it was, has a meaning to us, for it was essentially true.  Washington had the fierce fighting temper of the Northmen.  He loved battle and danger, and he never ceased to love them and to give way to their excitement, although he did not again set down such sentiments in boastful phrase that made the world laugh.  Men of such temper, moreover, are naturally imperious and have a fine disregard of consequences, with the result that their allies, Indian or otherwise, often become impatient and finally useless.  The campaign was perfectly wild from the outset, and if it had not been for the utter indifference to danger displayed by Washington, and the consequent timidity of the French, that particular body of Virginians would have been permanently lost to the British Empire.

But we learn from all this many things.  It appears that Washington was not merely a brave man, but one who loved fighting for its own sake.  The whole expedition shows an arbitrary temper and the most reckless courage, valuable qualities, but here unrestrained, and mixed with very little prudence.  Some important lessons were learned by Washington from the rough teachings of inexorable and unconquerable facts.  He received in this campaign the first taste of that severe experience which by its training developed the self-control and mastery of temper for which he became so remarkable.  He did not spring into life a perfect and impossible man, as is so often represented.  On the contrary, he was educated by circumstances; but the metal came out of the furnace of experience finely tempered, because it was by nature of the best and with but little dross to be purged away.  In addition to all this he acquired for the moment what would now be called a European reputation.  He was known in Paris as an assassin, and in England, thanks to the bullet letter, as a “fanfaron” and brave braggart.  With these results he wended his way home much depressed in spirits, but not in the least discouraged, and fonder of fighting than ever.

Virginia, however, took a kinder view of the campaign than did her defeated soldier.  She appreciated the gallantry of the offer to fight in the open and the general conduct of the troops, and her House of Burgesses passed a vote of thanks to Washington and his officers, and gave money to his men.  In August he rejoined his regiment, only to renew the vain struggle against incompetence and extravagance, and as if this were not enough, his sense of honor was wounded and his temper much irritated by the governor’s playing false to the prisoners taken in the Jumonville fight.  While thus engaged, news came that the French were off their guard at Fort Duquesne, and Dinwiddie was for having the regiment of undisciplined troops march again into the wilderness.  Washington, however, had learned something, if not a great deal, and he demonstrated the folly of such an attempt in a manner too clear to be confuted.