was told that "one Captain Joncaire, their interpreter-in-chief, living
at Venango, and a man of note in the army, delivered the speech to us."
On the next morning, the half-king and Monacatoocha appeared very early
at Washington's tent, and besought him to wait another day.
"We have used all diligence possible, but the Shannoah chiefs have not
brought the wampum ordered, but will be here to-night," the half-king
said. "If they should not come in to-night, we will not delay you
another day, but will send it after you as soon as it arrives."
Washington yielded to their request, giving the reason in his journal
thus:
"When I found them so pressing in their request, and knew that the
returning of wampum[C] was the abolishing of agreements, and giving
this up was shaking off all dependence upon the French, I consented to
stay, as I believed an offence offered at this crisis might be attended
with greater ill-consequence than another day's delay."
[C] Small beads made of shells, used for money.
Washington's journal continues:
"In the evening, late, they came again, and acquainted me that the
Shannoahs were not yet arrived, but that it should not retard the
prosecution of our journey. He delivered in my hearing the speech that
was to be made to the French by Jeskakake, one of their old chiefs,
which was giving up the belt the late commandant had asked for, and
repeating nearly the same speech he himself had done before.
"He also delivered a string of wampum to this chief, which was sent by
King Shingiss, to be given to Kustalogo, with orders to repair to the
French and deliver up the wampum.
"He likewise gave a very large string of black and white wampum, which
was to be sent up immediately to the Six Nations, if the French refused
to quit the land at this warning, which was the third and last time, and
was the right of this Jeskakake to deliver."
On the evening before Washington left the place, the great men of the
Indians assembled at their council-house, to discuss the journey, and
decide who should go. The result was, that, instead of the numerous
convoy promised, they concluded to send but three of their chiefs and
one famous hunter.
When the company were ready to start, about nine o'clock, on the morning
of Nov. 30, and Washington found that his escort consisted only of the
half-king, Jeskakake, White Thunder, and the Hunter, he said to
Tanacharisson:
"Brother, how is this? This is not the complete guard you promised me."
"Very true, brother," answered the half-king, "but be assured there is
no intention to be untrue. When we conferred together last night it was
thought so large a number might give the French suspicions of evil
designs, and cause them to treat us rudely."
The journey was resumed, and proved very wearisome on account of stormy
weather and hard traveling. They reached Venango, seventy miles distant,
on the fourth day of December. Venango was situated at the mouth of
French Creek, on the Ohio.
Seeing the French colors flying from the house of Mr. John Frazier, an
English subject, whom they had driven from his house, Washington
repaired thither at once, to inquire where the commander of the French
forces resided. He found three officers there, one of whom, Captain
Joncaire, of whom Monacatoocha had spoken, said:
"I command the French now."
Washington had made known his business, whereupon Captain Joncaire
referred him to an officer in another fort farther on.
"But you will stop and dine with us?" said the captain in a very cordial
manner. "We shall feel honored by your company."
Washington accepted the invitation, which turned to his advantage beyond
his expectations; for the French officers imbibed so much wine that they
became talkative, as well as communicative, and imparted information
which they would have withholden when sober.
"The French design to take possession of the Ohio." said one of the
tipsy officers, "and they will do it in spite of all opposition. We know
that the English can raise two men to our one, but they are so mortal
slow that we can accomplish our object while they are getting ready. The
French have an undoubted right to this river, and they will maintain
it."
Washington appreciated his opportunity to gain information, and he plied
his inquiries for that purpose. He learned that the French had about
fifteen hundred men between that place and Lake Ontario, but that all
except six hundred of them were recalled after the death of General
Pierre Paul. He learned, also, the number of forts the French had
erected, and where situated, together with the number of men required to
garrison each. Hence, the information acquired was worth much more than
his dinner.
X.
FRENCH MISSION--(CONTINUED.)
Monsieur La Force and three other soldiers accompanied Washington to see
the commander at the next fort. The French officers resorted to various
stratagems to prevent Tanacharisson, Jeskakake, White Thunder, and the
Hunter going with Washington. The latter understood very well that their
object was to have an opportunity to win them over to the French. But
Washington insisted upon their going with him, and rebuked Captain
Joncaire for his meddlesome disposition.
