USA > Pennsylvania > Erie County > A twentieth century history of Erie County, Pennsylvania : a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, and its principal interests, Volume I > Part 6
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France, too, had a claim upon America, based, as has already been shown, first, upon the discoveries of Verrazano and Ribaut ; second, upon its colonization; and third upon its exploration. As to the first claim, there are doubts, due to the question of priority; the second is of little value except as it refers to Canada, east of Lake Ontario, for the settle- ment of all of the rest of America consisted of practically nothing more than military camps or missionary stations among the Indians. But as to the third, there can be no question that the French had a good claim; better by far than that of England, and if it then had become as well established as an international law as it did later there can be no doubt that exploration gave a good title to France. The claim was, however, set up, and the French Crown set itself about maintaining the claim.
The origin of the trouble that assumed an acute form at the time the expedition under Marin was sent out to occupy the Ohio, was a grant conferred by the English Crown upon or to a company organized principally in Virginia and Maryland, with a few stockholders in Eng- land. It was called the Ohio Company, and among its members were two brothers of George Washington, Lawrence and Augustine. This com- pany was organized in 1751, and was given a patent to 600,000 acres of land on the banks of the Ohio on the conditions : that within seven years they would settle one hundred families upon the grant, and that they would build a fort and garrison it. These conditions the Ohio Company forthwith proceeded to carry out in good faith. The land was allotted to them west of the mountains, quite within the territory that in his bom- bastic declaration Father Bobi, voicing the opinion of the French govern- ment, had declared to belong to the Crown of France. It was this overt act on the part of the English that had decided France upon taking more
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decisive steps than the planting of lead plates at the mouths of tributary streams, as Capt. Celoron had done. These plates, beneath the surface of the soil were not sufficiently in evidence. The newer and the better plan was to plant forts ; moreover these forts were also to be depots on a line of communication with the centre of activity, the point where the soldiers of France were to turn back the British invaders, come, it is true, in the guise of peaceful settlers.
This determination on the part of the French to resist immigration by the English, and more particularly the building and garrisoning of forts, was naturally taken by England to be tantamount to a declaration of hostilities ; it was at least an invitation to a declaration of war. This was soon to come.
Early in 1754 French activity was renewed, and as soon as conditions permitted a large force arrived at Fort Presque Isle, destined for the Ohio. At the head of the expedition now was M. Contrecœur, who had been appointed to succeed Saint Pierre. The force consisted of 1000 nien, and carried with them eighteen cannon. There was halt made only sufficient for the necessities of the expedition. To Le Bœuf they pro- ceeded and immediately embarked for the Forks of the Ohio. There they arrived on the 17th of April, and halted within a short distance of an unfinished fort that the English were erecting. It was in command of Ensign Ward who had a force of forty-one men, who were engaged in work upon the stockade. The disparity between his force and that of the French was so great that Ward recognized the hopelessness of his situation, and accordingly, when summoned by Contrecœur to surrender, though he was reluctant to do so, he finally yielded and was permitted to depart. The French immediately took possession, and at once, under the direction of the Chevalier de Mercier, a captain of artillery and an accomplished engineer, the fort was greatly enlarged and strengthened, and in a month was completed. It was named Fort Duquesne, in honor of the French Governor General, and was of sufficient capacity to receive a garrison of 1000 men and of sufficient strength to resist any force that was likely to be brought against it. It was the first act in the memorable Seven Years War.
George Washington, commissioned as a lieutenant-colonel by Gov- ernor Dinwiddie, had been sent to the frontier, and was at the time at Great Meadows, not far distant. His force was small, ill provisioned, lacking ammunition, and in no manner whatever, fit to cope with the force of French that had been garrisoned at Fort Duquesne. He was resolved, however, not to slight his duty in any particular. He con- structed in a hasty manner a defense lie called Fort Necessity, and this he made his base of operations. From there he proceeded to scout, fol- lowing rumors of his Indian allies. On the 28th of May, with a com- pany of forty and some Indian allies he discovered a force of French, under M. Jumonville, concealed in a ravine, and surrounded them. There
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was a brisk engagement that lasted fifteen minutes, resulting in the de- feat of the French. Ten of their number had been killed, including Jumonville, twenty-two were taken prisoners, and one escaped to Fort Duquesne.
