COL-O-NEL OF VIR-GIN-I-A TROOPS.
The troops in Vir-gin-i-a were left with-out a head. There was no one
to lead them out to war, and if this fact came to the ears of the
French, they would be more bold.
Wash-ing-ton's friends urged him to ask for the place. But this he
would not do. His brother wrote him thus: "Our hopes rest on you, dear
George. You are the man for the place: all are loud in your praise."
But Wash-ing-ton was firm. He wrote back and told in plain words all
that he had borne, and how he had been served for the past two years.
"I love my land," he said, "and shall be glad to serve it, but not on
the same terms that I have done so."
His mo-ther begged him not to risk his life in these wars. He wrote
her that he should do all that he could to keep out of harm's way, but
if he should have a call to drive the foes from the land of his birth,
he would have to go! And this he was sure would give her much more
pride than if he were to stay at home.
On the same day, Au-gust 13, that this note was sent, word came to
Wash-ing-ton that he had been made chief of all the troops in
Vir-gin-i-a, and the next month he went to Win-ches-ter to stay.
Here he found much to do. There was need of more troops, and it was
hard work to get them. Forts had to be built, and he drew up a plan of
his own and set men to work it out, and went out from time to time to
see how they got on with it. He rode off thus at the risk of his life,
for red-men lay in wait for scalps, and were fierce to do deeds of
blood.
The stir of war put new life in-to the veins of old Lord Fair-fax. He
got up a troop of horse, and put them through a drill on the lawn at
Green-way Court. He was fond of the chase, and knew how to run the sly
fox to the ground. The red-man was a sort of fox, and Fair-fax was
keen for the chase, and now and then would mount his steed and call on
George Wash-ing-ton, who was glad to have his kind friend so near.
In a short time he had need of his aid, for word came from the fort at
Will's Creek that a band of red-men were on the war-path with
fire-brands, and knives, and were then on their way to Win-ches-ter.
A man on a fleet horse was sent post-haste to Wash-ing-ton, who had
been called to Will-iams-burg, the chief town.
In the mean-time Lord Fair-fax sent word to all the troops near his
home to arm and haste to the aid of Win-ches-ter.
Those on farms flocked to the towns, where they thought they would be
safe; and the towns-folks fled to the west side of the Blue Ridge. In
the height of this stir Wash-ing-ton rode in-to town, and the sight of
him did much to quell their fears.
He thought that there were but a few red-skins who had caused this
great scare, and it was his wish to take the field at once and go out
and put them to flight. But he could get but a few men to go with him.
The rest of the town troops would not stir.
All the old fire-arms that were in the place were brought out, and
smiths set to work to scour off the rust and make them fit to use.
Caps, such as are now used on guns, were not known in those days.
Flint stones took their place. One of these was put in the lock, so
that when it struck a piece of steel it would flash fire, and the
spark would set off the gun. These were called flint-lock guns.
Such a thing as a match had not been thought of, and flint stones were
made use of to light all fires.
Carts were sent off for balls, and flints, and for food with which to
feed all those who had flocked to Win-ches-ter.
The tribes of red-men that had once served with Wash-ing-ton, were now
on good terms with the French. One of their chiefs, named Ja-cob,
laughed at forts that were built of wood, and made his boast that no
fort was safe from him if it would catch fire.
The town where these red-men dwelt was two score miles from Fort
Du-quesne, and a band of brave white men, with John Arm-strong and
Hugh Mer-cer at their head, set out from Win-ches-ter to put them to
rout.
At the end of a long march they came at night on the red-men's
strong-hold, and took them off their guard. The red-men, led by the
fierce chief Ja-cob, who chose to die ere he would yield, made a
strong fight, but in the end most of them were killed, their huts were
set on fire, and the brave strong-hold was a strong-hold no more.
In the mean-time Wash-ing-ton had left Win-ches-ter and gone to Fort
Cum-ber-land, on Will's Creek. Here he kept his men at work on new
roads and old ones. Some were sent out as scouts. Brig-a-dier
Gen-er-al Forbes, who was in charge of the whole force, was on his way
from Phil-a-del-phi-a, but his march was a slow one as he was not in
good health. The plan was when he came to move on the French fort. The
work that was to have been done north of the fort, by Lord Lou-doun,
hung fire. It was felt that he was not the right man for the place,
and so his lord-ship was sent back to Eng-land.
