Hit and Myth

GH nods to America's 250 Not Out

In a semiquincentennial spirit, friend of Et Al and Substack stablemate Nick Bryant posted this week about The Myths of American History: it’s arguable, I suspect, that the history of any country involves a distinction between those myths we choose to believe and those we don’t. Another stubborn American myth, always being trotted out as a fact, is that George Washington played cricket with his beleaguered troops during the War of Independence. Washington has even been described as ‘an avid cricket fan’ and ‘strong supporter of cricket’, while USA Cricket has hugged the story of a game at Valley Forge to its patriotic breast.

If you’re a listener, as am I, you will know it even got a run around on The Rest of History this week, as part of its enjoyable series on America’s founding fathers. Friend of Et Al Tom Holland repeated how, on the welcome news that France had finally entered the war on the side of breakaway colonies, starchy Washington so forgot himself as to play cricket with his officers. But the truth is more complex, as we learn on consulting the original source: the encampment diary of a young lieutenant, The Military Journal of George Ewing (1754–1824): A Soldier of Valley Forge.