“Somewhat stronger,” Washington answered. “I would not for five hundred pounds have missed a battle, so I travelled up by wagon as I found myself unable to sit a horse.”
“He should be in bed,” said Doctor Craik. “But I can do nothing with him.” Then the merry doctor laughed. “Nor he with Braddock. I should hate to have two such patients.”
“You find the General difficult to advise, I take it, colonel,” said Gist. “Since you have been behind we have moved on like a tortoise—as you know. At this gait I feared we would spend the rest of our life in the woods.”
“The General has stopped to bridge every little stream and level every mole-hill, despite the danger that the French might be reinforced meantime,” said Washington. “But it has not been my place to advise unless requested; my rank as captain does not entitle me to that, and I am only a Provincial.”
“But with experience in this kind of country, and against that kind of enemy, colonel,” Croghan retorted. “You have taken matters into your own hand and changed your garb, at least, I see.”
“Yes,” said Washington. “I did go so far as to suggest to my friends among the officers that we all adopt woodsman clothes instead of the flaming red, as less easier targets; and reminded them of Mr. Benjamin Franklin’s remark, when at Fort Cumberland: ‘The finer the feathers, the better for the fowler.’ But they assured me that the General would never permit it—he would call it unworthy of the King’s soldiers. I have been no little jeered at for my own prudence, but I see no virtue in needless exposure either of men or armies.”
“By that token, then, His Excellency will still insist upon beating up the enemy with his red-coat Regulars who can be seen for five miles, rather than use the Virginia woodsmen,” Gist grumbled.
“As we will soon be within touch of the fort,” replied Washington, “and are liable to surprise, for our approach is surely known, I did make bold to suggest to the General that he now permit me to take my Virginia Rangers and scout well to the fore. And I explained to him that these men were accustomed to the Indian mode of warfare and would be of utmost service in protecting his advance column from ambush. But this idea of relying upon what he was pleased to term ‘half-drilled farmers’ to protect the King’s Regulars appeared to anger him, so I said no more. Besides, he was so good as to state for my further understanding that Lieutenant-Colonel Gage has been promised the honor of the advance, with a detachment of picked grenadiers and one company of the New York Regulars and would probably resent being displaced by raw Provincials.”
“Then what use is to be made of the Rangers, I wonder?” said Gist.