Washington, George

The Journal of Major George Washington, sent by the Hon. Robert Dinwiddie, Esq; his Majesty's Lieutenant-Governor, and Commander in Chief of Virginia, to the Commandant of the French Forces on Ohio. Williamsburgh Printed, London: Reprinted for T. Jefferys, 1754



8vo in half-sheets (7 1/8 x 4 1/2 in.; 182 x 114 mm, uncut). Folding engraved frontispiece map partially handcolored in outline, woodcut and typographic headpieces, one typographic initial-frame; map cut close at right neat-line. Contemporary sheep, covers with double gilt-fillet frame, spine gilt-ruled in six compartments, red edges, plain endpapers; quite rubbed. Half blue morocco slipcase, fitted chemise.

Thomas Philip, Earl de Grey (armorial bookplate)

Brown, Early Maps of the Ohio Valley 19; Church 999; Howes W134; Sabin 101710; Schwartz, French and Indian War, chapter 2, "George Washington's Mission"; Streeter sale 3:1713; Vail, Old Frontier 472; see Fred Anderson, ed., George Washington Remembers: Reflections on the French and Indian War (2004)

First English edition, and first edition with a map, of Washington's Journal, one of the opening salvos of the French and Indian War. Washington was at the time a young major in the British service, and his plainly written intelligence report covers the period from 31 October 1753 to 16 January 1754, recording his councils with the French forces on the Ohio and his contacts with the Indian peoples west of the Alleghenies. Washington undertook the mission by order of Governor Robert Dinwiddie of Virginia. Appended to Washington's journal entries are Dinwiddie's letter to Legardeur de St. Pierre, commandant of the French troops at Fort Le Boeuf, demanding the withdrawal of his troops, as well as a translation of St. Pierre's reply, refusing to retire and referring the question to the Marquis Duquesne.

The Journal of Major George Washington was first published in Williamsburg, Virginia, earlier the same year as this London edition, but the American printing did not include the "Map of the Western parts of the Colony of Virginia." The map in the Copley copy is the "Senekas" issue, with early manuscript correction to "Satanas." Scarce: this is the first copy to appear at auction in a decade.