As the nation celebrated America’s 250th anniversary, a team of archaeologists discovered new artifacts that could teach us more about the first president, as well as a life-or-death moment where history could have changed.
“Each item tells a different story about the individual who carried it,” said Matt Gaul of Fort Ligonier.
At the fort, researchers and students from Juniata College are digging at the site of a famous battle that featured a young George Washington.
“During 1758, it’s his younger days,” Gaul said, He’s not the dignified, older general we are familiar with. Instead, he’s a young man; he’s trying to figure it out.”
We’ll take you back in time to the incident that could have rewritten history: The French were staked out at a fort in what is now Point State Park.
The British hunkered down during the French and Indian War at Fort Ligonier.
In November of 1758, British Gen. John Forbes sent troops to push back raids by the French and Native Americans.
As the musket fire continued, Washington volunteered to head out with 500 Virginians.
“It’s dark, it’s difficult to see and what will end up happening is they don’t realize the French and their native allies have actually left the area, and these two groups of Virginians will run into each other,” Gaul said.
It was a case of friendly fire.
“When Washington realizes that these are his own men, these are fellow Virginians, he’s going to move down the line, knocking muskets out of the way with his saber, yelling for a ceasefire, putting his life in the most danger or jeopardy it had ever been before or since,” Gaul said.
They’ve already found coins, musket balls and buckles from that field that day — artifacts that help tell the story of courage and reflection.
“This is a moment of Washington’s life that’s left out of almost every textbook,” Gaul said. “...He was human. He made mistakes, but we can step forward during those mistakes or learn from them as they come.”
You can visit Fort Ligonier to see some of these artifacts on display, plus learn more about Washington and how our region played a crucial role in what would become the United States of America.
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