USA > Maryland > Allegany County > Cumberland > History of Cumberland, (Maryland) from the time of the Indian town, Caiuctucuc, in 1728, up to the present day : embracing an account of Washington's first campaign, and battle of Fort Necessity, together with a history of Braddock's expedition > Part 4
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If Jumonville was acting in the capacity of a com- missioner, his course of procedure was such as to at least subject him to suspicion as an enemy, with a hostile object in view. He came in a secret way, inspected Washington's camp, and then retired several miles, and pitched his tent, afterwards sending a courier back to Fort Duquesne, with all the information he had gathered. The papers found on the person of Jumonville were of such a nature as
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WASHINGTON'S JOURNAL.
1754.]
to indicate that the expedition was of an unfriendly character. The prisoners were soon afterward sent back to Winchester, to Governor Dinwiddie.
The journal of Major Washington, which was evidently kept with great accuracy, will doubtless prove interesting reading, and will show the facts of this expedition from its beginning to its end. This journal was for many years lost to the world, but 1
was eventually recovered, and gives a most interesting history of the important facts of that campaign. It is given below almost entire, only those parts being omitted which contain matter of no special interest:
WASHINGTON'S JOURNAL, 1754.
"On the 31st of March I received from his honor* a Lieutenant Colonel's commission, of the Virginia regiment, whereof Joshua Fry, Esq., was Colonel, dated the 15th, with orders to take the troops which were at that time at Alexandria, under my command, and to march with them towards the Ohio, there to help Captain Trent to build forts, and to defend the possessions of his Majesty against the attempts and hostilities of the French.
"April the 2d .- Everything being ready, we began our march, according to our orders, the 2d of April, with two companies of foot commanded by Captain Peter Hog, and Lieutenant Jacob Vanbraam, five subalterns, two sergeants, six corporals, one drummer, and one hundred and twenty soldiers, one surgeon, one Swedish gentleman, who was a volunteer, two wagons, guarded by one Lieutenant, sergeant, corporal and twenty-five soldiers.
*Mr. Dinwiddie, Governor of Virginia.
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND. 1754.
"We left Alexandria on Tuesday noon, and pitched our tents about four miles from Cameron, having travelled six miles.
[From this date to the 19th of the same month, the journal contains nothing more than a monotonous detail of each day's march, and a statement that Captain Stephens, with his detachment, had joined the command.]
"The 19th .- Met an express, who had letters from Captain Trent, at the Ohio, demanding a reinforcement with all speed, as he hourly expected a body of eight hundred French. I tarried at Job Pearsall's for the arrival of the troops, where they came the next day. When I received the above express, I dispatched a courier to Colonel Fry, to give him notice of it.
"The 20th .- Came down to Colonel Cresap's, to order the detachment out, and on my route, had notice that the fort was taken by the French. That news was confirmed by Mr. Wart," the ensign of Captain Trent, who had been obliged to surrender to a body of one thousand French and upwards, under the command of Captain Contrecœur, who was come from Venango (in French, the peninsula) with sixty battoes and three hundred canoes, and who, having planted eighteen pieces of cannon against the forts, afterwards had sent him a summons to depart.
"Mr. Wart also informed me that the Indians kept steadfastly attached to our interest. He brought
*Washington has evidently misspelled this name, as the person alluded to was, beyond doubt, Ensign Ward.
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WASHINGTON'S JOURNAL.
1754.]
two young Indian men with him, who were Mingoes, that they might have the satisfaction to see that we were marching with our troops to their succor.
"He also delivered me the following speech, which the Half-King* sent to me:
"'FORT OHIO, April 18th, 1754.
"' A Speech from the Half-King, for the Governors of Virginia and Pennsylvania :
" ' My brethren the English, the bearer will let you understand in what manner the French have treated us. We waited a long time, thinking they would come and attack us; we now see how they have a mind to use us.
" We are now ready to fall upon them, waiting only for your succor. Have good courage, and come as soon as possible ; you will find us as ready to encounter with them as you are yourselves.
"' We have sent these two young men to see if you are ready to come, and if so, they are to return to us, to let us know where you are, that we may come and join you. We should be glad if the troops belonging to the two provinces could meet together at the fort which is on the way. If you do not come to our assistance now, we are entirely undone, and imagine we shall never meet together again. I speak it with a heart full of grief.'
