Scientists to Flesh Out George Washington's Appearance

Reuters ^ | Aug 23, 2004 | Jill Oestreicher Gross

[Pharmboy]

For the greatest American: General Washington.

[Guillermo]

Dour?

And, who was the First American?

[Pharmboy]

Virgina Dare?

[GulliverSwift]

I'm sure the scientists will be surprised to discover he actually had an African nose, which will go well with their previous discovery that Thomas Jefferson gave birth to Michael Jordan.

[martin_fierro]

I hope they do a better job than that Disney abomination.

[RightWhale]

He had a major role in the French and Indian War

Yeah. He started it.

[Pharmboy]

LOL! Right you are!!

[Viking2002]

Back home, we have his command 'headquarters' (actually, a log cabin) from that war in a park right along the river, just adjacent to the site of Fort Cumberland itself. And somewhere, it is said, along the original trail that General Braddock's troops used (now known as Braddock Road), ol' Braddock himself was buried there by the Indians. Right after they scalped his ass.

[SoDak]

Not to mention Greatest American President. We're awfully lucky he had the sort of character he did.

[RightWhale]

Ben Franklin wrote about Braddock's ill-conceived and ill-executed relief mission to Pittsburgh. One thing the French did once they had the Brits bottled up and forced surrender was to let the men go with their weapons. Weren't many officers left by then. One of my ancestors, although English, was with the French.

[DMZFrank]

Slight correction sir. He was the greatest AMERICAN of all time. This country would not have survived or stayed a republic without him. He is the ONLY American who deserves his very own holiday.

[Pharmboy]

And Ben Franklin was the guy who came across with the wagons and other stuff for the Brits and colonists with Braddock. He was a solid citizen...

[AD from SpringBay]

Right after they scalped his ass.

Really??! I'll take your word for it, but in the movies they always scalp the scalp. I guess this is just another example of Hollywood getting history wrong.

[Pharmboy]

Couldn't agree more. There was no one like The General...

[Pharmboy]

Not quite right. A wounded Braddock was taken off the field of battle by Washington. He died during the retreat and Washington buried him on the road and made sure to cover his grave with wagon tracks so the Indians could not find his body and desecrate it. When a new road was constructed last century, they found his grave and gave him a proper burial. He was never scalped.

[Viking2002]

Yeah, I know what the history books say. Quit screwing with the local color. Us mountain folk don't like smartass flatlanders. LOL

[AnnaZ]

Houdon ping.

[Pharmboy]

Well, Mr. Viking, I would never show disrespect to any memeber of a tribe that sacked and pillaged villages all over Europe for half a millennium and gave the word beserk to the English language. Nosiree.

However, THAT DOESN'T TAKE AWAY FROM THE FACT THAT I'M RIGHT. (LOL).

And further, I just happen to live on the Kittatinny Mountain Range in Northern New Jersey...no flatlander I.

The New Jersey Militia

[Viking2002]

Bah - you call them mountains? We call them 'speed bumps'. LOL

[Pharmboy]

That was a great ping. A Houdon ping...who woulda thunk it. FreeRepublic never ceases to amaze me.