The Bullet Proof President

From America's Godly Heritage by David Barton Wallbuilders.com This story of George Washington once appeared in virtually everystudent text in America, but hasn't been seen in the last forty years. This story deals with George Washington when he was involved in the French and Indian War as a young man only twenty-three years of age.

The French and Indian War occurred twenty years before the American Revolution. It was the British against the French; the Americans sided with the British; and most of the Indians sided with the French. Both Great Britain and France disputed each others' claims of territorial ownership along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers; both of them claimed the same land. Unable to settle the dispute diplomatically, Great Britain sent 2300 handpicked, veteran British troops to America under General Edward Braddock to rout the French. The British troops arrived in Virginia, where George Washington (colonel of the Virginia militia) and 100 Virginia buckskins joined General Braddock. They divided their force; and General Braddock, George Washington, and 1300 troops marched north to expel the French from Fort Duquesne --- now the city of Pittsburgh. On July 9, 1755 --- only seven miles from the fort --- while marching through a wooded ravine, they walked right into an ambush; the French and Indians opened fire on them from both sides. But these were British veterans; they knew exactly what to do. The problem was, they were veterans of European wars. European warfare was all in the open. One army lined up at one end of an open field, the other army lined up at the other end, they looked at each other, took aim, and fired. No running, no hiding, But here they were in the Pennsylvania woods with the French and Indians firing at them from the tops of trees, from behind rocks, and from under logs. When they came under fire, the British troops did exactly what they had been taught; they lined up shoulder-to-shoulder in the bottom of that ravine -- and were slaughtered. At the end of two hours, 714 of the 1300

British and American troops had been shot down; only 30 of the French and Indians had been shot.
There were 86 British and American officers involved in that battle; at the end of the battle, George Washington was the only officer who had not been shot down off his horse -- he was the only officer left on horseback.

Following this resounding defeat, Washington gathered the remaining troops and retreated back to Fort Cumberland in western Maryland, arriving there on July 17, 1755.
The next day, Washington wrote a letter to his family explaining that after the battle was over, he had taken off his jacket and had found four bullet holes through it, yet not a single bullet had touched him; several horses had been shot from under him, but he had not been harmed. He told them: By the all powerful dispensations of Providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation. Washington openly acknowledged that God's hand was upon him, that God had protected him and kept him through that battle. However, the story does not stop here. Fifteen years later, in 1770 -- now a

time of peace -- George Washington and a close personal friend, Dr. James Craik, returned to those same Pennsylvania woods. An old Indian
chief from far away, having heard that Washington had come back to those woods, traveled a long way just to meet with him. He sat down with Washington, and face-to-face over a council fire, the chief told Washington that he had been a leader in that battle fifteen years earlier, and that he had instructed his braves to single out all the officers and shoot them down. Washington had been singled out, and the chief explained that he personally had shot at Washington seventeen different times, but without effect. Believing Washington to be under the care of the Great Spirit, the chief instructed his braves to cease firing at him. He then told Washington: I have traveled a long and weary path that I might see the young warrior of the great battle....I am come to pay homage to the man who is the particular favorite of Heaven, and who can never die in battle.

http://thebsreport.wordpress.com/2009/03/10/an-american-history-moment-thebulletproof-george-washington/ Quick, let your aim be certain and he dies, the chief commanded. The warriors leveled their rifles at the last officer on horseback. Round after round was aimed at this one man. Twice the officers horse was shot out from under him. Twice he grabbed a horse left idle when a fellow officer had been shot down. Ten, twelve, thirteen rounds were fired by the sharpshooters. Still the officer remained unhurt

