Seward daily gateway., 1925-07-03

| to the Great Meadows, fifty miles from Cumberland, and hastily erect ed a stockade which he called Fort Necessity. And it was well named.
 With the aid of a friendly Indian -Sachem, Half King-Washingto attacked the French i" tleir camp at night. Their commander was killed, and several prisoners were taken. It was the first blood shed in the French and Indian war. 4 few days later Fort Necessity was stormed by 1,500 Indians and French, under De Villiers, and Washington sur rendered on honorable terms, rath- CT than have his entire company mas sacred This was on the morning of July 1, 1754. Washington marched out with his army of 400 men, drums beating and flags flying, and he and his soldiers returned peaceaby to their homes.
 On this same Fourth of July, Ben jamin Franklin was delegate to a council held with the chiefs of the 1 Six Tribes. The great statesman and far-sighted man made a speech In which he said the time was close at hand when the various colonies would have to be brought together in one great brotherhood, flor defense and other general purposes"
 l Then came July f, 1776 with it many events, chief among them be- ing the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. The following year there was a celebration turnout the 1 Adams, future President of the Uni 1 ted States, wrote: Had either Gen. Howe or his royal master been on hand, the show would have given l them both a bad heartache."
 During the Revolution, the Fourth of July seemed to be the date upon which big events swung. The Indians attacked Boonesboro, Kentucky, July 3, TIT. July i, ITS, Major Clark captured Fort Kaskaskia from the British. The terrible massacre of the white settlers by Indians and British in the Wyoming valley took place on the same date. And it was July i, 17S1, that Lord Cornwallis evacuated Williamsburg, Virginia.
 July 1, 1888, the cornerstone of a mint building was laid in Philadel- phia. On July 4, 1845, the Texas convention voted for annexation to the United States, and thus started the war with Mexico.
 July f, 1846, the independence of California was declared. There were at that time in California-then part of Mexico-some 200 Americans, inearly all of them men of exception al vigor of body and alertness of mind. Of Mexican Indians there were 5000, and the aboriginal Indian population numbered perhaps 100000
 Captain John c. Fremont had been
 sent to California on an exploring
 expedition the year previous. He
 was on his way to Oregon when he
 was overtaken by an officer from
 Washington with a message, order ing him to wait and cooperate with
 the Pacific squadron in case of hos
 tilities with Mexico The message
 had been in writing, but the officer
 was obliged to destroy it while cross-
 ing Mexican territory, after commit.
 ting it to memory. Accordingly, Ere mont returned to California, and took up his headquarters at Sutter's Fort. few days later a party of four teen Americans organized a small revolution on their own accord, cap- tured Sonoma, and declared war against the government of Mexico. Needing flag and not daring to use
 that of the United States, they made one from Mexican's rebosa, a
 yard wide and five feet long. The middle of the flag was occupied by a picture of a grizzly bear, beneath which were the words, California Republic The temporary govern ment thus established is known in history as the Bear Flag Govern ment."
 Meanwhile, news had come of the outbreak of war along the Rio i Grande, and July 4 Fremont called a l meeting at Sonoma, which formally proclaimed the independence of Cal ifornia. He was appointed it's first { governor.
 ] Soon afterward there came word ] that Commodore Sloat had arrived { at Monterey, July 7, and had raised ] the American flag; also that by his { orders Commander Montgomery oi { the United States sloop of war Ports