Great General or Fortunate Figurehead - Part 5

In spite of recent events, Great Britain was not about to abandon her claims in the Ohio region. Major General Edward Braddock arrived in Northern Virginia, in March 1755, with two British regiments. And he began making plans to dislodge the French from Fort Duquesne, their most strategic stronghold along the Ohio River.

Eager to put his aspirations for military glory back on track, Washington volunteered his services to General Braddock. For his part, Braddock, while perhaps suspicious of the Virginian's reputation in Royal circles, recognized Washington's unsurpassed knowledge of the land over which his army would need to traverse. He welcomed Washington onto his staff as a civilian aide.

Once Braddock completed the difficult process of procuring the needed supplies and horses, his army departed in the summer of 1755. With failure fresh on his mind, Washington urged caution, warning Braddock that the French and their Indian allies would likely not employ conventional battle tactics that Braddock's Royals were accustomed to. Braddock refused to listen, and soon Washington's protestations were silenced by illness. During the expedition, Washington came down with dysentery. Barely able to mount a horse, he trailed behind the main British column with a promise from Braddock that he would be summoned once the fighting began.

On July 9, at the banks of the Monongahela with the British marching in formation down a narrow path cleared by English engineers, the advance elements of Braddock's army were ambushed. Washington heard the commotion, and spurred his horse forward. By the time he galloped up to the scene, all hell had broken loose. French and Indian forces were spreading out their attack from within the forest walls on each side of the trail, and were shredding the lines of British infantry trapped within the deadly crossfire. With soldiers and officers falling everywhere, Washington soon found himself the only mounted "officer" on the scene. He urged Braddock to take to the woods and engage the enemy "on their terms." Braddock indignantly refused. Confusion quickly set in, and the British lines totally collapsed into a panic-stricken and disorganized frenzy. It was Washington, the civilian, who would set the example. Fighting waves of nausea from the dysentery and under intense enemy fire, Washington organized what was left of Braddock's fleeing forces into an orderly withdrawal. In the process, four bullets tore through his clothing and two horses were shot out from under him. Braddock, mortally wounded during the battle, lost close to two-thirds of his entire army. Washington would go on to receive immense praise for his valor in action, and became a hero overnight throughout North America.

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