George Washington High School - Continental Yearbook (Los Angeles, CA)

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permanent distiguring marks. You were not a particularly handsome person. You were tall, bony, with a small head, large hands and a large nose, and then you contracted smallpox. From Barba- does you returned with a puck-marked face. Your half-brother also returned, but only to die, and you, through other deaths, received Blount Vernon as your own. You were now quite a personage in Virginia. The French were encroaching on Vfestern lands and your governor decided that you were the man to be sent to tell them that they must leave. You accomplished little, but the journal you kept during the journey was published, and you gained some prestige in the colonies. Following the unsuccessful mission to the French, you were made lieutenant-colonel of the Virginia Regiment, and it was your duty to build a fort at the forks of the Ohio River. The French forced you to surrender and you were sent home. Abuse was heaped upon you. It was not your fault that you lost. The causes were insuflicient numbers, unskilled men, little cooperationg but you lost. You resigned from your commission, The following year General Braddock with his magnificent expedition to quell the French and Indians came to your attention. You went with Braddock as an aide in the hopes that at the end of the expedition you might gain a commission. Brad- dock, with his proud British regulars and in a holi- day spirit, marched into the wilds. The French failed to fight like gentlemen, they hid behind trees. The British ran and fell on every side. You tried to save them, but it was of no use. Bravely you conducted yourself that day, YVashington, and when the day was done, your clothes had many bullet holes in them. You did not know what fear was. You gained considerable fame, but you failed to get the commission. Braddock died from a wound and a broken heart. You went home. Though bachelors were somewhat rare in Colo- nial days, you were one, and not through choice. Tradition tells us that you proposed to several -5?

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FOREWORD They show us statues of you, VVashington, but they are made of marble and make you cold and hard. VVe see paintings of you only to Find that it is your face and figure that the artist has placed on the canvas and not the real you that must have lived behind that mask-like face. We read biog- raphies in which men have tried to place on the pages you and your life, but all we find marching steadily through the pages are the things you did, as Continental Congressman, as General, as Presie dent. We should like to know you as you really were. You were born February 22, l732, at Wake- field. Virginia. It is probable that your birth was not a great event in your family. Your mother was a second wife and there were already some children, enough. in fact, so that it was clearly seen that there would be no inheritance for you. YVe do not know much about your early life. Your education was not of the bestg and although your writings showed the working of a great mind, they were always to be somewhat marred by poor spelling, Your father died when you were still young. You wanted to go to sea when you were fifteen, but your mother changed your mind. Finally you went to live with your half-brother Lawrence at Nlount Vernon and this was the beginning of a new life for you. lVhile at lylount Vernon good fortune came to you. You aroused the interest of Lord Fairfax. lt so happened that your studies had included sur- veying and mathematics. Rows and rows of figures, accuracy and precision, these things were real things to your mind. Lord Fairfax had lands to be sur- veyed. You surveyed them. You gained a power- ful friend. It was in 1751 that Lawrence VVashington, your half-brother, was ill and you and he Went to Barbadoes in order to attempt to regain his health. This was the only time you were ever to leave the American continent, and this was not to be a pleasant trip for you. Smallpox leaves, many times. I In Ill ull llll una: llll lllll I-ull Illll I I ...I- lu. ...- 1 lu nu -....--

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prominent young ladies but something held them away from you Perhaps they were a bit afraid and a bit in awe of you You met Martha Dand ridge Custis a young and extremely rich widow She made you happy You had no children but your wife brought two from her former marriage 'ind you loved them as your own Ifor the next few years you lived in apparent peace and quiet on your estate You hunted you followed the hounds, you lived the life of a Vlr gmia man of wealth Then you were selected to the House of Burgesses several times in fact and though you said little your presence began to be felt and noticed You were always meant to com mand When Englands colonies decided to revolt you attended the first Continental Congress you attended the second Congress and something mys terious happened Colonel George Washington of Virginia brave but unsuccessful soldier was made General and Commander in Chief of the United Lolonies and your greatest problem was to find the army. You found the army, General Washington, that army that to your chagrin seemed always to be Heeing and that army that at harvest time calmly deserted to go home to harvest the crops. The war must have been heartbreaking to you and your ideals. You who always loved being the proud victor were forced to flee most of the time because your army, Congress, the people, and even your friends could not be depended on. Sometimes you were nearly ready to give up. The night before you captured the Hessians at Trenton, you were desperate. A friend called on you at your head- quarters, and as you talked you wrote on little scraps of paper. One of them fell to the floor. On it was written, 'fVictory or death. The years slipped by: 1775-1776-1777-1778- 1779-1780-17815 and up and down the land your army advanced, retreated, marched, counter- marched, suffered, starved, deserted, but at last it gave you your desire, Victory. Cornwallis sur- rendered his army at Yorktown, October 19, 1781.