The Early Military Career of Washington

       Not long before he died Lawrence Washington had used his influence to have his brother appointed an adjutant-general over one of the several military districts into which Virginia colony was divided. This division was rendered necessary by the threatened encroachments of the Indians and of the French, who were establishing posts along the Ohio. Washington's eager pursuit of the study of military tactics was interrupted by the trip to the West Indies, but he resumed his duties as adjutant general after his return, and late in 1753 was requested by Governor Dinwiddle to carry a message of warning to the French forces in the Ohio Valley. It was a hazardous mission for a young man of twenty-one, and the selection reflects favorably upon Washington's reputation for reliability and good judgment. In November, accompanied by an experienced frontiersman, he started on his 600-mile journey After many narrow escapes from the Indians and the perils of the wilderness, he completed his mission and reported to Governor Dinwiddle on January 16, 1754, at Williamsburg, the capital of Virginia. Shortly afterwards he was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the Virginia regiment.

       A skirmish with the French in the summer of 1754, which was not decisive, was followed by a reorganization of the Virginia, troops and Washington's temporary retirement from things military. Early in 1755, however. General Braddock arrived from England with two regiments of British regulars, and offered the young colonial a place on his staff, with the rank of colonel. Promptly accepting, Washington entered eagerly into the preparation of the campaign, and on July 9 took part in the disastrous fight at Fort Duquesne. How the English regulars were mowed down by bullets fired from behind trees, and how the Virginians under Washington saved the little army from annihilation by fighting under cover, as did the French and Indians, is known to every American school boy. The troops succeeded in withdrawing from the field, but Braddock was fatally wounded, and died four days later. Washington later reorganized the colonial troops and was their chief commander until 1758, when he retired to Mount Vernon to rest. It was with great satisfaction, however, that, in November, 1758, he accompanied the British forces to the smoking ruins of Fort Duquesne, which was renamed Fort Pitt in honor of England's great Prime Minister. 

Ancestry and Youth of George Washington

       The family of the first President came of a line of well-born Englishmen. They were the Washingtons of Sulgiave Manor, in Northamptonshire, who traced their ancestry to a Nonnan knight of the twelfth century. About the year 1657 John and Lawrence Washington, brothers, emigrated to America, and shortly afterwards purchased estates in Westmoreland County, Virginia. The eldest son of John was Lawrence Washington, the grandfather of the future President. His second son, Augustine, manned Mary Ball as his second wife, and the first child of this marriage, George, was born on February 22, 1732, on the family estate at Bridges Creek, in Westmoreland County. When George was three years old his parents removed to an estate on the Rappahannock River, in Stafford County, and there the boy's first school days were spent. He went to his classes in an old-fashioned school house where the sexton of the parish acted as teacher.

       At the age of eleven George lost his father, and his widowed mother sent him to the old homestead at Bridges Creek to live with his half brother, Augustine. There he attended school until he was nearly sixteen, geometry and surveying being included in his studies. While he was not an apt classical student, he made excellent progress in surveying, and throughout this school period he cultivated robust health by outdoor exercise, such as horseback riding and athletic games. It was when he was thirteen that he wrote the rules of good behavior now so well known.

       Soon after he left school George went to live with his eldest half brother, Lawrence, who was occupying that portion of the estate known as Mount Vernon. Lawrence Washington had married the daughter of William Fairfax, who was the manager of the great estate of his cousin. Lord Fairfax, the head of the family. Lord Fairfax conceived a great liking for young Washington, and presently entrusted to him the task of marking out the boundaries of the Fairfax estate. George began his duties in 1748, when he was but a few days past sixteen, and for many months he endured the hardships of a surveyor in the wilderness. His work was so well done that he was subsequently appointed public surveyor of Culpeper County, and his surveys were considered admirable examples of thoroughness and accuracy.

       In 1751 George accompanied his brother Lawrence on a trip to the West Indies. The journey was undertaken in the hope of restoring the elder brother's health, undermined by service in the British navy. In 1752, a few months after the brothers returned to Virginia, Lawrence died, and George found

himself the guardian of his niece and one of the executors of the estate. The death of this niece a few years later made him master of the mansion and the beautiful grounds about it - the Mount Vernon that is today a sacred place to all loyal Americans. 

