The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1913-05-13
(coNTINUED.)
To Strike at Niagara.

regiments, in the hope to cut the en-
emy's connections with their western
posts; Colonel William Johnson, the
cool-headed trader and borderer, who
had lived and thriven so long in the
had their strength, should lead a levy
from New England, New York and
New Jersey, to an attack upon Crown
Point, where for twenty-four years the
French had held Champaign; 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, II am
to proceed to Niagara; and after hav.
ing taken that, to Frontenac, If the
season will allow time; and 1 suppose
it will, for Duquesne can hardly de-
tain me above three or four days; and
then I can see nothing that can OBJ
struct my march to Niagara"
The Sagaeious Franklin.
ITO be sure, sir" quietly replied the
sagacious Franklin; "if you arrive
well before Duquesne with these fine
troops, SO well provided with artillery,
the fort can probably make
but short resistance"
But there was the trouble. 'Twould
have been better, no doubt, had a
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
terested in the Ohio company, it was
hinted), and must needs be made the
best of.
There was there, at the least, the
rough track Washington's men had
cut to the Great Meadows. This must
be widened and leveled for an army
with it's 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.
The Advance Begins.
The thing was to be attempted,
nevertheless, with stubborn British
resolution. It 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
from the transports to rig tackle for
the ordnance when there was need on
the rough way. And it was the 10th
OF June when the advance began,
straight into that. realm of forests
ancient as the world" that lay with
out limit upon all the western ways"
5raddock Mischief Breeder.
It was a thing Of infinite difficulty
to get that numbering train through
the tangled wilderness, and it kept
the temper Of the truculent Braddock
very hot to see how it played havoc
with every principle and practice of
campaigning he had ever heard of.
He charged the colonists with an ut
ter want alike of honor and of hon.
esty to have kept him so long await
ing the transportation and supplies
they had promised, and to have done
so little to end with, and SO drew
Washington into frequent disputes,
maintained with warmth on both
sides; but the difficulties of the
march presently wrought a certain
forest change upon him, and disposed
him to take counsel of his young Vir-
ginian aide-the only man in all his
company who could speak out of
knowledge in that wild country.
On the 18th, at Washington's ad-
vice, he took twelve hundred men
and pressed forward with lightened
train to quicker advance, leaving
Colonel Dunbar to bring up the rest
of the troops with the baggage Even
this lightened force halted ito level
every mole-hill, and to erect bridges
over every brook" as Washington
chafed to see. and "were four days in
getting twelve. miles; but the pace
was better than before, and brought
them at last almost to their destina-
ton.
Surprised by the Enemy.
On the 9th Of July, at midday, they
waded the shallow Monongahela, but
eight miles from Duquesne, making q
brave show as the sun struck upon
their gerried ranks, their bright uni
forms, their fiuttering banners, and
their glittering arms, and went
straight into the rough and Swallowed
forest path that led to the French
post.
Upon sudden there came a man
bounding along the path to meet them,