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comes rough, and more brittle. The wool in fome breeds 

 of fheep, as thofe of the finer kind, have it in larger quan- 

 tity than others. See Sheep and Yolk. 



Washing Machine. See Laukdrv. 



WASHINGTON, Georce, in Biography, firll prefi- 

 dent of the United States, the defcendant of a refpeftable 

 family in the north of England, was born in February 1732, 

 on an ellate in Weftmoreland county, Virginia, on which 

 his great-grandfather, John Walhington, fettled, after his 

 emigration from England, about the year 1657. Having 

 loft, his father when he vs'as about ten years of age, his ad- 

 vantages of education were inconfiderable ; but he acquired 

 a fufficient knowledge of mathematics to qualify him for a 

 land-furveyor. In his youth he was grave and thoughtful, 

 regular and dihgent in the management of the bufinefs 

 affigned him, dignified in his deportment, and exemplary and 

 honourable in his whole conduft. Ardent in his temper, he 

 manifefted, at the age of fifteen, an inchnation to enter into 

 the Britiih navy, and the place of a midfhipman was pro- 

 cured for him ; but his mother diverted him from his pur- 

 pofe. In his nineteenth year he was nominated one of the 

 adjutants-general of Virginia, with the rank of major; and 

 in 1753 he was entrufted with a commiflion which required 

 prudence and refolution. At this time the French were pro- 

 jedling a communication between Canada and Louifiana by 

 a chain of forts, which would have confined the Enghfh to 

 the eaft fide of the Alleghany mountains. Wafhington was 

 the bearer of a letter of remonftrance to the French from 

 Mr. Dinwiddie, the governor of Virginia. He executed the 

 bufinefs committed to him, and returned in feventy-eight 

 days. As the French perfifted in their plans, the aifembly 

 of Virginia raifed a body of three hundred men for the pro- 

 teftion of their frontiers, and appointed Wafhington lieu- 

 tenant-colonel. HoftiUties commenced, though war was 

 not declared between Great Britain and France ; and Wafh- 

 ington, with a detachment of his regiment, falhng in with 

 a party of French, furprifed and made them all prifoners, 

 after their commander was killed. With an augmentation of 

 force, he proceeded for the purpofe of diflodging the French 

 from fort Duquefne ; but receiving mtelligence that a large 

 force was approacliing, he fell back into a ftockaded fort, 

 which he had previoufly erefted at a place called Great 

 Meadows, where he was attacked by the enemy. However 

 he defended his poft, incompletely fortified, for a whole day, 

 and capitulated with the French commander upon honour- 

 able terms. 



In 1755 war aftually took place, and general Braddock 

 was fent to command in America. Waihington, now a co- 

 lonel, offered to accompany him as a volunteer ; and not- 

 withftanding a fevere illnefs, made hafte to join the army. 

 Tlie carnage of the day was dreadful, and proved fatal to 

 the general and many of his officers and men ; but Wafhing- 

 ton maintained the mofl perfeft felf-pofleffion, notwithftand- 

 ing the fcene he witneffed, and the perfonal danger to which 

 he was expofed. He brought back the (battered remnant of 

 the army ; and his countrymen generally thought, that if 

 he had had the command, inftead of a man who was unac- 

 quainted with the Indian mode of fighting, the difafter 

 would have been prevented. The afTcmbly of Virginia de- 

 termined, after the withdraument of all the regular troops, 

 to raife fixteen companies for the defence of tlitir frontiers, 

 and they entrufted the command with Wafhington ; fuch 

 was the degree of reputation which he had acquired at his 

 early age ! His fituation was trying and perilous, an exten- 

 fiye frontier being open to the incurfions of a favage enemy ; 

 he recommended more vigorous meafures, and at length, 



WAS 



when fort Duquefne was evacuated by the French, in 1758, 

 in confequence of the fuccefles of the Britifh troops in the 

 northern colonies, the back-fettlements of the fouthern were 

 fecured. When this fervice was accomphfhed, Wafhing- 

 ton retired from the military fervice with the cordial efteem 

 of his countrymen, and with tokens of refpecl from the 

 officers of the Britifh army. Soon afterwards he married 

 Mrs. Cuftis, an amiable and opulent widow ; and by the 

 death of an elder brother he obtained an eftate on the Po- 

 tomack, called Mount Vernon, whither he removed, and 

 commenced the fife of a country -gentleman ; feduloufly im- 

 proving his property by his agricultural fl<ill, exercifing the 

 office of judge of the court in the county where he refided, 

 and attending as a reprefentative in the houfe of burgefTes 

 of Virginia. This was the honourable and ufeful life he 

 led for fifteen years. But after the peace of 1763, con- 

 tells commenced between the American colonies and the 

 Britifh legiflature ; and Wafhington determined in the affem- 

 bly of Virginia to oppofe the claim of the parent-ftate to a 

 right of taxing its colonies. Accordingly he was elefted a 

 member of the firft congrefs, which [affembled at Philadel- 

 phia in 1774. ^'^ ^^^ ^ member of all the committees ap- 

 pointed for arranging meafures of defence ; and when it 

 was determined to raife a general army, the arduous office 

 of commander-in-chief was unanimoufly conferred upon him 

 by the deputies of the twelve united colonies, to which 

 Georgia afterwards acceded. He with becoming modefty 

 and diffidence accepted the office, but declined all pecur 

 niary compenfation, defiring only the payment of his ex« 

 pences. 



On his firft alFuming the command, the American army con. 

 fifted of about 14,500 men, entrenched at different pofts near 

 Boflon, and oppofed to the Britiih army on Bunker's-hill, 

 An army like that of the Americans, confifting of raw re- 

 cruits, enlifted for a hmited time, and furnifhed by differ, 

 ent colonial governments, and very indifferently provided 

 with arms, ammunition, aB<Hlores, afforded a difcouraging 

 profpeft to its commander, and required the exercife of An- 

 gular talents. Wafhington feemed to poffefs fuch talents. 

 Accordingly, notwithllanding all difadvantages, he was en- 

 abled, in March 1 776, to commence aftive operations againfl 

 the Britifh army at Boflon, by fortifying the heights of Dor. 

 chefter, which commanded both the lines and harbour. 

 The Britifh were foon reduced to the neceffity of quitting 

 Bofton and removing to Hahfax ; and the American gene- 

 ral was welcomed at the former place as a deliverer. When 

 general Howe, with a ftrong force, took poffeffion of Staten 

 ifland, the Americans were polled on Long ifiand, under ge- 

 neral Sullivan ; but in Augull they were attacked and de- 

 feated with great flaughter. Wafhington was in the city of 

 New York, endeavouring to preferve and rally the troops 

 that had efcaped in a difpirited flate from this confliA. But 

 being unequal to a fuccefsful refiftance to the viftorious 

 army, he withdrew from New York to the mterior of the 

 country, and having retreated through the Jerfeys, found 

 himfelf at the head of no more than 70C0 men. However, 

 he maintained his felf-poffeffion and firmnefs, and determined 

 to retaliate. The firft objeft of his attack was a body of 

 Heffians, ftationed at Trenton. Croffing the Delaware, and 

 hallening towards the town, he took them by furprife, and 

 about nine hundred of them laid down their arm?, befides 

 others that were killed and wounded. This fuccefs was pe- 

 culiarly fortunate, as the Americans dreaded the ferocity of 

 the Heffians, and their fpirits were thus roufed to new exer- 

 tions. Wafhington gained alio an advantage over the Bri- 

 tifh at Prince-town, and by thefe bold movements they were 

 2 obhged 



