On July 9, 1755, a young Colonel George Washington found himself in a chaotic firefight during the Battle of the Monongahela near present-day Braddock, Pennsylvania. A nimble coalition of French and Native American warriors encountered British forces led by Major-General Edward Braddock in a sudden meeting engagement. When Braddock was mortally wounded and British lines shattered, Washington rallied the surviving troops and organized a rear-guard retreat, emerging unscathed despite having two horses shot from beneath him and four bullets pierce his coat. Before dying, Braddock reportedly gave Washington his ceremonial sash, an artifact Washington carried into the American Revolution.
The engagement left a profound impression on the Native American warriors who fought against Washington that day. Years later, a prominent chief traveled to meet Washington and recounted how he had ordered his warriors to target the conspicuous young officer on horseback. After seeing numerous direct shots fail to bring Washington down, the warriors stopped firing at him, convinced that a Great Spirit protected his life for some monumental future purpose.