"A belt of wampum.
"The Half-King directed to me the following speech :
"'I am ready, if you think it proper, to go to both the Governors with these two young men, for I have now no more dependence on those who have been gone so long, without returning or sending any message.'
" A belt of wampum.
"April 23d .- A council of war held at Will's Creek, in order to consult upon what must be done on account of the news brought by Mr. Wart.
"The news brought by Ensign Wart, having been examined into, as also the summons sent by Captain Contrecœur, commander of the French troops, and the speeches of the Half-King, and of the other chiefs
*Tanacharisson was the Half-king of the Six Nations, to which position he had been chosen by the voice of his people. He was a firm friend of the English, and a diplomatist as well as & warrior. At the time the French made the demand upon Ensign Ward to surrender, the Half- King advised him to reply that his rank was not of that importance which would permit him to respond, and to ask a delay until the arrival of the Commander-in-Chief.
8
-
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND. [1754.
of the Six Nations; it appears that Mr. Wart was forced to surrender the said fort, the 17th of this instant, to the French, who were above one thousand strong, and had eighteen artillery pieces, some of which were nine-pounders," and also that the detach- ment of the Virginia regiment, amounting to one hundred and fifty men, commanded by Colonel Washington, had orders to reinforce the company of Captain Trent, and that the aforesaid garrison consisted only of thirty-three effective men.
"It was thought a thing impracticable to march towards the fort without sufficient strength; however, being strongly invited by the Indians, and particularly by the speeches of the Half-King, the President gave his opinion that it would be proper to advance as far as Redstone Creek, on Monongahela, about thirty- seven miles on this side of the fort, and there to raise a fortification, clearing a road broad enough to pass with all our artillery and our baggage, and there to wait for fresh orders.
"The opinion aforesaid was resolved upon for the following reasons:
"Ist. That the mouth of Red Stone is the first convenient place on the river Monongahela.
"2d. That stores are already built at that place for the provisions of the company, wherein our ammunition may be laid up; our great guns may be also sent by water whenever we should think it convenient to attack the fort.
"3d. We may easily (having all these conve- niences) preserve our people from the ill consequences
#Ensign Ward had doubtless exaggerated the strength of the French.
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WASHINGTON'S JOURNAL.
1754.]
of inaction, and encourage our Indian allies to remain in our interests.
Whereupon I sent Mr. Wart to the Governor with one of the young Indians and an interpreter: I thought it proper to acquaint the Governors of Maryland and Pennsylvania of the news; and I sent away the other Indian to the Half-King, with the speech which will be found in the following letter I wrote to the Governor of Maryland:
"' CAMP AT WILL'S CREEK, April 25, 1754.
"' To His Excellency, Horatio Sharp, Governor of Maryland:
" 'SIR :- I am here arrived with a detachment of one hundred and fifty men : We daily expect Colonel Fry with the remaining part of the regiment and the artillery ; however, we shall march gently along the mountains, clearing the roads as we go, that our cannon may with the greater ease be sent after us ; we propose to go as far as the Red Stone River, which falls into Monongahela, about thirty-seven miles this side of the fort which the French have taken, from thence all our heavy luggage may be carried as far as the Ohio. A store is built there by the Ohio Company, wherein may be placed our ammunition and provisions.
"'Besides the French forces above mentioned, we have reason to believe, according to the accounts we have heard, that another party is · coming to the Obio; we have also learnt that six hundred of the Chippewais and Ottoways Indians, are coming down the river Scioda, in order to join them.'
"The following is my answer to the speech of the Half-King:
" ' To the Half-King, and to the chiefs and warriors of the Shawanese and Loups, our friends and brethren. I received your speech by brother Bucks, who came to us with the two young men six days after their departure from you. We return you our greatest thanks, and our hearts are fired with love and affection towards you, in gratitude for your constant attachment to us, as also your gracious speech, and your wise counsels.
" This young man will inform you where he found a small part of our army, making towards you, clearing the roads for a great number of our warriors, who are ready to follow us, with our great guns, our ammunition and provisions. As I delight in letting you know with speed the thoughts of our hearts, I send you back this young man, with this speech, to
-
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND.
