ng, and as Washington
had, all told, but three hundred poorly equipped men, they were
compelled to surrender. The terms of surrender were liberal enough,
permitting the English to return home with their light arms.

Thus did Washington's first campaign come to a somewhat inglorious
close. He tendered his resignation, and may have felt humiliated over
his defeat; although the House of Burgesses passed a vote of thanks to
him and his staff, "for their bravery and gallant defense of their
country." But later when Governor Dinwiddie requested him to head
another regiment against Fort Duquesne, Washington politely declined.
He had not received sufficient support in the first venture to warrant
another such attempt.

The next stage in the French and Indian War--and likewise in
Washington's military development--was the arrival of General Braddock
with two regiments of seasoned troops from England. Braddock was an
old campaigner of forty years' experience, who had long since learned
all that was to be taught about the art of warfare.

"He'd teach those French a lesson--and as for the Indians--stuff and
nonsense!"

Braddock's arrival made a great stir in the colonies. It was the first
sign of real help from the Mother Country. The governors of four or
five of the colonies met him at Alexandria. It was near Mount Vernon,
and the young retired officer watched the preparations with keenest
interest. He could not help contrasting this splendid equipment with
the scanty packs which his own men had carried.

Much to his delight, he was invited by General Braddock to join his
staff as an aide-de-camp, a post which Washington joyfully accepted.
Braddock had heard something of the Virginia colonel even before
leaving England; and was not so much honoring this colonial officer, as
immeasurably strengthening his own good right arm--if he had only had
the discernment to know it. As results showed, Braddock did not need
his heavy cannon nearly so much as he needed an insight into wilderness
ways.

Just before Braddock started west on his ill-fated expedition, he
conferred at Fredericktown, Maryland, with the Postmaster General of
Pennsylvania, a strong, practical man, who was to obtain some
greatly-needed horses and wagons for his artillery and supplies. This
man, a middle-aged and rather plain sort of fellow--and the youthful
Virginia colonel whom he may have met then for the first time--possibly
attracted very little att