White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1928-11-16
CHAPTER x
The Long Trail Ends

ne Long ran AAo0
It was thirteen days after the bat
tie that Dunbar the Tardy arrived at
Fort Cumberland on Willis creek with
three hundred wounded soldiers. II r
is impossible to picture the amaze
ment and CONSERVATION that smoth.
cred the colonies when II was definite
ly known that the army had been de
feated and broken. There had been
no concern in the public mind as to
the outcome of the campaign.
The first uncertain news was re-
ceived by Colonel James Innes, com.
mander at Fort Cumberland. This
was on July eleventh, two days after
the battle. He Immediately started
expresses to the neighboring provinces
to announce his grave fear that the
army had met with reverses. While
these messengers were carrying the
astounding news the wagoners, who
had first fed the bloody field, were
beginning to reach the outlying settle
ments. Governor Morris was at Car
Isle when half-starved, half-mad
wagner flogged his exhausted mount
into the settlement and began crying
out that BraddOck had been defeated.
that the entire army had been ami
hilated, and that he. the wagner, was
the only survivor.
The provinces we're stunned. On
the sixteenth another messenger
brought further details. General Brad.
dock was dead and had been buried
at Great Meadows on the fourteenth
and the army and Dunbar's wagons
had passed over his grave to hide 1t
from the savages. On the day this
man brought his dismal budget, Gov.
ernor Morris sent out a call for the
assembly to meet him In Philadelphia
on the twenty third, so as 10 permit
Dunbar to take the offensive and pre-
vent the triumphant enemy from over
running our frontiers and from bring
ing the ak to the eastern settlements
Dunbar promptly announced his de
termination to be done with forest
fighting; and be marched his twelve
hundred soldiers to Philadelphia and
left three hundred wounded men at
Wills creek. His army went into
camp on Society hill, and In vain did
Governor Morris urge him to send O
few men to patrol the Susquehanna
Enough refugees came in to swell the
army to fifteen hundred, and without
raising his hand to protect the border
Dunbar the Tardy sailed with this
force for New York In October.
Stupefaction was replaced by dis
may as this. the only fighting force ir
the south, war Withdrawn In very
truth were the colonies aroused t.
the realization that they must protect
themselves by doing their own fight.
ing, and no longer depend upon over.
seas armies. Once Dunbar's tnten
lions to withdraw from the province
became known. Governor Dinwiddis
urged Pennsylvania and Maryland t.
unite with Virginia in building
strong fort at the Great crossing o
on Great Meadows This wise plal
for protecting the border came t
nothing because OF the colonies iI
ability to overcome factional jealOu:
les and to agree as to the division I
the expense, labor and the like.
we drifted into three years of rapin
and slaughter.
| reached Carlisle the day afte
Governor Morris started for Philade
phia. My wounds, aggravated ny e:
posure, forced me to travel slowly
and my efforts to find some trace
the Dinwold girl permitted many su
vivors to pass me. Mine was old new
when | did arrive In Carlisle | te
in with three rangers who were n
off from the ford when the final 70,
filled the narrow road They wei
forced to advance north. or close
Duquesne, to escape the savages The
had concealed themselves in the woot
near the Allegheny, and from wh'
they had observed ! learned how II,
hundred of Pnntiac's Ottawas ha
guarreIed with the French over I'll
division of the booty, and had throw
back the AK and had killed ar
scalped two Frenclmen very close
the spot where my informants we
hiding
recovered from my wounds al
became active in preparing defen
against the red swarms we kne
would soon be upon US. AS rapidly
possible string of forts was hui
from the Delaware and SusqnehanI
to the Potomac. There were Fo
Bedford at Heas Town Fort Lyon
on the site of the old Indian town
Loyal Hanna In Westmnreland cOu
ty. Fort Loudon at the foot OF BIZ
mountain, Fort Lowther at CnrIis
and Chambers fort few miles we
of that town.
And there we're other forts, as W,
as numerous small bockhOuses. ere,
ed during the next three years. f
two months after the battle of t
MonongaheIa we worked feverisn
taking advantage of the brief peri
the Indians required to convin
themselves that the war path to I,
east was unObstructed. Then The sf0I
began to break.
The first blow struck by the raide
was in Cumberland county, and so
the ak was taking toll on the Susqt
hanna. A large body of india
camped thirty miles above Har1
ferry and killed on both sides of t
river. In October mixed force
French and Indians was burning nj
scalping within forty miles of Il
ferry Settlers were franficaIIy fl
ing to the east, or doggedly forfi
themselves on learning thnt esca
was cut off | went out with fort