[1754.
acquaint you therewith, and the other young man I have sent to the Governor of Virginia, to deliver him your speech and your wampum, and to be an eye-witness to those preparations we are making, to come in all haste to the assistance of those whose interest is as dear to us as our lives. We know the character of the treacherous French, and our conduct shall plainly show you, how much we have it at heart. I shall not be satisfied if I do not see you before all our forces are met together at the fort which is in the way; wherefore, I desire, with the greatest earnestness, that you, or at least one of you, would come as soon as possible, to meet us on the road, and to assist us in council. I present you with these bunches of wampum, to assure you of the sincerity of my speech, and that you may remember how much I am your friend and brother.
(Signed.) " WASHINGTON
or CONOTOCARIOUS .*
"April 28th .- Came to us some pieces of cannon, which were taken up to the mouth of Patterson's river.+
[From the 29th of April, the date of leaving Will's Creek, to the 11th of May, the journal contains nothing of interest.]
"May the 11th .¿- Detached a party of twenty-five men, commanded by Captain Stephens and Ensign Peronie, with orders to go to Mr. Gist's, to enquire where La Force|| and his party were; and in case they were in the neighborhood, to cease pursuing and take care of themselves. I also ordered them to examine closely all the woods round about, and, if they should find any Frenchman apart from the rest, to seize him and bring him to us, that we might learn what we could from him. We were exceed- ingly desirous to know if there was any possibility of sending down anything by water, as also to find
*This seems to have been an Indian name adopted by Washington with a view to pleasing the Indians.
¡This is evidently the artillery which was brought up the Potomac from the mouth of Patterson's creek on boats, or rafts.
¿At this time he was in camp not far beyond Little Meadows.
"La Force was a French officer, whom Washington had been told by the Indians was out looking up deserters.
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WASHINGTON'S JOURNAL.
1754.1
out some convenient place about the mouth of Red Stone Creek where he could build a fort, it being my design to salute the Half-King, and to send him back under a small guard; we were also desirous to enquire what were the views of the French, what they had done, and what they intended to do, and to collect everything which could give us the least intelligence.
"The 12th .- Marched away, and went on a rising ground, where we halted to dry ourselves, for we had been obliged to ford a deep river, where our shortest men had water up to their arm pits.
"There came an express to us with letters, acquainting us, that Colonel Fry, with a detachment of one hundred men and upwards, was at Winchester, and was to set out in a few days to join us; also that Colonel Innes was marching with three hundred and fifty men, raised in Carolina; that it was expected Maryland would raise two hundred men, and that Pennsylvania had raised ten thousand pounds (equal to about fifty-two thousand five hundred livres) to pay the soldiers raised in other colonies, as that province furnisheth no recruits, as also that Governor Shirley had sent six hundred men to harrass the French in Canada; I hope that will give them some work to do, and will slacken their sending so many men to the Ohio as they have done.
"The 16th .- Met two traders, who told us they had fled for fear of the French, as parties of them were often seen towards Mr. Gist's. These traders are of opinion, as well as many others, that it is not
-
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND.
[1754.
possible to clear a road for any carriage to go from hence to Red Stone Creek.
"The 17th .- This night Mr. Wart arrived with the young Indian from Williamsburg, and delivered me a letter, wherein the Governor is so good as to approve of my proceedings, but is much displeased with Captain Trent, and has ordered him to be tried, for leaving his men at the Ohio. The Governor also informs me that Captain Mackey, with an independent company of one hundred men, excluding the officers, was arrived, and that we might expect them daily, and that the men from New York would join us within ten days.
"This night came two Indians from the Ohio, who left the French fort five days ago. They relate that the French forces are all employed in building their fort, that it is already breast high, and the thickness of twelve feet, and filled up with earth and stone, &c. They have cut down and burnt up all the trees which were about it, and sown grain instead thereof. The Indians believe they were only six hundred in number, though they say themselves they are eight hundred. They expect a greater number in a few days; which may amount to one thousand six hundred, then they say they can defy the English.