The native warriors stared at him in disbelief. Their rifles seldom missed their mark. The chief suddenly realized that a mighty power must be shielding this man. Stop firing! he commanded. This one is under the special protection of the Great Spirit. A brave standing nearby added, I had seventeen clear shots at himand after all could not bring him to the ground. This man was not born to be killed by a bullet. Washington later wrote of the battle and matter-of-factly said about himself: by the allpowerful dispensations of Providence I have been protected beyond all human probability of expectations, for I had four bullets through my coat and two horses shot under me, yet escaped unhurt, although death was leveling my companions on every side of me! This battle, part of the French and Indian War, was fought on July 9, 1755, near Fort Duquesne, now the city of Pittsburgh. The twenty-three-year-old officer went on to become the commander in chief of the Continental Army and the first president of the United States. In all the years that followed in his long career, this man, George Washington, was never once wounded in battle. Postscript: Fifteen years later, in 1770, George Washington returned to the same Pennsylvania woods. A respected Indian chief, having heard that Washington was in the area, traveled a long way to meet with him. He sat down with Washington, and face-to-face over a council fire, the chief told Washington the following: I am a chief and ruler over my tribes. My influence extends to the waters of the great lakes and to the far blue mountains. I have traveled a long and weary path that I might see the young warrior of the great battle. It was on the day when the white mans blood mixed with the streams of our forests that I first beheld this chief [Washington]. I called to my young men and said, Mark yon tall and daring warrior? He is not of the red-coat tribehe hath an Indians wisdom and his warriors fight as we dohimself alone exposed. Quick, let your aim be certain and he dies. Our rifles were leveled, rifles which, but for you, knew not how to misstwas all in vain, a power mightier far than we shielded you. Seeing you were under the special guardianship of the Great Spirit, we immediately ceased to fire at you. I am old and shall soon be gathered to the great council fire of my fathers in the land of the shades, but ere I go, there is something bids me speak in the voice of prophecy: Listen! The Great Spirit protects that man [pointing at Washington], and guides his destinieshe will become the chief of nations, and a people yet unborn will hail him as the founder of a mighty empire. I am come to pay homage to the man who is the particular favorite of Heaven, and who can never die in battle.

This story of Gods divine protection and of Washingtons open gratitude could be found in virtually all school textbooks until 1934. Now few Americans have read it. Washington often recalled this dramatic event that helped shape his character and confirm Gods call on his life.

http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=16064 July 9, 1755. The American Indian chief looked scornfully at the soldiers on the field before him. How foolish to fight as they did, forming battle lines out in the open, standing shoulder to shoulder in their bright red uniforms. The Indian braves fired from under the safe cover of the forest, yet the British soldiers never broke rank. The slaughter at the Monongahela River continued for 2 hours. By then, 1000 British soldiers were killed or wounded, while only 30 French and Indian warriors were injured. Not only were the soldiers foolish, but their officers were just as bad. Riding on horseback, fully exposed above the men on the ground, they made perfect targets. One by one the chief's marksmen shot the mounted British officers until only one remained. Twice this officer's horse was shot out from under him; he just grabbed another horse left idle when a fellow officer had been shot off it and kept going. Ten, twelve, thirteen rounds were fired by the sharpshooters, yet he still remained unharmed. The native officers couldn't believe it. Their rifles seldom missed their mark. The chief came to a realization that a might power was shielding this man. He commanded his men to stop firing at him and said: "This man is under the protection of the Great Spirit...this man was not born to be killed by a bullet." Later that evening, this British officer noticed several bullet holes in his uniform, yet he was unharmed. A few days later he wrote in a letter to his brother: "By the all-powerful dispensations of Providence I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me yet escaped unhurt, although death was leveling my companions on every side of me."

Years later, that same British Officer went back to those same Pennsylvania woods. That same Chief who had fought against this man heard he was in the region and came a long way to see him. In a face to face council, the Chief said: "Listen! [You] will become the chief of nations, and a people yet unborn will hail [you] as the founder of a mighty empire. I am come to pay homage to the man who is the particular favorite of Heaven, and who can never die in battle." The battle on the Monongahela, part of the French and Indian war, was fought on July 9, 1755 near Fort Duquesne, now the city of Pittsburgh. The twenty-three year old officer went on to become the commander in chief of the Continental Army and the first President of the United States. In all the years that followed in his long career, this man, George Washington was never once wounded in Battle.