Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-07-18

ALEXANDRIA. VA.
century afterward, there was no city of
Washington. The country hereabouts
was comparative wilderness. George
Washington was but a STRIPPING
colonel in the Virginia militia No
one dreamed of independence of the
British crown, and all of the English
colonies were bracing themselves to
resist the encroachments of the French.
Alexandria, then colonial village
eight miles down the Virginia side of
the Potomac, was the recruiting point
of Braddock's army. Thither his little
fleet of two warships and half a dozen
transports, under Commodore Keppel,
had proceeded from Hampton with two
regiments of 500 men each, to be aug
mented later by 400 Virginia troops.
Braddock, himself, with his own per-
sonal retinue, got separated from the
remainder of his party and landed on
this side of the river opposite Anolostan
island, at what is now at the foot OF
Twenty-fourth street northwest, then
stretch of woods. Braddock's vessel
| was drawn close up to shore and
moored to a big bowlder protruding
from the bank, upon which, as we can
| imagine, he stamped his booted feet
and struck a dramatic attitude in dis
| embarking.
The bowlder has ever since been
| known. to those who have known of it
| at all, as ''Braddock's rock" and to this
| day it is still intact and unmoleSted by
| stone cipher or relic hunter. 1t is not
deemed of any account in history.
| though if Braddock's expedition against
| Duquesne had been successful this un-
pretentious bowlder might now be es-
teemed as another Plymouth Rock.
famous for the landing of the Pill
| grims. Braddock would doubtless
have won for himself not only the fame
| that fell to Gen. Forbes and to Gen.
| Amherst for the capture of Crown
Point and Ticonderoga. but also that
| which Gen. Wolfe secured in 1859 by his
success at Quebec, all resulting in the
REIMBURSEMENT of French authority on
| the American continent. Braddoc;l
| would probably now be revered one
of the prime early heroes of this west
| ern world and the course of his entire
progress would be accounted as paths
| of glory. But the unfortunate acci-
dent of defeat has changed all of that
Since success is the only standard OF
| merit and achievement, the world de-
lights not to tread in the footsteps of
| failure.
After all is said the truth of the mat
ably a brave soldier, was only too con-
scious of the difficulty and doubtful re-
suit of his enterprise, but that, having
once set upon it, he determined to grim
ly discharge his task to the end with the
most cheerful show possible. 1t is nc
derogation to his generalship that he
should have been untitled by tempe-a-
ment and training to cope with treach-
erous savages and painted devils lurk-
ing in ambush. Instead of having been
a boastful and vaingiorious cockney, as
the schoolboy of to-day is taught to con-
ceive him, he only appears to have been
too proud to show by look or sign his
own conviction of the hopelessness OF
his undertaking. Even Irving admits
that he was a stranger to fear. Irvir 6
then adds beautifully and most appro
priately:
"Reproach spared him not, even in his
grave. The failure of the expedition
was attributed both in England and in
America to his obstinacy, his technica.
pedantry and his military system But
whatever may have been his faults ano
errors, ne in a manner expiated them BY
the hardest lot that can befall brave
soldier ambitious of renown-an un
honored grave in a strange land. mem
ory clouded by misfortune and a name
forever coupled with defeat"
SMITH d. FRY.
He is good that does good to others
i-Bruyere.