Half-King” for His Help

Home , Fort Le Boeuf, Logstown, Tanacharison

Broadway Family Karate Personal Development Through the Martial Arts

Warrior Personal Strength: Courtesy

Lesson #3: George asks the “Half-King” for his help.

At the beginning of November 1753, George volunteered for a special mission to the Ohio country. He was to deliver a letter to the French commander there from Robert Dinwiddie, the Governor of the Crown Colony of Virginia. George had just turned 20 years old, and was eager to impress the Governor.

Governor Dinwiddie had just learned that French soldiers had moved south from Canada, and were building forts in the Ohio country. His letter informed the French commander that the Ohio country belonged to Virginia – not to France. Governor Dinwiddie ordered him to pack up all his soldiers and go back north to Canada – at once.

The Governor told George that his special mission was urgent. He wanted George to deliver his letter as swiftly as possible, and return just as swiftly with the French commander’s reply. And all before the winter weather closed in, and snow and ice made it difficult to travel.

It was already November – George would have to leave right away.

No-one in Virginia knew where the French commander had his headquarters. No-one even knew his name. The Ohio country

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was a vast territory – many thousands of square miles of mountains, forests, lakes, rivers and meadows. The only people who knew the Ohio country well were the people who lived there – the Native Americans. George would need their help to deliver the letter and complete his mission.

George’s first destination was Logstown on the Ohio river. This was a large native American town. He intended to meet with the leaders there. He needed to find out as much as possible from them about how many French soldiers were in the Ohio country, exactly where they were, and what they were doing. George especially needed to know more about the French commander – what his name was, and where to find him.

When George reached Logstown, he found only one native American leader – Tanacharison of the Iroquois. The British called him the “Half-King”. He was an experienced and respected leader, much older than George, who was only 20. George and the “Half-King” had a long talk together about the French soldiers in the Ohio country.

Tanacharison told George that the French commander was Jacques Legardeur de Saint-Pierre. His headquarters was at Fort Le Boeuf, far to the north. Tanacharison had met Jacques, and asked him why French soldiers had come uninvited to the Ohio country. Jacques was rude to Tanacharison. Jacques told the “Half-King” that he didn’t need his permission to bring in soldiers and build forts, and that he should mind his own business.

George asked Tanacharison for his help in finding his way to Fort Le Boeuf, so he could deliver his letter. The “Half-King” agreed to help. He himself wanted to meet with Jacques again. Tanacharison intended to have a very frank talk with Jacques, and remind him that the Ohio country belonged to the Iroquois peoples.

But then came a problem. George wanted to leave the very next day – winter was almost here, and he had to find the French commander quickly.

The “Half-King” objected strongly. He said that George should wait at Logstown to meet with all the other Native American leaders in the Ohio country. They all wanted to know much more about why the British were now so interested in the Ohio country – their home. What were their intentions? It would be rude – discourteous and disrespectful – if George asked for their help and then just rushed off without bothering to meet and consult with them.

After much thought, George agreed to stay for three more days. He would meet with any of the native American leaders who could come to Logstown in that time. But he could stay no longer – at the end of three days, he would have to continue on his mission to find the French commander and deliver the letter. Tanacharison was disappointed with the answer, but eventually agreed – he understood why George had to leave.

Discussion Questions:

1) Tanacharison told George where he could find the French commander, and that his name was Jacques. He even agreed to help George make the long journey north to deliver the letter to Jacques. Did he have to tell George anything at all, or to help him? Do you think he was treating George with Courtesy?

2) The “Half-King” wanted George to stay until all the native American leaders could come to Logstown – it would be discourteous and disrespectful to rush off without waiting to meet them. Should George have told the “Half- King” that his mission was more important, and left Logstown immediately? Does Courtesy mean that we are

sometimes willing to put other people’s feelings and interests first?

3) George agreed to stay in Logstown for three more days – but no longer than that. Was he being discourteous or disrespectful to Tanacharison when he set this limit, and wouldn’t agree to wait as long as the “Half-King” would have liked? Do we sometimes have to set limits on what we will agree to do? Are we treating ourselves with courtesy and respect when we set limits?