At age 22, Washington Led A Disastrous Military Skirmish That Sparked A World War

Virginia sided with the British, while France and Britain struggled for land on the outskirts of the North American colonies. In his capacity as a Virginia militia officer, Washington was dispatched with 150 soldiers to the Ohio Valley (modern-day western Pennsylvania) to assist in fending off any French attacks. He led an attack with 40 of his soldiers and a dozen native warriors after receiving warning from Native American allies in the area that a small French army had set up camp a few kilometers from his location.

Washington advanced on May 28 with a small army of Virginians and Indian allies to ambush the French troop, which turned out to be just about fifty men. It is still unknown who opened fire, but at least 10 French soldiers and one Virginian were killed by the end of the 15-minute conflict, including Joseph Coulon de Villiers, Sieur de Jumonville, a minor French aristocrat who the French later claimed was on a diplomatic mission. Jumonville and three of his soldiers were found dead and scalped by French forces, who suspected Washington was to blame. Washington attributed the failure to convey French objectives to his translator. Dinwiddie praised Washington for defeating the French. The French and Indian War, which started as a dispute between the French and the British but quickly extended to other countries, became known as the World War.