A Year With George Washington
January 16th, 1754 – George Washington delivers a sealed letter from the French Commander of the Ohio region to Virginia Gov. Dinwiddie.
Modern-day Americans tend to think of George Washington as an old man of sixty. And yet, derring-do and willingness to take on arduous, even impossible tasks shone in his character from the beginning.
Just a twenty-one-year-old major in January of 1754, George Washington was entrusted with a mission to warn the French in the untamed Ohio Country that they were to vacate forthwith. The journey spanned over a thousand miles of rugged terrain in the dead of winter. Nearly everyone Washington encountered was hostile to his mission. Even those who shared a common cause put their own desires above his.
Washington needed to demonstrate to the French that the British had the firm backing of the various Indian tribes in the country. With little time or foreknowledge, he had to gain their trust and win them to his side. The French, by that time, had spent a century or more cultivating relationships with the native tribes, and through trade, each had become dependent on the other.
Still, the British were making inroads, especially in the area of trade, owing to their far superior manufacturing capability. The Industrial Revolution was gaining steam in Great Britain, which meant that the British could produce goods faster, cheaper, and of noticeably higher quality than the French. The Indian tribes in the region were far more sophisticated than most believe, and were very astute trading partners. Still, every tribe well knew they had to choose a side. The Oneida half-king Scarouady once remarked that, “You can’t live in the woods and be neutral.”
This was also true of the European powers. The young and inexperienced Washington needed the assistance of the Ohio Indians if he was to have any hope of convincing the French that the British -Indian alliance was formidable and that they should yield to the British Crown’s wishes.
Washington was introduced to Seneca half-king Tanacharison and came to rely on him for his wisdom and knowledge of the other tribes. He did not know it at the time, but Tanacharison had his own agenda and was trying to goad the British into war with the French.
Washington, despite his youth, was successful in relaying to the French officer at Fort Le Boeuf and presented a letter from Lt. Governor Robert Dinwiddie of Virginia demanding that they leave the Ohio Country immediately. Despite the threatening tone of Dinwiddie’s letter, Washington was treated with respect, and, taking a few days to contemplate the letter’s contents, the Fort’s commander, Captain Jacques Legardeur, penned a letter of his own to be returned to Dinwiddie.
Washington’s trip to Fort Le Boeuf, trying as it was, paled in comparison to his return home, which was fraught with such peril that he nearly died on two occasions. He wrote an account of his journey, which was published in the Virginia newspapers, and he became somewhat of a sensation. Below is an excerpt from what he titled Journey to the French Commandant: Narrative. It is a fascinating read.
The Cold increas’d very fast, & the Roads were geting much worse by a deep Snow continually Freezing; And as I was uneasy to get back to make a report of my Proceedings to his Honour the Governor; I determin’d to prosecute my Journey the nearest way through the Woods on Foot. Accordingly I left Mr. Vanbraam in Charge of our Baggage, with Money and Directions to provide Necessaries from Place to Place for themselves & Horses & to make the most convenient Dispatch in. I took my necessary Papers, pull’d off my Cloths; tied My Self up in a Match Coat; & with my Pack at my back, with my Papers & Provisions in it, & a Gun, set out with Mr. Gist, fitted in the same Manner, on Wednesday the 26th.
The Day following, just after we had pass’d a Place call’d the Murdering Town where we intended to quit the Path & steer across the Country for Shanapins Town, we fell in with a Party of French Indians, which had laid in wait for us, one of them fired at Mr. Gist or me, not 15 Steps, but fortunately missed. We took this Fellow into Custody, & kept him ’till about 9 o’Clock at Night, & then let him go, & then walked all the remaining Part of the Night without making any Stop; that we might get the start, so far as to be out of the reach of their Pursuit next Day, as were well assur’d they wou’d follow upon our Tract as soon as it was Light: The next Day we continued traveling ’till it was quite Dark, & got to the River about two Miles above Shanapins; we expected to have found the River Froze, but it was not, only about 50 Yards from each Shoar; the Ice I suppose had broke up above, for it was driving in vast Quantities.
There was no way for us to get over but upon a Raft, which we set about with but one poor Hatchet, & got finish’d just after Sunsetting, after a whole days Work: We got it launch’d, & on board of it, & sett off; but before we got half over, we were jamed in the Ice in such a Manner, that we expected every Moment our Raft wou’d sink, & we Perish; I put out my seting Pole, to try to stop the Raft, that the Ice might pass by, when the Rapidity of the Stream through it with so much Violence against the Pole, that it Jirk’d me into 10 Feet Water, but I fortunately saved my Self by catching hold of one of the Raft Logs. Notwithstanding all our Efforts we cou’d not get the Raft to either Shoar, but were oblig’d, as we were pretty near an Island, to quit our Raft & wade to it. The Cold was so extream severe, that Mr. Gist got all his Fingers, & some of his Toes Froze, & the Water was shut up so hard, that We found no Difficulty in getting off the Island on the Ice in the Morning, & went to Mr. Frazers. We met here with 20 Warriors that had been going to the Southward to War, but coming to a Place upon the Head of the Great Cunnaway, where they found People kill’d & Scalpt, all but one Woman with very Light Hair, they turn’d about; & ran back, for fear of the Inhabitants rising & takeing them as the Authors of the Murder: They report that the People were lying about the House, & some of them much torn & eat by Hogs; by the Marks that were left, they say they were French Indians of the Ottaway Nation, &ca. that did it.
Washington did not know it at the time, but he would return just four months later to the Ohio Country and be the spark that would bring about what many believe to be the First World War.
