Willmar tribune., 1906-06-27

Sd OF July his scouts brought intelli-
gence OF the advance of the French.
Meanwhile the French and Indians,
under the command of Coulon de Vii
liers, had been holding a grand pow
WOW at Fort Duquesne. The French
father" had supplied his children lib
orally with firearms and the where
withal to eat and drink. = '"'@
The braves after consuming several
oxen and drinking two barrels of wine,
had expressed their willingness to
march against the English and drive
them across the Alleghenies.
- De Villiers set out on this expedi-
tion. The way through the forest was
a difficult one, and before they reached
Fort Necessity rain began to fall heav-
lily. But the French pressed on, and
before noon Of the Sd of July they
were firing upon Washington's de-
fenses.
Their position was such, being upon
higher ground, on two slight eleva-
tions, and well sheltered by trees and
bushes, that they could cross their
fire upon the fort and enfilade a. por-
tion Of 1t, without themselves" being
exposed to much injury from the Eng
lish.
The rain continued all that day and
night, but the combatants fought on.
Wash1ngton's men stood knee deep in
the mud and water. Twice the fusil-
aiding partially subsided, and besieged
and beleaguered gazed sullenly at each
other through the thin gauze of mist
and rain.
At a little after nine o'clock in the
evening the French commander called
out for a parley. Washington's fear
OF treachery led him to ignore the pro-
posal at first, but his position was so
desperate that he complied the second
time.
Capt. Vanbraam, Dutchman. the
only person in his troop who could
talk French, was sent to De Villier's
camp.
/ After a long preliminary talk the
Frenchman wrote his terms of sur
render by the flaring light Of a pine
knot, the rain drops spattering upon
the paper and rendering the writing
almost illegible.
The terms permitted Washington
and his men to march out with the
honors of war, retaining their arms.
stores and baggage.
Washington signed the paper be-
tween midnight and one o'clock. and
the rest of the night passed quietly.
though the men remained under arms.
AT dawn of the Fourth of July the
Great Meadows presented an animated
scene. The morning was fair, and the
sun shone brightly over the damn
green forests and the lofty ridge OF
Laurel Hill.
The horses and cattle belonging to
the garrison had all been killed. and
:burdened by the sick and wounded
whom they carried on their backs. the
English were obliged to leave most of
their baggage and cannons behind.
Slowly they filed out of the fort and
began their slow and wearisome march
for Wills Greek, the nearest English
station, 81 miles over the Allegheates.
Sad must have been the heart If
Washington as he surveyed the scene.
All his hopes Of military glory seemed
blighted in the bud, but whatever NAV
have been his feelings, no word of
complaint or anger escaped his lips.
Without any doubt, however, it was
the darkest and most miserable morn
ing in his life. .s@ -.
He could not foresee the future. bnt
on that other day, when the bell. on
the state house at Philadelphia waa
proclaiming the Declaration of Inde-
pendence far and wide, and jubtlant
crowds were shouting and throwing
up their hats at the glad tidings there
of, Washington must have thought Of
! the time when he left the walls Of
Fort Necessity, a defeated man and 4
fugitive Golden Days. %:...