August 14th
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ON THIS DAY IN 1755
COMMISSIONED COMMANDEROPPOSING “FRENCH AND INDIANS”
“I was pretty much assur’d I shou’d loose what at present constitutes the chief part of my happiness, i.e. the esteem and notice the Country has been pleas’d to honour me with.”
To Warner Lewis
Mount Vernon, 14 August 1755
The Chief Reason (next to indisposition) that prev’d me from coming down to this Assembly was a determination not to offer myself,* and that determination proceeded from the following Reason’s. 1st. a belief that I cou’d not get a command upon such terms as I shou’d care to accept; as I must confess I never will quit my Family, injure my Fortune, and (above all) impair my health to run the risque of such Changes and Vicissitudes as I have done; but shall now expect, if I am employ’d again, to have something certain[.] again, was I to have the command, I shou’d insist upon somethings which ignorance and inexperience made me overlook before, particularly that of having the Officers in some measure appointed with my advice, and with my concurrence; for I must say, I think a commanding Officer not hav’g this liberty appear’s to me to be one of the strangest thing in Life, when it is well known how much the conduct and bravery of an Officer influences the Men; how much a Commanding Officer is answerable for the behaviour of the inferiour Officer’s; and how much his good or ill success in time of action depends upon the conduct of each particular Officer; especially in this kind of Fighting, where being dispers’d, each and every of them at that immediate time, has greater liberty to misbehave than if he were regularly, and compactly drawn up under the Eyes of their superior Officer’s. However on the other hand, how little credit is given to a Commander, who perhaps after a defeat, in relating the cause justly lays the blame on some individual whose cowardly behav’r betray’d the whole to ruin; how little does the World consider the Circumstances, and how apt are mankind to level their vindictive Censures against the unfortunate Chief, who perhaps merited least of the blame. Does it not appear then that the appointing of Officers is a thing of the utmost consequence; a thing that shou’d require the greatest circumspection; ought it to be left to blind chance? or what is still worse, to a forced partiality? Shou’d it not be left to a Man whose powers and what is still dearer, whose honour depends upon their good Examples.
George Washington at the Battle of the Monongahela. LOC
There are necessary Officer’s yet wanting, which no Provision have been made for. A small Military Chest is so absolutely necessary, that it is impossible to do without, nor no Man can conduct an affair of this kind who has it not. These things I shou’d expect, was I appointed.
But, besides all these, I had other Reasons wh’h with’d me f’m offering. I believe our Circumstances are now to that unhappy Dilemma that no Man can gain any Honour by conduct’g our Forces at this time, but rather loose in his reputation; for I am very confid’t the progress must be slow for want of conveniences to transport our Provisions &c. over the Mountains and this chiefly occasion’d, by the late ill treatm’t of the Waggoner’s and Horse driver’s, who have rec’d little for their Lab’r and noth’g for their lost Hors’s and Wag’ns; w’ch will be an infallible mean’s of prevent’g all from assist’g that are not oblig’d; so that I am truly sensible, whoever undertakes it will meet with such insurmountable obstacles that he will be soon look’d upon in the very light of an idle, indolent body, have his conduct censured and perhaps meet with opprobrious abuse, when it is as much out of his power to avoid these delays as to com’d the ragg Seas in a Storm. Seeing these things in the above light that I did, had no small influence upon me, as I was pretty much assur’d I shou’d loose what at present constitutes the chief part of my happiness, i.e. the esteem and notice the Country has been pleas’d to honour me with.
It is possible you may infer from what I have said that my intention’s is to decline at all events, but my meaning is entirely different: I was determin’d not to offer, because to solicit the Command and at the same time to make my proposals I thought wou’d look a little incongruous, and to carry a face of too much self sufficiency, as if I imagin’d there were none other’s equally (if not more) capable of conducting the affair than myself; But if the command shou’d be offer’d the case is then alter’d as I am at liberty to make such objection’s as my Reason and my small experience have pointed out. I hope you’ll make my Comp’s to all inquiring Fds. I am Dr. Warner Y’r &c.
G:o Washington
* Candidate for commander, Virginia Regiment after the defeat at the Battle of the Monongahela. Washington had not yet been informed that he had been chosen commander of the Virginia Regiment “and commander in chief of all the forces now raised and to be raised for the defense of his Majesty’s colony and for repelling the unjust and hostile invasions of the French and their Indian allies.” Thus it was General Braddock’s death along with Washington’s gallantry in battle that had elevated him. — Fitzpatrick, et al., WGW
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