III. CHAPTER who were discovered to be spies from the French. Due vigilance was practised, and scouts were kept abroad, even as far as the neighborhood of Fort Duquesne, so that the first motions of the enemy might be detected. 1754. A council of war is held. June 28. Army retreats to the OWS. July 1. It was at length told by French deserters and Indians, that Fort Duquesne was reinforced by troops from Canada, and that a strong detachment would shortly march against the English. A council of war being called, it was at first thought best to make a stand, and wait the approach of the enemy at Gist's plantation. An intrenchment for defence was begun, Captain Mackay was requested to come forward with his company, and the scouting parties were ordered to return to the camp. Captain Mackay promptly joined the advanced division; and another council decided, that the enemy's force was so large, as to leave no reasonable hope of a successful resistance, and that a retreat was necessary. In the face of many obstacles this determination was Great Mead- executed. The horses were few and weak, and a severe service was imposed on the men, who were obliged to bear heavy burdens, and drag nine swivels over a broken road. Colonel Washington set a worthy example to his officers, by lading his horse with public stores, going on foot, and paying the soldiers a reward for carrying his baggage. In two days they all got back to the Great Meadows. It was not the intention at first to halt at this place, but the men had become so much fatigued from great labor, and a deficiency of provisions, that they could draw the swivels no further, nor carry the baggage on their backs. They had been eight days without bread, and at the Great Meadows they found only a few bags of flour. It was thought advisable to wait here, therefore, and fortify themselves in the best manner they could, till they should receive supplies and reinforcements. They had heard of the arrival at Alexandria of two Independent Companies from New York twenty days before, and it was presumed they must by this time have reached Will's Creek. An express was sent to hasten them on, with as much despatch as pos- CHAPTER sible. sity. III. Meantime Colonel Washington set his men to felling 1754. trees, and carrying logs to the fort, with a view to raise Fort Necesa breastwork, and enlarge and strengthen the fortification in the best manner, that circumstances would permit. The space of ground, called the Great Meadows, is a level bottom, through which passes a small creek, and is surrounded by hills of a moderate and gradual ascent. This bottom, or glade, is entirely level, covered with long grass and small bushes, and varies in width. At the point where the fort stood, it is about two hundred and fifty yards wide, from the base of one hill to that of the opposite. The position of the fort was well chosen, being about one hundred yards from the upland, or wooded ground, on the one side, and one hundred and fifty on the other, and so situated on the margin of the creek, as to afford an easy access to water. At one point the high ground comes within sixty yards of the fort, and this was the nearest distance to which an enemy could approach under the shelter of trees. The outlines of the fort were still visible, when the spot was visited by the writer in 1830, occupying an irregular square, the dimensions of which were about one hundred feet on each side. One of the angles was prolonged further than the others, for the purpose of reaching the water in the creek. On the west side, next to the nearest wood, were three entrances, protected by short breast works, or bastions. The remains of a ditch, stretching round the south and west sides, were also distinctly seen. The site of this fort, named Fort Necessity from the circumstances attending its erection and original use, is three or four hundred yards south of what is now called the National Road, four miles from the foot of Laurel Hill, and fifty miles from Cumberland at Will's Creek. On the 3d of July early in the morning an alarm was received from a sentinel, who had been wounded by the enemy; and at nine o'clock intelligence came, that the Battle of the Great Mead ows. July 3. III. 1754. CHAPTER whole body of the enemy, amounting, as was reported, to nine hundred men, was only four miles off. At eleven o'clock they approached the fort, and began to fire, at the distance of six hundred yards, but without effect. Colonel Washington had drawn up his men on the open and level ground outside of the trenches, waiting for the attack, which he presumed would be made as soon as the enemy's forces emerged from the woods; and he ordered his men to reserve their fire, till they should be near enough to do execution. The distant firing was supposed to be a stratagem to draw Washington's men into the woods, and thus to take them at a disadvantage. He suspected the design, and maintained his post till he found the French did not incline to leave the woods, and attack the fort by an assault, as he supposed they would, considering their superiority of numbers. He then drew his men back within the trenches, and gave them orders to fire according to their discretion, as suitable opportunities. might present themselves. The French and Indians remained on the side of the rising ground, which was nearest to the fort, and, sheltered by the trees, kept up a brisk fire of musketry, but never appeared