The Ordway new era., 1913-07-04
InstaIlment 5

couched In terms OF unaffected cor
diality. Washington very gladly ac-
cepted. in d letter that had Just
touch of the young provincial in II.
20 elaborate and over-long was Its ex-
PLANTATION OF It's writer's delicate posi-
ton and self-respecting motives, but
with SO much more OF the proud gen
tleman and resolute man that the
smile with which Captain Orme must
have read 1t could have nothing OF
disrelish in It.
The young aide-de-camp and all the
other members OF the generals mill
tary family" found its author. at any
rate man after their own hearts
when II came to terms of intimacy
among them.
By mid-April the commander.in-
chief had brought five governors to-
gether at Alexandria, In obedience
to his call for an immediate con-
ference-William Shirley. OF Mas
sachusetts. the stout-hearted old law
yer, every inch "a gentleman and pol
itician." who had of a sudden turned
soldier to face the French, for all he
was past sixty; James De Lancey. OF
New York. astute man Of the people.
the brave and energetic Horatio
Share, Of Maryland: Robert Hunter
Morris. fresh from the latest wrangles
with the headstrong Quakers and Ger
mans OF Pennsylvania, and Robert
Dinwiddie, the busy merchant COVER /
nor of the Old Dominion. whose urgent
letters to the government at home
had brought Braddock and his regi
ments to the Potomac.
Plans were promptly agreed upon.
New York and New England. seeing
war come on apace. were astir no less
than Virginia. and in active corre-
spondence with the ministers In Lon
don. Two regiments had already been
raised and taken into the kings pay:
the militia of all the threatened col
onies were afoot: in all quarters ac
ton was expected and instant war.
To Strike at Niagara.
Governor Shirley, the council
agreed. should strike at once at Nj
agara with the kings new provincial
regiments. in the hope to cut the en-
emy's connections with their western
posts; Colonel William Johnson, the
coolheaded trader and borderer. who
had lived and thriven SO long In the
forests where the dreaded Mohawks
had their strength. should lead levy
from New England. New York and
New Jersey. to an attack upon Crown
Point, where for twenty-four years the |
French had held Champlain: and |
Lieutenant Colonel Monckton, of the |
kings regulars must take a similar
force against Beausejour in Acadia.
while General Braddock struck
straight into the western wilderness
to take Duquesne.
'Twere best to be prompt In every
part OF the hazardous business, and
Braddock turned from the conference
to push his own expedition forward
at once. After taking Fort Du-
quesne." he said to Franklin. 81 am
to proceed to Niagara: and after hav.
ing taken that. to -Frontenac. IL the
season will allow time: and I suppose
It will. for Duquesne can hardly de-
tain me above three or four days. and
then | can see nothing that can OBJ
struct my march to Niagara"
The sssacious Franklin.
ITO be sure. SIR" quietly replied the
sagacious franklin: IF you arrive
well before Duquesne with these fine
troops. 30 well provided with artillery.
the fort can probably make
but short resistance"
But there was the trouble. 'Twould
have been better. no doubt, had
route through Pennsylvania been
chosen. where cultivated farms al
ready stretched well Into the west.
with their own roads and grain and
cattle and wagons to serve an army
with; but the Virginia route had been
selected (by intrigue Of gentlemen in
.erested In the Ohio company. 1t was
hinted). and must needs be made the
best of.
There vas there. at the least, the
rough track Washingtor's men had
cut to the Great Meadows. This must
be widened and leveled for an army
'~ith Its cumbrous train of artillery.
and Its endless procession of wagons
laden with baggage and provisions. To
take two thousand men through the
dense forests with all the military
trappings and supplies of European
army would be to put. It might be,
four miles OF Its rough trail between
van and rear of the struggling line.
and 1t would be clumsy enemy, as
fighting went in the woods. who could
not cut such force into pieces-"like
thread" as Franklin said.
Tho Advance Begins.
The thing was to be attempted.
nevertheless. with stubborn British
resolution. 1t was the 10Th OF May
before all the forces intended for the
march were finally collected at Fort
Cumberland. twenty-five hundred men
in all-fourteen hundred regulars.
now the recruits were in; nearly five
hundred Virginians. horse and foot;
two Independent companies from New
York: and small force OF sailors