George Washington Knocked Down

Let us just say you are 23 years old, 6 feet 3 inches tall and you are head of all of the military forces in an entire colony and you've just seen horrific warfare last summer in the failed Braddock Expedition and the year before that you were captured at your Fort Necessity and you are well known for a book of your diary entries published in London about your trip to serve notice to the French to leave and now fast forward you just lost an election the day before in Winchester VA and the next day outside the Fairfax County Courthouse polling place you make a remark against this little guy who becomes so angry he knocks you down to the ground with his hickory cane in front of a big crowd. What would you do?

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And what did you say to anger that little guy?

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But forget about that for now.

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More importantly, what are you going to do now?

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if on mobile put phone sideways. Or touch video and move into center to watch.

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Our artists are busy drawing a picture for this story.

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But for now see this picture of a famous use of a cane by Representative Preston Brooks (D-SC) attacking Senator Charles Sumner (R-MA), an abolitionist.

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Let's set the stage.

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Tomorrow, December 10, 1755, George Washington is going to lose his first election. in Frederick County, Winchester VA.

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And the day after that, December 11, 1755, Colonel George Washington makes a remark inflaming a very small guy to knock Colonel George Washington - head of all Virginia forces --- down to the ground in front of a crowd.

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Everyone is expecting a fight.

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Everyone is expecting a duel.

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Many years after this event, Hamilton and Burr choose to duel.

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So ....

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What is this tall, highest ranked military leader of all Virginia going to do?

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What is this 23 year old Colonel George Washington going to do?

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Young

There's a plaque on the 1840 Frederick County Courthouse, now a Civil War Museum in Winchester VA,.

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This plaque refers to Washington's 2nd election try in 1758 .

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The plaque is here to show this spot as where GW first won political office at age 26.

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Young

That plaque mentions the word twice.

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But we’ve seen the WWII movies where someone is called “Pops.”

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And he was really only in his 20s

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And our

French and Indian War Foundation

historian, Norman Baker, mentions this.

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And he knows.

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He was on Iwo Jima.

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Anyone who was a year or two in war, or

who had been in real battle once or twice

got the veteran tag.

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So too was George Washington a veteran.

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Having seen how things can really, really go wrong,

such as that

long journey

to & back where he almost died falling

into the ice river

or from being

shot at

by an Indian in his

(Journey to Fort LeBeouf)

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or in victory which caused George Washington some problems (the Battle of Jumonville)

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or in defeat where George Washington was lucky to remain alive (Fort Necessity July 3, 1754)

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or in major horror (Braddock’s Defeat July 9, 1755),

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you saw “experience” in a man, a tall leader, a veteran.

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Also, Lt Colonel Adam Stephen, his second in command didn't know he was going to run for election in Frederick County.

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Maybe Colonel George Washington didn't know either?

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So, Where was GW on his own election day?

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He was probably not in Frederick County for his own election.

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He was probably in Fairfax County on December 10, 1755 getting ready to help his friend's election.

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So on December 11, 1755 he was helping his friend --- George William Fairfax's election in Fairfax County.

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Insulted !

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Lt Colonel Adam Stephen in Fort Cumberland finds out about GW being involved in an altercation in Fairfax County and writes to Colonel George Washington, December 23, 1755:

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"Such a Spirit of Revenge and Indignation prevaild here, upon hearing you were insulted at the Fairfax Election, that we all were ready and violent to run and tear Your Enemies to pieces.1 "

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What happened there in Fairfax County?

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First, we go to Parson Weems, who appears to be the only one providing detail.

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See photo of artist Grant Wood in 1939 next to his painting of Parson Weem's made up story about the Cherry Tree.

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According to Parson Weems, the author who gave us the Cherry Tree Story, writes a long story and morale (starts on Page 205) about that "insult" Lt Colonel Adam Stephen mentions:

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Colonel Washington makes a remark and is knocked down to the ground.

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Quote from Parson Weems --- "...the contest ran high between Colonel George Fairfax, and Mr. Elzey.

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Washington was the warm friend of Fairfax: and a Mr. Payne headed the friends of Elzey.

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A dispute happening to take place in the court-house yard, Washington, a thing very uncommon with him, became warm ; and, which was still more uncommon, said something that offended Payne ;

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whereupon the little gentleman, who, though but a cub high in size, was the old lion in heart, raised his sturdy hickory, and, at a single blow, brought our hero to the ground.

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Several of Washington's officers being present, whipped out their cold irons in an instant : and it was believed that there would have been murder off-hand. " --- End Quote by Parson Weems

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Picture to left by Eric Cherry commissioned by Jim Moyer.

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Parson Weems continues.

Colonel Washington recovered and thanked his men for their love but that no revenge is necessary. Washington then went to his room and thought of what reaction he should have.

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Quote from Parson Weems --

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"... he went to his room, generously chastising his imprudence, which had thus struck up a spark that had like to have thrown the whole town into a flame.

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Finding on mature reflection, that he had been the aggressor, he resolved to make Mr. Payne honourable reparation, by asking his pardon on the morrow !

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... The next day he went to a tavern, and wrote a polite note to Mr. Payne, whom he requested to meet him.

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Mr. Payne took it for a challenge, and repaired to the tavern, not without expecting to see a pair of pistols produced.

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But what was his surprise on entering the chamber, to see a decanter of wine and glasses on the table !

