The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1892-06-28
Judge Peters "reminiscences.
Continued from last weekly

nothing, and Virginia determined to
protect her rights by the force ofa
She sent out in 1854 small military
force under Col. Washington. He
led them by the same way he had
gone the year before, marching
towards Pittsburg. When he heard
that body of French and Indians
were advancing to attack him, he de-
termined to anticipate them by sur
prise attack on party of French and
Indians under De Jumonville, which
he did successfully, and their COM
mander fell in the action. Being
scarce of ammunition, he then re-
treated to a place called the Great
Meadows, where he threw up some
intrenchments. Here large force of
the enemy appeared and made Wig
orous attack ON him. On the 18th of
July he was forced to surrender for
want of powder. This disaster did
not weaken the confidence of his
countrymen in Col. Washington's
skill and efficiency, but it created in
tense excitement in Virginia against
their foes, and it was little less in
England when the news reached
there. The question was "Shall the
English flag go down before the lilies
of France. with the loss ofihalf CONT
nent?" This disaster was not caused
by the French alone, but they had the
Indians to aid them, besides, the
preparations on the. part of England
and Virginia were wholly inadequate
for the campaign, and yet, while
England seemed determined to take
steps to repair the loss, she committed
an egregrious error in the selection of
Gen. Edward Braddock as the COM
mander of her forces to be sent
against her foes. Gen. Braddock was
brave soldier, but bluff of manner,
obstinate, with an over-running opin-
ion of his own capacity, great conf
dence in regular troops, and none in
the ragged provincials, as he called
the Americans never rejecting that
these proyincials, from their expert
ence and knowledge of the mode of
warfare of the Indians, were more
to be relied upon in a conflict with
Indians than his regulars.
Gen. Braddock, upon their arrival,
ordered his English troops to be quar-
tered in Alexandria, Va, and first
sought an interview with Gen. Din
widdie, then Governor of Virginia, at
Williamsburg, after which he pro-
ceeded to the quarters of his English
troops where he remained until April,
1865, when he was met by the Gov
ernors OF New York, Massachusetts,,
Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia
to consult upon the plan of operation,
which was soon agreed upon. The
colonies named were to furnish 1000
soldiers (militia), OF provincials, as the
General pleased to call them, making
an army of about 1000, to be COM
manded by Gen. Braddock, and the
most, if not the only sensible thing the
General did during this critical Pc
riod Of his life, was to invite Col.
Washington to accompany him as a
member of his staff. Washington &C.
copied the invitation and thus be-
came an actor in the disaster. Gen.
Braddock promised to march to Fort
Duquesne and capture it before it
could be REINFORCED, and gave it as
his opinion that on seeing the Kings
regulars the fort would surrender
without resistance, thence he would
march to Fort Niagara, thence to Fort
Frontenac, both of which he did not
doubt would capitulate without re-
sistance, but, if not, he would capture
them in three or four days. He would
then reduce all the strongholds of the
French towards the lakes and by
autumn the English would be masters
of all North America south of the st
Lawrence.
Capt. Jack Ashby was elected and
commissioned captain of company
raised in Virginia for the campaign,
and marched with and acted his part
in the tragic scene which closed Gen.
Braddock's military career and his
life. In May, 1866, Gen. Braddock
ordered his forces to be rendezvoused
at Wells Creek-now Cumberland
on the Upper Potomac, and the latter
part of that month he set out after
them in his elegant English coach.
The army set out from Cumberland
In the first days of lima 1755 TIL