Wake Wednesday 250 - The Jumonville Glen Incident, May 1754

AKA - That time George Washington might have started the first Global War!

Let's look at the territories in the time leading up to the French and Indian War. The map below illustrates the land held by the various parties at this time. France in green, Native Americans in pink and Britian in gold. 

The maps set the stage for the events and pressures of the day. In this 1755 map, the English colonists were pushing westward for more fertile farm land, the French were pushing eastward to meet the English before they could claim land that France wanted for themselves, and the Native tribes resented being pushed on both sides. They wanted desperately to hold their ground and maybe gain back a little of what they had lost. The Natives were frequently bargaining with whichever side had the upper hand. It was a volatile time for all.

Carte des possessions angloises & françoises du continent de l'Amérique Septentrionale
c.1755
Source link - click to enlarge

Comparing this map (link) of the Native Trading Path Road through Va., NC, and SC will help you get your bearings on the 1755 map. The line that snakes from Petersburg, Va through NC into SC is this same Trading Path Road.

George was in his early twenties at this time and serving as a soldier for Britain as many good colonists of the day would do. In response to a spate of fort building along Lake Erie and LeBoeuf Creek, Virginia Governor Robert Dinwiddie directed Lt. Col. George Washington, his men and a band of Ohio Indian co-horts to lead a diplomatic mission to encourage the French to take a beat and abandon their forts. Washington was very green as an officer. He had only joined the militia a year earlier. The governor chose Washington thinking his prior six years experience as a surveyor would help in navigating the frontier. Alas, the mission did not end well and things deteriorated further over the ensuing year.

I won't deprive you of a wonderful account that describes diplomatic mission and the ensuing events. I recommend you read this article from Smithsonian magazine that chronicles Washington's experiences and missteps that led to the opening battle of the French and Indian War. The most amazing part of the article is the eye-witness account of a Native called the "Chief Warrior of the Ohio Iroquios." It is not often we get that sort of direct insight into how colonists and Natives were interacting in the moment.

“We are all Soldiers and Warriors. Some sharp words will now pass between us. We shall talk like drunken Men.”  

- Chief Warrior of the Iroquois

Read the article here - When Young George Washington Started a War by Allison Shelley

As stated in the last blog post, the French and Indian War was part of a larger global conflict. The incident at Jumonville Glen was the spark that ignited the fire. For folks closer to home in NC, these actions spawned an immense rift between Natives and settlers. The frequency and intensity of Native attacks on settlers, resulted in the establishment of Fort Dodd near modern Winston-Salem. Colonists retreated eastward to Ft. Dodd and Bethabera putting strain on those populations and causing an epidemic due to overcrowding. 

It is interesting that Washington was an instigator, if maybe only an accidental one, at the outset and our Founding Father at the conclusion. This article presents a fuller picture of George Washington that we get from most stories handed down. He was more human than "larger than life" I fear.

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