The border vidette., 1931-08-15
WHEN WASHINGTON WAS MADE
COLONEL

the 176th anniversary of the day
in 1875 when George Washing.
ton was commissioned a Colonel
at the age of %. and placed in
supreme command of the mill
tary forces of his native State of
Virginia. It was not the first
military rank he received. The
appointment as Colonel bad al
ready been amply earned but it
may be taken as the true begin
ming of his military career.
When hardly more than 20
years old. Washington bad been
made a Major and Adjutant
General of Virginia Militia. a
post occupied before by his half
brother Lawrence Washington.
For time the Office gave him
little more duty than to oversee
recruiting in something like II
Virginia counties.
But during this time the
Fling sought to hem in the thir
teen Colonies along the Atlantic
eaboard and seize the remainder
of the continent as q permanent
French possession. To this end
they systematically built a line
of forts from Canada and the
Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mex
leo. The English government
was not at first alive to the
danger in this. At England's 3
distance the value of the West
was not understood. But the
Colonies saw what was happen
ing, and Virginia especially, with
large interests in the Ohio
country, was alarmed and angry.
Consequently young Major
Washington was sent by Cover.
nor Din widdie to visit the French
fort on the Ohio, near what is
now Erie and demand that the
French garrison withdraw.
Those wha like to see how q
great mans career is pieced to
gether by events will note at
once how Washington's previous
experience as surveyor to Lord
Fairfax had given him intimate
| knowledge of the western wilder
ness, and so led to this impor.
tant mission. But the boyish
Major Washing ton, was obliged
to come home and reported re
buff from the French Com
mander.
The young Major neverthe
less became an author, much to
his surprise. when Governor
Din widdie published his Journal
describing this mission. Circu
lated in England. and in America
this Journal did much to quicken
public interest regarding the
value of the American West, and
Gov. Dinwiddie was authorized
by his king to drive out the
French.
he promptly decided to use it..
An expedition of more than 300
men was got together, and again
Major Washington was put in
command. Again the young
commander fell short of success.
Without waiting to receive bin
at Fort Duquesne, the French
commander sent out q force of
his own which Washington faced
at his hastily constructed Fort
Necessity. Here be was depriv
ep of needed military strength
by failure of promised troops
from other Southern Colonies,
and was obliged to capitulate,
but not until be had started a
great, almost worlc. wide conflict
In the former expedition, Maj,
Washington's errand was one OF
warning. This time be went to
shoot, and did. In q skirmish
preliminary to the action at Fort
Necessity, the French officer,
Jumonville, was killed, an Incl
dent vi hich set France and Eng
land themselves at war. Both
nations sent fleets and troops tc
America 10 fight it out on Amer
lean soil for possession of the
American West. The Colonies
themselves were to raise levies
to join the English, and again
Washington might have had q
new military berth.
Instead be declined. regarding
the insignificant rank and pay
offered him as an indignity no'
only to himself but to all Ameri
cans.
The historic Braddock expedi
ton was planned as the centra
move in this British campaign
against the French on American
soil, and Braddock invited Wash
jnoton to iOin IL The 0ntc0me