on Fort Duquesne. Washington earnestly recommended an early campaign, lest the Indian warriors who were to meet them in April at Winchester, should grow tired of waiting, and return home. But the season was, unfortunately, so idled away, that marching orders were not given till the first of September, when, according to Washington's prediction, there was not a red man to be found in camp. The army then commenced its movements, but still as work seem, under the frown of Heaven. FOR instead of sweeping along the old track, generally called Braddock's road. gen. Forbes was per suaded to take an entirely new route, of which every inch was to be car through wilds and mountains covered with rock and trees! In vain Washington remonstrated against this as a measure," ,"which" he said, "if persistea in at tes late season, would certainly ruin the undertaken -General Forbes was inflexible. In a letter is the Speaker of the House of Burgesses, Washington has these remarkable wordsIf this conduct of our leaders, do not flow from superior orders, it must flow from a weakness, too gross for me to name Nothing now but a miracle can bring this campaign to a happy issue.” In a letter of a later date a says, "well, all's lost! our enterprise is ruined! And we shall be stopped this winter at the Laurel Hills !" By the middle of November, after incredible exertions, the army, sure enough, reached the Laurel Hills, where Washington predicted it would winter! and, strange to tell! General Forbes, with a caucus squad of his officers were actually in deep debate, whether they should spend the winter in that inhospitable wild, or tread back their mournful steps, to Winchester, when some prisoners brought the welcome news that the garrison of Fort Duquesne, for a long time past unsupported by their countrymen, and now deserted by the Indians, was so reduced, that they would surrender at the sight of an enemy. General Forbes instantly changed his mind, and with a select detachment made a push for Fort Duquesne, the ruins of which he entered, without opposition, on the 28th of November, 1758. For, advertised of his approach, the French determined to quit it; and after having set fire to the buildings, embarked in their boats, and went down the river. HAVING thus, after three years of labour and sorrow, attained his favourite wish-the reduction of Fort Duquesne and a total dispersion of the savages, Washington returned with joy to Williamsburgh, to take his seat in the legislature, to which he had been regularly chosen in his absence. It is worthy of remark, because it happens but to few, that though he often failed of success, he, never once lost the confidence of his country. Early aware of the importance of character, to those who wish to be useful, he omitted no honest act, thought no pains, no sacrifice of ease too great, to procure and preserve it. In the whole of that stupidly-managed war, as also another subsequent war, which was not much better conducted, he always took care to keep the public well informed as to the part which he had acted, or wished to act, in the affair. Not content, to know himself that he had acted wisely or bravely, he took care that the public should also know it; in order that if at any time an uproar should be made, the error might be charged to the real offender. If the legislature, or governor Dinwiddie, or general Braddock, or any other superior, with whom he had public concern, and character at stake, made propositions which he disliked, he would modestly point out their errors, predict their mischiefs, and thus wash his hands of all blame :— which documents, through the channel of num, rous letters to his friends, were always laid before the people. Hence, for the ruinous consequences of the weakness and obstinacy of Dinwiddie and Braddock, not a breath of censure was ever blown on him. On the contrary, in the public mind, he always rose It was as high, or higher, than the others sunk. universally believed, that had he governed, in place of Dinwiddie, the fatal Indian war would not have lasted a campaign; and that on the hills of Monongahela, had Washington commanded in place of Braddock, the French and Indians would have been handled very differently. Such were the sentiments with which the public were prepared to receive him, on his return into their welcoming bosom. Wherever he went, homage always waited upon him, though always uncourted. The grey-headed rose up to do him honour, when he came into their company; and the young men, with sighs, often wished for a fame like his. Happy was the fairest lady of the land, who, at the crowded ball, could get colonel Washington for her partner. And even at the house where prayer is wont to be made, the eyes of beauty would sometimes wander from the cold readingpreacher, to catch a livelier devotion from his "mind-illumined face," a face at once so dignified with virtue, and so sweetened with grace, that none could look on it without emotions very friendly to the heart; and sighs of sentiment, too delicate for description, were often seen to heave the snowy bo soms of the noblest dames. AT the head of all these stood the accomplished Mrs. Martha Custis, the beautiful and wealthy widow of Mr. John Custis. Her wealth was equal, at least, to one hundred thousand dollars! But hei beauty was a sum far larger still. It was not the shallow boast of a fine skin, which time so quickly tarnishes, nor of those short-lived roses, which sometimes wither almost as soon as blown. But it sprung from the HEART-from the divine and benevolent affections, which spontaneously gave to her eyes, her looks, her voice and her manners, such angelic charms, that I could never look on her, without exclaiming with the poet, O! She was nearest heaven of all on earth I knew ; For two such kindred souls to love, it was only necessary that they should meet. Their friendship commenced with the first hour of their acquaintance, and was soon matured to marriage, which took place about the 27th year of Washington's life. His lady was, I believe, six months younger. BUT that it is contrary to the rules of biography, to begin with the husband and end with the wife, I could relate of that MOST EXCELLENT LADY those things which the public would greatly delight to hear. However, gratitude to that bright saint, now in heaven, who was my noblest benefactress, while I preached in her parish, compels me to say, that her VIRTUES and CHARITIES wereof that extensive and sublime sort, as fully to entitle her hic jacet to the following noble epitaph, a little altered, from one of the British poets. UNDERNEATH this marble hearse, Custis' widow-great George's wife CHAPTER VIII. Washington's mother has a very curious dream it points to great coming trouble-a cloud arising in England the causes of the revolutionary war. WHEN a man begins to make a noise in the world, his relatives, (the Father, sometimes, but, always that tenderer parent, the Mother) are sure to recollect certain mighty odd dreams, which they had of him when he was a child. What rare dreams, for example, had the mothers of "Macedonia's madman, and the Swede," while pregnant with those butchers of the human race! Mrs. Washington also had her dream, which an excellent old Lady of Fredericksburg assured me she had often heard her relate with great satisfaction; and, for the last time, but a few weeks before her death. "I DREAMT," said the Mother of Washington, "that I was sitting in the piazza of a large new house, into which we had but lately moved. George, at that time about five years old, was in the garden with his corn-stalk plough, busily running little furrows in the sand, in imitation of Negro Dick, a fine black boy, with whose ploughing George was so delighted that it was sometimes difficult to get him to his dinner. And so as I was sitting in the piazza at my work, I suddenly heard in my dream a kind of roaring noise on the eastern side of the house. On running out to see what was the matter, I beheld a dreadful sheet of fire bursting from the roof. The sight struck me with a horror which took away my strength, and threw me, almost senseless, to the ground. My husband and the servants, as I saw in my dream, soon came up; but, like myself, were so terrified at the sight, that they could make no attempt to extinguish the flames. In this most distressing state, the image of my little son came, I thought, te |