Mount Vernon, Washington, and the Controversy in Cartagena, Colombia

Believe it or not, the name Washington  has recently been flung about, mixed with damnations and threats, in Cartagena, Colombia. Equally angry imprecations were flung at Admiral Edward Vernon, after whom Mount Vernon was named. It all started in 1741, when a British fleet and 9000 man army assailed Cartagena, under Admiral Vernon’s direction. A third of his army was American. In one  regiment from Virginia was a company commanded by Captain Lawrence Washington, George’s older brother.  But the brainless brigadier general in command  of the army did not let most of the Americans, including Lawrence  and his men, go ashore because he distrusted their fighting ability. They sat on their ships in the harbor while the attackers were repulsed by the Spaniards with appalling losses. Whereupon the British staggered back to Jamaica and Lawrence eventually  returned to Virginia. When his father, Augustine, died in 1743, oldest son Lawrence acquired both land and wealth and soon built a fine  home on the Potomac, which he named after Admiral Vernon.

Fast forward to 2014. Prince Charles of England and his wife Camilla paid a visit to Cartagena where they unveiled a black granite plaque saluting the courage of “all those who died” in the struggle for the city.  It was placed near the colonial fort that was the center of the Spanish resistance and not far from a statue of the peg-legged naval officer who defeated them, Blas de Lezo. He is now considered a national hero. 

Lezo’s status triggered an outburst of Colombian patriotism. One prominent public official wondered if the British had plaques to commemorate the Nazi pilots who bombed London during World War II.  Admiral Vernon,  Lawrence Washington and all other notable names in the expedition were denounced with vehemence.  The mayor of Cartagena was accused of selling out  his country for a chance to schmooze with the prince and his wife. 

Soon the mayor collapsed and agreed to have the plaque removed. Before that could happen, a Cartagenian with a habit of feuding with the mayor over animal rights, among other things, obtained a large hammer and smashed  the plaque to pieces. Now he’s a national hero!

Prince Charles has wisely declined to issue a statement. We are confident that George Washington would have followed the same policy.