• George Washington's "Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior In Company and Conversation"

Patriot Sons

A boy scout at a 4th July parade in 1940.

PATRIOT SONS

by Samuel F. Smith

The bright-eyed boys who crowd our schools.

The knights of book and pen.

Weary of childish games and moods.

Will soon be stalwart men -

The leaders in the race of life,

The men to win applause;

The great minds born to guide the state.

The wise to make the laws.

Teach them to guard with jealous care

The land that gave them birth -

As patriot sons of patriot sires.

The dearest spot on earth;

Teach them the sacred trust to keep,

Like true men, pure and brave.

And o'er them thru the ages bid

Freedom's fair banner wave. 

True Heroism

TRUE HEROISM

Let others write of battles fought

On bloody, ghastly fields,

Where honors greet the man who wins.

And death the man who yields;

But I will write of him who fights

And vanquishes his sins.

Who struggles on through weary years

Against himself and wins.

He is a hero, staunch and brave.

Who fights an unseen foe,

And puts at last beneath his feet

His passions base and low;

Who stands erect in manhood's might.

Undaunted, undismayed;

The bravest man that drew a sword

In foray or in raid.

It calls for something more than brawn

Or muscle to overcome

An enemy who marcheth not

With banner, plume and drum -

A foe forever lurking nigh,

With silent, stealthy tread,

Forever near your board by day.

At night beside your bed.

All honor, then, to that brave heart,

Though poor or rich he be.

Who struggles with his baser part -

Who conquers and is free!

He may not wear a hero's crown,

Nor fill a hero's grave.

But truth will place his name among

The bravest of the brave.

Under The Washington Elm, Cambridge

UNDER THE WASHINGTON ELM, CAMBRIDGE

Eighty years have passed, and more,
Since under the brave old tree
Our fathers gathered in arms, and swore
They would follow the sign their banners bore,
And fight until the land was free.

Half of their work was done.
Half is left to do -
Cambridge and Concord and Lexington!
When the battle is fought and won.
What shall be told of you?

Hark! 'tis the south wind moans -
Who are the martyrs down?
Ah, the marrow was true in your children's bones.
That sprinkled with blood the cursed stones
Of the murder-haunted town!

What if the storm-clouds blow?
What if the green leaves fall?
Better the crashing tempest's throe
Than the army of worms that gnawed below;
Trample them one and all!

Then when the battle is won

And the land from traitors free,

Our children shall tell of the strife begun

When Liberty's second April sun

Was bright on our brave old tree!

The Twenty-Second of February by Webster

       Gentlemen, a most auspicious omen salutes and cheers us, this day. This day is the anniversary of the birth of Washington. Washington's birthday is celebrated from one end of the land to the other. The whole atmosphere of the country is the day redolent of his principles, - the hills, the rocks, the groves, the vales, and the rivers, shout their praises, and resound with his fame. All the good whether learned or unlearned, high or low, rich or poor, feel this day that is one treasure common to them all; and that is the fame of Washington. They all recount his deeds, ponder over his principles and teaching, and resolve to be more and more guided by them in the future.

       To the old and young, to all born in this land, and to all whose preferences have led them to make it the home of their adoption, Washington is an exhilarating theme. Americans are proud of his character; all exiles from foreign shores are eager to participate in admiration of him; and it is true that he is, this day, here, everywhere, all over the world, more an object of regard than on any former day since his birth.

       Gentlemen, by his example, and under the guidance of his precepts, will we and our children uphold the Constitution. Under his military leadership, our fathers conquered their ancient enemies; and, under the out-spread banner of his political and constitutional principles, will we conquer now. To that standard we shall adhere, and uphold it, through evil report and good report. We will sustain it, and meet death itself; if it comes, we will ever encounter and defeat error, by day and by night, in light or in darkness - thick darkness if it come, till:

"Danger's troubled night is o'er,

And the star of peace return."

