CHAP. I. 1754. stances not admitting delay, contains an expression which was at the time untruly translated by the interpreter, advantage of which has since been taken by the enemies of that gentleman, to imply an admission on his part, that the officer killed in the action preceding the attack on the fort was assassinated. An account of the transaction was published by M. de Villiers, which drew from Colonel Washington a letter addressed to a friend, completely disproving a calumny, which, though entirely discredited at the time, was revived at a subsequent period, when circumstances well understood at the date of the transaction might be supposed to be forgotten*. The whole loss sustained by the Americans *The Author is indebted for the letter alluded to, to the editor of the Lancaster Journal: SIR, I am really sorry I have it not in my power to answer your request in a more satisfactory manner. If you had favoured me with the journal a few days sooner, I would have examined it carefully, and endeavoured to point out such errors as might conduce to your use, my advantage, and the public satisfaction; but now it is out of my power. I had no time to make any remarks upon that piece which is called my journal. The inclosed are observations on the French notes; they are of no use to me separated, nor will they, I believe, be of any to you; yet I send them unconnected and incoherent as they were taken, for I have no opportunity to correct them. In regard to the journal, I can only observe in general, that I kept no regular one during that expedition; rough minutes of occurrences Icertainly took, and find them as certainly and strangely metamorphosed; some parts left out which I remember were entered, and many things added that never were thought of; the names of men and things egregiously miscalled, and the whole of what I saw Englished is very incorrect and nonsensical; yet I will not pretend to say that the little body who brought it to me has not made a literal translation and a good one. Short Americans in this affair is not ascertained. From a return made on the 9th of July at Willis's-Creek, it appears that the killed and wounded CHAP. I. 1754. Short as my time is, I cannot help remarking on Villiers's account of the battle of, and transactions at, the Meadows; as it is very extraordinary, and not less erroneous than inconsistent. He says, the French received the first fire: it is well known that we received it at six hundred paces distance. He also says, our fears obliged us to retreat in the most disorderly manner after the capitulation. How is this consistent with his other account? He acknowledges that we sustained the attack warmly, from ten in the morning till dark, and that he called first to parley; which strongly indicates that we were not totally absorbed in fear. If the gentleman in his account had adhered to the truth, he must have confessed that we looked upon his offer to parley as an artifice to get into and examine our trenches, and refused on this account, till they desired an officer might be sent to them, and gave their parole for his safe return. He might also, if he had been as great a lover of the truth as he was of vain-glory, have said, that we absolutely refused their first and second proposals, and would consent to capitulate on no other terms than such as we obtained. That we were wilfully or ignorantly deceived by our interpreter in regard to the word assassination, I do aver, and will to my dying moment; so will every officer that was present. The interpreter was a Dutchman, little acquainted with the English tongue, therefore might not advert to the tone and meaning of the word in English; but whatever his motives were for so doing, certain it is, he called it the death or the loss of the Sieur Jumonville. So we received, and so we understood it, till to our great surprise and mortification we found it otherwise in a literal translation. That we left our baggage and horses at the Meadows is certain; that there was not even a possibility to bring them away is equally certain, as we had every horse belonging to the camp killed or taken away during the action, so that it was impracticable to bring any thing off that our shoulders were not able to bear; and to wait there was impossible, for we had scarcely three days provisions, and were seventy miles from a supply. Yet to say we came off precipitately is absolutely false: notwithstanding they did, contrary to articles, suffer their Indians to pillage our baggage, and commit all kinds of irregularity, we were with them till ten o'clock the next day; we destroyed our powder and other stores, nay, even our private baggage, to prevent its falling into their hands, as we could not bring VOL. II. E CHAP. I. 1754. wounded of the Virginia regiment amounted to fifty-eight; but the loss of the two independent companies is not stated. It was conjectured, that on the part of the enemy about two hundred were killed and wounded, and it is probable that this conjecture does not greatly err. Notwithstanding the stipulation that the troops should be unmolested on their march, heavy complaints were made of their being plundered