The main character would be based on George Washington. Quit moaning because if all you know about George Washington is what you were taught in school then you don’t know George Washington. He is, in my opinion the most influential person in the history of the world right behind Jesus. The next paragraph is a brief description from Richard Brookshire’s book George Washington on Leadership.
George Washington ran two start-ups, the army and the presidency, and he chaired the most important committee in history, the Constitutional Convention. His business and real estate made him America’s richest man. He was as famous as any athlete, movie star, or musician today. Men followed him into battle, women longed to dance with him; famous men, almost as great as he was, some of them smarter or better spoken did what he told them to do. He was the founding CEO
That would be the essence of the main character, I’d also include at least two amazing incidents in his life.
During the French and Indian War the British came under fire. All trained for European War they line up and fired back, though the Indians were firing from the cover of the woods. Officers at this time sat on horseback making them easy targets. Within an hour 1,000 of 1,459 were killed or wounded. All officers were killed except young GW, who later wrote his brother letting him know he was still alive. This is what he wrote in his journal:
As I have heard since my arrival at this place, a circumstantial account of my death and dying speech, I take this early opportunity of contradicting the first and of assuring you that I have not as yet composed the latter. But by the all-powerful dispensations of Providence I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me yet escaped unhurt, although death was leveling my companions on every side of me!
Many years later an Indian Chief traveled to meet Washington this is what he said:
I am a chief and ruler over my tribes. My influence extends to the waters of the great lakes and to the far blue mountains. I have traveled a long and weary path that I might see the young warrior of the great battle. It was on the day when the white man’s blood mixed with the streams of our forests that I first beheld this chief [Washington].
I called to my young men and said, “Mark yon tall and daring warrior? He is not of the red-coat tribe—he hath an Indian’s wisdom and his warriors fight as we do—himself alone exposed. Quick, let your aim be certain, and he dies.”
Our rifles were leveled, rifles which, but for you, knew not how to miss—’twas all in vain, a power mightier far than we shielded you.
Seeing you were under the special guardianship of the Great Spirit, we immediately ceased to fire at you. I am old and shall soon be gathered to the great council fire of my fathers in the land of the shades, but ere I go, there is something bids me speak in the voice of prophecy:
Listen! The Great Spirit protects that man [pointing at Washington], and guides his destinies—he will become the chief of nations, and a people yet unborn will hail him as the founder of a mighty empire. I am come to pay homage to the man who is the particular favorite of Heaven, and who can never die in battle.
See history is stranger than fiction.
On Long Island Washington came under attack and he know that he had to retreat. The British had 5 warships prepared to sail up East River to block his retreat when the winds “miraculously” changed and kept the ships away. Only a portion of GW’s army was able to escape under the cover of darkness on August 29, 1776, when the sun started to come up a thick fog rolled in to cover their retreat.