Ma-jor Gen-er-al Ab-er-crom-bie then took charge of the King's troops
at the north. These were to charge on Crown Point. Ma-jor Gen-er-al
Am-herst with a large force of men was with the fleet of Ad-mi-ral
Bos-caw-en, that set sail from Hal-i-fax the last of May. These were
to lay siege to Lou-is-berg and the isle of Cape Bre-ton, which is at
the mouth of the Gulf of St. Law-rence. Forbes was to move on Fort
Du-quesne, and was much too slow to suit Wash-ing-ton who was in haste
to start. His men had worn out their old clothes and were in great
need of new ones, which they could not get for some time. He liked the
dress the red-men wore. It was light and cool, and, what had to be
thought of most, it was cheap. Wash-ing-ton had some of his men put
on this dress, and it took well, and has since been worn by those who
roam the woods and plains of our great land.
I will not tell you of all that took place near the great Lakes at
this time, as I wish to keep your mind on George Wash-ing-ton.
The schemes laid out by Gen-er-al Forbes did not please Wash-ing-ton,
who urged a prompt march on the fort, while the roads were good. He
wrote to Ma-jor Hal-ket, who had been with Brad-dock, and was now on
Forbes' staff: "I find him fixed to lead you a new way to the O-hi-o,
through a road each inch of which must be cut when we have scarce time
left to tread the old track, which is known by all to be the best path
through the hills." He made it plain that if they went that new way
all would be lost, and they would be way-laid by the red-skins and
meet with all sorts of ills.
But no heed was paid to his words, and the warm days came to an end.
Six weeks were spent in hard work on the new road with a gain of less
than three-score miles, when the whole force might have been in front
of the French fort had they marched by the old road as Wash-ing-ton
had urged.
At a place known as Loy-al Han-nan, the troops were brought to a halt,
as Forbes thought this was a good place to build a fort. Some men in
charge of Ma-jor Grant went forth as scouts. At dusk they drew near a
fort, and set fire to a log house near its walls. This was a rash
thing to do, as it let the French know just where they were.
But not a gun was fired from the fort. This the King's troops took for
a sign of fear, and were bold and proud, and quite sure that they
would win the day. So Brad-dock had thought, and we know his fate.
At length--when Forbes and his men were off their guard--the French
made a dash from the fort, and poured their fire on the King's
troops. On their right and left flanks fell a storm of shot from the
red-skins who had hid back of trees, rocks, and shrubs.
The King's troops were then brought up in line, and for a while stood
firm and fought for their lives. But they were no match for the
red-skins, whose fierce yells made the blood run chill. Ma-jor Lew-is
fought hand to hand with a "brave" whom he laid dead at his feet.
Red-skins came up at once to take the white-man's scalp, and there was
but one way in which he could save his life. This was to give him-self
up to the French, which both he and Ma-jor Grant were forced to do, as
their troops had been put to rout with great loss.
Wash-ing-ton won much praise for the way in which the Vir-gin-i-a
troops had fought, and he was at once put in charge of a large force,
who were to lead the van, serve as scouts, and do their best to drive
back the red-skins--work that called for the best skill and nerve.
It was late in the fall of the year when the King's troops all met at
Loy-al Han-nan, and so much had to be done to clear the roads, that
snow would be on the ground ere they could reach the fort. But from
those of the French that they had seized in the late fight, they found
out that there were but few troops in the fort, that food was scarce,
and the red-skins false to their trust.
This lent hope to the King's troops, who made up their minds to push
on. They took up their march at once, with no tents or stores, and but
few large guns.
Wash-ing-ton rode at the head. It was a sad march, for the ground was
strewn with the bones of those who had fought with Grant and with
Brad-dock, and been slain by the foe, or died of their wounds.
At length the troops drew near the fort, and made their way up to it
with great care, for they thought the French would be in wait for
them, and that there would be a fierce fight.
But the French had had such bad luck in Can-a-da, that they had lost
heart, and those in the fort were left to take care of them-selves. So
when the Eng-lish were one day's march from the fort, the French stole
out at night, got in-to boats, set the fort on fire, and went down the
O-hi-o by the light of the flames.
So the fort which had been the cause of so much blood-shed, fell at
last with-out a blow, and on No-vem-ber 25, 1758, Wash-ing-ton, with
his van-guard, marched in and placed the Brit-ish flag on the wreck of
the once proud strong-hold, the name of which was changed to Fort
Pitt.
The French gave up all claim to the O-hi-o from that time. The
red-skins were quick to make friends with those who held sway, and
there was peace with all the tribes twixt the O-hi-o and the Lakes.
Wash-ing-ton had made up his mind to leave the field when this war
came to an end, and in De-cem-ber of the same year he bade his troops
good-bye.
He had been with them for five years in a hard school, and the strain
on his mind had been so great that he lost his health, and felt that
he could war no more.