The Prophecy
Over five years before the Declaration of Independence was signed, an old Indian chief sought out George Washington and issued the following prophetic statement about the future leader of the United States:
“I am old and soon shall be gathered to the great council fire of my fathers in the land of shades; but ere I go, there is something bids me speak in the voice of prophecy. Listen! The Great Spirit protects that man and guides his destinies—he 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 prophecy is stunning in its accuracy. Before the colonies banded against the British, this chief predicted that Washington would lead them into a mighty empire.
How did he know? Keep reading…
George Washington Rides for the British
Did you know that George Washington rode side by side into battle with General Braddock of the redcoats? Okay, this is a bit misleading. It happened over 20 years before the Declaration of Independence, at the beginning of the French and Indian war.
General Braddock, Full of Hubris, Ignores Washington’s Advice
Braddock had achieved great success on the battlefields of Europe. As conflict over disputed territories in the Americas arose, the king sent him across the Atlantic to take on the French in the New World.
Braddock despised the rough and tumble Americans, and held the Native American population in even lower regard. His forces seemed superior, and they were quite battle tested. He couldn’t imagine a scenario where they wouldn’t come out victorious. The first test – Fort Duquesne, at the convergence of the Allegheny and Monongahela, a strategic point which eventually became Pittsburgh.
Washington tried to explain to Braddock about the value and tactics of the Indian forces. Several tribes were friendly with the colonists and didn’t like the French. These men volunteered to scout for the British and lead small raids to help the troops in their march to the fort. Washington himself lauded the effectiveness of the hit-and-run and ambush tactics of these fighters. But Braddock wouldn’t hear of it. Loyal subordinate that he was, Washington didn’t press the point. Many of the potential Indian allies turned to the side of the French.
The Ambush
The British had to hack through the wilderness to march their forces to Fort Duquesne. An advance team cleared the way, building a rough road for the wagons as they progressed. Meanwhile, the core of the British forces strung out in a line four miles long. Finally, they got within 10 miles of the fort. The confident British could smell victory that their overwhelming troops would secure in a typical European style battle.
But the French and Indians, knowing the sheer number of troops would overwhelm them, had other ideas. First they attacked the advance team, sending them running for their lives back to Braddock. Angrily, Braddock pushed forward, right into an open valley beneath a hill on one side and a knoll on the other. From the trees, the Indians attacked, picking off the red-clad troops in the open.
The British men hadn’t experienced anything like this. They couldn’t see who was shooting at them. They fired blindly into the trees. When they tried to run for cover, Braddock wouldn’t allow it. He instructed his officers to form traditional lines and keep the troops in the field. For two hours, it was absolute chaos for the British. All the officers except Washington were injured or killed. Braddock himself took a round that would ultimately lead to his death.
Washington’s Miraculous Survival
Washington was the only British officer not to be shot that day. He had four horses shot out from under him, numerous musket-ball holes in his coat, and a seal that was shot off his uniform and recovered 80 years later.
Even more shocking – the Indians were targeting him. And they were expert marksmen. More words from that chief about his observations that day explain how miraculous this was:
“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 man’s blood mixed with the streams of our forest 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 tribe—he hath an Indian’s wisdom, and his warriors fight as we do—himself is alone and exposed. Quick, let your aim be certain, and he dies. Our rifles were leveled, rifles which, but for you, knew not how to miss. ‘Twas 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.”
After the battle, another warrior named Red Hawk excitedly told a story of how he fired at Washington eleven times without success before giving up. Meanwhile, red-clad bodies were strewn over the battlefield, while Indians and French gloried in the spoils they were able to recover.
Further Reading
If you’d like to read more details of this battle and the events surrounding it, David Barton does a spectacular job in describing it in his very short book, Bulletproof George Washington.
Divine Intervention?
Do you believe in divine intervention? The Indians who witnessed the event certainly did. And George Washington believed the same. It’s hard to dispute, especially when you consider the prophetic words of the chief that also came true in a vivid way.
Many scholars like to seize upon early America’s flaws, and these should not be ignored. But I believe God had a special plan for this young officer and for the nation that hadn’t yet been born.