Middletown transcript., 1883-04-06
George Washington.
CHAPTER VII,

be friendly without being too familiar.
forts and making friends of the Red Man,
and they began to crowd up so close to the
English that the English felt bit an
noyed. The French appeared to want to
be too familiar, and the English, fearing
that they might come in suddenly some
day without waiting tor an invitation on a
gilt-edged card, and not find enough
English to properly entertain them, sent
word to old Governor Dinwiddie for new
invoice of Virginians. The Governor sent
Captain William Trent as a sort of peace
commissioner to expostulate with the
French commander on the Ohio, and insist
that he should give peaceful possession
of the premises on or before the twenty
fifth of March next ensuing, etc. Captain
Trent packed some presents for the In
dians in a gripsack and set out. But when
he got within $50 miles of the French he
found that the climate was growing un-
healthy and that his clothes were hardly
fit to call upon strangers in. In this
emergency he decided to go back to Will
liamsburg while the walking was good.
He stated that his intercourse with the
French had been entirely harmonious.
That he had gotten along pleasantly with
them and enjoyed their society very much,
though he didn't know but his favorable
impression of them might have been
changed trif1e by closer acquaintance.
He felt that he could live in entire har-
mony with the French with only $50
miles intervening. They were most ex-
ceIlent neighbors at that distance. To be
sure, he had forgotten to tell them to
move but he would write to them and as
they were an exceedingly polite and
obliging people he had no doubt but they
would go. Governor Dinwiddie was not
entirely satisfied with the report of his
commissioner, so he looked about him for
another man less bashful in the society of
Frenchmen, and picked upon George
Washington. George said he would go
with pleasure if the Governor would give
him time to black his boots and shave and
put on another vest. He was fine look
ing young fellow then, tall, straight as an
arrow and with an eye like an eagle. He
could out jump, out wrestle, out ride and
out run any man in the settlement. No
body seems to have had the curiosity to
try to find out how hard he could strike
from the shoulder. He made his simple
and put off for the French
military posts on the Ohio, and he soon
got to them. That was way George had.
When he put off for place he generally
got there. The first French fort he reached
was commanded by Captain Joncaire.
The Captain was drunk, as usual, and as
there was no prospect of his getting sober
before spring, or perhaps the next fall,
Washington bade him fond adieu and
passed on. At the next fort he found the
Chevalier Legardeur de st. Pierre. That
was all the name he had. Some more
name had been given him by his father,
but he had tramped upon it when child |
md had broken it all off but this. Wash |
ngton gave the Chevalier the Governors |
etter and the Chevalier was glad to hear |
rom the Governor, and that he was well |
md that these few lines found him enjoy |
ng the same blessing. But he sat down |
md answered the Governor that he didn't |
intend TO move that year. He said he
liked the country, so far as he had seen it,
md that he had about half made up his |
mind to stay in that neighborhOod until
fhrnJ1nh
carried this letter back to
Governor Dinwiddie, and the Governor
when he read it was mad. He used some
anguage that would look very bad in
ype. Then he told Captain Trent to raise
company of 100 men and go over to the
)hio and get better acquainted with the
French than he had before. Washington /
vas empowered to raise like force. TT .Ffhfe
Command of regiment was also offered
lin, but he modestly declined and was
made second in command. Captain Trent
vent to the front with his men, and the
french made them an early social call,
apturing all but Captain Trent. The
captain was some distance in the rear.
He was a bashful, reserved sort of man,
lever at ease among strangers, and he
shrank from meeting the
French, particularly as he had never been
Introduced to them. Washington marched
N toward the Ohio. He designed to
ouild fort at the point where Pittsburg
low stands, but ere he reached there he
heard from friendly Indians that the
French in considerable numbers were
spending a season there. He stopped to
.est awhile where he was but soon hear
ng that detachment of French were in
,he neighborhood, and being anxious to |
ret acquainted with them, he made an |
early call one morning while they were at |
and tried to get on intimate
,erms with them. All of them but eleven |
liked Washington so well that they handed |
up their arms to him, and ten of the eleven |
who didn't were dead. The other one had |
thought of pressing engagement he had
at Fort Du Quesne and had left early to
fill it. Washington's Indian allies wanted
TO joke with the Frenchmen by trifing |
with their back hair, but Washington,
who looked with disfavor upon Indian
humor, disapproved of the proposed pro-