07/13/2025
Sunday Word 1
George Washington Gets Knocked Down
Let us just say you are 23 years old, 6 feet 2 inches tall and you are head of all of the military forces in an entire colony and you've just seen horrific warfare last summer in the failed Braddock Expedition and the year before that you were captured at your Fort Necessity and you are well known for a book of your diary entries published in London about your trip to serve notice to the French to leave and now fast forward you just lost an election the day before in Wi******er VA and the next day outside the Fairfax County Courthouse polling place you make a remark against this little guy who becomes so angry he knocks you down to the ground with his hickory cane in front of a big crowd. What would you do?
And what did you say to anger that little guy?
But forget about that for now.
December 10, 1755, George Washington is going to lose his first election to represent Frederick County in Virgina. The election was held on the very site of the 1840 Courthouse (now the Civil War Museum) in Frederick County, Wi******er VA.
And the day after that, December 11, 1755, George Washington heads to Fairfax County's courthouse to support his friend, George William Fairfax who won against William Elzey.
,
A shorter guy knocks down Colonel George Washington - head of all Virginia forces --- down to the ground in front of a crowd.
That small guy? He's William Peyton and he's 5'5". He's supporting a candidate, William Elzey who ultimately loses.
Everyone is expecting a fight.
Everyone is expecting a duel.
More importantly, what is GW going to do?
We found no eyewitnesses writing of this incident. The closest we have is Lt Colonel Adam Stephen.
He was in Fort Cumberland at the time. He finds out 13 days later about GW being involved in an altercation in Fairfax County and writes to Colonel George Washington, December 23, 1755:
"Such a Spirit of Revenge and Indignation prevaild here, upon hearing you were insulted at the Fairfax Election, that we all were ready and violent to run and tear Your Enemies to pieces. "
That's it.
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Quote from Parson Weems --- "...the contest ran high between Colonel George Fairfax, and Mr. Elzey. Washington was the warm friend of Fairfax: and a Mr. Payne headed the friends of Elzey.
A dispute happening to take place in the court-house yard, Washington, a thing very uncommon with him, became warm ; and, which was still more uncommon, said something that offended Payne ;
whereupon the little gentleman, who, though but a cub high in size, was the old lion in heart, raised his sturdy hickory, and, at a single blow, brought our hero to the ground.
Several of Washington's officers being present, whipped out their cold irons in an instant : and it was believed that there would have been murder off-hand. " --- End Quote by Parson Weems
Parson Weems continues on what George Washington did:
"... he went to his room, generously chastising his imprudence, which had thus struck up a spark that had like to have thrown the whole town into a flame.
Finding on mature reflection, that he had been the aggressor, he resolved to make Mr. Payne honourable reparation, by asking his pardon on the morrow ! .. The next day he went to a tavern, and wrote a polite note to Mr. Payne, whom he requested to meet him.
Mr. Payne took it for a challenge, and repaired to the tavern, not without expecting to see a pair of pistols produced.
But what was his surprise on entering the chamber, to see a decanter of wine and glasses on the table !
Washington arose, and in a very friendly manner met him ; and gave him his hand. " Mr. Payne," said he, " to err is nature : to rectify error is glory.
I find I was wrong yesterday : but I wish to be right today. You have had some satisfaction : and if you think that sufficient, here's my hand ; let us be friends."
End Quote by Parson Weems
Was Parson Weems accurate on any of this?
Douglas Southall Freeman thinks so. Freeman is a noted historian in the 1940s, having written a 6 volume history on George Washington. It is more extensive than any other biography on Washington. To Douglas Southall Freeman, this Parson Weems story seems partiallly legitimate..
Page 146-147 Douglas Southall Freeman’s Young Washington Volume 2, published by Charles Scribner & Sons, 1948.
Douglas Southall Freeman writes in a footnote:
"This is one of the Washington traditions that appears to be well founded. It was credited by McGuire, who was not uncritical. Bishop Meade found it still current and unadorned among Payne's descendants.
All the relevant circumstances fit the story: Washington was in Alexandria; Payne participated in the election; his vote and that of his father are of record.
The only demonstrable major error in the tradition is that Payne is said to have been a supporter of Ellzey's when, in fact, he and his father voted for John West and for West only.
Minor details, of course, are inaccurate -- as for example, that Washington's troops were in Alexandria at the time. A letter from Adam Stephen to Washington, written December 23, 1755, is strong confirmatory evidence. Stephen mentioned the indignation prevailing at Fort Cumberland, "upon hearing you were insulted in the at the Fairfax elections . . ."
Perhaps as equally good reason for crediting the tradition is the fact Washington's reported action accords absolutely with the standard of conduct he avowed in his letter to Dinwiddie ..."
End quote of Douglas Southall Freeman.
This letter Douglas Southall Freeman references is the letter Colonel GW writes to Lt Gov Dinwiddie, August 27, 1757:
"...that it is with pleasure I receive reproof, when reproof is due; because no person can be readier to accuse me, than I am to acknowledge an error, when I am guilty of one."
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Find some answers to your questions:
https://jimmoyer1.wixsite.com/fortloudounva/single-post/2018/12/05/george-washington-knocked-down
