1754.

CHAPTER vanced, and, if possible, to penetrate to the Monongahela at the mouth of Red-stone Creek, and erect there a fortification. The soldiers would thus be employed, their apprehensions quieted, the bane of idleness avoided, and a way opened for the more expeditious march of the troops in the rear.

Difficulties

of the march.

Conveyance by water

ble.

May 20.

So many obstacles intervened, that the progress was slow. Trees were to be felled, bridges made, marshes filled up, and rocks removed. In the midst of these difficulties the provisions failed, the commissaries having neglected to fulfil their engagements, and there was great distress for want of bread.

At the Youghiogany, where they were detained in conimpractica- structing a bridge, Colonel Washington was told by the traders and Indians, that except at one place a passage might be had by water down that river. To ascertain this point, extremely advantageous if true, he embarked in a canoe with five men on a tour of discovery, leaving the army under the command of a subordinate officer. His hopes were disappointed. After navigating the river in his canoe near thirty miles, encountering rocks and shoals, he passed between two mountains, and came to a fall that arrested his course, and rendered any further attempt impracticable. He returned, and the project of a conveyance by water was given up.*

* In his journal, as published by the French government, Colonel Washington gives the following account of this tour of discovery.

"On the 20th of May I embarked in a canoe, with Lieutenant West, three soldiers, and an Indian. Having followed the river for about half a mile we were obliged to go ashore, where we found a trader, who seemed to discourage my attempting to seek a passage by water, which caused me to change my intention of having canoes made. I ordered the troops to wade the river, as the waters had now sufficiently subsided. I continued to descend the river, but, finding our canoe too small for six persons, we stopped to construct a bark, with which and the canoe we reached Turkey Foot just as the night began. Eight or ten miles further onward we encountered several difficulties, which were of little consequence. At this point we stopped some time to examine the position, and found it well suited for a fort, being at the mouth of three branches or small rivers, and having a gravelly foundation.

III.

Message

from the In

dians that a

party of

approach

He had scarcely rejoined the army, when a message CHAPTER was brought to him from his old friend Tanacharison, or the Half-King, then with his people near the Monongahela 1754. River, which warned him to be on his guard, as a party of French had been out two days, and were then marching towards him determined to attack the first English French is they should meet. His account was confirmed by another, ing. which stated the French to be only fifteen miles distant. Not knowing their number, or at what moment they might approach, he hastened to a place called the Great Meadows, cleared away the bushes, threw up an entrenchment, and prepared, as he expressed it, "a charming field for an encounter." He then mounted some of the soldiers on wagon-horses, and sent them out to reconnoitre. They came back without having seen any traces of the enemy; but the camp was alarmed in the night, the sen

"We went down about two miles to examine the course of the river, which is straight, with many currents, and full of rocks and rapids. We crossed it, though the water was high, which induced me to believe the canoes would easily pass, but this was not effected without difficulty. Besides these rapids we met with others, but, the water being more shallow and the current smoother, we passed them easily. We then found the water very deep, and mountains rising on both sides. After proceeding about ten miles, we came to a fall in the river, which arrested our progress, and compelled us to go ashore and desist from any further attempt.”—Mémoire contenant le Précis des Faits, &c. p. 121.

The full title of the book, which is here quoted, is as follows; "MÉMOIRE contenant le Précis des Faits, avec leurs Pièces Justificatives, pour servir de Réponse aux OBSERVATIONS envoyées, par les Ministres d'Angleterre, dans les Cours de l'Europe. A Paris; de l'Imprimerie Royale. 1756." Four or five years had been consumed in unavailing attempts at a negotiation between England and France, with the ostensible design on both sides to effect a reconciliation of difficulties, but neither party in reality was solicitous to avoid a war. At length hostilities were commenced in time of peace, and each nation charged the other with being the aggressor. Two French vessels on their way to Canada were taken by the British Admiral Boscawen, and, to justify this procedure, the " Observations" above mentioned were published, in which the position was maintained, that the French had actually begun the war, by their encroachments with a military force on the Ohio frontiers. To repel this charge, the French government circulated among

Army ad

vances to

the Great

Meadows.

May 25.

CHAPTER

III.

1754.

A party pro

ceeds in

search of the

French camp.

May 27.

tries fired, and all hands were kept under arms till morning. Mr. Gist came to the camp, also, and reported that a French detachment, consisting of fifty men, had been at his settlement the day before, and that he had observed their tracks within five miles of the Great Meadows.

