The record-union., 1896-05-12
ROUT OF BRADDOCK'S ARMY.
HOW WASHINGTON FOUGHT UN-
DER THE BRITISH FLAG.
Sixty=Three Out of the Sixty Six
Officers of the British Force
Killed or Disabled.

On the 9th of July, at midday, they
waded the shallow Monogahela, but
eight miles from Duquesne, making a
brave show as the sun struck upon
their serried ranks, their bright uni
forms, their fiuttering banners and
their glittering arms, and went straight
path that led to the French post. Upon
sudden there came a man bounding
along the path to meet them, wearing
the gorget of a French officer, and the
forest behind him swarmed with great
host of but half-discovered men. Upon
signal given, these spread themselves
to right and left within the shelter of
the forest, and from their covert poured
a deadly fire upon Braddock's adVanc-
ing lines. With good British pluck the
steady regulars formed their accus-
toned ranks, crying, God save the
Kingl" to give grace to the volleys they
sent back into the forest; the ordnance
was brought up and swung to its work;
all the force pressed forward to take
what place it could in the fight; but
where was the use? Washington be-
sought General Braddock to scatter his
men too, and meet the enemy under
cover as they came. but he would not
listen. They must stand in ranks, as
they were hidden, and take the fire of
their hidden foes like men, without
breach Of discipline. When they would
have broken in spite of him, in their
panic at being slaughtered there in
the open glade without sight of the
enemy, Braddock beat them back with
his sword, and bitterly cursed them for
towards. He would have kept the Vir-
ginians, too, back from the covert if he
could, when he saw them seek to close
with the attacking party in true forest
fashion. AS it was, they were as often
shot down by the terror stricken regu-
lars behind them as by their right foes
in front They alone made any head in
the fight; but who could tell in such a
place how the battle Jared? No one
could count the enemy where they
sprang from covert to covert They
Were in fact, near a thousand strong
at the first meeting in the way-more
than six hundred Indians, a motley
host gathered from far and near at the
summons of the French, seven-score
Canadian rangers, seventy odd regulars
from the fort, and thirty or forty
French officers, come out of sheer
eagerness to have a hand in the daring
game. ContrecOeur could not spare
more Frenchmen from his little garri-
son, his connections at the lakes being
threatened, and he sorely straitened for
men and stores. He was stalking every
thing, as it was, upon this encounter on
the way. If the English should shake
the savages off, as he deemed they
would, he must no doubt withdraw as
he could ere the lines of siege were
closed about him. He never dreamed
Of such largess of good fortune as came
pouring in upon him
The English We're not only checked.
but beaten. They had never seen busi-
ness like this. Twas pitifui, shame
ful slaughter-men shot like beasts in
a pen there where they covered close
in their scarlet ranks. Their first blaz-
ing volleys had sent the craven Cana
dians scampering back the way they
had come; Beaujeu, who led the attack,
was killed almost at the first onset; but
the gallant youngsters who led the
motley array Wavered never an instant.
easy work. Washington did all that
furious energy and reckless courage
could do to keep the order of battle
his commander had SO madIy chosen,
to hold the regulars to their blind work
and hearten the Virginians to stay the
threatened rout, driving his horse every
where into the thick Of the murderous
firing, and crying upon all alike to keep
to it steadily like men. He had but
yesterday rejoined the advance. hav-
ing for almost two weeks lain stricken
with a fever in Dunbar's camp He
could hardly sit his cushioned saddle
for weakness when the fight began:
but when the blaze of the battle burst.
his eagernesS was suddenly like that
of one possessed, and his Immunity
from harm like that of one charmed.
Thrice a horse was shot under him.
many bullets cut his clothing. but he
went without a wound A like mad
energy drove Braddock storming nm
and down the breaking lines; but he was
mortally stricken at last, and Washing
ton alone remained to exercise such
control as was possible when the newt
able rout came
1t was impossible to hold the ground
in such fashion. The stubborn Rrad
dock himself had ordered a retreat ere
the fatal bullet found him. Sixtv-three
out of the eightysix officers of his force
were killed or disabled; less than five
hundred men of all the thirteen hun
dred who had but just now passed so
gallantly through the ford remained
unhurt; the deadly slaughter must have
gone on to utter destruction Retreat
was inevitable-'twas blessed good for
tune that it was still possible. When
once it began it was headlong. reckless
frenzied The men ran wildly. blindIv
as if hunted by demons whom NO mon
might hope to resist-haunted bv tbe
frightful cries, maddened by the search
ing and secret fire of their foes now
coming hot upon their heels. Wounded
comrades, military stores, baggage.
their very arms, they left upon the
ground, abandoned. Far into the niebt
they ran madly on, in frantic search
for the camp of the rear division crv-
ing, as they ran. for help; thev even
passed the camp in their uncomfortable
terror of pursuit, and went desnera talv
on towards the settlements. Washing
ton and the few officers and provinc;aIs
"ho ScoihSu the telrof lound the ut
most difficulty in bringing off their
stricken General, where he lay wishing
to die. Upon the fourth day after the
battle he died, loathing the sight of a
redcoat, they said, and murmur;np
praises of the blues" the once de-
spised Virginians. They buried bis
body in the road. that the army wagons
might pass over the place and obliterate
every trace of a grave their savage
enemies might rejoice to find and desc