Great General or Fortunate Figurehead? - Part 3
This is the third installment of a series of articles, exploring the military leadership of George Washington. This particular series is not intended as a comprehensive study of the time or setting of Washington's activities, but merely as an opportunity to analyze Washington's conduct and leadership. You are encouraged to register your opinion on Washington's leadership and these articles in our discussion area.
Major George Washington took command of a network of Virginia militia units scattered throughout the colony of Virginia. Although young and inexperienced, Washington learned a great deal in his new capacity about recruiting, training and supplying an army. He did his best to ensure that the Virginia militia units had the food, clothing, guns and ammunition they needed. Due to his efforts, he won praise in some circles for his "method and exactness" in overseeing the details of military operations.
Managing logistics was not sufficient for the young man's aspirations, however. Washington yearned to distinguish himself in military service. And the opportunity soon presented itself.
Tensions were mounting between England and France over respective claims to vast regions of land between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. By 1753, the situation reached a breaking point when Governor Robert Dinwiddie of Virginia learned that the French had built Fort Presque Isle near Lake Erie and Fort Le Boeuf in a portion of the Ohio country claimed by Virginia. The construction of these two forts came on the heels of a progressive campaign by France to remove English traders from the Ohio River Valley.
Dinwiddie sent a small expedition, led by twenty-one year old George Washington, to warn the French to withdraw. While Washington was away, Dinwiddie ordered the construction of a fort near the present day location of Pittsburgh. When Dinwiddie learned of the English refusal to withdraw from the Ohio River Valley, he decided that an additional force of men should be sent to protect those presently building that fort. Additionally, Dinwiddie believed that the trail to Redstone Creek should be widened into a road to permit easier passage of men and materials.
Washington was tasked with calling up the appropriate militia units, recruiting volunteers, and putting together supplies for the operation. Dinwiddie, utilizing Washington's comprehensive report from his previous mission to the French, lobbied the Virginia Assembly for the necessary funds. Through arm-twisting and bargaining, Dinwiddie obtained funding for a force of 300 men. Offered command of the army, Washington deferred on account of his inexperience. Dinwiddie accepted Washington's request to be the second in command, and named Joshua Fry, an engineer, cartographer and former professor of mathematics, as the overall commander.
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