The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

48 LIFE OF WASHINGTON. [1754.
of Washington, and who can find no other apology
fobr this act, than his youth and inexperience, and the
ferocity of his men.
The mistakes of the French writers were not unknown to Washington; but, conscious of having acted
in strict conformity with his orders and military usage,
he took no pains to correct them, except in a single
letter to a friend written several years afterwards, which
related mostly to the errors in the French account of
the subsequent action of the Great Meadows. Unfortunately all his correspondence, and the other papers
which he wrote during this campaign, were lost the
next year at the battle of the Monongahela; and he
was thus deprived of the only authentic materials, that
could be used for explanation and defence. The most
important of these papers have recently been found,
and they afford not only a complete vindication of the
conduct of Colonel Washington in this affair, but show
that it met with the unqualified approbation of the
governor and legislature of Virginia, and of the British
ministry.*
It is true that Jumonville was the bearer of a summons; but this was unknown to Colonel Washington,
nor did the mode in which the former approached the
English camp indicate that he came on an errand of
peace. He was at the head of an armed force, he
sent out spies in advance, concealed himself and his
party two days in an obscure place near the camp,
Z In the public offices at London, I examined the official communications from Governor Dinwiddie, giving a full account of the events of
that period. By the politeness of an individual in England, who had in
his possession the letter-books and private papers of Governor Dinwiddie, I was permitted to inspect those papers, and to have copies taken.
Among them were the original letters of Colonel Washington, written
at the time, respecting the skirmish with Jumonville, and the principal
incidents of the campaign.