The war for the possession of America was now taken up by the home government. Eng land sent the headstrong General Braddoc.k to help the English colonists to drive out the French. Upon his arrival in Virginia he made the acquaintance of Washington and offered to make him a member of his staff —an offer which was eagerly accepted. Braddock did not realize the difficulties of forest warfare, and without heeding some of the wise counsel given him by Americans, he pushed toward Fort Duquesne with 2,000 regulars brought from England and some provincial recruits. Fight miles from the French fort, he was attacked by an unseen enemy, and the terrified regulars were held in solid ranks to be shot down until sheer fright made them break into retreat. Braddock was mortally wounded, and it was left to Washington to conduct the retreat. After he had led the shattered forces back to Virginia, he became for a time the chief stay of his province in guarding her frontiers against the savages, until, in 1758, he was sent with the British General Forbes again to attempt the capture of Fort Duquesne, and this time success crowned the effort. Then Quebec fell, and England's power in America was firmly established.
When England and her colonies quarreled, Washington took an early and decided part in asserting and defending the colonial rights, though with other American leaders he long looked and hoped for conciliation. To him the Stamp Act was “a. direful attack on the liber ties of the colonists." In 1769 he thought some thing must be done oto maintain the liberty which we have derived from our ancestors.* He approved of awakening English attention to American rights 'by starving their trade and manufactures," and as a member of the Vir ginia assembly he presented a non-importation agreement, and secured its passage. He was present and gave his support, in 1773, to the resolves instituting a committee of correspond ence, and in 1774 he favored the proposed g.ett eral congress at Philadelphia. On 1 Aug. 1774 the convention met which elected him, with six others, delegates to the first Continental Con gress, where he was in the opinion of Patrick Henry 4unquestionably the greatest man on the floor,x' as far as solid formation and sound judgment was concerned. When the second Continental Congress' met, 10 May 1775, be Was again a member, but he was not long to remain there.
After 10 long years of growing irritation be tween England and America the first blow had been struck. The enraged farmers had fol lowed the intruding Bnush from Concord and Lexington to the very defenses of Boston, and then with their numbers ever-increasing they settled down in a great half-circle around the town with the purpose of driving Gage, the British commander, into his ships. Everything was in confusion and men came and went much as they chose, kept to their task only by the efforts of a few natural leaders, When the men of New Hampshire and Rhode Island and Connecticut came, not even the fanatic zeal of the siege could banish the provincial jealousies.
It was plain to all that there could be no great thing accotnplished without a .strong leader, one who would make men forget, for a time at least, the most prominent fact in colonial life — the jealous love that every man had for his own colony.
The Continental Congress was forced after a month of hesitation to assume the army be fore Boston as the "Continental Army." As a commander-in-chief they needed a man who could by his personal influence draw the south inn and middle colonies into the struggle which New England had thus far made alone. In this critical moment John Adams saw the wisdom of binding the Santh to New England's for tunes by choosing a Virginian to lead her army. Local prejudice would have chosen John Han cock, who was bitterly chagrined that he missed the office. At Adams' suggestion the choice fell upon Col. George Washington, who every day suace the session began had sat in Congress his.uniform.
The new commander-in-chief was a physical giant, over six feet, and of well-proportioned weight. His composed and dignified manner, and his majestic walk marked him an aristo crat and a masterful man. This character was heightened by a weB-shaped, though not large head set on a superb neck. His blue-gray eye-6, though penetrating, were heavy-browed and widely separated, suggesting a slow and sure mind rather than wit, and brilliant imagination. Passion and patience, nicely balanced, appeared in the regular, placid features, with the face muscles under perfect control. A resolutely closed mouth and a firm chin told of the perfect moral and physical courage. His clear, pale, and colorless skin never flushed in the greatest emotion, thoug,h his face then became flexible and expressive. Mentally, the directive facul ties were the more marked. He had been but half-educated, with no culture except that com ing of good companionship. From that he had learned rather the tastes of a country gentle man, courtesy, hospitality and a love of sport. The soundness of his judgment and the solidity of his information were the notable qualities. He had little legal learning and was too shy and diffident for effective speech. His elo quence was the eloquence of battle. It had the note of challenge, and the gesture of chivalry when it threw down the gage of mortal combat. (II will raise one thousand men," he said in 1775, ((at my own expense, and march myself at their head for the relief of Boston." Of origi nal statesmanship he had little, but he had 6common sense lifted to the level of genius,' Believing in a course, he followed it, single minded, just, firm and patient. No rash action or personal caprice was ever charged to him. He was able to bear great responsibility, and courageously to meet unpopularity and mis represenation. There was no flaw in his de votion. He was °often anxious, but never despondent." °Defeat is only a reason for exertion," he wrote. °We shall do better next time." This spirit, and his gift for military ad ministration, were the winning traits in the years to come.