taken down with the small-pox, and had himself to be nursed by others. Good treatment and nursing carried him through with only slight marks left upon his face.

Lawrence's health not improving, in December George returned to Virginia for Lawrence's wife; but as she could not go immediately, he returned to his home in the early Spring. But nothing could stay the progress of his consuming disease, and on the twenty-sixth of July, 1752, he died, at the age of thirty-four. Now George, at a little past twenty years of age, had lost his father and his brother, who had been father and brother in one. Lawrence left by will his estate to his wife and daughter, and in case the daughter died without issue, to George at the decease of the wife. George was made one of the executors. The estate did at last come to George, and is now known as the sacred resting place of "The Father of his Country."

A PERILOUS MISSION.

The difficulties about the western territories increased. The French on the north kept pressing forward their forts, settlements and claims. They sent commissioners among the Indian tribes to secure their coöperation. They made bold their claim to the whole Mississippi valley, even to the head waters of all the tributaries of the Ohio. The English from Pennsylvania and Virginia pressed their claims and sent envoys, traders and settlers among the Indians, and quickened their preparations to occupy the coveted territories.

It was needful to know the minds of the Indians, the purposes of the French, the condition of their forts and settlements, and what was needful to check their encroachments. This knowledge could be got only by a competent ambassador to the French commander on Lake Erie.

Governor Dinwiddie, of Virginia, looked about him for a man equal to this delicate and dangerous errand. He must meet and treat with Indians, friendly and unfriendly; transact business with white men who, while professing friendliness would plot his destruction and the defeat of his mission; traverse a dense forest of six hundred miles, in which were high

mountains, large rivers, morasses, dangerous animals, and more dangerous savages who must be used as guides and for supplies. It needed great courage, sagacity, skill, tact, strength, health and self-sacrifice. Who was equal to such a mission? George Washington, a youth of twenty-one years, was suggested as the man with the requisite combination of qualities. After due consideration he was selected and invited to undertake the perilous mission. The ostensible object was to bear a message of the governor of Virginia, in the name of the king of England, to the commandant of the fort on French creek, fifteen miles south of Lake Erie, and to take back his answer. The real object was to reconnoitre the whole country and learn the condition, purposes and strategy of the enemy with whom they were likely soon to come into close conflict.

Washington undertook the

Williamsburg October 30, 1753.

mission, and set out from He left Wills' creek, Cumber

land river, November 15, with Mr. Gist, an intrepid pioneer well known among the Indians; John Davidson, an Indian interpreter; Jacob Van Braam, a French interpreter, and four frontiersmen, two of whom were Indian traders.

After all sorts of difficulties with Indians, white deserters, French duplicity, rain, snow and mud, he reached the French fort December 11.

After much ceremony and parley, he got his reply and started on his return. Winter had set in. The streams and swamps were full. The French settlers, huntsmen, Indians and stragglers, were all made acquainted with the mission. Everywhere there was plotting to hinder, bewilder and lead astray the party. It had grown smaller till it was reduced to Washington, Mr. Gist and an Indian guide. The horses had been left and the luggage reduced to absolute necessities. Their direct course was through an unbroken wilderness of which they knew nothing. The conduct of the guide became so peculiar that their suspicions were awakened. He wanted to carry Washington's gun; led them as they believed the wrong way; became churlish; pretended that there were inimical Indians in the woods. At length, when some fifteen paces ahead, he turned suddenly,

leveled his gun at Washington and fired. He missed his mark, ran on hastily a few rods behind a large tree and began to reload his gun. Finding that neither of them was hurt, they went to him and when his gun was reloaded took it from him. Mr. Gist wanted to dispatch the Indian at once; but Washington's scruples were too great. Then Mr. Gist said: "We must get rid of him;" so pretending still to have confidence in him they sent him to his cabin, which he said was not far away, promising to meet him there in the morning. When he was well out of sight they started and traveled all night. By the next night they reached the Alleghany river. It was frozen only along the shore. Great quantities of broken ice were floating in the stream. There was no way to get across but to make a raft; and only one poor hatchet for a tool. It was one whole day before they got a raft they dared venture upon. When in the middle of the stream poling it amid the ice floes as they could, a block of ice struck the pole with such force as to knock Washington from the raft into the deep stream. He saved himself by catching hold of a raft log. They had to let their raft go and get to an island by the help of the float wood, which now was near them. Here they spent the night and nearly perished with cold. But the cold which came near freezing them to death, made a bridge of the floating ice, so that they got off in the morning, and before night reached the comfortable quarters of an Indian trader. On the sixteenth of January they returned to Williamsburg.