The approach of the French, with hostile designs, was now deemed certain; and the best preparation was made to receive them, which circumstances would permit. In the mean time, about nine o'clock at night, another express came from the Half-King, who was then with a party of his warriors about six miles from the camp, stating that he had seen the tracks of two Frenchmen, and that the whole detachment was near that place. Colonel Washington immediately put himself at the head of forty men, leaving the rest to guard the camp, and set off to join the Half-King. The night was dark, the rain fell in torrents, the paths through the woods were narrow and intricate, and the soldiers often lost their way, groping in the bushes, and clambering over rocks and fallen trees.

the courts of Europe the Mémoire, whose title is here given, the object of which was to prove, that the British had been the first to transgress. This Mémoire is curious, as containing many official and other documents relating to the question at issue, which are nowhere else to be found, and particularly selections from the manuscripts of General Braddock and of Washington, which the French had captured at the disastrous battle of the Monongahela. Among other things are Braddock's instructions, several of his letters to the ministry, and extracts purporting to be from a journal kept by Washington during his preceding campaign. With what fidelity these were published cannot now be known, but as it was the object of the Mémoire to prove a contested point, it may be presumed, that such parts of the papers only were brought forward, as would make for that end. Coming out as they did, however, under the name and sanction of the government, there can be no room for doubt, that the official papers at least were given with accuracy.

These papers were originally published by the French government in a duodecimo volume. A copy was soon afterwards found in a French prize, that was brought to New York. It was there translated into English, and printed the year after its appearance in Paris. The translation was hastily executed, and is worthy of little credit, being equally uncouth in its style, and faulty in its attempts to convey the sense of the original.

1754.

The whole night was passed in the march, and they CHAPTER got to the Indian encampment just before sunrise. Α council was held with Tanacharison and his chief warriors, and it was agreed that they should march in concert against the French. Two Indians went out to ascertain the position of the enemy, which was discovered to be in an obscure retreat, surrounded by rocks, half a mile from the road. The plan of the attack was then formed. Colonel Washington and his men were to advance on the right, and the Indians on the left. The march was pursued in single file, according to the Indian. manner, till they came so near as to be discovered by the French, who instantly seized their arms, and put themselves in an attitude of defence.

with the

French.

Jumonville.

At this moment the firing commenced on both sides. Skirmish A smart skirmish ensued, which was kept up for a quarter of an hour, when the French ceased to resist. M. Death of de Jumonville, the commander of the French party, and ten of his men, were killed. Twenty-two were taken prisoners, one of whom was wounded. A Canadian made his escape during the action. One of Colonel Washington's men was killed, and two or three wounded. No harm happened to the Indians, as the enemy's fire was directed chiefly against the English. This event occurred on the 28th of May. The prisoners were conducted to the Great Meadows, and thence under a guard to Governor Dinwiddie.

No transaction in the life of Washington has been so much misrepresented, or so little understood, as this skirmish with Jumonville. It being the first conflict of arms in the war, a notoriety was given to it, particularly in Europe, altogether disproportioned to its importance. War had not yet been declared between Great Britain and France, and indeed the diplomatists on both sides were making great professions of friendship. It was the policy of each nation to exaggerate the proceedings of the other on their colonial frontiers, and to make them a handle for recrimination and complaints, by throwing upon the adverse party

Errors of

the French

writers cor

rected.

CHAPTER the blame of committing the first acts of aggression.

Hence when the intelligence of the skirmish with Jumonville got to Paris, it was officially published by the government, in connexion with a memoir and various papers, and his death was called a murder. It was said, that, while bearing a summons as a civil messenger without any hostile intentions, he was waylaid and assassinated. The report was industriously circulated, and gained credence with the multitude. M. Thomas, a poet and scholar of repute, seized the occasion to write an epic, entitled "Jumonville," in which he tasked his invention to draw a tragical picture of the fate of his hero. The fabric of the story and the incidents were alike fictitious. But the tale passed from fiction to history, and to this day it is repeated by the French historians, who in other respects render justice to the character of Washington, and who can find no other apology for this act, than his youth and inexperience, and the ferocity of his men.

The mistakes of the French writers were not unknown to Washington; but, conscious of having acted in strict conformity with his orders and military usage, he took no pains to correct them, except in a single letter to a friend, written several years afterwards, which related mostly to the errors in the French account of the subsequent action of the Great Meadows. Unfortunately all his correspondence, and the other papers which he wrote during this campaign, were lost the next year at the battle of the Monongahela; and he was thus deprived of the only authentic materials, that could be used for explanation and defence. The most important of these papers have recently been found, and they afford not only a complete vindication of the conduct of Colonel Washington in this affair, but show that it met with the unqualified approbation of the governor and legislature of Virginia, and of the British ministry.*

* In the public offices at London, I examined the official communications from Governor Dinwiddie, giving a full account of the events