They were four days on their way to visit the commander, being obliged
to wade through miry swamps much of the way. They reached the fort on
the eleventh day of December.
On the 12th, Washington waited upon the commander of the fort and made
known his business, at the same time presenting him with the letter of
Governor Dinwiddie. Returning the letter, the officer said:
"The proper officer for you to see is Monsieur Reparti, whom the French
government has commissioned to fill the position made vacant by the
death of General Pierre Paul. He arrived seven days ago, and is expected
at this fort every hour."
Monsieur Reparti did not arrive until the next day, when the second
officer in command introduced Washington to him. He received Governor
Dinwiddie's letter, and retired to translate it. In a short time,
however, he sent for Washington and his interpreter to correct the
translation, and see that it was well understood. Then dismissing
Washington, Reparti called his officers to a council of war. While the
French officers were thus engaged in secret, Washington had a good
opportunity to ascertain the dimensions and equipments of the fort, and
draw a plan of the same. He lost no time in making observations which
would be of great benefit to his government. The following is a
description of the fort which he recorded at the time to carry to
Governor Dinwiddie:
"It is situated on the south or west fork of French Creek, near the
water, and is almost surrounded by the creek and a small branch of it,
which form a kind of island. Four houses compose the sides. The bastions
are made of piles driven into the ground, standing more than twelve feet
above it, and sharp at top, with port-holes cut for cannon, and
loop-holes for the small arms to fire through. There are eight six-pound
pieces mounted in each bastion, and one piece of four pounds before the
gate. In the bastions are a guard-house, chapel, doctor's lodging, and
the commander's private store, round which are laid platforms for the
cannon and men to stand on. There are several barracks without the fort,
for the soldiers' dwellings, covered, some with bark and some with
boards, made chiefly of logs. There are also several other houses, such
as stables, smith's shop, etc.
"I could get no certain account of the number of men here; but,
according to the best judgment I could form, there are a hundred,
exclusive of officers, of whom there are many. I also gave orders to the
people who were with me to take an exact account of the canoes which
were hauled up to convey their forces down in the spring. This they did,
and sold fifty of birch-bark, and a hundred and seventy of pine, besides
many others, which were blocked out, in readiness for being made."
In his interview with the commander, Washington inquired of him: "By
what authority have the French made prisoners of several of our English
subjects?"
"The country belongs to us," answered the commander, "and no Englishman
has a right to trade upon these waters. I have orders to make prisoners
of every Englishman who attempts it on these waters."
"How about the boy who was captured and carried through this place?"
asked Washington.
"That a boy was captured and carried past here, I will not deny,"
replied Reparti, "but I do not remember the name of the place he came
from, nor understand the facts in the case particularly. The Indians had
two or three scalps with them also."
"But I was told at Venango that they had _eight_?" retorted Washington.
Reparti was embarrassed here, and evaded an answer.
"What has been done with John Trotter and James McClochlan, two
Pennsylvania traders, whom the French captured and carried away with all
their goods?" continued Washington.
"They were sent to Canada, but I understand that they have now gone
home," Reparti answered.
On the next day Washington received the commander's reply to Governor
Dinwiddie's letter, and therefore was ready to return. The snow was
deep, the weather stormy, and the horses exhausted, so that the homeward
journey was undertaken with much discouragement.
When about ready to start, Washington found that the French were
presenting large inducements to his Indian guides to remain. He was
obliged to resort to strategy, and finally to reprimand, to frustrate
their plans. When the French officers saw that all their efforts to
detain them were fruitless, they offered them intoxicating liquors in
order to overcome them. This device would have succeeded, as the Indians
loved rum, but for Washington's emphatic protest. He charged the French
officers with base efforts to hinder his mission, and forbade half-king,
with imposing threats, to touch the liquor. In this way he succeeded in
his purpose to start on his return journey.
