The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1872-02-17


docks Fight.
Old and New for February contains
a large amount OF matter concerning
Washington, included in which is the
following letter, which IS said has never
before been printed:
70 the Hon. robert DiR'0iddic, Esq,
ItiItj0msbuTgh
FORT CUMBERLAND, July IL, 1855.
HONORABLE SIR As | am favored
with an opportunity, | should think
myself ineXcusable was [ TO omit giving
you some account of our late engage
meut with the French on the Monon-
gahela, the 9Th inst
/ We continued our march from Fort
| Cumberland to Frazer's (Which is with
IN seven miles of On Quesne), without
meeting any extraordinary event, hay
| ing only a straggler or two picked up
| by the French Indians. When we
came to this place we were attacked
/ very unexpectedly by about three
hundred French and Indians. Our
numbers consisted of about thirteen
| hundred well-armed men, chiefly regu-
lars, who were Immediately struck with
such an inconceivable panic, that moth
ing but confusion and disobedience of
orders prevailed among them. The
officers III general behaved with incom-
parable bravery, for which they greatly
suffered; there being nearly sixty
killed and wounded, a large proportion
out of the number We had.
The Virginia companies behaved like
men and died like soldiers for, / be-
lieve, out of the three companies that
were on the ground that day, scarce
thirty We're left alive. Captain Pev-
roune and all his officers down to a
corporal were killed. Captain Poison
of his escaped.
the regular troops $50 called) exposed
those who were inclined to do their
duty to almost certain DEATH and at
length, in spite of every effort to the
contrary, (they) broke and ran as sheep
before hounds, leaving the artillery,
ammunition, provisions, baggage, and,
in short, everything, prey to the en-
envy; and when we endeavored to rally
them in hopes of regaining the ground
and what We had left upon it, it was
with as little success as II we had at
tempted to have stopped the wild bears
| of the mountains or rivulets with our
feet for they would break by IN spite
of every effort that could be made to
prevent it.
! The General was wounded in the
! shoulder and breast, of which he died
three days after; his two aides-de-camp
were both wounded, but are in fair
way of recovering. Col. Barton and
Sir John st. Clair are also wounded,
and / hope will get over it. Sir Peter
/ Halket, with many other brave officers,
were killed in the field It is supposed
| that we had three hundred or more
| killed about that number we brought
off wounded and it is conjectred q
! believe with much TRUTH that two
thirds OF both received their shot from
/ our own cowardly regulars who gath
cred themselves into a body, contrary
| to orders, ten or twelve deep; would
/ then fire and shoot down the men be-
| fore them.
| tremble at the consequence that
this defeat may have upon our back
settlers, who, [ suppose, viii all leave
their habitatlOns, unless there are
proper measures taken for their Sc
curity
Col. Dunbar, who commands at pres
ent, intends, as soon as his men are re
united dt this place, to continue his
march to Philadelp hia for winter quar-
tiers: consequently there will be 30
men left here, unless it Is the shattered
remains Of the Virginia troops, who
are totally inadequate to the protection
Of the frontiers.
As Capt Orme is writing to you
| ( 100 no ~ If