and maltreated by the Indians. The cause of their complaints was perhaps unavoidable; for it was always found extremely difficult to secure, on the part of these troublesome allies and formidable enemies, an observance of engage ments. bring it off. When we had got about a mile from the place of action, we missed two or three of the wounded, and sent a party back to bring them up (this is the party he speaks of). We brought them all safe off, and encamped within three miles of the Meadows. These are circumstances, I think, that make it evidently clear, that we were not very apprehensive of danger. The colours he speaks of to be left was a large flag of immense size and weight; our regimental colours were brought off, and are now in my possession. Their gasconades and boasted clemency must appear in the most ludicrous light to every considerate person who reads Villiers's journal ;—such preparations for an attack, such vigour and intrepidity as he pretends to have conducted his march with, such revenge as, by his own account, appeared in his attack, considered, it will hardly be thought that compassion was his motive for calling a parley. But to sum up the whole, Mr. Villiers pays himself no great compliment in saying we were struck with a panic when matters were adjusted: we surely could not be afraid without cause, and if we had cause after capitulation, it was a reflection upon himself. I do not doubt but your good-nature will excuse the badness of my paper, and the incoherence of my writing: think you see me in a public house, in a crowd, surrounded with noise, and you hit my case. You do me particular honour in offering your friendship; I wish I may be so happy as always to merit it and deserve your correspondence, which I should be glad to cultivate. Great Great credit was given to Colonel Washington by his countrymen for the courage displayed on this occasion; and the Legislature were so satisfied with the conduct of the party, as to vote their thanks to him and the officers under his command. They also gave three hundred pistoles to be distributed among the soldiers engaged in the action, as a reward for their bravery. * The regiment returned to Winchester to be recruited; and the companies expected from North Carolina and Maryland having arrived, Governor Dinwiddie, without attending to the condition or number of the forces, ordered them, on the advice of council, immediately to march over the Aleghany mountains, either to dispossess the French of their fort, or to build one in some proper place in the country. CHAP. I. 1754. The little army in Virginia, which was placed under the com- August.. mand of Colonel Innes, from North Carolina, did not, as now reinforced, exceed half the number of the enemy, and was un * To the vote of thanks, the officers made the following reply : "We, the officers of the Virginia regiment, are highly sensible of the particular mark of distinction with which you have honoured us, in returning your thanks for our behaviour in the late action; and cannot help testifying our grateful acknowledgments for your" high sense" of what we shall always esteem a duty to our country and the best of kings. "Favoured with your regard, we shall zealously endeavour to deserve your ap plause, and by our future actions strive to convince the worshipful House of Burgesses, how much we esteem their approbation; and, as it ought to be, regard it as the voice of our country. 1754. provided with the means of moving, or with those supplies for a winter campaign which are so particularly necessary in the severe climate where they were about to act. With as little consideration, directions were given for the immediate completion of the regiment, without furnishing a single shilling with which to recruit a man. Although Virginia had long basked in the sunshine of peace, it seems difficult to account for such inconsiderate and ill-judged measures. Colonel Washington remonstrated strongly against these orders, but prepared as far as possible to execute them. The Assembly, however, having risen in a few days, without making any provision whatever for the further prosecution of the war, this wild expedition was for the present relinquished. After the season for action was over, the Virginía regiment was reduced to independent companies; and in the course of the winter, orders were received for settling the rank of the officers of His Majesty's forces, when joined or serving with the provincial forces in North America; which directed, that all officers commissioned by the King, or by his General cominanding in chief in North America, should take rank of all officers commissioned by the Governors of the respective provinces. And further, that the general and field-officers of the provincial troops should have no rank when serving with the general and' fieldofficers commissioned by the Crown: but that all captains and other inferior officers of the royal troops should take rank over provincial officers of the same degree having senior commissions. Though his original attachment to a military life had twen rather increased by the applauses bestowed on his first in 2 essay arr as, |