Retaliation was decided upon by the French. A force under Coulon de Villiers, a brother of Jumonville, was to be sent out to meet the En- glish. Washington's force was much inferior, both in numbers and condi- tion, for a scarcity of provisions had greatly reduced the abilities of his soldiers. Washington's force had advanced to within but a comparatively short distance of the French Fort. His scouts and advance guard had penetrated almost to Fort Duquesne, and these and trusty Indians kept hiim posted. They reported the arrival of a large reinforcement from Canada, and that without further delay De Villiers would march at the head of 800 French and 400 Indians to attack the English. It was now near the end of June. Expected reinforcements had not arrived and his men were weak from lack of food. Under these discouraging condi- tions it was reluctantly decided to retreat, and accordingly the small army fell back upon and occupied Fort Necessity, hoping for the arrival of the New York companies reported last at Alexandria. On July first they reached their fort and set about strengthening it. On the third of July the French army came up. Their method of attack was to fire from behind the trees of a near-by hill, and soon the engagement was general, although the French did not attempt to take the position by assault. But the English force in their weakened condition soon became exhausted, their guns became unfit for use owing to the storm, their am- munition was about all spent, and the expected reinforcements having failed, Washington was in such extremity that when the French pro- posed a parley he acceded and in the end was compelled to make an honorable capitulation. The losses of the English were twelve men killed and forty-three wounded. On the fourth of July Washington led out the remains of his gallant band in good order and abandon- ing the field returned to Virginia.
The intelligence of the defeat of the English forces at length awakened the British government, partially, from its lethargy. Promptly it was decided to send out an adequate force to punish the French and head off their invasion. General Edward Braddock "one of the bravest and most accomplished soldiers of the empire," was selected to command, and sailed for America in December. He had with him two regiments of 500 men each, under Colonels Halket and Dunbar. In April the plans of a general campaign were matured, the principal feature of which was that the first of three expeditions, to be commanded by General Brad- dock in person, and to consist of his English regulars, the levies from Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, with such Indians as might be induced to join them, were to proceed first to take Fort Duquesne. This accomplished he was to advance, reducing all the French forts in turn
HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY
until he should reach Niagara. The fort at Presque Isle was to be greatly strengthened, and vessels of war were to be built here for the defense of the lake. "He anticipated a series of conquests as easy as they would be considerable, and already felicitated himself upon the prospect of spending a merry Christmas with Governor Morris in Philadelphia."*
Gen. Braddock's army left Alexandria on the 20th of April, but were halted at Fredericktown, Md., for want of transportation facilities, and there was a long delay until Benjamin Franklin contrived to procure the necessary wagons. Col. Washington reported on June 10, as an aid- de-camp to Gen. Braddock and became, by reason of his experience in the American wilds, trusted by the General to a certain extent-indeed so far as the military education of the English soldier would permit. It would have been better for the English cause had the faith in Washington been more implicit. On the 9th of July, 1755, the last stage of the march upon Fort Duquesne was entered upon. As skillfully as possible the forces were brought across the Monongahela at the fords, and by two o'clock the army was reunited on the right side of the river, and with guides and flanking parties was advancing, when suddenly a heavy firing with a wild and terrible Indian war cry was heard in front. It was the savages allied with the French, who had opened the fray, Contrecœur had prepared an ambuscade. With 230 French and Canadians and 200 Indians he had posted himself in an open wood filled with fallen trees and high grass, above the river. No better defense for the Indian mode of fighting could have been provided. The attack was furious and unexpected and soon the entire English force was in a panic. An attempt to rally and charge with the bayonet was futile; no enemy could be seen, and yet the furious firing continued. The provincial companies scattered to fight Indian fashion ; the regulars were compelled to remain in mass- a means to their destruction. The officers proved to be prodigies of valor ; the General himself was in the thickest of the fight, but the troops were palsied with fear. At length, after the fight had continued until five o'clock, Braddock fell, mortally wounded. The battle was over and the English retreated.
