persuaded that the young man was under the special guardianship of the Great Spirit, and stopped firing at him any longer. He said he had come a great way to pay his respects to a man who was the peculiar favorite of Heaven, and could never die in battle. [7]
[7] J. Sparks.
About a fortnight after Washington returned home from Braddock’s defeat, he [69] was appointed to the chief command of the Virginia forces, now increased to sixteen companies, with authority to appoint his own officers, together with an aid-de-camp and Secretary. ”

“ According to a return made by Colonel Washington himself, the Virginia regiment, including officers, consisted of three hundred and five men, of which twelve were killed and forty-three wounded. The company of South Carolinians was said to contain about one hundred; but the number of them killed and wounded is not known. The [56] French force was probably not far from nine hundred. M. De Villiers says he left Fort Du Quesne with five hundred Frenchmen and eleven Indians. The number of French is probably correct; but the Indians were much more numerous when they arrived at the scene of action. ”

“ His knowledge of the Indians, his habits of living and travelling in the woods acquired on his surveying expeditions, and certain traits in his character, well fitted him for this delicate and important mission, though he was not yet twenty-two years of age.—He was commissioned by the Governor on the 30th of October, 1753, and the same day set out upon his dangerous journey.—On the 14th of November he arrived at the mouth of Wills Creek, now Cumberland, on the river Potomac, having engaged a French interpreter and procured the necessary supply of provisions, horses, &c., on the way. ”

“ Play not the peacock, looking every where about your person to see if you be well decked, and if your clothes set handsomely.
24. Associate with persons of good character, if you have a regard for your own; for it is better to be alone, than in bad company. ”

“ But the French kept up a distant firing from the woods. Washington considered this as a [53] stratagem to draw his men into the woods and there take them at a disadvantage. He therefore maintained his position till he found that the French did not incline to leave the woods and attack the fort by assault, as he had thought they would, considering their superiority of numbers. ”

“ They all set out from Logstown on the 30th of November, and travelled in continual bad weather till the 4th of December, when they reached Venango, a settlement at the place where French Creek falls into the Allegany river. This place is now the town of Franklin, the capital of Venango county. They saw the French colors flying at a house in Venango. Washington went immediately to the house to inquire where the commandant resided. ”

“ They that are in dignity, or in office, have in all places the precedency.
11. It is good manners to prefer those to whom we speak before ourselves; especially if they be above us, with whom we ought not to begin. ”

“ Came very near entering the British Navy at the age of fourteen—attends school at Fredericksburg—becomes a practical surveyor at the age of sixteen—the Indian war dance—continues surveying three years—is appointed Adjutant General of the Militia, with the rank of Major, at the age of nineteen—accompanies his half-brother Lawrence to Barbadoes—Lawrence dies and leaves George the Mount Vernon estate. ”

“ It was agreed that the prisoners taken at the skirmish with Jumonville should be returned; and to secure the performance of this article, Captain Van Braam and Captain Stobo were delivered up to the French to be retained by them as hostages. Early the next morning, Colonel Washington began his march from the fort in good order; but he had not proceeded far, when a body of one hundred [55] Indians came upon him and could hardly be restrained from attacking his men. They pilfered the baggage and did other mischief. ”

“ This will contains a small bequest to the church, and affords evidence that he was a pious man. As the parish in which he lived has always borne his name, he was probably very instrumental in establishing it. ”

“ Major Washington, then but twenty-two years old, was appointed to command these two companies. He was to enlist one of the companies himself, and he did enlist about fifty men. Captain Trent, having partly filled the other company in the back settlement, was ordered immediately to the place of destination. It was soon determined, however, to increase this force to three hundred men, and to divide them into six companies. In a letter to a friend of his, then a member of the Governor’s council, Major Washington says: “The command of this whole force I neither expect nor desire ”