Final answer:
At 22 years old, George Washington led a surprise attack against French troops in what became known as the Battle of Jumonville Glen, which marked the beginning of the French and Indian War. His first military engagement showed decisive action despite his inexperience and set the stage for future confrontations.
Step-by-step explanation:
At the age of 22, young George Washington found himself deeply involved in the events that would mark the beginning of the French and Indian War. Washington, then a lieutenant colonel, was leading his men in a surprise attack against French forces near present-day Uniontown, Pennsylvania. This engagement, known as the Battle of Jumonville Glen, occurred in May 1754 when Washington gave the command to fire upon the French soldiers. The skirmish is significant because it is widely considered to be the spark that ignited the larger conflict between Britain and France in North America. Despite his relative inexperience, Washington's actions were decisive, and they played a critical role in the escalation of hostilities that followed. Further on in his military career, during the battle near Fort Duquesne in 1755, Washington wrote to his mother detailing his harrowing experience where he 'luckily escaped without a wound', despite four bullets piercing his coat and having two horses shot out from under him. This battle ultimately resulted in a British defeat at the hands of the French and their Indian allies.