GEORGE WASHINGTON THE SURVEYOR
At the time Dave Morris first met George Washington, the future
President of the United States and “Father of His Country,” as he has
affectionately been called, was about nineteen years of age. He was
tall, well proportioned, muscular and athletic and showed well the
advantages of his temperate mode of living. His eyes were blue and
penetrating, and his face, while not severe, showed a quiet reserve and
a dignity that made him what he soon after became--a natural leader of
men.
It was on the 22d day of February, 1732, that George Washington first
saw the light of day, in an old family homestead on Bridges Creek, near
where that stream empties into the Potomac river. The homestead was an
old-fashioned affair, with sloping roofs coming almost to the ground
and with a wide and substantial chimney at each end. It had come into
the possession of Colonel John Washington, the future President’s great
grandfather years before, and upon the colonel’s death had been left
in the family. It was a beautiful spot, but in later years was allowed
to go to decay.
The father of the future President was named Augustine, and he was
married twice. By his first marriage he had a son Lawrence, of whom we
shall hear more later, and several other children. His second marriage
was to Mary, the daughter of Colonel Ball, and by this he had George
and three other sons and two daughters. Thus it will be seen that the
Washington family was quite an extensive one.
George was still a small boy when his father gave up the homestead at
Bridges Creek, and moved to a place opposite Fredericksburg, on a bit
of rising ground bordering the Rappahannock. The family were well to
do, and, as was the custom of many rich folk, Lawrence, the oldest son,
was sent to England to be educated. But George had no such advantage,
and his first schooling was obtained at a modest country school of the
neighborhood, kept by a Mr. Hobby, who was both schoolmaster and parish
sexton.
At school George proved a quick and diligent scholar, and there are
still preserved some of his copy and other books in which he wrote
and ciphered, showing a neatness and orderliness which followed him
all through life. He even wrote out for himself a series of Rules of
Conduct, which are to-day models of etiquette. He was a champion
runner, jumper and swimmer, and many anecdotes have been told showing
how he won contests, and how he brought to grief the bully of the
school. In those days the wars with the Indians were fresh in the
public mind, and Washington with his school fellows played Indians
and soldiers, with wooden guns and rude bows and arrows of their own
making. Once such play ended in a grand fight that became real, and
then Washington did his best to separate the contestants. After the
fight was over the schoolmaster called the boys together and asked
for an explanation. Each of the boys took his own part, declaring the
others in the wrong. In despair the teacher called on Washington, and
asked what he knew of the matter. At once Washington stood up and spoke
like a lawyer in court, giving the details with great clearness and
showing how one was about as much to blame as another, and pleading
that the boys be forgiven all around, as they had not meant to make
the fight real when they started. The school teacher agreed to let the
matter drop if the boys would promise to fight no more, and this the
lads did, and separated with a cheer for Washington and with their
general good feeling restored.
When Lawrence Washington returned from England, a well educated and
highly polished young man of twenty-one, the mother country was
having a great deal of trouble with Spain, who had interfered with her
commerce on the high seas. This led to the raising of some troops for
a campaign in the West Indies, and George’s elder brother obtained
a captain’s commission and served under Admiral Vernon and General
Wentworth for nearly two years. This service filled George, who was but
eight years old, with military fervor, and he forthwith organized the
schoolboys into a military company and drilled them on the green--the
foundation stone of his great military leadership of the future.
When George was eleven years of age his father died, leaving him to the
tender care of his mother and his two older half-brothers. The youth
had now outgrown the advantages of the school kept by Mr. Hobby, and
consequently was sent to live at Bridges Creek, with his half-brother
Augustine, who was married and had settled there. Here George attended
a school kept by a Mr. Williams, and was as diligent as ever in his
studies, although always preferring those of the more practical kind,
reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, history and the making out of
bills, accounts and the like. He also studied surveying, and often went
out for practice in this art, so that he might master it thoroughly.
In the meantime, he did not forget his athletic exercises and his
horsemanship, and it was said that he could ride as well and throw a
stone as far as anybody of his age.
Shortly after his father’s death, Lawrence Washington had married the
daughter of William Fairfax, who was then living in Virginia, and
managing the large estates of his cousin, Lord Fairfax,--estates which
lay upon both sides of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Lawrence had settled
at Mount Vernon, named, as told before, after his old commander, and he
was now an influential member of the community, belonging to the House
of Burgesses, and acting as adjutant-general of the district. Here
George was a frequent visitor, and here he became at one time possessed
with a desire to join the navy, his brother’s visitors filling him
with stories of the glories of such a life. A midshipman’s warrant was
obtained for him, his baggage was packed, and all was made ready for
his departure. But at the last moment Mrs. Washington broke down and
begged her son to remain at home.
“But how can I refuse now I have enlisted?” said George.
“If you go you will break your mother’s heart,” was the sobbed-out
answer.
At this George stood for several minutes in deep silence. A struggle
was going on in his breast. At last he caught his mother around the
neck.
