The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1895-07-05


Fort Cumberland and commenced his
memorauie tut Inflated march Of over
one hundred and thirty miles into the
elelnys county. The march over
the mountains proved tremendous
affair. Owing t. obstacles in the way,
the line of wagons and troops often eX-
tended four miles in length. Col'nel
George Washington, who was serving
under Braddock as an aide-de-camp,
was exasperated at the number OF wag-
Ons required for the baggage aud lux
uries Uf the English officers, rs back
woOds campaigning admitted only
what could be carried in small pouch.
He imagined that the men who requir-
ed 50 much for their comfort, could
hardly be efficient in the field. On
the other baud the English officers
were "dlsgusteu at the languld, spirit
less, uDsoldlerllke appearance" OF the
colonial levles, which gave little hope
of future good behavior. The tragic
sequel proved how much deceived both
parties were III rnelr estimation Of
each other
The military education of Braddock
made him over self-confident, aud
with characteristic English obstinauce,
he would Lot adopt himself " the ua-
ture of the circumstances in which he
was placed, and in this blind conf
deuce III Ills Regular Iroups, lie contiuu-
ally rejected the aid OF Indians and
backwOodsmen, acquainted with In
dian warfare, saying that he had Sex
perienced troops on whom he could re-
ly for all purposes"
Being compelled to cut his own road,
his march was exceedingly slow, ad-
vancing some days only three miles,
aud although a stranger 10 fear, he was
charged by the English government,
until not marching as if at all imra-
tient to be scalped."
During the march Washington OBJ
served enough of the British regulars
to have his confidence shaken, when it
should come to bush fighting, and he
ventured to suggest to BraddOck that
the Virginia Rangers, being accustOm.
ed to Indian warfare, might he thrown
in front. The veteran General, indig-
nant that young provincial should
presume to dictate to him, gave him
only an angry reply.
Time quickly passed, and on the
morning of July 9th, the English army
had arrived within seven miles of Fort
Du Quesne, moving in perfect order
along the banks of the Monongahela.
Washington himself declares that he
never saw anything more imposing
than the march of the army on that
bright summer morning. All were in
full dress uniform, their polished
arms glanced in the sunlight, every
movement was made with perfect pre-
cision, and the full strains of martial
music, starting the wild deer from bis
lair, broke with strange but striking ef-
feet on the solitude of the forest.
Moving forward in their splendid ar
ray, the road soon debouched into a
small bottom land, containing between
two or three acres, the larger part be-
ing bounded on the east by the Mo-
nongahela, and upon the west by
high cliff, which rose precipitately
above the bottom, and which, together
with the river, completely enclosed it.
Through this cliff, or near its centre,
ran deep gorge or ravine, the sides of
which at that date were nearly per-
pendicular, and the SUBMITS being
thick,y covered with timber, rank
grass and thickets of underwood.
Upon this cliff lay the French and In-
dian force, that had left the fort that
morning to attack the English on their
march. Both were full of confidence,
the Indians declaring that they would
shoot down the English like 80 many
pigeons" Their ambush was COM
plete one, aud in silence they awaited
the movements of their relocated foe.
The only passage for the English lay
through this ravne directly in trout of
the ford. Two companies of rangers
that were in front, crossed the river,
and suspecting no danger, entered the
mouth of the ravine. Braddock fol-
lowed in close column, and soon the
devoted army stood in the bottom al
ready mentioned, the river in their
rear, the cliff in front, and the ravine
preventing the only passaga to the
French fort through murderous am
buscade
The order was about to be given
to advance, when the quavering war
whOop was heard, and in an instant a
terrible fire was poured IN upon
them from the cliffs above, and
as the bottom was thr0nged with
English soldiers, the execution was
immense, scores going down in the
first fire. In the meantime the two
companies of rangers were more than
one hundred yards in advance and
completely buried in the gorge. Upon
hearing the firing in their rear, they
wheeled about to join the army, but a
select body of Indians rushed down
the steep sides of the ravine, and
blocked up their passage. A fierce
struggle eusued. The Indians could
not possibly give way as the banks
were too steep to admit of their retreat
IN that direction, and if they retired
through the mouth of the ravine into
the bottom below they would be in the
mldsts of the English ranks. The Vir-
ginlans We're AS equally determined to
reIoln their friends, which could only
be done over the bodies of the Indians.
and thus the gorge became the theatre
OF a battle, far more desperate than
that which ragged in the bottom or
upon the cliffs.
In these two companies of rangers
were to be found the names of MANY
who afterwards became distinguished
both in the Indian war and the reyo-
lutionary struggle. Here fought Gem
eral Lewis aud his five brothers; Col
onel Mathews, afterward distinguish
ed at Germantown, together with four
OF his brothers; Col. John Field, killed
at Point Pleasant; Col. Grant, of Ken
lucky; John Mcdowell and number
OF others, afterwards well known in
Kentucky and Virginia. The press
was too great to admit of the use of
the rifle. Knives and tomahawks were
their only weapons, and for the num-