How else would you regard treacherous stone age aborigines who engaged in terroristic murder, torture and cannibalism and who were in fact physically dirty?
Posted on 01/01/2005 6:44:12 AM PST by Pharmboy
Thanks for the post. I love these historical threads.
I am all for the celebration of the French and Indian War of the 1760s so long as we don't have to get the French involved in the affair.
Great post; I've always enjoyed history. The French & Indian War is little known even in the upstate NY, Ohio Valley & Great Lakes areas where it was fought; Washington's role was probably more central to this conflict than anyone else of his age--and that in turn gave him the military knowledge and leadership experience he used to bring victory in the Revolutionary War.
My hometown. On Free Republic! What a way to start the new year! This is a great museum by the way.
What is so fascinating about the General is that he demonstrated incredible heroism during the Massacre on the Monongahela when he carried the wounded General Braddock from the field under heavy fire. George II learned Washington's name for this feat.
If you visit Alexandria, VA, (where Braddock began his ill-fated trek) you can still drive down Braddock Road.
I think they also call it "The Seven Years' War."
When I was in high school we watched "The Last of the Mohicans" in history class and that was about all we were taught about that war.
One of the things I think history lessons fail to impress about Washington was how physically impressive he was - he literally dominated people with his presence. He was 6'2", which would be equivalent to someone around 6'6"/280 lbs today - say, an NFL lineman. Imagine an expert horseman and fearsome leader of that size exorting troops to give it their all.
Typical Times, assuming that its readership is stupid.
The French were indeed the first enemy of the United States (not counting the indians). Under the Adams administration we fought what was called the "Quasi War" against them for authorizing privateers against our shipping.
Our new Navy and our new Marines kicked their butt. Our privateers made out OK too.
G. Washington --- 1754 (On the skirmish against the French & Indians at Jumonville Glenn that started the war.)
The first of many times over the next 30 years when he would be under fire, yet never wounded.
That's because in this war, Indians carried away captured white people and sold them as slaves to the French Priests in Canada.
The Indians were slaughtering towns up and down the Hudson and inside Massachusetts, too.
http://www.gospelcom.net/chi/DAILYF/2002/11/daily-11-21-2002.shtml
November 21, 1706 • John Williams, The Redeemed Captive, Returned
Indians return English captives in an unrelated incident.
Dawn was still two hours away on the morning of February 29, 1704. Inside the fence at Deerfield, Massachusetts, 291 people slept fearlessly. Expecting no trouble on such a cold, quiet night, the settlers had posted no night watch.
But, creeping quietly through three feet of hardened snow, a party of over 300 French and Indian fighters approached the town. Probably they noted with satisfaction the snow drifts that had piled high against the little town's palisade. They swarmed over the protecting fence and into the houses.
John Williams and his wife Eunice woke to find twenty painted warriors howling around their bed. Newly arrived to Deerfield as its first pastor, John was the most prominent person in the town. Indians tied him with ropes. Before his horrified eyes they tomahawked his six year old son, a six week old daughter and a black servant.
For three hours, the French and Indians looted the town. They set fire to its houses and barns. When men from neighboring towns came to Deerfield's defense, the enemy battled them. Finally, they disappeared into the snowy wilderness with 109 captives, leaving 56 settlers dead. Wading through three feet of snow, the raiding party headed North on a seven week trek to Montreal, Canada.
On the second day, John saw that his wife could not hold up. She was still weak from her last pregnancy. Knowing that the raiders would spare no one who was unable to keep up the pace, John said good-bye to her. Soon afterward, she stumbled while wading a small river and "was plunged over head and ears in the water; after which she traveled not far, for the cruel and bloodthirsty savage slew her with his hatchet."
Why had a Puritan pastor in a remote outpost been targeted for this bitter destiny? For one thing, Boston authorities held a Canadian "pirate" named Jean-Baptiste Guyon. The Canadians wanted this naval officer back, and thought a hostage exchange might force the negotiations along. For another, their Indian allies were concerned at the numbers of colonists moving westward and demanded that something be done to slow the land grab.
Although his own feet were so raw that he had to wring blood out of his socks each night, John did all he could to keep up the spirits of the other captives. Sixty of them were eventually released. John was one of the last. He returned to a hero's welcome in Massachusetts on this day, November 21, 1706. Shortly afterward, he wrote a bestseller The Redeemed Captive Returning to Zion.
The book was half heroism and half complaint. His main gripe, apart from the brutal attack itself, was that the French attempted to force their Protestant captives to convert to Catholicism. In its other details, the book remains an important source of information on colonial life.
John Williams died on June 12, 1729. One of his daughters, Eunice, would not be there to bury him. Captured with him, she never returned home, but married an Indian.
I recommend a visit to Fort Necessity (about 10 miles east of Uniontown PA) where you can see a recreation of the stockade in the Great Meadow, and also visit nearby Jumonville Glenn, and Braddock's grave.
They've done a wonderful job with the restoration of Fort Ticonderoga. It's well worth a visit.
I love history and really enjoyed this post. This war really did shape the future of America and should be remembered. The British ended up in control of much of North America after this war. I don't think North America would of ever of amounted to anything if the British had lost. The French were a tough enemy at that time in their history and victory was never certain. It was perhaps their reliance on Indian allies that did the French in, since while fierce, they were not disciplined and trained troops. The experience that it gave the colonials was essential to our success in the revolutionary war.
How else would you regard treacherous stone age aborigines who engaged in terroristic murder, torture and cannibalism and who were in fact physically dirty?
Link to a powerpoint on the French and Indian war: http://staff.fcps.net/pnewton/ppt/The%20French%20and%20Indian%20War-ALL.ppt#280,25,Treaty of Paris 1763
Ohio history central: http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/ohc/history/h_indian/events/index.shtml
It depends on where you live in Ohio as to whether you know much about this war or not, or about the Ohio Indian wars, etc. With river and place names like Kanawha, Chillicothe, Mohawk, Delaware, Wyandot, etc., the area is filled with reminders of this area's heritage. Add to the mix the pre-historic mounds, and the Shakers, Moravians, Mennonites, Amish, Quakers and so forth, and you have quite a spicy history. Iriquois came from New York to gather Flint, too. However, it is too bad the Logan Elm really is now gone, even if Chief Pontiac has a statue to him farther north. Tecumseh is remembered every summer, though, in the play..........
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