After the defeat of Braddock there was a long period of inactivity, due to political conditions in the mother country. The difficulty was to procure a capable ministry. the favorites of the King proving quite inadequate to the task before them. At length the Crown yielded to the universal demand of the people and William Pitt, "the great commoner," was given the post of prime minister. Then was England's star in the ascendant. Mr. Pitt took charge of the government of England in June 1757. Among the matters and things that fell to his care was the con- duct of the Seven Years War, that up to this time had proved disastrous to England. With a skill that will ever be regarded as remarkable Mr. Pitt, appreciating the necessities of the situation, addressed himself to the
* Lossing, Biography of Washington.
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work, and from that time on the English army turned its face the other way ; its was a victorious career.
The situation in America was properly regarded as of the highest importance. The question that was up for settlement between France and England was: which of the two nations should be master in Am- erica. The British had established on this side of the Atlantic, thirteen colonies, the aggregate population of which was 1,300,000, while the French in America hardly numbered 60,000 in all, and many of these were soldiers of the Crown. Assuredly England had an interest to main- tain in the new world, and, that interest becoming greater every year, the question of mastery was one that demanded a settlement. Mr. Pitt was determined that there should be one, and he proceeded forthwith. At last England was fully awake. Pitt was alive to the interests of the colonies, and it was not long after he assumed the reins of authority before there was something doing.
At Fort Presque Isle and at Le Bœuf there were busy times during the two summers of 1754 and 1755. In the former year activity began early, as early as the lake was navigable. It was evident to the French Governor General that two things were necessary to the success of the plan he had formed and begun to carry out. These were prompt action and an adequate force ably commanded. The visit of Washington to Fort Le Bœuf and the letter of Governor Dinwiddie, instead of intimidat- ing the French had had a contrary and double effect. It discovered to Duquesne the fact that his plans were known to the enemy, and it deter- mined him upon such action as would either forestall the English in any attempt at establishing adequate defences at the Forks of the Ohio, or else enable him, if such work were in progress, to put a stop to it. He well knew that what he had already done in building the two forts and constructing the military road from Presque Isle to the head of navigation on Le Bœuf creek, had opened a means for the rapid and uninterrupted transportation of troops and all the necessities that an expedition called for.
This force, under Contrecœur it was, as has already been re- lated, that captured the English fort and, enlarging it, gave it the name of Fort Duquesne. But there were other detachments at quite frequent intervals, in June of that year (1734) a force of 800 having crossed on the portage road to Fort Le Bœuf on the way down the Allegheny river. Nor was the activity confined alone to the detachments moving toward the front. Both of the garrisons had their hands full with the work cut out for them. Fort Presque Isle was the principal depot, the base of supplies, for the army down the river. Everything required for the sup- port of the army, the provisions, the arms, the ammunition, had to be carried from Montreal. There was no other source from which these could be drawn. All of those were stored at Fort Presque Isle, to be sent forward as required. At Le Bœuf there was not only the work of
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trans-shipment, but more important, that of providing the means of transportation. The latter work consisted of constructing the batteaux that were to carry troops and the army supplies. These batteaux were large canoes formed out of tree-trunks of sufficient size, and the demand for canoes of wood was constant, for but few of those sent down the river ever returned. Indeed in time practically all the timber available had been used up, and Governor Duquesne lamented that there were no longer pine trees of sufficient size out of which batteaux could be made.
The activity of the French continued during the year 1755, and this activity affected the two Erie county forts. But from that time on the life of the two garrisons was one of routine chiefly, and dullness char- acterized them. It is a mistaken idea that there was anything of the nature of social gaiety existing either at Presque Isle or Le Bœuf. The soldiers stationed at these places were "at the front" in the scene of being in active service. It is the general belief that there existed, during the French occupancy, a small town or settlement hard by the fort, across, or on the right bank of Mill Creek. This is certified to by Indian spies and escaped prisoners, but so far as search among published records has been made nothing has been found to establish the fact that there was such a town. But it is not at all impossible that the alleged state- ment of an escaped prisoner is true when he said there was a town of 100 families close by, though it is much more probable the town was inhabited by Indians, especially when the fate of the fort at the end of the war is taken into account. That, however, remains to be told later.
