The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1858-12-31

mission OF The Intelligence that the French
were determined not to yield the West without
strugglf, Gov. Dinwiddie Immediately set a.
bout making preparations for war, and com
pany was TO be raised aud ''to proceed at once
10 The forks OF the Oaio, there to complete, in
the best manner, and as soon as~possible, the
Fort begun by the Ohio Company, and in case
of attack, or any attempt TO resist the settle
ment. or obstruct the works, those resisting
we're 10 BE- taken, and, Il need be, killed. =
While Trent's little baud Of forty men were
working away, ia hunger and want, 10 !orIity
the point al the head OF the Ohio, to which both
the French and English were looking with
SO much interest and Jealousy, a few Indian
scouts were seen, but no enemy seemed near at
hand. Indeed, all was SO quiet that Frazer, an
old Indian-tradcr, who had been left by Trent
! in command OF the new fort, venturtd 10 his
| home al the mouth of Turtle Greek, ten miles
up the Monongahela. But, tho all was 50
quiet IN that wilderness, keen eyes had seen
! the low entertainments al the 70 ks, and swift
feet had borne the news 10 the French camp
mp the Allegheny Valley. On the l1b 5f
April, 1884, the occupants Of the unfinished
( Tort at the head OF the Ohio. were ast0nIshed at
/ the sight of sixty baieaux and three hundred
cahoes, on the Allegheny. The boats contain
ed thousand men, several pieces Of artillery
and ample stores. Ensign Ward, then in
! charge of the Fort, was summoned" to surren-
( der by the French Commandant, ContrecPur,
and as resistance was useless, he surren tered
! his worts, passed up the Monongahrla, and
thus left 'The forks" in possession ofthe French.
I The French claim 10 The land lying in the
entire valley Of the Ohio, as set up by CoatTe-
ceur, was the FIRST act provocative o. the long
and bitter hostilles which followed. "The
seven years war; says Albach, F'arose at the
forks of The Ohio; it was waged in al! quarters
of the world; it made England great imperial
power; IL drove the French from Asia and A
merica, and dissipated the scheme OF empire, so
j brilliant aud so extended, they had so long
y cneT1SHvu.--
In the following year, l755, tn" famous
though disastrous expedition Of General Brad
! dock. was projected and executed. On III"
/ Goth of April, he left Alexandra, 10 march
( upon Fort Duqupsne, whittier he had been eH-
! pressv ordered and the 7th OF July following,
! lie was met by the French and Indians, at what
is nov called s'Braddock's Field" We need
not recount the incidents Of the defeat, which
formed the mos! terrible reverse that ;he Brit
/ ish arms had encountered ia America. The
/ CoIonisls suffered dreadfuIiy at the hands Of
the French and Indians alter lhc defeat Of Brad
dock. Whole settlrmrnts were destroyed, and
many men, women and children, were crue lily
maSsacred.
The next prominent event in the history oi
Fort Duquesne, was the defeat of Major Grant,
in September, 1888, at the point known as
! Grants Hill, uow within the city limits. He
had been sent in command of eight hundred
men. 10 gain further information in regard 10
! the condition OF th, Fort, but undertaking the
! numbers within the garrison, his forces were
! attacked and routed, with a loss Of two hun
dred and seventy killed, lorty-two wounded
and himself taken prisoner. Washington, N
speaking of this engagement states that ''it w as
/ very i'll conceived. or very, ll-eXecuted
J plan perhaps both-bul it seems 10 be general
4 ly acknowledged that Major Grant exceeded
his orders"
We pass on to the successful expedition OF
! General Forbes, who arrived with 300
! Pennsylvanians, 1900 Virginans and 1000
British regulars, on the evening ol the 24th oI
November. 1856, at Turtle Greek, len miles a.
bove Fort Duquesne. A council Of var was
held here, the result of which was that it would
be imprachcable to Procred-the provisions
ard forage being exhausted. The Gener al.
upon being informed of this, swore he would
sleep in the Fort, next night, or IN worse
place About midnight, tremendous eXpIo-
SION was heard, and Forbes swore that The
French magazine had been blown up This
revived the spirits of the English and Propinci-
al soldiers. The Indians who had watched
the approach Of Forbes army, reported at th'
Fort. that they were 'ias numerous as trees II
the woods" The French, numbering abou
four hundred men, became terrified and dis
f bearlpned, and setting fire 10 their magazines
barracks, ETC., pushed off their boats, some up
and some down the river. All the improve
ments made by the French had been burnt t'
the ground, and the next morning-Noy. 25th,
Forbes army took peacrable possession OF 'h'
t important post of Fort Dcquesne, the cree
/ ton of which was the cause oi the bloody
] war;
Thus was Fort Duquesne evacnatee' an'
-Ct tbo Ohio ms tnt0 tn