Just before starting, however, White Thunder received an injury, making
it necessary for half-king to stay over with him until the next day, and
take him down the river in a canoe.
"Captain Joncaire will have a good opportunity to bribe you," suggested
Washington.
"Never," replied the half-king; "I know the French better than you do. I
am a friend to the English."
"But Captain Joncaire is a plausible Frenchman, and he will do his best
to influence you," retorted Washington. "You must be guarded against his
fair speech."
The result of this interview was, that the whole party waited for White
Thunder until the next day.
The hardships of the return journey exceeded by far their previous
experience, as indicated by Washington's journal:
"We had a tedious and very fatiguing passage down the creek. Several
times we had liked to have been staved against rocks, and many times
were obliged all hands to get out and remain in the water half an hour
or more, getting over the shoals. At one place the ice had lodged, and
made it impassable by water; we were therefore obliged to carry our
canoe across the neck of land, a quarter of a mile over. We did not
reach Venango until the 22d, where we met with our horses.
"This creek is extremely crooked. I dare say the distance between the
fort and Venango cannot be less than one hundred and thirty miles, to
follow the meanders."
At Venango the horses, which Currin took there by land, were met, and
the men relieved them by distributing the baggage among themselves in
packs. In this way they traveled three days, the snow all the while
increasing, and the horses becoming weaker and weaker. Washington saw
that to keep with the party would delay his arrival at Williamsburg
until the House of Burgesses had adjourned, which would be a
disappointment to the public, as well as to the governor. If possible,
the governor should receive his report before the adjournment of the
Assembly.
"There is only one way for us to go Mr. Gist," said Washington; "you and
I must strike right through the wilderness alone, leaving the party to
reach there as best they can. My report will be too late if we plod
along in this way."
"It may be later if we undertake so perilous an adventure alone,"
responded Gist. "There is not one chance in ten of our ever reaching
Williamsburg in that way."
"You are too fearful altogether," replied Washington. "I think you and I
are equal to the undertaking. No doubt we shall have a rough time of it,
but we are used to that; it will be no novelty to us."
"I shall abide by your decision," added Gist, "for you are commander of
this expedition, and my duty is to obey. But I believe that both of us
will repent of ever undertaking such an adventure."
"Well, then, I will take the responsibility," said Washington, "and you
and I will take the nearest and quickest route home."
"Which may prove the longest, both in distance and time," retorted Gist.
Washington put the remainder of the party, together with the baggage and
horses, into the care of Van Braam, with instructions and money. He
himself had traveled for three days in an "Indian's walking dress," but
now made a change described in his journal thus:
"I took my necessary papers, pulled off my clothes, and tied myself up
in a watch-coat. Then, with gun in hand and pack on my back, in which
were my papers and provisions, I set out with Mr. Gist, fitted in the
same manner, on Wednesday, the 26th."
They traveled eighteen miles on that day, and stopped for the night at
an Indian cabin. Washington usually traveled on horseback, so that he
was unused to the hardships of such a journey on foot, and he was much
exhausted.
They arose at two o'clock in the morning to continue their journey. When
they reached Murdering Town, they fell in with an Indian who called Mr.
Gist by name.
"I saw you at Venango," said the Indian.
Then Mr. Gist recognized him as an Indian whom he saw at Joncaire's in
Venango, when they were on their journey to the French fort, which fact
made him somewhat suspicious of the redskin.
"I am glad to see you," insisted the Indian. "How does it happen that
you are traveling on foot in this direction?"
"Our business requires it," was Gist's short reply.
"When did you leave Venango?" the Indian continued.
Mr. Gist informed him.
"Where did you leave your horses and the rest of your party?"
Mr. Gist answered evasively.
"And where are you going?"
"To the forks of the Alleghany as direct as we can go," Washington
answered. "Can you go with us and show us the nearest way?"
"I can just as well as not," replied the Indian, "and I can take your
pack along, too."
From this point Washington was considerably relieved by transferring his
pack to the back of the savage. They traveled very rapidly for ten
miles, when Washington's feet grew sore, and he became very weary.