Our Presidents

OUR PRESIDENTS

(To the tune of "Yankee Doodle.")

George Washington is number one,

With whom begins the story;

John Adams then doth follow on

To share him in the glory.

Thomas Jefferson comes next,

A good old man was he.

James Madison is number four.

Twice President to be.

Chorus:

Our Presidents, hurrah! hurrah!
We'll give them three times three,
And may their memories ever live
In our hearts so brave and free.

Dear James Monroe was next in line.

Twice also did he rule us,

John Quincey Adams served us next.

And not once did he fool us.

Then Andrew Jackson came along,

So famous as a soldier,

Martin Van Buren took his place

To act as office holder.

And William Henry Harrison

Came next in the procession.

He died, and then John Tyler came,

Of the chair to take possession.

James K. Polk is on the roll,

He was an upright man.

Zachary Taylor followed him,

A dozen now we scan.

Millard Fillmore then was called

To rule o'er all our nation:

And after him one Franklin Pierce

Was called to fill the station.

James Buchanan was the next

Our President to be;

Then came Abe Lincoln, brave and true,

A mighty man was he.

Andrew Johnson's name is next

In the song which we are singing;

Then comes the name of U. S. Grant,

Let's set the rafters ringing;

And now we've got to R. B. Hayes,

The nineteenth name of all;

And James A. Garfield is the next

To answer to the call.

Chester Allen Arthur then

Comes forth to take his place;

And Grover Cleveland follows him.

The next one in the race.

Harrison in eighty-eight

Was called to fill the chair.

And Cleveland then again was called

To rule our Country fair.

Welcome to Lafayette by Edward Everett

       Welcome, friend of our fathers, to our shores. Happy are our eyes that behold those venerable features. Enjoy a triumph such as never conqueror or monarch enjoyed - the assurance that, throughout America, there is not a bosom that does not beat with joy and gratitude at the sound of your name. You have already met and saluted, or will soon meet, the few that remain of the ardent patriots, prudent counselors, and brave warriors, with whom you were associated in achieving our liberties. But you have looked around in vain for the faces of many who would have lived years of pleasure on a day like this, with their old companion in arms and brother in peril.

       Lincoln and Greene and Knox and Hamilton are gone! The heroes of Saratoga and Yorktown have fallen before the only foe they could not meet! Above all, the first of heroes and of men, the friend of your youth, the more than friend of his country, rests in the bosom of the soil he has redeemed. On the banks of the Potomac, he lies in glory and in peace. You will revisit the hospitable shades of Mount Vernon; but him whom you venerated, as we did, you will not meet at its door. His voice of consolation, which reached you in the Austrian dungeons, can not now break its silence to bid you welcome to his own roof.

       But the grateful children of America will bid you welcome in his name. Welcome, thrice welcome, to our shores; and whithersoever, throughout the limits of the continent, your course shall take you, the ear that hears you shall bless you; the eye that sees you shall bear witness to you; and every tongue exclaim with heartfelt joy: ''Welcome, welcome, Lafayette!"

Questions and Answers About George Washington

1. Tell something of Washington's ancestors.

He was descended from an ancient family in Cheshire, of which a branch had been established in Virginia. His English ancestors were allied to those of the highest rank. His mother belonged to the most ancient Saxon family of Fairfax, of Towcester in Northumberland.

2. Where was Washington born?

Near the banks of the beautiful Potomac, in Westmoreland County, Va. It was a very small place called Bridge's Creek.

3. How old was he when his father died?

Ten years old.

4. How did he always treat his mother?

With the greatest respect and attention : and as you follow him through life you will find him "Speaking what is just and true. Doing what is right to do Unto one and all."

5. "Hail, patriot, chief, all hail! Historic fame
In purest gold hath traced thy glorious name!
Earth has Niagara, the sky its sun.
And proud mankind its only Washington."

6. Why do they call him ''Historic Fame?"

" I thought he was the ''Father of his Country." Because he never spared himself in any way and was

always first in "battle. The bullets often razed his hair and riddled his cloak, but he would tell his soldiers, "Stand fast and receive the enemy."

