The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-04-11

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Washington did all that furious
energy and reckless courage could to
keep the order OF battle his com
mander had so madly chosen. to hold
the regulars 70 their blind work and
hearten the virginians to stay the
threatened rout. driving his horse
everywhere into the thick OF the MUIR
derous firing. and crying upon all
alike TO keep to 1t steadily like men.
He had but yesterday rejoined the
advance. having for almost two weeks
lain stricken with fever in Dunbars
camp.
A Charmed Life.
He could hardly sit his cushioned
saddle for weakness when the fight
began. but when the blaze OF the bat
tie burst, his eagerness was suddenly
like that OF one possessed, and his i'm.
munlty from harm like that OF one
charmed. Thrice horse was shot
under him, many bullets cut his cloth.
Ing. but he went without wound. A
like mad energy drove Braddock
storming up and down the breaking
lines. but he was mortally stricken at
last, and Washington alone remained
to exercise such control as was pos
sible when the Inevitable rout came
II was impossible to hold the ground
In such fashion. The stubborn Brad
dock himself had ordered retreat ere
the fatal bullet found him. Sixty
three out OF the eighty-six officers OF
his force were killed or disabled less
than Ave hundred men out of all the
thirteen hundred who had but Just
now passed 80 CALAMITY through the
ford remained unhurt; the deadly
slaughter must have gone on to utter
destruction.
Death Of Braddock.
Retreat was inevitable - twas
blessed good fortune that IT was still
possible. When once II began 1t was
headlong, reckless. frenzied. The men
ran wildly. blindly, as If hunted by
demons whom no man might hope to
resist haunted by the frightful cries,
maddened by the searching and secret
fro OF their foes. now coming hot
upon their heels. Wounded comrades.
military stores. baggage. their very
arms, they left upon the ground.
abandoned. Far into the night they
ran madly on. In frantic search for the
camp OF the rear division. crying. as
they ran. for help; they even passed
the camp, In their upcontrollable ter
ror Of pursuit, and went desperately
on toward the settlements.
Washington and the few officers and
provincials who scorned the terror
found the utmost difficulty in bringing
OF their stricken general, where he
lay wishing to die. Upon the fourth
day after the battle he died. loathing
the sight OF redcoat. they said. and
murmurlng praises OF "the blues the
once despised Virginians. They buried
his body IN the road. that the army
wagons might pass over the place and
obliterate every trace OF grave their
savage enemies might rejoice to find
and desecrate.
- craven Commdndor.
He had lived to reach Dunbar's
camp. but not to see the end OF the
shameful rout. The terror mastered
the rear guard. too. They destroyed
their artillery. burned their wagons
and stores. emptied their powder into
the streams. and themselves broke In.
to dlsordered feverlsh retreat which
was mere flight. their cravan com
mander shamefully acquiescing. He
would not even hold or rally them al
Fort Cumberland. but went on. as II
upon a hurried errand, all the way to
Philadelphia. leaving the fort. and
ali the frontier with II, ito be de
Tended by inyalids and few vir
ginians"
Il acknowledge" cried Dinwiddle, Il
was not brought up to arms. but
think common sense would have pre-
vailed not TO leave the frontier expos
ed after having opened road over
the mountains to the Ohio, by which
the enemy can the more easily invade
us. The whole conduct OF Colonel
Dunbar seems 10 be monstrous" And
SO. indeed II was.
But the colonies at large had little
time to think of IT, Governor Shirley
had gone against Niagara only to find
the French ready for him at every
point. now that they had read Brad
docks papers. taken at DuQuesne. and
TO come back again without doing any
thing Beauseiour had been taken in
Acadia. but Il lay apart from tho main
field OF struggle. Johnson beat the
French on at Lake George when they
attacked him. and took Dieskau. theil
commander: bat he contented himself
with that. and left Crown Point un
touched. There were other frontiers
besides those OF Virginia and Pennsyl
yania TO be looked to and guarded
Three Years Of French Success.
For three long years did the for
tunes OF the English settlements e
st0adflv from danger ~ dasnarafion