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Washington arose, and in a very friendly manner met him ; and gave him his hand. " Mr. Payne," said he, " to err is nature : to rectify error is glory.

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I find I was wrong yesterday : but I wish to be right today. You have had some satisfaction : and if you think that sufficient, here's my hand ; let us be friends."

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End Quote by Parson Weems

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Any sources other than Parson Weems' story or Adam Stephen's letter?

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Short answer?

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No.

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Any idea on what GW said to William Payne?

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No.

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See 2 references to a William Payne in Truro vestry election 10 years later in 1765. and in Fairfax County election 1765. And both William Payne and Lewis Elzey were the first 2 Sheriffs of Fairfax County.

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But this link on the Payne family has more detail.

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We don't know if there were any contemporary letters written at the time with this detail in it. We don't know if this is just oral tradition handed down the ages through the Payne family:

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Quote:

There was to be a meeting, in the Fall of 1755, in Alexandria, Fairfax County to chose a delegate to represent the county in the House of Burgesses at Williamsburg. As it rained on the particular day appointed Col. George Washington (23), who was just a few month's "flush with the laurels of Braddock's Field," assumed that the meeting would be postponed. Washington's regiment at the time was still at Fort Cumberland. Next day he showed up for the meeting and was outraged that it had in fact gone ahead and that the assembled gentlemen and planters had made a selection without him being present. There was a heated argument between him, representing the losing candidate, and William Payne, representing the successful. In impetous anger the Colonel referred to William Payne as something other than a southern gentleman. The small and slender William (31) instantly took his hickory walking stick and lashed out in the public square. He knocked George Washington down. Washington's officers immediately whipped out their cold irons. Washington stopped any further developments. This settled the matter for the day. Next day Mr Payne received a polite message that Washington wanted to meet him at a certain tavern nearby. He went with the feeling that there was to be a challenge to a duel. Greeting him in a friendly way Washington ushered him to a table at the back where there was a bottle of wine. He apologised for what he had said, saying he had no right to speak like that. William was deeply moved. Where upon the two men drank toasts to each others health and became friends. Some time later William visited Washington's home at Mt. Vernon. Washington introduced his wife, Martha, to the man who, he said, had the courage to attack him even though he, Washington, was a much bigger man."

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(Excerpted by Ken Harvey from THE PAYNES OF VIRGINIA, based on Parson Weems's "Life of Washington.")

End Quote.

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Source:

http://strongfamilytree.org/getperson.php?personID=I4808&tree=STR06

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This link refers to the same story above, but in addition it explains more of the relationships between the Fairfax family and the Payne family and the Washington family:

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https://patch.com/virginia/herndon/the-oldest-house-in-herndon-the-colonial-era-home-of-george-payne

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Any Historian thinks this story True?

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Yes.

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To Douglas Southall Freeman, this Parson Weems story seems partiallly legitimate

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Page 146-147 Douglas Southall Freeman’s Young Washington Volume 2, published by Charles Scribner & Sons, 1948.

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Start of Quote:

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"This is one of the Washington traditions that appears to be well founded.

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It was credited by McGuire, who was not uncritical.

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Bishop Meade found it still current and unadorned among Payne's descendants.

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All the relevant circumstances fit the story: Washington was in Alexandria; Payne participated in the election; his vote and that of his father are of record.

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The only demonstrable major error in the tradition is that Payne is said to have been a supporter of Ellzey's when, in fact, he and his father voted for John West and for West only.

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Minor details, of course, are inaccurate -- as for example, that Washington's troops were in Alexandria at the time. A letter from Adam Stephen to Washington, written December 23, 1755, is strong confirmatory evidence. Stephen mentioned the indignation prevailing at Fort Cumberland, "upon hearing you were insulted in the at the Fairfax elections . . ."

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Perhaps as equally good reason for crediting the tradition is the fact Washington's reported action accords absolutely with the standard of conduct he avowed in his letter to Dinwiddie ..."

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End quote of Douglas Southall Freeman.

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This letter Douglas Southall Freeman references is the letter Colonel GW writes to Lt Gov Dinwiddie, August 27, 1757:

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"...that it is with pleasure I receive reproof, when reproof is due; because no person can be readier to accuse me, than I am to acknowledge an error, when I am guilty of one."

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The religious opinions and character of Washington published 1836 by McGuire, E. C. (Edward Charles) has a chapter on what GW thought of dueling, entitled His Views on Dueling. See Page 329.

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This is Bishop Meade's version on center of page 253 of the Parson Weems story, referencing mistakenly a Captain Washington, who, was at the time, Colonel Washington, overall commander of Virginia forces:

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Quote:

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"Washington in 'word and deed condemned duelling.

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Nearly all our great men have done it by word, but, if they have not recommended it by deed, have been afraid to say that they might not so do, either by giving or receiving a challenge.

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When a young man in Alexandria and an officer in the army, a quarrel ensued on an election-day, in which he used strong and offensive language to one who, with a stick, prostrated him to the ground.

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On the following day he sought an interview with his antagonist, when it was fully expected that another reencounter or the preliminaries for one would take place.

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Instead of this, Captain Washington, conscious of being in fault, declared that the interview was sought in order to acknowledge it.

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Here was true greatness of soul."

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End Quote.

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More links on this incident:

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More information on this story and the people involved might be in here, We just cannot get to the section on that Fairfax election.

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Click on this link and Ctrl F to find "payne" and you will see a screen play's version of Parson Weem's story.