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JAMES WOOD
He was Colonel George Washington’s main campaigner.
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He also stood in for Colonel George Washington while GW was at Fort Cumberland working on building Road and supplying the Forbes Expedition.
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Lt Charles Smith was Colonel George Washington’s campaign treasurer, who bought all the alcohol.
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Gabriel Jones was the other big campaigner for Colonel George Washington.
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See James Wood’s letter to GW on July 7, 1758
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The 24th of this Month
is appointed the day for the Election;
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Mr Jones has promised to be here.1
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I wish with him and the rest of Your Friends,
that it were possable
that you could be present
to give Life to the cause.
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I have done my endeavour to search
into the Opinions of the people,
and cannot percieve
Your Interest on the decline,
though some try to perswade me to the contrary.
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I must own Experience
has convinced me
there is no relying
on the promises of the common Herd,
the promise is too oft forgot
when the Back is turned.
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There are many of us
Embarked in the same cause with You,
and a disappointment will sit heavy on us:
If the duty of Your Station will permit
come down and shew your Face.
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I think I can then promise Success.
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See below for the famous picture of James Wood representing George Washington.
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Even Washington Irving, the author of Sleepy Hollow, knew about James Wood
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FAMOUS PICTURE OF JAMES WOOD
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James Wood representing Colonel George Washington is held high in the chair celebrating Washington’s win . . . . Click on picture to enlarge.
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Colonel George Washington was at Fort Cumberland Maryland when this election occurred.
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James Wood stood in for him.
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Candidates would sit at the same table when the voters would come up to vote.
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Then the candidate, if chosen out loud by that voter, would stand to bow or shake that voter’s hand.
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At the July, 1758, election young Col. Washington, after receiving Col Bouquet’s blessing to leave his post for this election, chose not to leave his command of Virginia’s troops in the Forbes Expedition.
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His campaign manager, Col. James Wood, stood in his place at the voting table.
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And James Wood, founder of Winchester VA, was illustrated here triumphantly carried on the shoulders of jubilant voters.
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ORGIN OF PICTURE
In a biography by Washington Irving, famous for the Sleepy Hollow story, there is an illustration printed Graham’s Magazine of James Wood (representing George Washington who was in the Forbes Expedition) being carried on the chair in celebration of GW’s victory.
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According to the Handley Library Archives
which cites Katherine R Glass Greene
in her book,
Winchester, Virginia and Its Beginnings, 1743-181,
that you can find the picture on
page 95, published 1926
in Graham’s Magazine in 1853 .
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But ! The picture is not there!
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The illustration is instead to be found in April 1854 Graham’s Magazine.
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Clicking on this link will take you straight to Page 360 of Graham’s Magazine April 1854.
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