When the Pitt ministry came into power there was a revolution in sentiment among the English in America. Mr. Pitt's letters to the colonies were well adapted to produce union, action and energy in the provinces of Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland and the Carolinas. They were told that England would soon send to their assistance a powerful army, to act in conjunction with the provincial troops. The effect was electrical. The provinces vied with one another in making provisoins for defence, and in the spring of 1758 there was an English army of 50,000 men ready for action, 20,000 of whom were provincials-the most formidable army ever seen in the new world. Three expeditions were organized: against Louisburg ; against Ticonderoga, and against Fort Duquesne. The last was under Brig. Gen. Forbes, and amounted to about 2,000 men, with Washington in command of the provincial troops. The advance was slow, owing to the ill-advised determination to construct a new road over the mountains. However, a force of 800, under Major Grant, consisting of Highlanders and provincials, was sent forward to reconnoitre. Grant's zeal, however, outran his discretion. Contrary to orders he pushed on to Fort Duquesne, attacked the French and was terribly defeated, losing 270 killed, 42 wounded and several taken prison-
HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY
ers, among them Major Grant and Major Lewis. This battle occurred September 14.
Emboldened by this success the French decided to attack Col. Bou- quet in his camp at Loyalhanna, and with a force of 1,200 French and 200 Indians, under De Vetri, made an assault on October 12. The action was spirited, and lasted four hours, but the French were defeated and compelled to retreat. The main army of the English was advancing, but moved slowly. When it arrived at Fort Duquesne November 25, nothing was found but smoking ruins. The French had set fire to the fort and the outlying houses and fled. Of the 500 men in the fort at the time of its evacuation part retreated down the Ohio river and the remainder, with Gov. M. de Ligney, proceeded to Fort Presque Isle. Fort Duquesne now became Fort Pitt, and eventually Pittsburg, named in honor of the Great Commoner.
The loss of Fort Duquesne for the moment paralyzed the French in the region south of the lakes. They recognized the fact that the force which had come against them at the Forks of the Ohio was one of great strength, and also that it was largely composed of British regulars, who unlike the provincials would not be in haste to return to their private affairs, even at the expense of leaving the work of a campaign half-done. It was their immediate belief, therefore, that the British would follow up their advantage. This undoubtedly would have been done but for the lateness of the season and the rapid approach of winter. The fact that when General Forbes had reached Loyalhanna and found the moun- tain tops white with snow, had almost decided him upon deferring his movement against Fort Duquesne until spring. So, now that there had been so much more accomplished than was expected in the beginning of November, there was a resolution formed to do nothing more than to strengthen Fort Pitt and hold it. Of this fact the French were ignorant at the beginning, and De Ligney pushed his retreat quite to Presque Isle.
The inactivity of the British during the winter, however, had given the French an opportunity to gather their wits together again. Indeed they had by the opening of the year 1:59 reached a determination to make a strong effort to recover Pittsburg and the control of the Ohio. and Presque Isle suddenly assumed a position of great importance in French affairs. In obedience to an order from Vandreuil the French population of the Illinois, Detroit and other distant posts, joined with bands of western Indians, had come down the lakes with the avowed purpose of recovering Pittsburg, though Gen. Stanwix, who succeeded Gen. Forbes on the latter's death, recognizing that that post was really in imminent danger, was exerting himself to provide succor for it. These mixed bands of whites and savages were gathered chiefly at Presque Isle, with numbers also at Le Bœuf and Venango. Here at Presque Isle were such notable officers of their time as Capt. Aubry, Ligneris and Marin and other partisan chiefs, the best in Canada.
