It is remarkable that the Father of Our Country, George Washington, was so well prepared for the War for Independence, and he was so magnificently protected during his preparations. Sometimes we forget the experiences of the young man who became General then President Washington. Here is one that is worthy to be remembered.
Washington was a member of the Virginia Militia and as such served courageously in the French and Indian War. He was the commander of one of the four divisions of the Virginia Militia. He was called to serve as a Colonel under the command of British General Edward Braddock. The British forces planned to march on and capture Fort Duquesne (the site of the present city of Pittsburgh). It was the Spring of 1755.
Benjamin Franklin was instrumental in procuring wagons, horses and other necessities for this march. Franklin dined daily at the General’s table. “The first capable and sensible man I have met in the country,” Braddock wrote to his supporters in England. Braddock’s army numbered nearly 2,000 men, mostly well-trained and experienced soldiers who had served in the wars of Europe. Washington loved the military and was eager to study military tactics under a professional soldier of such high standing.
The army marching in a column stretched nearly four miles in length. Washington advised Braddock to divide the army into two forces and leave the heavy excess baggage behind with 600 men. Braddock placed himself at the head of the nearly 1300 select troops with only those things which were absolutely necessary. The army, now in two separate divisions, marched on.
Shortly after the army was split, Washington came down with a high and violent fever which threatened his life. The army doctor required that Washington stay behind to recover. With only a wagon for a hospital, the doctor cared for Washington for nearly two weeks. Still achy and weak, Washington determined to ride on and catch up slowly with the troops. He moved forward with much pain due to the jostling of the ride. He finally overtook the General at the mouth of the Youghiogany River, fifteen miles from Fort Duquesne, and on the evening before the Battle of the Monongahela.
The officers were in high spirits, in the belief that they would soon conquer the Fort and meet their objectives. The terrain made it necessary to ford the Monongahela River twice in order to approach the Fort now ten miles away. After the second crossing the ground rose in an open plain with about a three degree grade up toward a more densely growing forest and hills.
By the order of the march, Colonel Thomas Gage led a party of 300 men as an advanced party. He was followed by another two hundred soldiers and then General Braddock with the artillery and more of the soldiers, then the main body of the army and the baggage. Washington was often heard to say that this was the most beautiful spectacle he ever beheld. “Every man was neatly dressed in full uniform; the soldiers were arranged in columns, and marched in exact order; the sun gleamed from their burnished arms; the river flowed tranquilly on their right, and the deep forest overshadowed them with solemn grandeur on their left. Officers and men were equally inspired with cheering hopes and confident anticipations.”
At about noon on the ninth of July, 1755, as the advance party was about 100 yards from the end of the open plain approaching the forest, sharp shots rang out. The source of the volley could not be determined. To his credit, General Braddock quickly rode his horse forward to sustain the advance party, but he was forced to turn back upon the artillery. This caused great confusion, panic, and disruption to the orderly march. No enemy was in sight. The shots seemed to come from an invisible foe. The General and the officers behaved with the utmost courage, and used every effort to rally the men, and bring them to order. But it was all in vain. The General endeavored to move his men into columns and ranks and to fight as if they were in the fields of Flanders. The French and Indians, though much fewer in number, took advantage of hiding in the trees and firing at will and the disorganized troops. The battle lasted for more than 3 hours. It was purely an Indian style fight.
Washington still had not fully recovered from his illness, yet he remained unflinching in the face of disaster and continued to be faithful to his duty. He sought to take dispatches and orders back and forth among the different troops. Carrying the General’s orders to subordinates in all areas of the field made him a prominent target for the Indian warriors. The Indians had repeatedly singled him out and specifically aimed and shot at him but without effect. General Braddock was mortally wounded on his right side. Every mounted officer, except Washington, was shot and slain before Braddock fell.
Of this battle Washington later wrote home, “By all the powerful dispensations of Providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me, yet I escaped unhurt, although death was levelling my companions on every side of me.”
The battle became a rout. It was a butchery rather than a battle. Eventually everything was abandoned to the enemy. The forest and the field were strewn with the dead. Seven hundred and fourteen of the soldiers had been killed or wounded. Of the eighty-six officers, twenty-six were killed, and thirty-seven more were wounded.
If General Braddock had heeded the counsel of his Colonel Washington to send an advance scouting party of a dozen loyal Indians ahead, this may never have had to happen. Even then Washington had used sound judgment. Notwithstanding the total and disgraceful failure of this expedition, the fame and character of Washington were greatly advanced by it. His bravery, courage and leadership in saving many of the soldiers were lauded by his companions in arms. It was said of him that he had done his duty, acquitted himself properly, and earned the admiration of his fellow soldiers without reservation.
What Washington learned in this Battle of the Monongahela served him well in his battles of the Revolutionary War as the Commander in Chief of the United Colonial Army. And you should hear the rest of the story. . . Read about Washington met the Indian Chief in his later years and how the Chief made a startling prediction on page 51 of "Founding Fathers -- Uncommon Heroes" by Steven W. Allen. See sidebar to purchase this great book.