in the open plain below. The rain fell heavily through the day, the trenches were filled with water, and many of the arms of Colonel Washington's men were out of order, and used with difficulty. Proposal to capitulate. In this way the battle continued from eleven o'clock in the morning till eight at night, when the French called and requested a parley. parley. Suspecting this to be a feint to procure the admission of an officer into the fort, that he might discover their condition, Colonel Washington at first declined listening to the proposal, but when the call was repeated, with the additional request that an officer might be sent to them, engaging at the same time their parole for his safety, he sent out Captain Vanbraam, the only person under his command, that could speak French, except the Chevalier de Peyrouny, an ensign in the Virginia regiment, who was dangerously wounded, and dis III. 1754. abled from rendering any service on this occasion. Van- CHAPTER braam returned, and brought with him from M. de Villiers, the French commander, proposed articles of capitulation. These he read and pretended to interpret, and some changes having been made by mutual agreement, both parties signed them about midnight. capitulation. July 4. By the terms of the capitulation, the whole garrison Terms of was to retire, and return without molestation to the inhabited parts of the country; and the French commander promised, that no embarrassment should be interposed, either by his own men or the savages. The English were to take away every thing in their possession, except their artillery, and to march out of the fort the next morning with the honors of war, their drums beating and colors flying. As the French had killed all the horses and cattle, Colonel Washington had no means of transporting his heavy baggage and stores; and it was conceded to him, that his men might conceal their effects, and that a guard might be left to protect them, till horses could be sent up to take them away. Colonel Washington agreed to restore the prisoners, who had been taken at the skirmish with Jumonville; and, as a surety for this article, two hostages, Captain Vanbraam and Captain Stobo, were delivered up to the French, and were to be retained till the prisoners should return. It was moreover agreed, that the party capitulating should not attempt to build any more establishments at that place, or beyond the mountains, for the space of a year. Early the next morning Colonel Washington began to march from the fort in good order, but he had proceeded only a short distance, when a body of one hundred Indians, being a reinforcement to the French, came upon him, and could hardly be restrained from attacking his men. They pilfered the baggage and did other mischief. He marched forward, however, with as much speed as possible, in the weakened and encumbered condition of his army, there being no other mode of conveying the wounded men and the baggage, than on the soldiers' backs. Army retires to Will's Creek. III. 1754. CHAPTER As the provisions were nearly exhausted, no time was to be lost; and, leaving much of the baggage behind, he hastened to Will's Creek, where all the necessary supplies were in store. Thence Colonel Washington and Captain Mackay proceeded to Williamsburg, and communicated in person to Governor Dinwiddie the events of the campaign. Number of men engaged The exact number of men engaged in the action canin the battle. not be ascertained. According to a return made out by Colonel Washington himself, the Virginia regiment consisted of three hundred and five, including officers, of whom twelve were killed and forty-three wounded. Captain Mackay's company was supposed to contain about one hundred, but the number of killed and wounded is not known. The Independent Companies from New York did not reach the army before the action. Vote of thanks by Burgesses. The conduct of the commander and of the troops was the House of highly approved by the governor and Council, and received merited applause from the public. As soon as the House of Burgesses assembled, they passed a vote of thanks to Colonel Washington and his officers "for their bravery and gallant defence of their country." A pistole was granted from the public treasury to each of the soldiers. * * It was fortunate that the disagreement between Colonel Washington and Captain Mackay, respecting the right of command, did not produce any personal ill feeling, nor interfere with their public duty. It is also pleasing to observe, that their friendship continued through life, although they never again saw each other. Thirty-eight years after the battle of the Great Meadows, that is, in 1792, a gentleman in Scotland wrote to Washington, making inquiries about Captain Mackay. Washington replied; "In 1755, he left the service, sold out, and went to Georgia. I heard nothing of him from that time till about five or six years ago, when he went by water from Georgia to Rhode Island on account of his health. On his return to Georgia by land, he was seized either by the complaint for which he had gone to Rhode Island, or by some other disorder, and died at Alexandria; not at my house, as your letter mentions. I was not informed of his being at Alexandria until after his death, which was a circumstance that I regretted much, not only on account of the regard which I had for him, from our former acquaintance, but because I understood that he was |