Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-07-07

characteristic practical good sense:
ITO be su,c, sir, if you arrive
well before Duquesue with your hue
troops, so well provided with artillery,
the tort, though completely fortified
aud assisted with a very strong garri'
son. can make but short resistance.
The only danger | epprehend of oh
strnc,ion 10 your march is from am
buscades of the Indians, who, by con-
slant practice. are deXterous i'll laying
| aud executing them and the slender
lice, nearly four miles long, which
your army must make, may expose 1t
to be attacked d by surprise on lis TANKS,
and to be cut like thread into several
pieces which froGI their distance cannot
come ;up in time 10 support on9 an-
other" Says Franklin He smiled at
nv ignorapce and replied. These
savages mYy indeed be formidable
enemy to raw American militia, but up
on the Kings regular and disciplined
troops, SIR, it Is impossible they should
mike an impression.
1t was the expectation of the COM
nanders Of the regulars TO be- able TO
recruit the two regiments on landing to
their full complement from Virginia en-
listments, but they ound this impossi-
b 9 on account OF the extreme severity
of heir regulations and The provincials
already organized under the acls of the
general assembly were unwilling to
leave their company commands. They
were anxious and ready to serve in the
war but they desired that provnclals
should be their commissioned officers.
They cared not for the snowy uniforms
of the regulars, although their own
course and ill-itting suits of homespun
put them into ridiculous contrast with
them and made them the butts of uD-
pleasant tests and insinuations.
The spring was now wearing on
Braddock was impatient to get his
troops away from the demoralizing in
huences of the town, and begin his
triumphal march. The artillery had all
all been brought up from Williamsburg
and Fredericksburg. The militia was
equipped and everything was ready for
the moving of the expedition.
The objective point of this expedition
was the Ohio river more than two hun
dred miles distant, with au almost un-
broken wilderness intervening, with
swollen streams to ford and rugged bills
and mountains to toll over.
On the morning of April 11th six
| companies of the 44th bade adieu to
the ease and comforts of their camp
life by the Potomac, sIung their KNAPP
sacks and took up their line of march
toward the mountains. Their way was
out of King stic-t and over the old In
dian trail, or Kings highway, now
known as the LeesDurg turnpike. Con-
solidated with these regulars of the
filth were the two independent New
York companies Of Capt. Rutherford
and Capt. Gates, numbering 80 men
each; Capt. Poisons company of car
pente1 =, numbering 80; Capt. Peroyne's
Virginia rangers, numbering so; Capt.
Wagner's rangers, numbering 80, and
Capt. Dagworthy's Maryland rangers,
numbering 80, total of 500. Capt.
Gage with four companies was left be-
hind to escort the artillery, but follow
ed soon after by the same route and the
entire regiment reported at Winchester
few days alter. Col. Dunoard q
regiment, the 4Sth, did not leave camp
until April 18th.
Their route was first to a point oppo-
site to Rock Creek. Here they were
ferried over the river to the Mary
land shore. Thence they marched to
Frederick and on to Cumberland. With
these regnlars were consolidated Capt.
Demeri, : company of South Carolina
troops, 100 men; Capt. Dobb's North
Carolina troops, 100 mer; Capt. Mer-
GERS carpenters, 30 men; Capt. Stevens
Virginia rangers, 30 men; Capt. Hoggs
Virginia rangers, % men. and Capt.
Cox's Virginia rangers, 80 men. These
troops conveyed the fixed ammunition
military and hospital stores.
w. H. s.
CONCLUDED next week.