After the election was over, Washington wrote Wood that “I hope no Exception was taken to any that voted against me, but that all were alike treated, and all had enough.  My only fear is that you spent with too sparing a hand.”  It is hardly necessary to say that such methods reversed the former election; Washington secured three hundred and ten votes, and Swearingen received forty-five.  What is more, so far from now threatening to blow out his brains, there was “a general applause and huzzaing for Colonel Washington.”

From this time until he took command of the army Washington was a burgess.  Once again he was elected from Frederick County, and then, in 1765, he stood for Fairfax, in which Mount Vernon was located.  Here he received two hundred and eight votes, his colleague getting but one hundred and forty-eight, and in the election of 1768 he received one hundred and eighty-five, and his colleague only one hundred and forty-two.  Washington spent between forty and seventy-five pounds at each of these elections, and usually gave a ball to the voters on the night he was chosen.  Some of the miscellaneous election expenses noted in his ledger are, “54 gallons of Strong Beer,” “52 Do. of Ale,” “L1.0.0. to Mr. John Muir for his fiddler,” and “For cakes at the Election L7.11.1.”

The first duty which fell to the new burgess was service on a committee to draught a law to prevent hogs from running at large in Winchester.  He was very regular in his attendance; and though he took little part in the proceedings, yet in some way he made his influence felt, so that when the time came to elect deputies to the First Congress he stood third in order among the seven appointed to attend that body, and a year later, in the delegation to the Continental Congress, he stood second, Peyton Randolph receiving one more vote only, and all the other delegates less.

This distinction was due to the sound judgment of the man rather than to those qualities that are considered senatorial.  Jefferson said, “I served with General Washington in the legislature of Virginia before the revolution, and, during it, with Dr. Franklin in Congress.  I never heard either of them speak ten minutes at a time, nor to any but the main point which was to decide the question.  They laid their shoulders to the great points, knowing that the little ones would follow of themselves.”

Through all his life Washington was no speechmaker.  In 1758, by an order of the Assembly, Speaker Robinson was directed to return its thanks to Colonel Washington, on behalf of the colony, for the distinguished military services which he had rendered to the country.  As soon as he took his seat in the House, the Speaker performed this duty in such glowing terms as quite overwhelmed him.  Washington rose to express his acknowledgments for the honor, but was so disconcerted as to be unable to articulate a word distinctly.  He blushed and faltered for a moment, when the Speaker relieved him from his embarrassment by saying, “Sit down, Mr. Washington, your modesty equals your valor, and that surpasses the power of any language that I possess.”