CHAPTER VII.

Lord and Sir William Howe arrive before New York.

Page

Circular letter of

Lord Howe. State of the American army. The British land in force

on Long Island. Battle of Brooklyn. Evacuation of Long Island.

Fruitless negotiations. New York evacuated.

-

- 409

CHAPTER VIII.

Skirmish on the Heights of Haerlem. The enemy land at Frog's Neck.

The American army evacuates York Island, except Fort Washington.

Both armies move towards the White Plains. The British army re-

turns to Kingsbridge. General Washington, with a part of his army,

crosses the North River. The lines of Fort Washington carried by

the enemy, and the garrison made prisoners. Evacuation of Fort Lee.

Weakness of the American army. Ineffectual attempt to raise the

militia. General Washington retreats through Jersey. Capture of

General Lee. General Washington crosses the Delaware. Danger of

Philadelphia. Battle of Trenton. Of Princeton. Firmness of Con-

THE

LIFE

OF

GENERAL WASHINGTON.

CHAPTER I.

BIRTH OF MR. WASHINGTON-HIS MISSION TO THE FRENCH ON
THE OHIO-APPOINTED LIEUTENANT-COLONEL OF A REGIMENT
OF REGULAR TROOPS-SURPRISES M. JUMONVILLE-CAPITULA-
TION OF FORT NECESSITY-IS APPOINTED AID-DE-CAMP TO GE-
NERAL BRADDOCK-DEFEAT AND DEATH OF THAT GENERAL-
IS APPOINTED TO THE COMMAND OF A REGIMENT-EXTREME
DISTRESS OF THE FRONTIERS, AND EXERTIONS OF COLONEL
WASHINGTON TO AUGMENT THE REGULAR FORCE OF THE CO-
LONY-GENERAL FORBES UNDERTAKES THE EXPEDITION AGAINST
FORT DU QUESNE-DEFEAT OF MAJOR GRANT-FORT DU QUESNE
EVACUATED BY THE FRENCH AND TAKEN POSSESSION OF BY THE
ENGLISH-RESIGNATION AND MARRIAGE OF COLONEL WASHING-

TON.

GE

CHAP. I.

1732Birth of Mr.

EORGE WASHINGTON, the third son of Augustine Washington, was born in Virginia, at Bridges-Creek in the county of Westmorland, on the 22d of February, 1732. Washington. He was the great grandson of John Washington, a gentleman of very respectable family in the north of England, who had emi

VOL. II.

B

grated

CHAP. I. grated about the year 1657, and settled on the place where young Mr. Washington was born.

1732.

Very early in life the cast of his genius disclosed itself. The war in which his country was then engaged against France and Spain, first kindled those latent sparks which afterwards blazed with equal splendour and advantage; and at the age of fifteen he urged so pressingly to be permitted to enter into the British navy, that the place of midshipman was obtained for him. The interference of a timid and affectionate mother suspended for a time the commencement of his military course.

He lost his father at the age of ten years, and received what was denominated an English education; a term which excludes the acquisition of other languages than our own. As his patrimonial estate was by no means considerable, his youth was employed in useful industry: and in the practice of his profession as a surveyor, he had an opportunity of acquiring that information respecting vacant lands, and of forming those opinions concerning their future value, which afterwards greatly contributed to the increase of his private fortune.

It is strong evidence of the opinion entertained of his capacity, that when not more than nineteen years of age, and at a time when the militia were to be trained for actual service, he was appointed one of the adjutants-general of Virginia, with the rank of major. The duties annexed to this office were performed by him for a very short time. The plan formed by France for connecting her extensive dominions in America, by uniting Canada with Louisiana, now began to develope itself. Possession was taken

4

taken of a tract of country then deemed to be within the pro-
vince of Virginia, and a line of posts was commenced from the
Lakes to the Ohio. The attention of Mr. Dinwiddie, the lieute-
nant-governor of that province, was attracted by these supposed
encroachments; and he deemed it his duty to demand, in the
name of the king his master, that they should desist from the
prosecution of designs which violated, as he thought, the trea-
ties between the two crowns. A proper person was to be se-
lected for the performance of this duty, which, at that time,
was very properly believed to be a very arduous one.
A great

part

of the country through which the envoy was to pass was almost entirely unexplored, and inhabited only by Indians, many of whom were hostile to the English, and others of doubtful attachment. While the dangers and fatigues of the journey deterred those from undertaking it who did not extend their views to the future scenes to be exhibited in that country, or who did not wish to be actors in them, they seem to have furnished motives to Mr. Washington for desiring to be employed in this hazardous service, and he engaged in it with the utmost alacrity.

He commenced his journey from Williamsburg the day on which he was commissioned, and arrived on the 14th of November at Willis's-Creek, then the extreme frontier settlement of the English. Guides were there engaged to conduct him over the Aleghany mountains, the passage of which, at that season of the year, began to be extremely difficult. After surmounting considerable impediments from the snow and high waters, he reached the mouth of Turtle-Creek on the Monongahela, on the 22d, where he learned from an Indian trader, that the French general

B 2

CHAP.I.

1753.

His mission to

the French on

the Ohio.

October 31st.