The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-03-28
petty works ne should have stayed to
finish were well begun.

petty works ne should have stayed to
finish were well begun.
Compelled to Surrender
When. therefore, on the 18th OF
April, the river suddenly filled 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 COM
municate with his snperiors, but the
French commander would brook no
delay. The boy might either take his
men on free and unhurt, or else fight
and face sheer destruction; and the
nearest succor was little force OF 100
men under Colonel Washington. who
had not yet topped the AIleghanies 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
tered by the assembly's vote Of money
and the additional levy Of men which
1t made possible Col. John Fry.
whom Dinwiddie deemed "a man OF
good sense, and one OF our best math-
ematicians." had been given the COM
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
way for wagons and ordnance to the
Ohio. The last days OF May were
almost at hand before they had cross
ed the main ridge OF the Alleghenies.
SO inexperienced were they in the
rough labor OF cutting road through
the closest growth and over the
sharp slopes of the mountains, and so
Ill equipped: and by that time 1t was
already too late by full month and
more to forestall the French. who
had only to follow the open highway
of the Allegheny to bring what force
they would to the key Of the west
at the forks Of the Ohio.
Build Fort Duquesne.
AS the spring advanced, the French
force upon the river grew from 500
I ~ / Am xaap and u,arl nae r.,rbad
rapidly forward upon Notifications
such as the little band of Englishmen
/ they had ousted had not thought of
4 attempting yeritable fort, albeit OF
rude frontier pattern, which its
builders called Duquesne, in honor Of
their governor.
Washington could hit upon no wa.
ter course that would afford him
quick transport; 'twould have been
folly, besides, to take his handful 81
ragged provincials into the presence
OF an intrenched army. He was fam
to go into camp at Grand Meadows,
just across the ridge of the mountains,
and there await his colonel with sup:
plies and an additional handful OF
| men.
Becomes comander-ln-chief.
It was "a charming field for an en-
counter" the young commander
thought. but it was to be hoped the
enemy would not find their way to
it in too great numbers. An In
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 900 men at the camp.
and Washington was now their CON-
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 2Sth of May, before reinforce
ments had arrived, when Washington
had but just come to camp.
CTo BE coNTINUED1