Wednesday, July 05, 2006

George Washington, some background

Robert Tumminello, a New Yorker living in London and Dorset, England, provides a look at George Washington's English family roots. (Nice job combining your two countries, Robert.) He also provides the news (to me) that George Washington is "big business" in the UK. As an example, he quotes from the Sulgrave Manor website's current "What's New" item:

If you are not familiar with British road or rail systems, reaching us here in the heart of England can look a bit difficult from London. Now there is an alternative to doing it yourself!

Evan Evans, London's premier coach tour company, have added Sulgrave Manor to their list of regular destinations. The day trip, including a look at Banbury Cross and a visit to Blenheim Palace, is called 'The Great Statesmen's Tour', linking Winston Churchill and George Washington into one historic journey...

How about that? Churchill and Washington in the same breath. In England. Not too shabby. And very decent of the Brits, I'd say.

Back a few months ago, I was reading in a book in Newsweek's Founding Father's series, George Washington: A Biography in His Own Words, c. 1972. In it, his earliest known writings and drawings are acknowledged, but the book notes that the "earliest existing spontaneous writing from his own hand" is from when he was sixteen, and had been asked along on a surveying trip. The journal begins with a fairly standard "A Journal of my Journey over the Mountains began Fryday the 11th. of March 1747/8" but quickly becomes, uhm, well, it's a good reminder that George Washington was a teenager once and had to grow into his legendary self. The following passage -- which I later found at American Memory at the Library of Congress -- got my attention. (For whatever reason, I can't seem to get a link directly to the page from which I get the following excerpt. It's from "The Diaries of George Washington. Vol. 1. Donald Jackson, ed.; Dorothy Twohig, assoc. ed. The Papers of George Washington. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1976." which I found by searching for 1747, and then going down the list of matches. I've omitted the explanatory notes):

Tuesday 15th. We set out early with Intent to Run round the sd. Land but being taken in a Rain & it Increasing very fast obliged us to return. It clearing about one oClock & our time being too Precious to Loose we a second time ventured out & Worked hard till Night & then returnd to Penningtons we got our Suppers & was Lighted in to a Room & I not being so good a Woodsman as the rest of my Company striped my self very orderly & went in to the Bed as they call'd it when to my Surprize I found it to be nothing but a Little Straw--Matted together without Sheets or any thing else but only one Thread Bear blanket with double its Weight of Vermin such as Lice Fleas &c. I was glad to get up (as soon as the Light was carried from us) & put on my Cloths & Lay as my Companions. Had we not have been very tired, I am sure we should not have slep'd much that night. I made a Promise not to Sleep so from that time forward chusing rather to sleep in the open Air before a fire as will Appear hereafter.

Wednesday 16th. We set out early & finish'd about one oClock & then Travell'd up to Frederick Town where our Baggage came to us. We cleaned ourselves (to get Rid of the Game we had catched the Night before) & took a Review of the Town & then return'd to our Lodgings where we had a good Dinner prepar'd for us Wine & Rum Punch in Plenty & a good Feather Bed with clean Sheets which was a very agreeable regale.

Thursday 17th. Rain'd till Ten oClock & then clearing we reached as far as Major Campbells one of there Burgesses about 25 Miles from Town. Nothing Remarkable this day nor Night but that we had a Tolerable good Bed [to] lay on...


I don't know about you, but I suspect I'll never respond to "Washington slept here" in quite the same way again ;).

For the George Washington's Papers at the Library of Congress, 1741-1799 collection, go here.

For a teacher's resource page related to the collection, go here. It provides hints on how to search the collection. It also has links to things like Essay:"Yr. Most Humble Obt. Servt.", which "...is highly recommended for those seeking insights into the nature of correspondence in the eighteenth century, as well as the logistical aspects of drafting, delivering, and preserving written communications during that period..."

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