“But to return to our Quakers, the Chief of them told the General that he feared greatly for the Safety of the Army; that the Woods, the farther we went, would be the more dangerous, and the French were a subtle and daring Enemy, and would not neglect any Opportunity of surprising us; that the further we went the more difficult it would be to supply us with Provisions, and that the Country was not worth keeping, much less conquering. The French not yet knowing our Force were in Terror, and if he sent would perhaps come into a Treaty; that Peace was a heavenly Thing; and as for the Country in Dispute it was misrepresented by those Projectors, who had some private Advantage; for it was fit for none but Indians, the Soil bad, far from the Sea, and Navigation; therefore he thought if the French would abandon and destroy their Forts, and we do the same, and leave the Lands to their rightful Owners the Indians, on Condition that that Nation should pay some Furrs and Deer Skins, by Way of Tribute, to our most gracious King George, a Pacification might be established till the Matter was made up before his Majesty. That General Oglethorp had in that Manner settled all Differences with the Spaniards on the Southern Frontiers, towards Florida, and the Accord lasted to this Day; on the other Hand, he said, that if the French refused, then the Indians, who are a free and warlike Nation, and much too powerful to be despised, would probably take our Side; if we would pull down the French Forts, and our own also, they would be the guard of our Colonies with very small Expense to England.
“The General not only heard this Proposal with Pleasure, and communicated it to most of the Officers, but doubted if he had Power to execute it. Some of the Braggadocio Virginians, who last Year ran away so stoutly, began to clamor against the Quakers and the General; so we marched on; the General got as far as the Meadows, where, to hasten our March, he fortified and intrenched a Camp, and left the heavy Baggage, sick Men, and spare Provision &c, and to cover our Communication, he left Colonel Dunbar with 800 Men. This place was the only one where regular Troops could make Use of their Discipline and Arms, and it is all open Ground, therefore the General made this Camp as a Place of Arms, where a Fortification being erected would supply the Army as they should want, and might receive, and lay up the Provisions in Safety, as they arrived from Pennsylvania; the General also said, that as this Place was on the West Side of the Allegane Mountains, it preserved his Majesty’s Rights against the French, who pretended that those Mountains bounded his Majesty’s Dominions. Here we halted and refreshed ourselves bravely, by the Help of the Pensilvania Provisions, and of Deer, wild Turkeys, and Game of several other Kinds brought in by the Indians, which though we should deem it bad enough in England, for there is not above one Deer in ten that is fat, yet here our former Wants made these delicious.
“On the 4th of July our Indians were defeated in the Woods by the French Parties; a few only was killed, but their chief Man was taken; the French have treated them very kindly, and declare they intend no War against the Indians. The General is apprehensive this will make an ill Impression on them, therefore does not care to trust them any further; he has publickly said he will advance himself with 1200 Men, drive the Enemy out of the Woods, and invest Fort Du Quesne; he is resolved to be prepared for all Accidents, therefore leaves Colonel Dunbar with a strong Party to make good this Camp. The Ground round the Camp is open, and the Situation so advantageous, that this Camp is defensible against all the Efforts the French can make, if any Accident, should happen to the General; and he has declared, he has put it in this Condition, that his Majesty’s Affairs may not suffer if he should miscarry.
“The General seems very anxious about marching through the Woods, and gave very particular Orders; Powder and Bullet were given out, and every Thing fit for Action; two Lieutenant-Colonels were ordered to command the advanced Party. The General followed with the Gross of the two Regiments from Europe, the Americans followed, and the Rear was brought up by Captain Dumary’s, and another Independent Company. We marched on in this Manner without being disturbed, and thought we had got over our greatest Difficulties, for we look’d upon our March through the Woods to be such: We were sure we should be much above a Match for the French, if once we got into the open Ground near the Forts, where we could use our Arms. We had a Train, and a gallant Party of Sailors for working our Guns, full sufficient to master better works than those of the French Forts, according to the Intelligence we had of them. Then we march’d on, and when within about ten Miles of Fort Du Quesne, we were, on a sudden, charged by Shot from the Woods. Every Man was alert, did all we could, but the Men dropped like Leaves in Autumn, all was Confusion, and in Spight of what the Officers and bravest Men could do, Numbers run away, nay fired on us, that would have forced them to rally. I was wounded in one Leg, and in the other Heel, so could not go, but sat down at the Foot of a Tree, praying of every one that run by, that they would help me off; an American Virginian turned to me, Yes, Countryman, says he, I will put you out of your Misery, these Dogs shall not burn you; he then levelled his Piece at my Head, I cried out and dodged him behind the Tree, the Piece went off and missed me, and he run on; soon after Lieutenant Grey, with a Party of Dumary’s Company came by, who brought up the Rear; the Firing was now Quite ceased, he told me the General was wounded, and got me carried off. When we arrived at the Meadows, we found Colonel Dunbar did not think it expedient to wait for the French there, but retired, and carried us, the wounded, with him to Will’s Creek. I have writ till I am faint.”
CHAPTER VII
SPARKS AND ATKINSON ON BRADDOCK’S ROUTE[46]
Several months ago we received from that indefatigable delver in the early annals of our country, Jared Sparks, Esq., of Salem, Massachusetts, a letter containing some valuable information as to the route of General Braddock after leaving Gist’s farm, not far from where Connelsville now stands. That letter we, for reasons which it is unnecessary to mention, have withheld from publication; but those reasons no longer existing, we now publish it—premising only a few introductory remarks.
Mr. Sparks, as the biographer of Washington and as the collator of his papers, and as a most indefatigable searcher after the whole truth in our early history, enjoyed extraordinary advantages, so that his statements in all such matters should always command the utmost confidence. There is in the possession of the Pennsylvania Historical Society a draught of “the Monongahela and Youghiogany rivers” taken by Joseph Shippen, Jr., in 1759.[47] On this draught the route of General Braddock is distinctly laid down from Cumberland to Stewart’s Crossings, now Connelsville, and thence to a point about twelve or fourteen miles, nearly due north, and of course some four or five miles east of the Youghiogany. From that point the line of march is not laid down until within about six miles of the Monongahela river, at Braddock’s first ford, about one mile and a half below McKeesport; from that point it is distinctly traced across the Monongahela twice to the field of battle. As Mr. Shippen was Brigade Major in General Forbes’ army, and in that capacity visited this place within four years after Braddock’s defeat, we may well suppose that he had accurate information as to the route of that unfortunate General.