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
