Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1913-04-09

80. 5v
A Ragged Regiment.
land grants, did not mean to leave
Major Washington in the lurch, and
before an expedition could be got
afoot had come together again to vote
q sum Of money.
A Regiment Raised.
1t would be possible with the sum
they appropriated to put 800 or 400
men into the field; and as spring
drew on, raw volunteers began to gath
er in some numbers at Alexandria-a
ragged regiment, made up for the most
part of idle and shiftless men, who
did not always have shoes, or even
shirts, OF their own to wear; anxious
to get their eight-pence a day. but
not anxious to work or submit to dis.
cipline. Twas astonishing how
steady and how spirited they showed
themselves when once they had shak-
en- their lethargy of and were on
the march or face to face with the
enemy.
A body of woodsmen had been
hurried forward in February, ere
spring had opened, TO make clearing
and set to work upon a fort at the
forks of the Ohio; but it was the I'd
of April before men enough could be
collected at Alexandria TO begin the
main movement towards the frontier,
and by that time it was too late to
checkmate the French. The little
force sent forward to begin fortiica-
tions had set about their task very
sluggishIy and without skill, and
their commander had turned hack
again with some of his men to re-
join the forces behind him before the
petty works he should have stayed to
finish were well begun.
Compelled to Surrender
When. therefore, on the 18th OF
April, the river suddenly filed with
canoes bearing an army of more than
500 Frenchmen, who put cannon
ashore. and summoned the 40 men
who held the place to surrender, or
be blown into the water, there was no
choice but to comply. The young en-
sign who commanded the little gar
rison urged a truce till he could com.
municate with his superiors, but the
French commander would brook nc
delay. The boy might either take his
men of free and unhurt, or else fight
I and face sheer destruction; and the
nearest succor was a little force of 15(
/ men under Colonel Washington, who
/ had not yet topped the Alleghanies in
/ their painful work of cutting a way
! through the forests for their field
/ pieces and wagons.
Second in Command.
! The governors plans had been al
7 tered by the assembly's vote of none!
/ and the additional levy OF men which
3 it made possible. Col. John Fry
I whom Dinwiddie deemed "a man o
good sense, and one of our best math
ematiclans' had been given the com
mand in chief, and Washington haC
been named his second in command
4 with the rank of lieutenant colonel
Dear George" wrote Mr.. Corbin o
the Governors council, Il enclose yol
your commission. God prosper yo'
with it," and the brunt of the worl
in fact fell upon the younger man.
a Sgt 300 volunteers could be go'
ten together; and, all too late, hal
OF the raw levy were sent forwaT'
under Washington to find or make
way for wagons and ordnance to tn
Ohio. The last days of May wer
almost at hand before they had cross
ed the main ridge OF the 'Alleghenies
! so inexperienced were they in tn
rough labor OF cutting road througl
the closeset growth and over tn
sharp slopes of the mountains, and s
i'll equipped; and By that time it wa
already 100 late by a full month an
more to forestall the French, VIII
had Only 70 follow the open highwa
of the Allegheny to bring what fore
they would to the key Of the ives
at the forks of the Ohio.
Build Fort Duquesne.
AS the spring advanced, the Frenc
) force upon the river grew from 90
, TO 1,400 men, and work was pushe
, rapidly forward upon fertilization
! such as the little band Of Englishme
8 they had ousted had not thought {
7 attempting veritable fort, albeit {
rude frontier pattern. which il
r builders called Duquesne. in honor
their governor.
; Washington could hit upon no VI
: ter course that would AFFORD hi
quick transport; 'twould have bee
T folly. besides, to take his handful
( ragged proyincials into the presene
Of an intrenched army. He was fai
1 to go into camp at Grand Meadow
! Just across the ridge Of the mountain
|. and there await his colonel with su
!, plies and an additional handful
: men