“Wall, I’m with ye, Dave—told ye so right along,” put in Barringford, who had heard the talk. “I know he’ll take me quick enough,” and the old hunter grinned suggestively.
Dave looked doubtful for a moment. “I hope so, Sam,” he said. “I didn’t have much of a chance to talk about it. You see, the coming of General Braddock has made a big difference in the army. He’s as stiff and stern as can be, and none of the soldiers under him dare so much as wink without his permission. I heard from one of our old soldiers that even Washington can’t give him any advice. He says he knows just what he is doing.”
“Hope he does then,” was Barringford’s dry comment. “But he ain’t fit Injuns afore, has he?”
“I fancy not.”
“Then he’d better be jest a leetle careful. Ain’t I right, Mr. Morris?”
“You are, Barringford. Indians do not fight like European armies, and the French that know the wilderness won’t fight that way either,” answered Dave’s uncle.
A few days later Dave and Sam Barringford set off for the Creek settlement. Henry was now almost as well as ever and anxious to go with them, but his mother urged him to remain at home, at least for a little while longer.
All was bustle and excitement at Will’s Creek. Braddock wished to move forward without delay but found it next to impossible to get the necessary horses and wagons. Washington by his personal efforts obtained a few and then Benjamin Franklin, coming down from Philadelphia, obtained some more, by giving his personal security for them.
Franklin, wise and far-seeing, advised Braddock to be cautious during his march into the wilderness, stating that the Indians were sly and would ambuscade them were it possible to do so. To this Braddock answered that the Indians might do so with colonial troops but not with soldiers of the King’s army, moving in a solid body against them.
As the little army went forward, Braddock insisted upon making a first-class roadway and the result was that it was the middle of June before Little Meadows was reached. The army now consisted of the two English regiments, two colonial companies of pioneers, a company of guides, a company of Virginia light-horse, two small companies of New York militia, and a detachment of sailors, about two thousand men in all. There were also about half a hundred Indians, under Groghan, the pioneer, who was made a captain over them. Braddock treated the Indians with great ceremony but in secret he held the same contempt for their fighting qualities as he held for the fighting qualities of the colonists.