Thus commenced the military career of Washington, CHAPTER III. and thus ended his first campaign. Although as yet a 1754. youth, with small experience, unskilled in war, and relying on his own resources, he had behaved with the prudence, address, courage, and firmness of a veteran commander. Rigid in discipline, but sharing the hardships and solicitous for the welfare of his soldiers, he had secured their obedience and won their esteem amidst privations, sufferings, and perils, that have seldom been surpassed. resolves to the war. August. Notwithstanding the late discomfiture, Governor Dinwid- Governor die's ardor did not abate. It was indeed a foible with prosecute him, that his zeal outstripped his knowledge and discretion. Wholly ignorant of military affairs, he undertook to organize the army, prescribe rules, issue orders, form plans of operation, and manage the details. Hence frequent blunders and confusion. Colonel Washington rejoined his regiment, which had marched by way of Winchester to Alexandria. He there received orders to fill up the companies by enlistments, and lead them without delay to Will's Creek, where Colonel Innes was employed in building Fort Cumberland, with the remnant of the North Carolina troops, and the three independent companies, that had come to Virginia from South Carolina and New York. It was the governor's project, that the united forces should immediately cross the Alleganies, and drive the French from Fort Duquesne, or build another fort beyond the mountains. Astonished that such a scheme should be contemplated, at a season of the year when the mountains would be rendered impassable by the snows and rigor of the climate, and with an army destitute of supplies, feeble in then on his way to pay me a visit, and had expressed an anxious desire to see me before he died. I do not know whether Captain Mackay left any family or not; for, from the time of his quitting the service until his death, as I observed before, I knew nothing of him. I have, however, been informed, that he was possessed of a handsome property in Georgia." Disapproves nor's meus the gover ures. III. CHAPTER numbers, and worn down by fatigue, Colonel Washington wrote a letter of strong remonstrance to a member of the 1754. governor's Council, representing the absurdity and even impossibility of such an enterprise. His regiment was reduced by death, wounds, and sickness. He was ordered to obtain recruits, but not a farthing of money had been provided. He was ordered to march, but his men had neither arms, tents, ammunition, clothing, nor provisions, sufficient to enable them to take the field, and no means existed for procuring them. It is enough to say, that the scheme was abandoned. Governor's plans opposed by the Assembly. Army enlarged. The governor was destined to struggle with difficulties, and to have his hopes defeated. The Assembly were so perverse, as not to yield to all his demands, and he never ceased to complain of their "republican way of thinking," and to deplore their want of respect for the authority of his office and the prerogative of the crown. He had lately prorogued them, as a punishment for their obstinacy, and written to the ministry, that the representatives of the people seemed to him infatuated, and that he was satisfied "the progress of the French would never be effectually opposed, but by means of an act of Parliament to compel the colonies to contribute to the common cause independently of assemblies." When the burgesses came together again, however, he was consoled by their good nature in granting twenty thousand pounds for the public service; and he soon received ten thousand pounds in specie from the government in England for the same object. Thus encouraged he formed new plans, and as the gift of ten thousand pounds was under his control, he could appropriate it as he pleased. He enlarged the army to ten companies, of one hundred men each, and put the whole upon the establishment of independent companies, by which the highest officers in the Virginia regiment would be captains, and even these inferior to officers of the same rank holding King's commissions. The effect was to reduce Colonel Washington to the rank of captain, and put him under officers whom he had commanded. Such a degra dation, of course, was not to be submitted to by a high- CHAPTER minded man. He resigned his commission, and retired from the army. Governor Sharpe, of Maryland, soon after received an appointment from the King as commander-in-chief of the forces employed to act against the French. Knowing Colonel Washington's character, and the importance of his aid, Governor Sharpe solicited him, by a letter from himself and another from one of his officers, to resume his station. It was intimated, that he might hold his former commission. "This idea," said Washington in reply, "has filled me with surprise; for, if you think me capable of holding a commission, that has neither rank nor emolument annexed to it, you must entertain a very contemptible opinion of my weakness, and believe me to be more empty than the commission itself." He promptly declined the invitation, and added; "I shall have the consolation of knowing, that I have opened the way, when the smallness of our numbers exposed us to the attacks of a superior enemy; and that I have had the thanks of my country for the services