The Youth of Washington: Told in the Form of an AutobiographyMitchell, S. Weir (Silas Weir)
History
The Youth of Washington: Told in the Form of an Autobiography
Mitchell, S. Weir (Silas Weir)
Washington, George, 1732-1799 -- Childhood and youth
I had heard often of this man and was pleased that we were to have
his services. I made him welcome, bade him be seated, and offered him
rum, which he refused to take, saying he drank no spirits. He was
very silent and made brief answers to my questions concerning the
Indians and their inclinations. When I would have gone further, he
rose and said his men were waiting to camp. He must see the general,
and asked me to go with him. As we walked through the shelters the
rangers had set up, I saw many look at him with curiosity, which was
not surprising, for he was not less than six feet three, but a gaunt,
thin man, of melancholic aspect. He never spoke a word, but presently
we met a certain Major Moore, a rough, hard-drinking officer of the
grenadiers. As he stopped us, I saw that he was under liquor, as was
too common. He said, “Whom have you got there? Make a fine grenadier.”
I said, “This is Captain Jack, a famous Pennsylvania scout,” and so
would have passed on, when the major said rudely to Captain Jack, “Who
the deuce made you a captain?” The scout tapped his rifle and said,
“That,” and walked on, without saying more than his gesture seemed to
imply. I could not avoid remarking, “You are well answered, major,” for
I have always had a liking for men who do not talk much. I contented
myself with saying to the scout that, as usual, the major was in liquor.
I sent in my name to General Braddock, and we were desired to enter his
tent. Here I introduced Captain Jack as an experienced ranger and said
he had fifty good scouts. The general asked me to be seated, but as he
did not invite the scout to sit down, I remained standing. As for the
captain, he said not so much as a word, but waited, looking steadily
at the general, who asked me a question concerning the roads, and then
said to me, “Let the man wait; I will see about him in a day or two.”
Then he asked what pay they wanted, to which Captain Jack said, “No
pay, nothing.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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