A NEW CAMPAIGN
As already told, affairs in the colonies looked blue indeed, and some
hardy pioneers who had risked their all in making their homes in this
new country were afraid that ere long they would be forced to either
give in to the Indians or come under French rule. Three campaigns had
been fought, and still the French were masters, and held Louisburg,
Crown Point, Ticonderoga, Frontenac, and the long chain of posts from
Niagara to the Ohio and thence to the Mississippi. The English fort at
Oswego had been destroyed and the French had compelled the Six Nations,
the most powerful Indian organization ever known, either to remain
neutral or else give them aid.
To add to English alarm, the war in Europe also took a turn in favor of
the French. This brought a storm of protests upon the English ministry,
and George II. was compelled to make a change. As a consequence William
Pitt was placed in entire control of foreign and colonial affairs.
Pitt was a man of both wisdom and action, and his plans for a new
campaign in America aroused the colonies as they had not been aroused
before. An army of fifty thousand men, English regulars and colonial
militia, was gathered, and it was resolved that a three-headed campaign
should be instituted at once, one against Louisburg, another against
Ticonderoga and a third against Fort Duquesne.
The first blow was struck early in June, 1758, when the English appeared
before Louisburg with thirty-eight ships of war and an army of fourteen
thousand men. There was a vigorous attack, and something of a siege, and
late in July the place capitulated, and this fall also included the
capture of the islands of Prince Edward and Cape Breton.
The advance upon Ticonderoga was not so successful, although a portion
of the troops under gallant Israel Putnam, afterwards so famous in the
Revolution, dispersed some of the French and captured a hundred and
forty-eight prisoners. Following this, an attack was made upon Fort
Frontenac, located where the city of Kingston, Canada, is now situated,
and here the English laid the fort in ruins and captured nine vessels
carrying guns and supplies.
The people of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania were anxious that the
attack on Fort Duquesne be made at once, but as we already know, the
armies, especially such as had to march through the wilderness, moved
very slowly. The command of this expedition was placed in the hands of
General Forbes, a gallant officer but one who was far from being in
proper health for such an undertaking. This general left Philadelphia
early in July with the main portion of his command, and after a hard
march reached Raytown, ninety miles eastward of Fort Duquesne, and now
known as Bedford.
While General Forbes was thus moving westward Colonel Washington, who
had been ordered to join the main command, gathered together all his
available troops and moved northward from Winchester to Fort Cumberland,
called in these pages by its, then, common name of Will's Creek.
The spring had passed slowly to those of the Morris family located at
Winchester. Strange to say although Joseph Morris' wound healed it
seemed next to impossible for the pioneer to get back his strength, and
the most he could do was to walk around the rooms of the Gibson home, or
around the dooryard, supported by his wife or others.
"My legs won't support me," he said. "They feel as if they'd let me down
in a heap at any minute."
"It is the effects of the fever," said Mrs. Morris. "The doctor says you
will have to take it easy for several months."
Rodney, too, had suffered from the march through the forest and from the
fighting and was confined more or less to the house.
"It's a shame--and just after I thought I was getting so strong," sighed
the cripple. "Somehow, we seem to be an ill-fated family."
During all those dreary months no direct word had come to them
concerning little Nell, but through White Buffalo had come a report that
a certain tribe of Indians known as the Little Waters had several white
girls in their keeping and that one old Indian chief had taken one of
the captives as his daughter, he being childless.
"If they take 'em in as their children they'll treat 'em putty
civil-like," said Sam Barringford. "But I reckon you don't want to lose
little Nell even so."
"No! no!" said Mrs. Morris. "Oh, we must get her back somehow!"
After this news was brought in, Barringford and Dave's father went
north-westward once more, in the hope of opening negotiations with the
Indians. How this trip would turn out was still a question, although
White Buffalo declared that little could be done so long as the war
hatchet remained unburied between the English and the French Indians.
As soon as the new call came for additional troops to the colonial
militia, Dave signified his intention of once more entering the service
under his old commander, Colonel Washington. About this he did not
hesitate to see Washington personally.