Vol. I-4
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But while they were endeavoring to organize for a descent upon Pittsburg, expecting reinforcements from Canada to give them sufficient strength for the undertaking, steps had been taken to complete the work laid out by the Council of war at Philadelphia early in 1758, with re- ference to the campaign to the Ohio and thence up the Allegheny. Sir William Johnson had been commissioned to carry out the plan of cam- paign the other way 'round. He was to reduce Fort Niagara. Sir Wil- liam Johnson was an interesting character. He was a native of Ireland, and a nephew of Sir Peter Warren, who owned a large tract of land at the mouth of Schohaire Creek (now the town of Florida, N. Y.) Johnson became Warren's agent, and also engaged in the fur trade on his own account. Johnson was different from the others of his time who occupied a like position and occupation ; unlike the typical fur-trader, he dealt with strict honesty and humanity toward the Indians, the result being that he won the fullest confidence and affection of the Indian tribes. He became so thoroughly identified with them as to be regarded in the course of time as one of themselves, and his influence with the Iroquois was so great that he was depended upon by the British government to effect adjustments when troubles with the Indians threatened. He was not a military man by training. and yet was put in a position of command at the attack upon Crown Point in 1756, and won. With the prestige of that command in mind it came about that to him fell finally the task of taking Fort Niagara.
Fort Niagara, situated at the mouth of the Niagara river, on Lake Ontario, was, in the summer of 1759, in command of Capt. Francois Pouchot. Learning that the English were coming to attempt to take Ft. Niagara Pouchet sent a messenger in hot haste to Presque Isle for aid. for his force he felt to be inadequate. It consisted of 486 men, but of these, according to his own account, given later, there were but 370 cap- able of bearing arms. On the 24th of July 110 French and 200 Indians, under Aubry and Ligneris, arrived at Niagara from Presque Isle. But this succor was in vain. The relief party was overthrown and Fort Niagara fell into the hands of Sir William Johnson on July 25, 1759.
After the final defeat at Fort Niagara the French retreated from the feld, took to their boats and canoes and hastened back to Lake Erie. Their destination was Presque Isle. Here their halt was brief. Mes- sengers were sent post haste to Le Bœuf and Venango. Each fort was burned in turn, and the garrisons of these three forts, joining the fugitives from Niagara, the retreat was pursued for Detroit. Thus the whole region of the upper Ohio and of the Niagara frontier was left in the undisputed possession of the English. This ends the history of the French occupancy of Erie county, though there lingers to this day the relics of that occupancy in names that have become attached to localities, lakes and streams.
CHAPTER VI .- PONTIAC'S CONSPIRACY.
FORT LE BOEUF BURNED .- BRAVE DEFENSE OF FORT PRESQUE ISLE AGAINST THE INDIANS .- ITS FINAL CAPTURE.
After the fall of Fort Niagara and the final expulsion of the French there was naturally a season of relaxation in the vicinity of Fort Pitt. There had been good grounds for fear so long as Niagara held out, for the French had fully determined upon recovering the fort at the Forks of the Ohio, and it was with the purpose of making a bold stroke for the recovery of Fort Duquesne that there had been a mobilization of forces at Fort Presque Isle. The victory of Sir William Johnson at Fort Niagara, however, had changed the situation entirely. The skies were at length clear, so that it was possible to do something besides strength- ening the defenses at Fort Pitt, which had been previously decided upon. There were other posts to be cared for, and Gen. Stanwix, early in 1760, ordered Major Rodgers to take formal possession of Forts Venango, Le Bœuf and Presque Isle, and strengthen them, as well as to occupy the forts westward on the Great Lakes.
According to some authorities the forts in this corner of Penn- sylvania when abandoned by the French were left intact ; but Parkman says they were burned. The latter is the likelier story. That was what befell Ft. Duquesne when it was found to be no longer tenable, and when the fleeing fugitives from Niagara carried to the French at the three forts that remained in Pennsylvania the intelligence of utter defeat, and they knew that nothing remained but to retreat to the west, it was only according to the rules of war, to leave nothing for the enemy. The three forts were undoubtedly destroyed by fire.
It was not until the succeeding year that Major Rodgers came this way and, finding the fort in ruins, rebuilt it. It was not built according to its original plan. The new plan consisted of a stockade enclosure with a block house, the second story of which extended out over the first all round, occupying a position at or near the northwest corner of the stockade. There was a house of logs for the commander of the post, other smaller houses, a stone magazine ( which the French had left), and a well, all within the stockade, which was provided with strong gates.
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