Washington's journal of this mission was published and spread widely through the colonies and in England. It awakened England to the danger before it, and it fixed the eyes of all on young Washington as a remarkable youth, of prudence, sagacity and resolution far above his years. His admirable tact in treating with fickle savages and crafty white men; his soldierly eye to the true condition of the country, its exposures and defences, and his fortitude and faithfulness, all won for him the confidence and admiration of his countrymen. From this time he is a commanding figure in the colonies; the foundation of his great name and work is laid.

AN EXPEDITION TO THE OHIO.

Washington was quick to observe that the fork of the Ohio, now the site of Pittsburgh, was the key to the country west and north of it, and suggested that it be occupied and well fortified, which was speedily done. Governor Dinwiddie made strenuous endeavors to raise a body of soldiers for that purpose. Three hundred were enlisted and other colonies were asked to share in the expedition. Washington was offered the command, but declined on account of his youth and inexperience. It was given to Colonel Fry, an English officer, who made Washington his lieutenant-colonel.

After great efforts the little army started on its hard march, half supplied and half paid, and with almost insurmountable obstacles before them. Recruits came in slowly and some of them under separate commands. They had not been many days out before friendly Indians brought them word that the French in strong force, had possession of the fork of the Ohio and were building a fort; and were soon to be reinforced by Indians and more French. Washington had started with his command in advance of Colonel Fry, who was to follow with artillery. With infinite trouble with his raw recruits on account of insubordination, poor pay, poor rations and supplies, rivers, swamps, defiles and mountains, Washington pushed on as fast as possible, expecting every day to meet advance parties of the enemy. Reaching a place called Great Meadows, he cleared a field of brush, and began a fort. While at this work word came of a party of the enemy but a few miles away. With Indian allies who had joined him, Washington took such men as could be spared from his camp, and started for the enemy hovering about him, with a view to surprise them. They soon came upon them unawares and a sharp conflict ensued. The French leader, a young officer of merit, Jumonville, was killed at the onset. The action was short and sharp. The French losing rapidly, gave way and ran. They had ten killed and twenty-one taken prisoners. This was Washington's first battle He led it in front of his men and was in the thickest of it. Bullets whistled

about him, but he was not harmed. He had one killed and three wounded.

Washington's situation was now most perilous. Colonel Fry had not yet come with his forces. The French were increasing their numbers from the north and from the Indians. They were strongly fortified in their fort, and had large scouting parties all about him.

Colonel Fry died on the way. More recruits came, some of them independents, which proved of little service. But Washington pushed on toward the enemy. His hope was to make an army road, get recruits from the colonies, allies from the Indians and hold the enemy at bay till his own army was large and strong enough to take the fort at the fork of the Ohio. But the enemy was reinforced faster than he was; better armed and supplied; met him on the way in great force, and compelled him to retreat to Fort Necessity, which he had made as a refuge. There he was surrounded with such numbers that he capitulated, but marched his army off in order, with his stores, leaving only his artillery. It was a disastrous attempt to gain possession of the Ohio, poorly supplied and supported; but it was a training school for a great general. Washington's courage, zeal, fortitude and military capacity were all recognized by the country. His conduct was so much above his years that it prepared the way for the colonies in their great emergency, years after, to look to him to lead their armies. Without this disastrous campaign the world might never have had the great General and President Washington. This is an instance of defeat working victory of another kind. Seldom do we see the Providential hand working its great affairs till long after the work is done.

BRADDOCK'S CAMPAIGN.

England now saw that something vigorous must be done or the French would make good their claims in the northwest. So a grand army of regulars in the service was sent over under command of General Braddock, which was increased by Virginia levies to four thousand, to cross the mountains and take Fort Duquesne, at the fork of the Ohio, and possess that territory. Washington