The Plymouth Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1878-1901, 1901-07-11

ucIS, WILL WlllCu duSNcl w dSu-
ington had to return to Vir ginia.
The French retaliated by order
ing the English traders to go
back to the eastern side of the
Alleghanies and TO keep out of
the dominion belonging torrance
Slightly more than a year after
Washington return from his
mission to Fort Verango smould
ering embers famed into open
warfare and the destiny of
America hung upon its issue.
The war was not confined to the
forests of America, but its first
gun was fired on the banks of
Newfoundland and its ravaging
storm swept Europe and Asia
before the fatal battle of Wolfe
and Montcalm on the heights of
Abraham forced peace.
Sammy Johns cabin was not
in the disputed territory, for he
was hundred miles east of the
backbone of the Alleghanies. but
the country round about him was
infested by hordes ofIndians who,
if not friendly to the French,
were angered at the aggressions
of the English. The important
and exciting news that he learned
on the evening of his arrival at
Carlisle with Angus was that
Captain Trent, leading a detach-
ment of Virginia rangers, had
been unsuccessful in an attempt
to establish a fort at the junction
of the Allegheny and Mononga-
hela, having been driven away by
hosts of French and Indians who
had descended the river from
Venango; that Washington, with
similar small body of backwoods
troops, had been halted in an eff
fort to support Trent and had, on
adark and stormy night, brilliant
ly surprised a French reconnoi-
tering party lurking in rocky
glen and captured them, but was
compelled to retire to Great
Meadows, just over the mountain
ridge; that here he had been at
tackled in his entertainments by a
force of nine hundred French and
Indians and had defended himself
through a whole day and into
the night, but was forced by lack
of supplies to surrender and was
permitted to return to Virginia;
and that the Indians all along the
frontiers were very much excited
by these events and their attitude
toward the English seemed quite
unfriendly everywhere. A wave
of uneasiness was passing east
ward from the border and its dis
turbance reached almost tOPhila-
delphia before it subsidized.
Sammy John went over to the
fort that evening and had a long
consultation with the lieutenant
in command. returning with that
self satisfied young officers as
surance that Carlisle was entirely
safe in his hands, but with re
served opinion that more troops
and a stronger building
would be more reassur-
ing than the officer seem
ed willing to admit. Neverthe-
less, with the morrow he and
Angus began their preparations
for the seasons business opera
tions and they were very happy
together. There was very much
for bright and wide-eyed boy
to see and learn in an exposed
frontier town in those days, and
Angus stored his memory with
tales of exciting adventure that
his children and his children's
children heard eagerly long aft.
err. Of course Angus was faith
full to his new master and he
grew and expanded under the
genial influences about him ano
readily drew to himself the warm
affections of the rough back
woodsmen and theil; families as
well as the reckless soldiers al
the fort. There was much to do
for Sammy John drove a thirty
ing trade with the settlers, the
rowing fur traders and the Indi
ans themselves, and there was
much merchandise to be meas
ured out and many packs OF skins
to be counted in. With all his
work and his new and strange
experiences the boy never ceds'
ed to long for the coming of the
letter from home that he never
doubted would reach him in the
fall or winter.
AS the long summer passed
the Indians about Carlisle and
throughout the Susquehanna
valley increased in restlessness
and hostility to the whites.
These Indians were Delawares,
whose ng-established friendli
ness for the French was inteusi
fed by the belief that their an
Gent oppressors, the Isoquois
were inclined to an English ALI
ance and by the further fac
that the English settlers and
traders as a rule treated then
with fierce and contemptuous
cruelty and when demonstrated
with for encroaching upon the
Indian hunting grounds replied