“I will stay at home,” he said, softly. “I can’t go away and see you
suffer.”
His baggage was brought ashore, the midshipman’s warrant annulled, and
George returned to school. Some few called him a coward for this, but
he did not care, for his conscience told him that he had done what was
right.
When George gave up school and came to stay again at Mount Vernon he
was a frequent visitor at Belvoir, the home of the Fairfaxes, but a few
miles away. Here he had a companion in George Fairfax, the son of the
manager of the estate, and the two were often out hunting or fishing
together. In the meantime, Lord Fairfax, a nobleman of sixty, had come
on from England. He was a great hunter and often took the two Georges
with him behind his hounds. He took a special liking to Washington and
treated him very much as a son, and one day, learning that Washington
had studied surveying, asked to see some of the young man’s maps. These
were brought and inspected, and at the conclusion of the interview
Lord Fairfax made Washington an offer that he survey the estates, and
offered him from a doubloon to six pistoles per day, according to the
work accomplished. George Fairfax was to accompany the young surveyor.
The compact was made and the young surveyor, but sixteen years old,
and clad in plain buckskin and hunting shirt, started out, accompanied
by George Fairfax. At times they had attendants with them, but not
always. It was the month of March and the snow still lay deep in the
mountain passes, and the rivers were much swollen. The two traveled for
miles along the Shenandoah, making surveys and maps, the accuracy of
which are to-day beyond dispute. It was a life to which Washington was
unaccustomed, yet he never complained. For the most part they slept in
the open, in the “howling wilderness,” with only the canopy of stars
above them. Once they stopped at the cabin of a squatter and the vermin
in the bed drove George out in the middle of the night; again they were
out in their tent when a big storm came up and blew the tent to shreds
and sent their traps flying in all directions. Once Washington’s bed
caught fire and he would have been sadly burnt had not his companion
awakened him. He now met many Indians, and one day witnessed a war
dance, which, however, ended in nothing more than a drunk on the part
of the red men. They had to hunt a large portion of their food and had
to go hungry several times, when fish and game failed to appear. The
Indians were always suspicious of them, and viewed the doings of the
young surveyor with awe, and inspected the marks set up with exceeding
curiosity. “White man make mark what for?” asked one old Indian, and
when Washington tried to explain he went on: “Dis red man’s land,
white man no need to mark him,” and strode off in disgust and wrath.
That night George and his companion lay awake with their guns in their
hands, fearing the old Indian might come back to harm them, but the old
warrior did not reappear.
When the surveys were completed, Washington returned to Mount Vernon,
drew them up into proper shape, and presented them to Lord Fairfax. His
lordship was greatly pleased with the work done and listened closely to
all George had to tell him about the soil, the timber in the forests,
the currents of the streams, and other matters of importance.
“It was a great work for a young man like you, George,” he said. “A
great work. You ought to be a public surveyor.”
“I wouldn’t mind having the position,” answered Washington.
“Then you shall have it--if my influence counts for anything,” replied
Lord Fairfax.
Shortly after this his lordship called upon Lawrence Washington, and
the three talked it over between them. It was agreed that the opening
might prove of value to George in the future, for in the heads of older
men there was already a scheme for forming a company to develop the
region beyond the Blue Ridge.
“I shall give up Belvoir, go across the Blue Ridge and establish myself
at Greenway Court,” said Lord Fairfax. “Then when I am settled we
can perfect our schemes. George is honest, fearless, and has a sound
judgment in all things, and he will be the man we shall need. He ought
to become a public surveyor by all means. Then all his transactions
will have a legal standing and will go on record.” And so it was
settled.
Washington entered on his new duties with as much faithfulness as ever,
and soon he was overcrowded with work, for it was known that he was
thoroughly reliable, and there were very few surveyors, considering the
many grants of land which had to be mapped out. To him the days and
the months passed swiftly. When he needed a rest he either visited his
brother and mother, or else went to see Lord Fairfax at Greenway Court,
which became a noted resort for all sorts of visitors, who hunted and
danced to their hearts’ content. At Greenway Court Washington met many
in high life some of whom, when the War of the Revolution broke out,
remained his warmest friends, while others became his bitterest enemies.
One day a man named Burger came to Washington and asked him to survey
a grant of land near Heckwell’s Creek. Burger was a German who had
emigrated to Virginia from Pennsylvania, and he had met Washington
while the young surveyor was out for Lord Fairfax, and had helped carry
the baggage over a much swollen stream.
“I cannot pay you now, Mr. Washington,” said Burger, “but I will pay
you when I am settled down, take my word on it.”
“I will trust you willingly, Mr. Burger,” answered the young surveyor.
“I haven’t forgotten the service you rendered me a couple of years ago.
You can pay me when you can afford it.” And then he left for Heckwell’s
Creek, and went to work. He had been out two days, locating some former
landmarks which a storm had partly washed away, when he encountered the
nest of snakes, and fell in with Dave as just described.