The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1913-04-11

and there await his colonel with sup
niles and an additional handful Of
men.
Becomes Comander-ln-Chlef.
It was "a charming field for an en-
counter" the young commander
thought, but 1t was to be hoped the
enemy would not find their way to
it in too great numbers. An I'm
dependent Company" of provincials in
the kings pay Joined him out of South
Carolina, whence they had been sent
forward by express orders from Eng
land and the rest of the Virginia vol
unteers at last came up to join their
comrades at the Meadows-without
good Colonel Fry, the doughty mathe-
matician, who had sickened and died
on the way-so that there were pres
emily more than 800 men at the camp,
and Washington was now their com
mander.
The officers of the Independent COM
pany from South Carolina, holding
their commissions from the king,
would not, indeed, take their orders
from Washington, with his colonial
commission merely; and, what was
worse, their men would not work;
but there was no doubt they would
fight with proper dignity and spirit for
his majesty, their royal master. The
first blood had already been drawn, on
the 28th of May, before reinforce
ments had arrived, when Washington
-
Wasnlngton's FIRST Fight.
Upon the morning of that day Wash
ington, with 40 men, guided by friend
ly Indians, had come upon a party of
some 80 FtGnchmen where they lurk-
ed deep within the thickets of the
dripping forest, and with thrust of
bayonet when the wet guns failed, had
brought them to a surrender within
Is minutes of the first surprise.
No one III the Virginia camp doubt
ed that there was war already, or
dreamed of awaiting the action Of
diplomats and cabinets over the sea.
The French had driven an English
garrison from the forks of the Ohio
with threats of force, which would
certainly have been executed had
there been need These men hidden in
the thickets at Great Meadows would
have it, when the fight was over
that they had come as messengers
merely to bear a peaceful summons
but did it need so odd armed men t.
bear a message?
Why had they lurked for five days
so stealthily in the forest; and why
had they sent runners back post haste
Ito Fort Duquesne to obtain support
I'or their diplomacy? Washington
might regret that young NJ Jumon
Iville, their commander, had lost his
life in the encounter, but he had
Ino doubt he had done right to order
Ibis men to fire when he saw the
lFrench spring for their arms at the
first surprise.
Now, at any rate, war was unques-
tionably begun. That sudden volley
fired in the wet woods at the heart OF
the lonely Alleghanies had set the
final struggle ablaze. 1t was now eth
er French or English in America; it
could no longer be both. Jumonvillel
with his 80 Frenchmen, was followed
ere many weeks were out by Coulon
de ViIIiers with 700-some of them
came all the way from Montreal at
news OF what had happened to
Frances lurking ambassadors in the
far-away mountains of Virginia.
On the Sd of July they closed to
an encounter at Fort Necessity,
Washington's rude intrenchments un
derthe Great Meadows. There were
three hundred and fifty English
men with him able to fight, spite
of sickness and short rations; anC
as the enemy began to show
themselves at the edges of the
neighboring woods through the damn
mists of that dreary morning, Wash
ington drew his little force up outside
their works upon the open meadow.
He Thought the French woult
come up to him in open field laugh
ed willy Indian, who gave him coun
sci freely but no aid in the fight: bu
Villiers had no mind to meet the gal
liant young Virginian in that mani,
IdSntOu. OilC6s AiQSSu, thSI iuSANN y
his trenches, but, finding hot receE
ten there, kept their distance after
wards. villiers brought them afte
that only "as near as possible withou
Iuselessly exposing the lives Of tn
kings subjects" and poured his fir
lin from the cover of the woods.
For nine hours the unequal tigh
dragged on, the French and their In
dams hardly showing themselves out
side the shelter of the forest. tn
English crouching knee-deep in VIZ
ter In their rude trenches, while tn
rain poured necessarily, reducing thei
breastworks TO a mass of Shiny mu(
and filling all the air with a chill an
pallid mist.
The French Ask Farley,
Day insensibly darkened into nigh
in such an air, and it was eigh
O'Clock when the firing ceased and tn
French asked a parley. Their me
were tired of the dreary fight. thei
Indian allies threatened to leave ther
when morning should come, and the
,,-a,.xa willing tho English should Will