George Washington Wasn’t Perfect

In school you hear about George Washington as a hero and the Father of Our Country.  We stopped at Fort Necessity in Pennsylvania.  Washington was 22 years old and was fighting with the British in 1754.  He entered this area of the country with orders to negotiate with the French and to defend a fort in the Pittsburg area, but the fort had already been taken by the French.  Instead, he ended up attacking a French encampment killing 10 men including the commanding officer.  This attack essentially started the French and Indian War with conflict spreading around the world.

Realizing the French would retaliate, he built a fort.  But he built the fort near the woods, in a marshy area, and it was small.  He had 400 soldiers (though many were hurt) along with horses and cows.  He could only fit the wounded inside the fort.  The other soldiers lay in a trench.  That wouldn’t be bad but when the battle started it began to rain which meant the gunpowder was wet.  

I’m always amazed when I see the reconstructions of British battle.  You know, those lines of soldiers just aiming at each other instead of hiding behind trees or rocks.  Well, Washington believed the French would fight this way but instead they fought from the nearby woods.  Many of Washington’s men were killed along with the horses while the French outnumbered the British and fewer were killed.  Washington soon surrendered.  This battle was the only time George Washington surrendered to the enemy.