The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1913-05-13

ran madly on, IN frantic search for the
camp of the rear division. crying. as
they ran, for help; they even passed
the camp, in their uncomfortable ter
ror of pursuit, and went desperately
on toward the settlements.
Washington and the few officers and
provincials who scorned the terror
found the utmost difficulty In bringing
on their stricken general, where hs
lay wishing to die. Upon the fourth
day after the battle he died, loathing
the sight Of . redcoat, they said, and
murmuring praises Of "the blues" the
once despised virginians. They buried
his body in the road, that the army
wagons might pass over the place and
obliterate every trace Of q grave their
savage enemies might rejoice to find
and desecrate.
"A Craven Commander.
He had lived to reach Dunbar's
camp, but not to see the end Of the
shameful rout. The terror mastered
the rear guard. too They destroyed
their artillery, burned their wagons
and stores, emptied their powder into
the streams, and themselves broke in
to disordered feverish retreat which
was mere fight, their cravan COM
mander shamefully acquiescing. He
would not even hold or rally them at
Fort Cumberland, but went on, as If
upon hurried errand, all the way to
Philadelphia. leaving the fort, and
all the frontier with it, "to be de.
Tended by invalids and few Vir.
ginians."
Il acknowledge" cried Dinwiddle, 81
was not brought up to arms; but l
think common sense would have pre-
vailed not to leave the frontier expos
ed after having opened road over
the mountains to the Ohio, by which
the enemy can the more easily invade
us. The whole conduct Of Colonel
Dunbar seems to be monstrous." And
so, indeed it was.
But the colonies at large had little
time to think of it. Governor Shirley
had gone against Niagara only to find
the French ready for him at every
point, now that they had read Brad
docks papers, taken at Duquesne, and
to come back again without doing any
thing. Beausejour had been taken in
Acadia, but it lay apart from the main
field of struggle. Johnson beat the
French off at Lake George when they
attacked him, and took Dieskau, their
commander; but he contented himself
with that, and left Crown Point un-
touched. There were other frontiers
besides those of Virginia and Pennsyl.
vania to be looked to and guarded.
Three Years Of French Success.
For three long years did the for
tunes of the English settlements go
steadily from danger to desperation.
as the French and their savage allies
advanced from victory to victory. In
1856 Oswego was taken; in 1857, Fort
William Henry. Commander succeed
ed commander among the English,
only to add 5lunder to blunder, failure
to failure.
And all the while it fell to Washing
ton, Virginia's chief stay in her des-
perate trouble. to stand steadfastly to
the hopeless work of keeping three
hundred and fifty miles Of frontier
with afew hundred men against prowl-
ing bands of savages, masters Of the
craft of swift and secret attack, dex-
ferrous at skulking." in a country
mountainous and full of swamps and
hollow ways covered with woods"
For twenty years now settlers had
been coming steadily into this wilder
ness that lay up and down upon the
nearer slopes Of the great mountains
Germans, Scots-Irish, a hard breed.
Their settlements lay scattered far
and near among the foothills and val
leys. Their men were valiant and
stout-hearted, quick with the rifle.
hard as flint when they were once
a1oor to revenge themselves for muir
dered wives and children and COM
-'ades.
But how could they, scattered as
they were, meet these covert sallies
in the dead of night-a sudden rush of
men with torches. the keen knife. the
quick rifle? The country filled with
fugitives, for whom Washingtons mi
litiamen could find neither food nor
shelter
Washington's Tender Heart.
THE supplicating tears of the wom-
en-, and moving petitions of the
men,. cried the young commander,
melt me into such deadly sorrow that
I solemnly declare, if know my own
mind, could offer myself a willing
sacrifice to the butchering enemy,
provided that would contribute to the
peoples ease. I would be a
willing Offering to save fury, and die
by inches to save people"
1t was a comfort to know, at least,
that he was trusted and believed in.
The Burgesses had thanked him under
the very stroke of Braddock's defeat,
in terms which could not be doubted
sincere. In the very thick of his deep
troubles, when he would have guarded
the helpless people of the border, but
could not, Colonel Fairfax could send
him word from Williamsburg, "Your
good health and fortune are the toast
at every table, "Our Colonel wrote
a young comrade in arms. lis an ex-