Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-02-21
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81 I is impossible at this day to add any
thing of a new character to the ac-
g count Of men and events of hundred
years and more ago. for the field of his
tory, in so far as it relates TO the Ameri-
can revolution and the men who were
representative in its accomplishment, has
been well explored and vouminously ex-
pounded by hundreds OF men equal to the
task. Nor is there school child of ~
years in all this country, who has not
written his essay on these same men and
events. so that their history is in-burned
in the minds of all Americans. Yet this
is one of the hopeful signs of the dispo-
sition of a great people towards those
who called its nation into existence. And
of the leader of all those courageous
men, the one who before all others car
ried to an astonishing and successful
achievement the herculean labors of
bringing victorious handful of ragged
and unframed soldiers through the dark
ness of struggle with one OF the most
powerful countries on earth. certainly
nothing now needs be said.
AS young man. Washington was prob
ably no less fippant and worldly than
hundreds of others in the colonies. His
manners which have been thought extra
ordinary in their courtliness, were prob
ably not the slightest bit more 50 than
those of the minority Of his acquaint-
ances. He was not feec from the faults
of men of his time. He was accustomed
to methodical exactness from his expert
ence on his mothers plantation and to
her he no doubt owed many of the traits
which afterwards stood him in such good
stead. From his school teachers, Viii
liam Hobby, who was also the church
sexton, aud Thomas Williams, he learn
ed to read and to write as well as to iin-
derstand the artsof computation. The
latter of the two also gave him the rudi-
ments of surveying which served as much
as any other one thing TO develop him in
to the general of the American. forces.
For it was on account of his knowledge
of this science that he spent three of
his years of early manhood in the wilds
of the forests, running lines, determin-
ing levels, fixing boundaries. His wages
at this time were sufficient to enablr him
to purchase large pieces OF that trackless
wilderness bordering ON streams, which
were afterwards of great value, thus de-
yelopiDg his insight and shrewdness as a
business man. But the Lessons that he
learned from that rugged nature in the
solitary hours, were priceless, and the
constitution that was hardened by his
life in the woods enabled him in after
years to endure untolu strains of expos
ure and suffering, to rescue Braddock af
ter that generals defeat by the French,
to conceive the crossing of the Delaware
on that bleak and cherries December
night, to undergo Valley Forge and to
emerge from them all, the modest, self
contained, reserved gentleman. 1t was
because of his knowledge OF the ways of
the forest that he was sent on that
seemingly needless errand to warn the
French off English territory in the win
ter OF 1884, ON which he quilted him
self well and learned his first lessons in
practical warfare. The next year he
was chosen to go with Braddock on his
Inflated expedition against the French.
Here it was that Washington learned for
the first time, that Americans were of
| just as good stuff as Englishmen, that
| they could fight just as bravely as the
seasoned veterans of the mother country.
| For it was through the efforts of the
bush -whacking" Virginians that Brad
! docks force escaped entire destruction.
| The colonists knew better than did Brad
| dock that the evolutions of the parSde
| ground were of no avail in the sort of
| warfare in which they were at that time
| engaged The physical strain undergone
| by Washington at this time was extra
] ordinary. From the ninth to the six
tecnth OF that July. he had little sleep,
walking and riding, sometimes all night
| long through the forest, and succeeding
| in bringing up some support for Brad
! docks retreating army. He was then
| % years old. IL the course of that one
| expedition he had seen enough to give
| him an unconauerab BILE faith in the valor
| and abilities of his fellow colonists. This
! faith, it may have been, that so upheld
| him through the dark hours of defeat and
| intrigue, when his army well nigh per-
| ished from lack of food and clothing.
Washington had no IDEA, even when the
colonies were being greatly reused over
I he injustice of their treatment by Eng
land, that the end would be war. He
| did not desire war. And it was only when
| there was no other way to decide tht
momentous question of prineip. that he
set his heart on hostilities. The cour-
age of the man in accepting the position
of commander-iuchjef which was offered
10 him by the assembly was sublime.
The mother country could send hundreds
of thousands of trained soldiers against
the colonists; her ships ruled the seas.
On the other hand, the colonists were
few thousands, undisciplined in any war
fare except that against the Indians;
their resources were comparatively lnsig
niicant. 1t seems a. if there could have
been but one outcome. But Washington
modestly undertook the task, refusing
first any money remuneration for the
services he might render. And then his
Sagacity as a commander began to display
itself. Quietly did he collect stores and
ammunition and prepare for the struggle
The retreats which he managed in the
following years were almost as inspiring
as the victories he planned. His must be
a waiting game TO great extent, and
how well he played it history tells. lie
compelled England 10 recognize the trou-
BILE as more than mere insurrection
and secured thus the rights of civilized
warfare.
How great the odds were against Cen
Washington can never be rightly esti-
| mated Time and again was his army
! on the point of dissoiving away. There
were many true hearts in the Congress-,
but there were many, also, who still lean
cd little towards England. fearing that
the new order of things would never be
| successful There was only a half heart
| cd support for the conI,nIndef-lu7chie
Jealousy inspired officers 10 scheme
against him. Money was often scarce
and sometimes not to be had His men
were sometimes without food, barefoot
| ed. and half clothed Through all these
/ irving years Gen W ashington bad to
/ re'v mainly on himself. His volume o.
| corresnondencr was enormous, Thousands.
1 Of letters did he write. urging Congress
/ the governors. the influential men of the
| colonies to take this or that step. TO
/ raise men or money. to help on the work.
I He was the revolution. Almost always
! he had perfect control Of his temper
which was by no means mild. and over
/ his passions and his positive. aggressive
shirt. But sometimes the Overwhelming
/ Injustice of his treatment by congress
must have been a Sore termination TO
him. And when he watched the intrepid
1 Hamilton dash on to victory in the re-
/ douhts nj Yorktown he must have felt
the weight OF the heavy burden he WIS
bearing rise from his great heart so that
/ II heat the faster. for be knew that
/ should Cornwallis surrender The waI
would probably result yictoriouslY for the
American arms.
The same quiet. firm. far-seeing charac-
Ter led him through the years Of his life
AFTER ne had laid down his sword. When
~ stennpd out or the position OF COM
. .l.- chief Of the victorious arrny