7. When did the Revolutionary War begin?

April 19, 1775.

8. What cry was repeated everywhere?

War has begun! To arms! To arms! Liberty or death!

9. What was needed at once? 

A commander-in-chief.

10. Who was appointed to fill this place? 

George Washington.

11. How did he influence the soldiers?

He inspired them with reverence and enthusiasm. His height was six feet two, and he seemed born to

command.

12. When did the British finally leave Boston?

March 17, 1776, in seventy-eight ships and transports.

13. After the surrender of Lord Cornwallis, what did Washington do?

He went to see his mother at Fredericksburg, for he had not seen her in six years.

14. Who went with him?

Lafayette. And they found her at work in her garden. Lafayette began to tell her of the world-wide love bestowed upon her son, but she interrupted him by saying, ''I am not surprised at what George has done, for he was always a good boy."

15. Tell us something about Washington after he resigned command of the army.

He went to Mount Vernon to live, and, as he had spent so much of his own money during the war, he was obliged to practice very close economy; but he would accept nothing from Congress, for he had served his country from love alone.

16. What was his especial delight?

He took especial delight in beautifying the grounds about his house. Dinner at Mount Vernon was at half-past two, and if there was no company he would write until dark. He loved his wife's children as well as if they were his own, and always found time for his family; but the quiet of his house was soon to be disturbed.

17. In what way?

The unanimous choice of the nation was that he should fill the presidential chair, and he was forced to

accept.

18. When and where did the inauguration take place?

April 30, 1789, in New York City.

19. What did the people do in 1789 when he took the oath of office?

All the bells in the city were rung, the people cheered and there was a thundering of artillery. Then

they went to St. Paul's Church on foot, where services were held. Brilliant illuminations and fireworks con- cluded the day.

20. Why did Washington accept a second term of office if he was so anxious for a quiet home life?

The people would have no one else, and he was obliged to accept to keep peace in the country he loved so well; but it was with a heartfelt sense of relief that he left the seat of government in 1797 and entered once more upon the quiet home life at Mount Vernon.

21. How did he spend the remaining years of his life?

In repairing houses that were fast going to ruin, making and selling a little flour each year, and amusing himself in agricultural and rural pursuits. He died in December, 1799, and his last words were, " 'Tis well, 'tis well." -  From "How to Celebrate Washington's birthday," published by E. L. Kellogg & Co.

'Twas not in vain the deluge came,

And systems crumbled in the gloom,

And not in vain have sword and flame

Robbed home and heart of life and bloom;

The mourner's cross, the martyr's blood.

Shall crown the world with holier rights.

And slavery's storm, and slavery's flood

Leave Freedom's ark on loftier heights.

- James Q. Clark

The Life of President Abraham Lincoln

"That this nation, under God, shall have a
new birth of freedom, and that govern-
ment of the people, by the people, for
the people, shall not parish from the earth."
Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.
clip art from Christian Clip Art Review

        Lincoln, ling'kun, Abra- ham (1809-1865), the sixteenth President of the United States, and one of the best loved of American statesmen. Today his countrymen honor him as the man who saved the American republic from disunion, and gave the black man his freedom. More than this, he stands as the supreme type of the democratic statesman, and the ideals which he expressed by voice and in his daily life are treasured as the greatest spiritual possessions of the American nation. By birth and by training Lincoln was in a literal sense a man of the common people. Born in a log cabin and with his entire schooling covering not more than a year, he could make no claim to aristocratic blood, to scholarship or to social prestige. He was what he was by virtue of inborn greatness. 

