While still chopping a road through the wilderness, looking for a place to make a stand, George Washington wrote letters to the Governors of Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland asking for help. The Governor and Assembly of Pennsylvania wasted time arguing about how any money appropriated should be raised. Over and over in his military career George would experience frustrations like this with weak colonial governments, weak Governors, and militia units that felt they had the right to go home whenever they felt like it. By the time of the Revolution – still 20 years away - these experiences made George a firm advocate – unlike some other Founding Fathers - for strong central government, a strong executive, and a standing army. In May George had his men start building a circular palisade he called Fort Necessity at a place named Great Meadows. Georges ally from his diplomatic expedition a few months earlier, the Seneca chief Half-king, sent him a message that the French army was on the move in his direction. His old guide Christopher Gist arrived to tell him that 50 French soldiers had passed his house 15 miles away. On the journey Gist had seen signs of perhaps the same group only five miles from Georges fort. Apparently now spoiling for a fight George took 40 men and traveled to Half-kings camp. Here there were more signs of French soldiers on the move and George and his ally set out to track them down.
Posted on: Wed, 20 Aug 2014 00:08:17 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015