The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1932-08-12
Capt. George Washington
By ELMO SCOTT WATSON

q
HEINZ X NH stockaded fort in a mountain mead
HNNHUAlRl ow near Uniontown, Pa, as ma
WXNuEW tional shrine to the Father of His
~ypV Country For this little fort,
sisting only of log cabin circled
by log stockade, was Fort Necessity, where
on July 8. 1854 George Washington began the
military career which was to place his name
among those Of the great captains Of all time
and where, as the famous voltaire expressed
it. was fred the cannon shot In the woods Of
America which set all Europe abaze"
The affair at Fort Necessity had it's origins
in the clash between the British and the French
for the control of the interior of the North
American continent. To make good her claim to
the Mississippi and Ohio valleys and to check
Nthe westward expansion of English settlement
beyond the AlleghenieS, the French had erected
a fort at Pressure Isle, now Erie, Pa, had built
Fort LIE Boeuf French creek and had also
seized the British trading post of venango.
In 1853 Gov. Robert Dinwiddie of Virginia
selected George Washington, then only twenty
one years old, for the difficult task of demand
ing that the French cease their Entertainments
upon British SOIL" When Washington returned
with the information that the French had no
intention of giving up their FORTS Dinwiddie
decided upon more drastic action. Late in
1853 he sent a party of men under Captain
Trent to build fort at the Forks of the Ohio
where Pittsburgh now stands, and to hold it
against any attacks which the French might
make.
Both North Carolina and the home govern
ment had promised aid to the expedition, but
when no troops had arrived by the last day
of March, 1854, Dinwiddie ordered Washington
and his 300 Virginans to proceed to the Ohio
there to help Captain Trent build forts and
to defend the possessions of his majesty against
the attempts and hostilities of the French"
Meantime Trents little company of 33 men
had commenced stockade at the Forks. But
in April, force of French and Indians arrived
on the scene and made them prisoners. They
were promptly released and allowed to return
home without harm. Washington, coming to
their aid. met the returning fort builders at
Wills Greek, near the present city Of Cumber-
land, Nd
By this time the French had extended Trent's
work and pushed it to rapid completion, call
ing their stronghold Fort Duquesne Here had
been gathered a considerable force Of Canadians,
French regulars and Indian allies, detach-
ment from which, led by Coulon de Jumon-
vile, secuted Washingtons advance. On May
%, at the head of scouting party, Washington
stumbled upon the small French scouting party.
The Virginians Immediately fired upon the
French. Ten were killed, one wounded and q
taken prisoner Among the French dead was
Jumonville
The news Of this encounter was carried to
Fort Duquesne and its commander Immediately
sent out a force under Coulon de Villiers, q
brother Of Jumonville, to attack the English.
Washington withdrew to Great Meadows,
where he erected a fort. Although the place
was unfit for defense being surrounded on
three sides by higher ground, which was heavi-
ly forested and afforded good shelter from
which the enemy could fire down upon the de-
tenders of the FORT Washington's force was so
weakened by lack of ammunition and other sup
plies. that he considered it impractcable to
retreat further. Hence the name of Fort Ne
cessty as Indicative Of his desperate plight.
A contemporary account of what followed has
been discovered recently in the Charleston
\ Is. CO. public library in copy of the South
Carolina Gazette for August %, 1854, which
reads as follows:
T'Williamsburg, Va. July 19-On Wednesday
lakt arrived in town, Col. George Washington
and Capt. James Maekay, who gave the follow
ing account to his honor the governor of the
late action between them and the French, at
the Great Meadows in the western part of this
dominion.
"The third Of this instant July, about
o'clock. we received intelligence that the French
having been reinforced with 700 recruits, had
left Monongahela and were in full march with
900 men to attack us. Upon this, as our num-
bers were so unequal (our whole force not ex-