The colonial troops
joined those sent out from England, at Jamaica. The amount of Virginia's
appropriation on this occasion exceeding the sum in the treasury, the
remainder was borrowed from wealthy men, with a view to avoid the frauds
of depreciation, and to secure the benefits of circulation. Lawrence
Washington, half-brother of George, and fourteen years older, obtained a
captain's commission in the newly-raised regiment, and, being now twenty
years of age, embarked with it for the West Indies in 1740.[417:A] An
accomplished gentleman, educated in England, he acquired the esteem of
General Wentworth and Admiral Vernon, the commanders of the British
forces, and after the latter named his seat on the Potomac. The attack
upon Carthagena was unsuccessful; the ships not getting near enough to
throw their shells into the town, and the scaling-ladders of the
soldiers proving to be too short. That part of the attack in which
Lawrence Washington was present, sustained, unflinching, a destructive
fire for several hours. The small land force engaged on this occasion
lost no less than six hundred killed and wounded.

Shortly after the failure at Carthagena, an express from South
Carolina brought tidings that the Spaniards had made a descent upon
Georgia; and Captain Dandridge, commander of the South Sea Castle,
together with the "snows" Hawk and Swift, was dispatched to the
assistance of General Oglethorpe. The Spaniards were repulsed. Georgia
being still threatened by a Spanish force concentrated at St. Augustine,
in Florida, Oglethorpe sent Lieutenant-Colonel Heron to recruit a
regiment in Virginia. Captain Lawrence Washington, with a number of
officers and soldiers of Gooch's Carthagena Regiment, recently
discharged, just now arriving at Hampton, and meeting with Heron, many
of them enlisted again under him.

About this time apprehensions were felt of foreign invasion by sea, of
Indian incursions, and of servile insurrections. An act was passed to
prevent excessive and deceitful gaming, making all gaming obligations
void, imposing heavy penalties upon persons cheating at games, and
declaring them infamous, authorizing justices of the peace to bind
common gamblers over to their good behavior. Means were adopted for
encouraging adventurers in iron works. The towns of Fredericksburg and
Falmouth were established at the head of tide-water, on the
Rappahannock. Caroline County was formed, and Goochland carved out from
Henrico.