"You are taking us too much northeasterly," said Mr. Gist to the Indian,
suspicious that he was intentionally taking them out of their way.
"That is what I think," added Washington. "I am quite confident that we
are bearing too much to the northeast."
The truth was, that both Washington and Mr. Gist were suspicious that
the Indian was proving treacherous, though neither of them suggested the
idea to the other.
"But let us encamp here," continued Washington, "for I need rest."
"I will carry your gun, and that will relieve you," said the Indian, a
suggestion that strengthened suspicions already awakened.
"No; I prefer to carry my own gun," replied Washington; "you will do
your part if you carry my pack."
"But it is not safe to encamp here," the Indian added, "for Ottawa
Indians hunt in these woods, and they will scalp an Englishman wherever
they find him. But if you will go to my cabin you are safe."
"And where is your cabin?" inquired Gist.
"So near that we could hear a gun if fired there now," the Indian
replied.
Although strongly suspicious of his designs, both followed him for a
distance, steering in a more northerly direction. Gist grew uneasy, and
stopping, said, "I will go no farther."
"A whoop could be heard at my cabin now," the Indian insisted. "We shall
soon be there."
They traveled two miles farther, when Washington remarked:
"I shall stop at the next place we find water, and you must stop, too,"
addressing the Indian. This was said in a decisive manner. In a few
moments they emerged from the woods into a long meadow. The Indian was
three or four rods in advance of them. Suddenly stopping and turning
about, the treacherous savage aimed his gun at Gist, and fired.
"Are you shot?" cried Washington, rushing forward to his companion.
"Are you shot?"
"No; but it is what I feared from the time we employed the rascal to
guide us," answered Gist. The shot missed.
The Indian ran behind a large white oak, Washington and Gist following
after him. Approaching the tree, they discovered that he was reloading
his gun.
"You rascal!" exclaimed Gist, raising his musket to give the Indian its
contents.
"No; that won't do," said Washington to Gist, pushing aside his gun. "We
are worse off when you have killed him than we are now." He thought the
tribe would avenge his death by killing them.
"The villain deserves a bullet through his heart," shouted Gist, "and I
can put one through with good relish."
"Very true," answered Washington with the most astonishing coolness,
"but it is not good policy for us to take his life now."
Washington took away the Indian's gun and compelled him to walk ahead.
At the first run of water he ordered him to build a camp fire, as if he
designed to encamp there for the night. When this was done Gist said to
him:
"I suppose you were lost, and fired your gun."
"No, I was not lost," answered the savage, "I know where my cabin is,
and it is not far away."
"Well, then," continued Gist, "do you go home, and here is a cake of
bread for you, and you must provide meat for us in the morning."
The Indian was glad enough to get away without being pierced by a
bullet, and he promised them excellent fare the next morning. It was
nine o'clock at night when he left them, taking with him his gun, that
Washington returned to him. Gist followed him for quite a distance, to
be sure that he was not deceiving them, and then hurried back.
"Now, since you would not let me shoot the villain," he said to
Washington, "we must shoulder our packs and hurry away, and walk all
night, or we shall never see Williamsburg."
"You are right, Gist, and we will be off at once; and the fellow may
keep his meat till we come this way again," replied Washington, with as
much composure as if their lives had not been in jeopardy. By the light
of the camp fire their compass showed them which way to go.
The excitement of this perilous episode seemed to rest Washington's
weary limbs, so that they traveled rapidly through the whole night,
finding themselves at the head of Piney Creek in the morning.
Washington's journal has the following entry for that day:
"The next day we continued traveling until quite dark, and got to the
river, two miles above Shannopin's. We expected to have found the river
frozen, but it was not, only about fifty yards from each shore. The ice,
I suppose, had broken up above, for it was driving in vast quantities."
"What next?" said Gist, with an air which indicated that he recalled his
warning words to Washington about the perils of such a journey. "If the
Indian's bullet had taken effect we should have been saved some trouble
here."
"A formidable difficulty, to be sure," answered Washington; "but a good
share of wit and perseverance may overcome it. No way of getting over
this stream, I think, except on a raft."