"The 18th."-The waters being yet very high, hindered me from advancing on account of my baggage, wherefore I determined to set myself in a posture of defense against any immediate attack from the enemy, and went down to observe the river.
*At this date the command was encamped on the Youghiogheny, near where the present town of Smithfield, Fayette county, Pa., stands.
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1754.7 WASHINGTON'S JOURNAL.
[The 19th .- No mention of anything beyond the despatch of a speech to the Half-King on this date.]
"The 20th .- Embarked in a canoe with Lieutenant West, three soldiers, and one Indian; and having followed the river along about half a mile, were obliged to come ashore, where I met Peter Suver, a trader, who seemed to discourage me from seeking a passage by water; that made me alter my mind of causing canoes to be made; I ordered my people to wade, as the waters were shallow enough; and continued myself going down the river in the canoe; now finding that our canoe was too small for 6 men, we stopped to make some sort of a bark, with which, together with our canoe, we gained Turkey Foot by the beginning of the night; we underwent several difficulties about eight or ten miles from thence, though of no great consequence, finding the waters sometimes deep enough for canoes to pass, and at other times more shallow.
[The 21st to the 23d contains only a general description of the topography of the country.]
"The 24th .- This morning arrived an Indian in company with him I sent to the Half-King, and brought me the following letter from him:
"'To any of His Majesty officers whom this may concern :
"' As tis reported that the French army is set out to meet Mr. George Washington, I exhort you, my brethren, to guard against them ; for they intend to fall on the first English they meet; they have been on their march these two days ; the Half-King and the other chiefs will join you within five days, to hold a council, though we know not the number we shall be. I shall say no more ; but remember me to my brethren, the English. THE HALF- KING.'
"I examined these two young Indians in the best
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND.
[1754.
manner I could, concerning every circumstance, but was not much better satisfied.
"They say there are parties of them often out, but they do not know of any considerable number of them coming this way. The French continue raising their fort, that part next to the land is very well enclosed, but next to the water is very much neglected, nine pieces of cannon, and some of them very small, and not one mounted. There are two on the point, and the other at some distance from the fort next to the land.
"They relate that there are many sick among them, that they cannot find any Indians to guide their small parties towards our camp, these Indians having refused them.
"The same day, at two o'clock we arrived at the Meadows,* where we saw a trader, who told us that he came this morning from Mr. Gist's, where he had seen two Frenchmen the night before; that he knew there was a strong detachment out, which confirmed the account we had received from the Half-King; wherefore, I placed troops behind two matured intrenchments, where our wagons also entered.
"The 25th .- Detached a party to go along the roads, and other small parties to the woods, to see if they could make any discovery. I gave the horsemen orders to examine the country well, and endeavor to get some news of the French, of their forces and of their motions, &c.
"At night all these parties returned without having discovered anything, though they had been a
*Great Meadows.
1
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WASHINGTON'S JOURNAL.
1754.]
great way towards the place from whence it was said the party was coming.
"The 26th .- Arrived William Jenkins; Colonel Fry had sent him with a letter from Colonel Fairfax, which informed me that the Governor himself, as also Colonels Corbin and Ludwell, were arrived at Winchester, and were desirous to see the Half-King there, whereupon I sent him an account thereof.
"The 27th .- Arrived Mr. Gist early in the morn- ing, who told us that M. La Force with fifty men, whose tracks he had seen five miles off, had been at his plantation the day before, towards noon; and would have killed a cow, and broken everything in the house, if two Indians whom he had left in the house, had not persuaded them from their design; I immediately detached sixty-five men, under com- mand of Captain Hog, Lieutenant Mercer, Ensign Peronie, three sergeants, and three corporals, with instructions.
"The French inquired at Mr. Gist's, what was become of the Half-King? I did not fail to let the young Indians who were in our camp know that the French wanted to kill the Half-King; and that had its desired effect. They thereupon offered to accom- pany our people to go after the French, and if they found it true that he had been killed, or even insulted by them, one of them would presently carry the news thereof to the Mingoes, in order to incite their warriors to fall upon them. One of these young men was detached towards Mr. Gist's; that if he should not find the Half-King there, he was to send a message by a Delaware. 9
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND.
[1754.