"I'll be glad to have you with us," said Washington, after the youth had
explained matters. "I remember how you acted in our other campaign
against Fort Duquesne, and I haven't forgotten, Master David, how we
shot the bear,"--this with a twinkle in his eye. "Yes, join us by all
means if you care to do so." And Dave signed the muster roll that
day,--as a colonial militiaman, at a salary of ten-pence a day, twopence
to be deducted for clothing and other necessaries! This was the regular
rate of pay, and for those days was considered quite fair.
It must be confessed that the troops under Colonel Washington formed a
motley collection. Many of the best of the pioneers and frontiersmen had
grown tired of the delays in the past and now refused to re-enlist,
fearful that they would be called on to do nothing but wait around the
fort, while the summer harvests at home demanded their attention.
Drumming up recruits proved the hardest kind of work, and the companies
were made up in some cases of men who knew not the meaning of home
life--hardy trappers and traders, some industrious enough, but others
given to drink and brawling, and not a few who lived almost as the
Indians did, using the redmen's style of dress and occasionally painting
their faces, "jes' fer the sport on't," as they expressed it. When it
came to fighting these men were like human tigers, but in camp and on
the march it was next to impossible to bring them under military
discipline. Many refused to carry rations as the regular soldiers did,
preferring to bring down game as they needed it, and if game was not
handy they appropriated a pig or a cow belonging to some settler--thus
bringing additional trouble on the command.
"So you are going with the soldiers," said Henry, when Dave told him of
what he had done. "Well, if you go I shall go too--that is, if mother
will let me."
Henry put in the proviso with an anxious look on his face, for he knew
how difficult would be his task of getting his parent's consent.
"No, no, Henry!" cried Mrs. Morris. "With your father and Rodney so ill,
and with Nell gone, how can I spare you?"
"But, mother, somebody has got to fight the French," insisted the son.
"If we don't fight them, and whip them, how shall we ever get back to
our home? I don't want to give all that up, do you?"
A long argument followed, and at last Mrs. Morris said she would let her
son know about it in the morning.
White Buffalo came in that night with news. "The Little Waters have gone
to the setting sun, to the French," he said. "White Buffalo has been
told they will remain there until winter comes again."
"To Fort Duquesne!" cried Dave. "I'm glad of it. Now if we take that
fort perhaps we'll be able to rescue Nell and the Rose twins."
This news decided Mrs. Morris, and with tears standing in her eyes she
told Henry he might go with Dave and Colonel Washington. "And may God
grant that you return with Nell safe and sound," she added.
A few days later found the two young soldiers on the march. It was
something of a gala day for Winchester, and the post was gay with flags
and bunting. The long drums rolled and the fifes piped up cheerily as
the command passed out of the town and on the trail running northward to
Cumberland. Many were in the best of spirits, hoping that the downfall
of Fort Duquesne would be speedily accomplished.
The town was scarcely left behind however, before the music came to an
end, and the command moved on by the route step--that is, every soldier
stepping out to suit himself. This was necessary, for the way was rough,
having fallen into disuse since the beginning of the troubles with the
Indians.
"I heard a report that we are not to use the old Braddock road to Fort
Duquesne," said Henry, as he trudged alongside of Dave. "Colonel
Washington advised using it, but General Forbes is going to cut a road
of his own."
"If he does that we'll be all fall and winter getting to the fort,"
answered Dave. "How foolish not to use a road already made."
"It's queer they won't take Colonel Washington's advice. He knows this
territory better than anybody."
"There is a good deal of military jealousy afloat," was the answer.
"English officers hate to see a colonial get ahead of them. They want to
head the whole game."
The second night out the troops encamped near a large brook. It was hot
and Dave and Henry were glad enough to take a swim in the stream as soon
as they got the chance. They were soon in the water and diving and
sporting to their heart's content. Then Henry caught a branch hanging
over the water's edge and pulled himself up into the tree.
"See what a fine dive I can take from here," he called to his cousin.
"Don't you do it," cried Dave. "You may go too deep and strike your head
on a rock."
"I'll be careful," was Henry's answer. "Here goes!"
With a quick movement he leaped from one limb to another. As the second
limb gave a sudden swish Henry uttered a cry of alarm. Then he came
tumbling into the water with a loud splash. After him tumbled a wildcat,
snarling in rage at being thus unceremoniously disturbed. The wildcat
struck close to where Dave was treading water and on the instant made a
leap for the young soldier's shoulder.