Happy Birthday America | A Tale of George Washington

In this mini mini episode, we wanted to share a little known historical story about our founding father, George Washington.

Have a safe and happy Fourth of July everyone! We will return with episode 4 of our Summer Supernatural Safety next week!

Thank you for listening! 

Rebel Road theme music by: B3yondBeatz Tony Simms

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:03

Long before the Civil War, and before the Revolutionary War, there was a savage battle. The French Indian War. The woods of the Monongahila Riverbank were a trap of smoke, leaves, and sudden death. The Battle of the Wilderness was turning into a slaughter. Colonel George Washington, just 23 years old and burning with the fever, dragged himself onto his horse. Ahead of him, the British regulars were bunched together like sheep, panicked by the hidden French and Native American marksmen firing from behind trees and ravines. Form up, return fire, General Edward Braddock roar, but his European tactics were useless here. Suddenly, Braddock's horse reared, struck by a musket ball. The general crashed to the ground, mortally wounded. Chaos erupted. The British line broke into a frantic retreat. Washington, now the only healthy officer left, knew he had to act. He rode directly into the crossfire, making him an impossible target to miss. A musket ball tore through the fabric of his blue militia coat. He barely felt it. He spurred his horse forward, trying to rally the retreating Virginia blues. Another ball shattered the hip of his mouth. The horse collapsed, pinning Washington's leg. Snapping out of his shock, he scrambled out from under the dying animal. A breathless lieutenant brought him a second horse. Washington leaped onto the saddle. The air around him hummed with the deadly whistle of lead. He could smell the sulfur of the gunpowder and the copper of the blood.

SPEAKER_00 1:35

The smoke from the Mongahila River ambush hung thick in the Pennsylvania trees. Across the chaotic battlefield, a veteran Shawnee warrior fixed his sights on a towering colonial officer. The tall officer was a beacon of defiance amidst the retreating British redcoats. The warrior raised his musket, took steady aim, and pulled the trigger. The ball missed. The officer didn't blink. He simply turned his horse to rally another group of panicked soldiers. The warrior quickly reloaded, poured the powder, dropped the lead ball, and rammed it down the barrel. He was a sharp shooter who rarely missed a target, let alone a man standing over six feet tall on horseback. He aimed directly at the officer's chest. A third bullet ripped open his collar, grazing the skin of his neck, but drawing no blood. A fourth ball tore through his coattails. Moments later, his second horse shuddered and went down, shot through the neck.

SPEAKER_01 2:34

To the soldiers watching, the young Virginian seemed to be moving through a storm of lead untouched. Frustrated, the warrior called out to three younger braves nearby. He pointed through the sulfur smoke towards the tall man. That leader, the warrior commanded, bringing down. All four warriors leveled their weapons. They waited for the smoke to clear, then, locking onto the giant of the horse. A volley of four musket balls tore through the air. When the smoke drifted away, the horse under the tall officer shrieked, collapsing into the dirt after being hit in the chest. The officer himself scrambled back to his feet, his coat now visibly shredded. The veteran Shawnee warrior dropped his musket to his side, his hands shaking slightly. He refused to reload. He turned to the other men and his war party, stopped firing. His voice filled with awe, the great spirit protects that man. He cannot be killed by our bullets.

SPEAKER_00 3:30

To the warriors watching from the ravines, he was a man walking through a storm of lead, shielded by an invisible hand. They shifted their fire away from the young officer, letting him organize the retreat of the surviving troops. Hours later, in the safety of the dark forest miles away, Washington finally collapsed by a campfire. His body ached, and as he pulled off his heavy wool coat, he shook it. Four flattened musket balls rolled out of the shredded cloth and dropped into the dirt. He was unhurt. He had survived the battle, saved the remnants of an army, and walked away with a profound belief that God had spared him for a greater purpose.

SPEAKER_01 4:11

Decades later, long after the war had ended and the American Revolution had begun, that same Shawnee leader traveled across the colonies specifically to meet the man that could not be killed, George Washington. He wanted to look into the eyes of the man the wilderness could not claim, confirming that the hand of destiny had indeed preserved him to become the leader of the new nation.

SPEAKER_00 4:40

Happy birthday, America! 250 years. Our first president, George Washington, was the soldier of this story, and he gave God the glory for his survival of this battle. And this story can be found if you look for it. One of bravery and of divine protection, a beginning root of our nation and historical significance.

SPEAKER_01 5:03

Believe it or not, this event was taught in our classrooms not too long ago. But because it gave glory to God and made some people uncomfortable, it was faded out and no longer taught, but it's not lost yet. So as you celebrate along with the rest of our citizens this 4th of July, remember the father of our nation loved God, and our country was founded on Christian values and principles. It was meant for a people who loved and feared our Lord. And I pray we find our way back.

SPEAKER_00 5:33

It's even in our Pledge of Allegiance. One nation under God. Stay safe this 4th of July. Keep it weird, and as always, pull it back to Jesus. We will be back next week to continue our supernatural summer safety series. Bye. Bye.