New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-10-06
BATTLES LONG AGO
BRITISH DEEDS ON AMERICAN SOIL.
THE FIGHT WITH FRANCE FOR NORTH
AMERICA BY A G. Bradley. Octave, Ip XIV
100 Z. p. Duttou o - -


portant, that were waged on American soil be-
fore the Revolutionary War He calls It an i'm,
poEtan. part of the most glorious and epoch
making struggle IN which England was ever en-
gagged It eliminated in the rise to power Of
Pitt after the hopelessly Intellectual direction of
Ens!ands affairs by Newcastle and its success
ful outcome was largely his work. Mr. Bradley
writes for English readers. TO only compare
uvey small circle of whom, he says. the
Fascinating pages of the brilliant American
Francis Par2-nan," known. He has made
no new contribution to the history of which he
writes; but he has given excellent view Of
the period a connected whole. in a singh
volume.
The peace OF AiX-la-ChapelIe witnessed the
beginning of the French policy to strengthen the
French influence in Canada and confine the ter
ritory Of England TO the strip Of Atlantic Coast
occupied by the thirteen colonies. While these
colonies were kept apart by narrow views and
diYerging interests, the French possessions were
ruled by a single mind and We're animated by a
single purpose, 10 an appreciation OF which the
English settlers We're aroused only tardily and
with difficulty 1t is z familiar story how Cap
tain de Celoron in 1919 started out on his expe-
dit!on to establish me French claims in the Ohio
Valley with his ieaden plates for burial in the
ground and his tin shields for mailing upon the
trees proclaimng the dominion of Louis XIV.
Three years later came DuqU5 snes fort-building
expedition to the same territory. which sounded
the first note Of alarm to the more far-see.ng
Of the English colonial governors. OF these one
Was Dinwddie Of Virginia, and the notable eX-
ped:tio-s OF the young George Washington. TO
protest verbally and 20 attempt occupation
a the site Of Pittsburg. We're the first Tangible
efforts u oppose he invading Frenchmen 1t
was his Yolley d The Grsa Meadows. that young
Vireinian's in the backWoods Of America. as
Horace Walpole said. that set the world on
fir" But there was still aVowed purpose OF !
war and the troops that the English Govern
rIeut dispatched 10 America in 1914 were only
for protection: though the French did not omit
at the same time TO send considerable force 10
Canada. Nj Bradley would do his part toward
correcting the view Of Braddock long held as
authentic That soldiers name and fame, he
thinks. haYo been sacrificed to picturesque ef-
feet. The American portrait Of him as the typi-
cal re1coat Of the HanoNerian period-"burly
brutal laundering, blasphemousi but happily al
ways and without a dissentlent note, brave
tones down amazingly when one comes TO hard
fact. He was the first British general TO con-
duct considerable campaign in a remote will
cerness and had neither precedents nor expert
ence TO guide him. He got little help from the
colonies in transport and cOmmissariat. There
was no general misgiying to the ability Of
the redcoats to meet the French and Indians in
the heart Of the forest, and Braddock, as a Eu-
ropean soldier. would not have been human had
he RETAINED from critcisng the motley pro-
vinciaI troops when he saw them. AS for the
charge that Rraddock despised the help Of Ind
ian allies il appears that he never had chance
10 reject it in any substantial form. Fever
than sixty warriors came his service; less
than a dozen went through with him scouts.
Even the dying hours of the gallant bulldog
have been made the theme of much fancltul dla-
J. que and garnished with fictitious utteranceS OF
ss,irf at the disaster and reTnorSe Tor ms sup
posed obstinacy and rashness. Ihat ne t"lce
mid 70 arrest the stampede and then took meas
ures for the comfort Of the wounded Is all thal
We know for certain Of his LIST hours
The reconquest Of Nova Scotia, one Of the ef-
fects of the disaster that befel Braddock and
the immediate action Of the colonists against
the French give Mr.. Bradley another oppor-
tilnitv TO attack some Of the legends Of history
The Acadians had long been dangerous ele-
rnent an ignorant and Wretched people constant
~ tempered with by the French. Profiers OF
protection by the English authorities in return
for the oath Of allegiance had been peTslstently
neglected: and now finding them more hostlIe
than eyer and persistently refusing the oppor-
tunity given them to come under the British IN
Guence the patience Of the British authorities
gave out Lawrence, Governor Of Nova Scotla'
though eminentiy a just man. was not quite 50
soft hearted as some of his predecessors he
declared the recalcitrant Acadians no longer