The facts of the battle are undisputed: 63 officers were shot but Washington was untouched except for the holes in his coat. The letter he wrote to his brother still exists.
An independent account of the battle was written by Benjamin Franklin in his autobiography. He was especially interested in the outcome because he had issued personal bonds for the wagons, horses and supplies used in the campaign, all of which were now in the possession of the French. (The British later reimbursed him, after his creditors brought suit.)
Mary Draper Ingels was an historic figure still celebrated in Boone County, Kentucky. Her escape from the Pawnees and heroic 800-mile trek over rugged virgin territory made her famous among the colonials. Her testimony was written down by her son and later published by her great-grandson. At the time she related it, Washington was not famous or even a public figure - - what would be her motivation in fabricating such a story? Her biography, "Follow the River" by James Thom, was a bestseller and I think made into a TV movie.
There were other confirmations of the "Indian chief" story, the most famous in the memoirs of Washington's step-grandson, George Washington Parke Custis. He said that Washington's lifelong friend and physician, Dr. Craik, told him of a similar incident when he and Washington met some Indians in the Alleghanies. An old chief stepped forward and said he remembered Washington from the battle fifteen years earlier, the "tall and daring warrior" who can never die in battle.
Survivors of the battle at the Monongahela must have talked about Washington's remarkable escape as it was mentioned in a sermon given by the Rev. Samuel Davies, who later became the president of Princeton.
Was Washington Hercules? Nope. He was protected by the Great Spirit.
"The facts of the battle are undisputed: 63 officers were shot but Washington was untouched except for the holes in his coat. The letter he wrote to his brother still exists.
An independent account of the battle was written by Benjamin Franklin in his autobiography. He was especially interested in the outcome because he had issued personal bonds for the wagons, horses and supplies used in the campaign, all of which were now in the possession of the French. (The British later reimbursed him, after his creditors brought suit.)"
Thanks for the detailed rebuttal. You learn someting new every day.