• The Ancestry and Boyhood of Abraham Lincoln
• Lincoln's Early Career
• Time Line for Lincoln's Administration 1861-65
• Lincoln As President
• Lincoln Becomes A National Figure
• President Abraham Lincoln's Death

Artifacts About President Abraham Lincoln:

1. Lincoln's Gettysburg Address
2. Lincoln (poem)
3. Abraham Lincoln by James Russel Lowell
4. Questions and Answers About Lincoln
5. Lincoln's Birthday by Ida Vose Woodbury
6. Sayings About Lincoln
7. Lincoln by Nancy Byrd Turner
8. Emancipation Proclamation
9. Provocation: Abraham Lincoln and Cabin Building 
10. Lincoln - illustrated poem by Frances Higgins
    

More Online Resources:

• Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
• White House biography
• Abraham Lincoln Association
• Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation
• United States Congress. "Abraham Lincoln (id: L000313)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Abraham Lincoln: A Resource Guide from the Library of Congress
• "Life Portrait of Abraham Lincoln", from C-SPAN's American Presidents: Life Portraits, June 28, 1999
• "Writings of Abraham Lincoln" from C-SPAN's American Writers: A Journey Through History
• Abraham Lincoln: Original Letters and Manuscripts – Shapell Manuscript Foundation
• Lincoln/Net: Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project
• Teaching Abraham Lincoln – National Endowment for the Humanities
• In Popular Song:Our Noble Chief Has Passed Away by Cooper/Thomas

President Abraham Lincoln's Death

       The war by this time was inevitably drawing to a close, and on April 9, 1865, Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House. Five days later the nation was plunged into deepest grief. Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, while attending a performance at Ford's Theater in Washington, on the evening of Good Friday, April 14. He died the following morning. Southern leaders mourned his loss as that of a sincere and magnanimous opponent, and European statesmen united in conceding to him all the highest qualities of manhood and statesmanship, while the grief of the people of the North, who had considered him their truest friend - indeed, their savior - was almost too great for expression. The years since his death  have served to raise rather than to lower, the general estimate of his service to the Union and of the high moral qualities which his character exemplified.

Visit Ford's Theater.

Lincoln Becomes A National Figure

       For several years Lincoln was absorbed in his practice, but the great slavery controversy, ever growing more intense, could not fail to awaken his interest in political issues. In 1854 he publicly announced his opposition to Senator Stephen A. Douglas, father of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill and of the doctrine of squatter sovereignty, and his speeches on the subject were so logical and forcible that the Whigs in the state legislature chose him as their candidate for Senator. Lincoln was not elected, but his friends, by combining with the anti-slavery Democrats, elected Lyman Trumbull, who was opposed to Douglas. In the organization of the new Republican party Lincoln stood out as the leading figure from Illinois, and in the national convention of 1856 his name was mentioned for Vice-President.

       Two years later came the famous Lincoln, Douglas debates, by which, though defeated in his candidacy for the Senate, Lincoln attracted the attention of the whole country. In them he displayed not only admirable sincerity and insight, but exceptional political shrewdness, and it was not long before his name was prominently mentioned as a candidate for President. His famous Cooper Union speech in 1860 at New York made him the most conspicuous figure in Republican politics, and at the convention at Chicago, after a spirited contest with Seward, Chase, Cameron and Bates, he was nominated upon a vigorous anti-slavery platform. The campaign which followed was one of the most momentous in the history of the United States. The Democratic party, having been disorganized and divided, presented two candidates, Douglas and Breckenridge, while the Constitutional Union party, which took a neutral stand, nominated John Bell. Lincoln secured 180 electoral votes out of a total of 303, and his popular vote was 1,866,452. He lacked almost a million votes of a majority.

       His election was the signal for secession by South Carolina, - which had long contemplated the possibility of such a step if the demands of the slavery faction were not heeded. The action was taken in December, and South Carolina was followed by the Gulf States and within a few months by four others. Lincoln was inaugurated March 4, 1861, and in a memorable address he urged the people of all sections to unite in upholding the Union. He called to his Cabinet all his principal rivals in the Chicago convention, and by every means in his power he sought to avert a civil war, which seemed inevitable. His efforts were in vain, however, and on April 14th  the war began with the bombardment of Fort Sumter.

"A short video that showcases Fort Sumter National Monument (Where the American Civil War began April 12th 1861). 150 years ago. Produced by Garrett Johnston Productions. Expert Commentary from Park Rangers Donel"