I have rendered." Thus sustained within himself, neither seeking redress nor venting complaints, he passed the winter in retirement. He acknowledged his partiality, however, for the profession of arms, and his ambition to acquire experience and skill in the military art. Nor did he wait long for an opportunity to gratify his wishes. Early in the spring, General Braddock landed in Virginia, with two regiments of regular troops from Great Britain, which it was supposed would bear down all opposition, and drive back the intruding French to Canada. The people were elated with joy, and already the war on the frontier seemed hastening to an end. Colonel Washington acceded to a request from General Braddock to take part in the campaign as one of his military family, in which he would retain his former rank, and the objections on that score would be obviated. III. 1754. Requested to rejoin the army, but declines. Nov. 15. Accepts the appointment of aid-de camp to General Braddock. March 15. CHAPTER 1755. for rejoining the army. His views on the subject were explained, with a becoming frankness and elevation of mind, in a letter to a friend. "I may be allowed," said he, "to claim some His reasons merit, if it is considered that the sole motive, which invites me to the field, is the laudable desire of serving my country, not the gratification of any ambitious or lucrative plans. This, I flatter myself, will manifestly appear by my going as a volunteer without expectation of reward or prospect of obtaining a command, as I am confidently assured it is not in General Braddock's power to give me a commission that I would accept." Again, "If there is any merit in my case, I am unwilling to hazard it among my friends, without this exposition of facts, as they might conceive that some advantageous offers had engaged my services, when, in reality, it is otherwise, for I expect to be a considerable loser in my private affairs by going. It is true I have been importuned to make this campaign by General Braddock, as a member of his family, he conceiving, I suppose, that the small knowledge I have had an opportunity of acquiring of the country and the Indians is worthy of his notice, and may be useful to him in the progress of the expedition." Influenced by these honorable and generous motives, he accepted the offer, and prepared to engage in the service as a volunteer. General Braddock governors ineet at Alexandria. April 13. Several companies of Braddock's two regiments were and several cantoned at Alexandria, at which place the commander himself met the governors of five colonies, in order to concert a general scheme of military operations. Colonel Washington was introduced to these gentlemen; and the manner in which he was received by them gave a flattering testimony of the consideration, which his name and character had already inspired. With the deportment and civilities of Governor Shirley he was particularly pleased. Braddock marches to April 20. General Braddock marched to the interior, and was the interior. overtaken by Colonel Washington at Winchester, when the latter assumed the station and duties of aid-de-camp. The troops followed in divisions by different routes, and all assembled at Will's Creek. Here the general was disap 1755. pointed, vexed, and thrown into paroxysms of ill humor, CHAPTER at not finding in readiness the horses and wagons, which had been promised, and on which he depended for transporting the baggage, tents, provisions, and artillery beyond that post. The contractors had proved faithless, either from neglect or inability. The embarrassment was at last removed by the patriotic zeal and activity of Franklin. Being postmaster-general of the provinces, he visited the commander during his march, with the view of devising some plan to facilitate the transmission of the mail to and from the army. On certain conditions he agreed to procure one hundred and fifty wagons, and the requisite number of horses. By prompt exertions, and by his influence among the farmers of Pennsylvania, he obtained them all and sent them to Will's Creek. This act was praised by General Braddock in a letter to the ministry; but he passed a severe censure upon the authorities of the country by adding, "that it was the only instance of address and integrity, which he had seen in the provinces." It is true, that by this timely aid alone his army was enabled to move. General Braddock had good grounds of complaint, if we may judge from some of his letters afterwards published. The contractors deceived and disappointed him in nearly every instance, and paralyzed his most strenuous efforts to proceed with the army. This, to be sure, was not the fault of the country, but it would seem to have been the duty of the adjoining colonies to take care, that supplies were promptly forwarded through some channel or other, and not to leave the expedition at the mercy of faithless and peculating contractors. It is evident, that the sense of the people was but little wakened to the necessity, or importance, of these enterprises against the French, and that they looked upon them rather as the results of political objects in Great Britain, than as immediately concerning themselves. The perpetual broils with their governors, also, had created a willingness to thwart any schemes pro Patriotic tivity of zeal and ac Franklin. |