The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1913-04-22

in high judicial tone. that the French
have built q fort at the place called
French Greek, at a considerable dis
lance from the river Ohio, which may,
but does not by any evidence or In
formation appear to us to be, an In
vasion Of any Of his majesty's colo
MES"
The governors Of the other colonies
whose safety was most directly men,
aced by the movements>of the French
In the west were thus even less able
to act than Dinwlddie. For the Vir-
ginia burgesses. though they would
not yield the point Of the fee upon
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
a sum Of money.
A Regiment Raised.
II 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,
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
cipllne. Twas astonishing how
steady and how spirited they showed
themselves when once they had shak-
en- their lethargy off 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 a clearing
and set to work upon a fort at the
forks of the Ohio; but 1t 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 1t was too late to
checkmate the French. The little
force sent forward to begin fortifica-
tions had set about their task very
sluggishly and without skill, and
their commander had turned back
again with some of his men to re.
join the forces behind him before the
petty works he should have stayed to
finish were we'll 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 truce till he could CON-
lunicate with his superiors, but the
French commander would brook no
delay. The boy might either take his
men off free and unhurt, or else fight
and face sheer destruction; and the
nearest succor was little force of $50
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.
SSsond in Command.
The governors plans had been al
tered by the assembly's vote of money
and the additional levy of men which
it made possible. Col. John Fry,
whom Dipwiddie deemed "a man of
good sense, and one of our best math-
ematicians." had been given the CON-
mand in chief, and Washington had
been named his second in command,
with the rank OF lieutenant colonel.
Dear George" wrote Mr.. Corbin Of
the Governors council. II enclose you
your commission. God prosper you
with it," and the brunt Of the work
in fact fell upon the younger man.
But 300 volunteers could be got
ten together; and, all too late. half
OF the raw levy were sent forward
under Washington to find or make a
way for wagons and ordnance to the
Ohio. The last days of May we're
almost at hand before they had cross.
ed the main ridge of the Alleghenies,