" About eight at night received a message from the Half-King, which informed me that as he was coming to join us, he had seen along the road, the tracts of two men which he had followed till he was brought thereby to a low obscure place; that he was of opinion the whole party of French was hidden there; that very moment I sent out forty men, and ordered my ammunition to be put in a place of safety, under a strong guard to defend it; fearing it to be a stratagem of the French to attack our camp, and with the rest of my men, set out in a heavy rain, and in a night as dark as pitch, along a path scarce broad enough for one man; we were some fifteen or twenty minutes out of the path before we could come to it again; and so dark that we would often strike one against another. All night long we continued our route, and the 28th, about sunrise, we arrived at the Indian camp, where, after having held a council with the Half-King, it was concluded we should fall on them together; so we sent out two men to discover where they were, as also their posture, and what sort of ground was thereabout; after which we formed ourselves for an engagement, marching one after the other in the Indian manner. We were advanced pretty near to them, as we thought, when they discovered us; whereupon I ordered my company to fire; mine was supported by that of Mr. Wagner's,* and my company and his received the whole fire of the French, during the greatest part of the action, which only lasted a quarter of an hour, before the enemy was
*Thomas Waggener, at this time a Lieutenant, but afterwards Captain of Virginia troops.
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WASHINGTON'S JOURNAL.
1754.]
routed. We killed M. de Jumonville, the commander of that party, as also nine others; we wounded one, and made twenty-one prisoners, among whom were M. La Force, M. Drouillon, and two cadets. The Indians scalped the dead, and took away the most part of their arms, after which we marched on with the prisoners and the guard, to the Indian camp, where again I held a council with the Half-King; and there informed him that the Governor was desirous to see him, and was waiting for him at Winchester; he answered that he could not go just then, as his people were in too imminent a danger from the French, whom they had fallen upon; that he must send messengers to all the allied nations, in order to invite them to take up the hatchet. He sent a young Delaware Indian to the Delaware nation, and gave him also a French scalp to carry to them. This young man desired to have a part of the presents which were allotted for them, but that the remaining part might be kept for another opportunity. He said he would go to his own family and to several others, and would wait on them at Mr. Gist's, where he desired men and horses should be sent ready to bring them up to our camp. After this I marched on with the prisoners; they informed me that they had been sent with a summons to order me to depart. A plausible pretence to discover our camp, and to obtain the knowledge of our forces and our situation! It was so clear that they were come to reconnoitre what we were, that I admired at their assurance, when they told me they were come as an embassy; for their instructions mentioned that they should get what knowledge
1
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND.
[1754.
they could of the roads, rivers, and of all the country as far as Potomac ;* and instead of coming as an Embassador, publicly, and in an open manner, they came secretly, and sought after the most hidden retreats, more like deserters than embassadors; in such retreats, they encamped, and remained hid for whole days together, and that no more than five miles from us; from whence they sent spies to reconnoitre our camp; after this was done they went back two miles, from whence they sent the two messengers spoken of in the instruction, to acquaint M. de Contrecœur of the place we were at, and of our disposition, that he might send his detachments to enforce the summons as soon as it should be given.
"Besides, an ambassador has princely attendants; whereas this was only a simple petty French officer; an embassador has no need of spies, his character being always sacred; and seeing their intention was so good, why did they tarry two days at five miles distance from us, without acquainting me with the summons, or, at least, with something that related to the embassy? That alone would be sufficient to raise the greatest suspicions, and we ought to do them the justice to say, that, as they wanted to hide themselves, they could not pick out better places than they had done.
"The summons was so insolent, and favored the gasconade so much, that if it had been brought openly by two men, it would have been an immediate indulgence to have suffered them to return.
*On the body of M. de Jumonville were found written instructions to this effect.
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WASHINGTON'S JOURNAL.
1754.]
"It was the opinion of the Half-King in this case that their intentions were evil, and that it was a pure pretence; that they never intended to come to us but as enemies; and if we had been such fools as to let them go, they would never help us any more to take other Frenchmen.
"They say they called to us as soon as they had discovered us, which is an absolute falsehood, for I was then marching at the head of the company going towards them, and can positively affirm, that, when they first saw us, they ran to their arms, without calling; as I must have heard them had they done so .*
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