"A raft!" exclaimed Gist. "A raft would be swamped in a giffy by that
ice. Besides, what have we to build a raft with? A hatchet alone will
not do it."
"A hatchet is much better than nothing," responded Washington. "We will
try what a hatchet can do towards it. If we fail, we will fail in
trying."
"Try it is, then," said Gist, rather admiring Washington's hopefulness
and pluck than otherwise. "I am at your service, and if anybody can
cross the river, I think a man of your grit can."
So they set to work to construct a raft, with no implement but a
solitary hatchet, consuming a whole day in the work. When the awkward
affair was fairly launched, they went on board of it, and pushed off for
the opposite shore. About mid-way of the river, the floating ice came
down with such violence as to threaten the destruction of the raft.
"We can never reach the shore on this craft," said Gist, in a tone
indicating entire resignation to a watery grave.
"Can't we stop the raft and let the ice go by?" answered Washington, at
the same time putting down the setting pole to accomplish this purpose.
But the rapidity of the torrent dashed the raft with such violence
against the pole that it threw Washington into ten feet of water.
"Hold on!" shouted Gist under the greatest alarm; "grasp this oar." And
he reached out his oar to Washington, who had already caught hold of one
of the raft-logs. A severe but short struggle, and he was on the raft
again.
"A cold bath," remarked Washington, as he stood upon the raft again,
shaking the water from his drenched clothes.
"It is a miracle that you were not drowned," replied Gist; "and you
would have been if you were as nervous as some people."
"I am cool enough now," said Washington, his wet clothes already
beginning to stiffen on his back in the wintry blast. "I shall not
despair so long as I remember that one faithful saint is praying for
me," referring to the promise of his mother.
They made a desperate effort to keep their craft right side up in the
floating ice, but failed in the attempt.
"No use!" exclaimed Gist. "We must quit the concern and make for that
island."
"Yes; and that immediately, if we would save ourselves," responded
Washington, as he leaped into the water, followed by Gist. The island
was but a few rods distant, and they reached it just at night, with the
gloomy prospect of remaining shelterless upon it until the next morning.
"Not much better off here than we were in the water," suggested Gist.
"My fingers are frozen, and some of my toes; and what is to prevent the
freezing of the remainder of my body?"
"If we perish, we will perish trying to keep alive," remarked
Washington. "We have plenty of room to exercise ourselves here, and keep
up a circulation, with no fear of being shot at by savages. It will not
do to sleep in this predicament."
"It will be our last sleep if we do," answered Gist. "The cold is
rapidly increasing, and I hardly see how any amount of exercise can save
us."
"Be a little more hopeful, Gist. I have faith to believe that we shall
be saved yet," said Washington. "This increasing cold is providential,
I think. It will freeze the river before morning, and thus provide a way
for us to escape from this island."
"Well, that is a hopeful view, I confess," replied Gist; "but how the
biting cold can freeze the river without freezing us is incomprehensible
to me."
They made a remarkable night of it, and saved their lives by muscular
exertion. They dashed about in the cold, gathering hope and courage from
hour to hour as the water of the stream congealed harder and harder. In
the morning they crossed the river on the ice, truly thankful to a kind
Providence, which had delivered them from what, to human view, was
inevitable death.
Once upon the other side of the river, they made their way as speedily
as possible to the house of Mr. Frazier, a few miles distant, where they
regaled themselves with fire and food to their hearts' content,
recounting their adventures, and causing all to wonder that they were
still among the living.
Here Washington met twenty warriors, who were going to the southward to
war, but had returned from Great Kenhawa, because there they found a
family of seven people killed and scalped.
"Why did you return?" inquired Washington of a chief.
"For fear the inhabitants might take us to be the murderers," the chief
replied.
"Did the condition of the bodies show that the massacre was recent?"
Washington inquired further.
"Not very recent; the bodies were scattered about, and several of them
were much eaten by hogs," was the chief's answer.
"Have you any suspicions as to who the murderers were?" urged
Washington.