Major Washington, at the age of twenty-two, is appointed to command the
regular Virginia forces, consisting of two companies――being increased
to six companies, he is raised to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and
made second in command――his modesty――the fort, just begun at the fork
of the Ohio, surrenders to the French――Washington attacks and defeats a
party of French.
By the then existing law of Virginia, the militia could not be
required to march more than five miles beyond the boundary line of the
colony. For this reason, if for no other, the militia alone could not
be depended upon for the defence of the colony. After Washington’s
return, the Governor and council of Virginia determined to raise
two companies, of one hundred men each, by enlistment, and send them
to erect and defend a fort at the fork of the Ohio, now Pittsburg,
that being the spot pointed out by Washington as well situated for a
fort. Major Washington, then but twenty-two years old, was appointed
to command these two companies. He was to enlist one of the companies
himself, and he did enlist about fifty men. Captain Trent, having
partly filled the other company in the back settlement, was ordered
immediately to the place of destination. It was soon determined,
however, to increase this force to three hundred men, and to divide
them into six companies. In a letter to a friend of his, then a member
of the Governor’s council, Major Washington says: “The command of this
whole force I neither expect nor desire; for I must be impartial enough
to confess, it is a charge too great for my youth and inexperience.
Knowing this, I have too sincere a love for my country to undertake
that which may tend to the prejudice of it.”
Young Washington was, however, raised to the rank of Lieutenant
Colonel, and made second in command. He left Alexandria with his
troops, for the frontier, on the 2d of April, 1754, and being joined by
a small detachment in his route, arrived at Wills Creek on the 20th,
with one hundred and fifty men. He was here met by Captain Trent’s
ensign, Mr. Ward, directly from the fort just begun at the fork of
the Ohio, with the unpleasant information that he had been obliged to
surrender to a French force of one thousand men, with eighteen pieces
of cannon, on the 17th of April. He said that the Captain and the
Lieutenant (Frazier) were both absent at the time, and that the whole
number of men under his command was but forty-one. He stated that the
French commander approached near the fort, halted his troops, and sent
in an officer with a summons to surrender, allowing him but one hour
to consider of it, and directing him to come to the French camp at the
expiration of the hour, with his determination in writing. He asked the
Half-King, who was in the fort at the time, what it was best to do.
The chief advised him to inform the French that he was not an officer
of rank, nor invested with power to answer their summons, and request
them to wait till his commander should arrive. He accordingly went with
this reply to the French camp, accompanied by the Half-King; but the
French commander refused to wait, telling them that he must have an
immediate and decisive answer, or he should take possession of the fort
by force. He then agreed to surrender, with liberty to depart with his
men the next day. The French commander invited the ensign to supper in
the evening, and treated him with much civility. The seizure of this
post was considered by the British, at the time, the first open act of
hostility in the memorable French war which followed it. The French
fortified the post strongly, and called it Fort Du Quesne.
Colonel Washington considered that the British territory was now
actually invaded, and that it was his duty, in compliance with his
orders, to march forward prepared to meet the invading foe. A council
of war was held, which confirmed this opinion, and resolved to proceed
to the junction of Red Stone Creek with the river Monongahela,
thirty-seven miles south of Fort Du Quesne, there build a fort and wait
for reinforcements. Colonel Fry, the chief in command, being detained
by bad health, Lieutenant Colonel Washington with his one hundred and
fifty men, moved on through the wilderness and over the mountains with
all possible dispatch. He first sent forward sixty men to prepare a
passage by mending the road, and in some places making a new one; and
on the 1st of May, followed them with the main body. In the course of
the march, the friendly Indians brought to Washington frequent reports
of French scouts being seen in the woods. When he had advanced about
fifty miles beyond Wills Creek, he met a messenger from the Half-King,
informing him that a French force (how large he could not tell) was on
its march to attack the English, and warning him to be on his guard.
This induced Washington to fall back a few miles to a favorable place
for meeting the enemy, called the Great Meadows. Here he immediately
employed his men in clearing away the bushes and throwing up an
intrenchment, and sent a small party to look out for the enemy and
observe their strength and motions. But the party returned without
seeing any thing of them. The troops were, however, alarmed in the
night, and were under arms during the latter part of it.
On the morning of May 27th, an English trader who lived in the
neighborhood, came to the camp from his residence, where a detachment
of fifty Frenchmen, he said, had been seen the day before at noon.
He added that he saw their tracks himself about five miles distant.
Washington immediately sent out seventy-five men in pursuit of this
party; but they returned without discovering it. Washington sent a
messenger to the Half-King, who was encamped with some of his people
about six miles distant. This messenger returned about nine o’clock
in the evening, with information from the Half-King that he had seen
the tracks of two Frenchmen across the road, which had been traced to
an obscure part of the woods, and that he thought the main body of
them must be concealed at no great distance.――Washington, suspecting
a design to surprise him, set out that night with forty men for the
Indian’s camp. The night was dark and rainy, and they often lost the
path and were unable to find it again for fifteen or twenty minutes.
They, however, arrived at the Indian’s camp before sunrise. The
Half-King agreed “to go hand in hand with their brothers the English,”
(as they called them,) “and strike the French.” Accordingly they set
out together, and proceeded through the woods in single file, after the
manner of the Indians, till they came to the place where the tracks
were. The Half-King then sent two Indians to follow these tracks again,
till they should find the very spot where the enemy lay. The two
Indians soon discovered them about half a mile from the road, in a very
retired place, surrounded by rocks. The men were immediately formed
for the attack. They then advanced, with Washington at their head,
till they came very near the French. The moment the French discovered
them, they seized their arms. Washington gave the order to fire, and
a brisk engagement ensued, which continued about fifteen minutes. The
French were defeated with the loss of their whole party, except one who
escaped, ten men being killed, including Jumonville, their commander,
one wounded and twenty-one taken prisoners. Colonel Washington’s loss
was one man killed, and a Lieutenant and two privates wounded. As the
French directed their fire chiefly at Washington’s men, the Indians
received no injury. This skirmish took place on the 28th of May, 1754,
at about seven o’clock in the morning. It was the first battle in which
Washington had ever been engaged.