As a Soldier...
George started his military career when he was 16. At that time he had joined the Virginia Militia. Then before the French and Indian War only 21-years old was sent by the governor of Virginia to protest to the commander of the French forts between Lake Erie and the Allegheny river. They replied politely that the land was French. While Washington was gone a band of Virginians tried to forestall the French by erecting a fort of their own at the strategic key to the Ohio valley, the forks of the Ohio where the Allegheny, and the Mononghela river join. As a Major in the French and Indian War George faced many near death experiences, he had four bullets shot through his clothes and two horses shot from under him. He wrote a letter home to his mother about these experiences. George also became a General and after the "Reign of Terror" became the leader of the whole Continental Army in the American Revolution. He kept the morale up at Valley Forge and led his troops across the Delaware river on Christmas through blinding fog to capture a fort held by the German allies of the British. He ended the war by showing the big and powerful British how strong we really are.
"George Washington Crossing the Deleware" 1851
Emanuel Gottieb Leutz
Gift of John S Kennedy 1897 (97.34)
Courtesy of The Metropolitian Museum of Art
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