Outrageous Interlude

The Braddock expedition has suffered a humiliating defeat and, though he has fought bravely, so has George Washington. The remnants of the Ohio expedition retreat to Philadelphia, then flee back across the ocean to more civilized European wars. In England it is a time for introspection, to lick wounds, and to identify scapegoats. On the frontier there is no time for mending. The French and Indians launch a series of savage attacks on frontier settlements that become known as "the Outrages." By August of 1755 Washington is once more commander of the Virginia Regiment and is immediately faced with a dilemma: Should he adopt a defensive strategy and spread his thin, undisciplined troops over a frontier stretching from the Carolinas to Pennsylvania or should he go on the offensive? In fact he can do neither. He does not have the forces to counter the enemy's hit-and-run tactics. After two years of a war things slowly begin to change. A star emerges in the British Parliamentary firmament: William Pitt. A critic of the war's conduct, the new Secretary of State concludes that North America must be the primary battleground of the war. As 1758 dawns, preparations are underway for another British expeditionary force. Washington and his Virginians are ecstatic. All-out war will be a refreshing change of pace. For George Washington, matters are more personal. He wants-needs-to participate in an unqualified victory and to see his star, like Pitt's, glowing brightly overhead. This may be his last chance.

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