The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1937-08-19

Little Meadows, 9th May, 1854.
"Sir,
Il acquainted you by Mr.. Ward with
the determination, which we prose-
cuted four days after his departure, as
soon as wagons arrived to carry our
provisions. The want of proper convey
ances has much retarded this expedi-
ton, and at this time it unfortunately
delays the detachment have the honor
to command. Even when we came to
Wills Creek my disappointments were
not less than before, which
reduced me to the necessity Of waiting
till wagons could be procured from the
Branch, forty miles distant. However,
in the meantime, I detached party of
sixty men to make and mend the road,
which party since the 25th of April,
and the main body since the LIST in
slant, have been laboriously employed
and have got no farther than these
Meadows, about twenty miles from the
New Store. We have been two days
making bridge across the river and
have not done yet.
1.-THE great difficulty and labor that
it requires to mend and alter the road
prevent our marching above two, three
or four miles daily; and I fear, tho no
diligence shall be spared, that we shall
be detained some considerable time
before it can be made good for the car
riage of the artillery of Colonel Fry.
eve daily receive intelligence from
Ohio by one or another of the traders,
who are continuously retreatlng to the
inhabitants with their effects &.
One Kalendar SAYS that the
forces at the Fork are erecting their
works with their whole strength; and
as he was coming he met at Mr.. Gist's
new settlement Monsieur La Force,
with four soldiers, who, under the spe-
cious pretence of hunting after deser-
tiers, were accommodating and discov-
ering the country. He also brings the
agreeable news that the Half King
has received, and is much pleased with
the speech sent him, and is now upon
his march with fifty men to meet u.s."
Such was the news from Little
Meadows one hundred eighty-three
years ago. Compare this with the
news letter the correspondent of The
Republican wrote last May from
Grantsville. Washington's little army
was encamped several days at the
Meadows. His next letter to the Gov
ernor was dated May 18th at the
Great Crossing of the Youghiogheny
(Somerfeld, Pa.).
General Braddock's Army At Little
Meadows
In May, 1855, during the French and
Indian War, General Braddock as
sembled his army at Fort Cumberland.
"On the Both of May, Sir John St.
Clair, with Major Chapman and 600
men set out to clear road to the Lit
tie Meadows where they were
to erect a fortified camp" The Brad
dock Road followed implicitly" the
Nemacolin Path.
Says the historian Sargeant:-
ut was not until the 18th of June
that all the troops were beyond these
inauspicious scenes (the Shades of
Death); and Braddock, as slowly de-
scending the shaggy steep Of Meadow
Mountain
HE wound, with toilsome march his
long array,
beheld his whole force in sight of the
fortified camp erected by st. Clair at
the Little Meadows"
Little Meadows in June, 1855! The
open glade; bushes and underbrush
cut away. A carefully laid out army
camp: rows Of tents, parked wagon
train; cannon; stragetic points forti-
fed by walls of posts driven foot or
more into the ground; British and Col
onial soldiers-2,000 Of them; little
camp for the few Indian warriors with
the expedition; even white women
wives, sweethearts, laundresses.
"Here a Council of War was held of
all the field officers present. A further
reduction Of baggage was agreed upon
and a dozen more horses given to the
service, among them Washington's
best charger Before the Coun-
Gil met Braddock also privately con-
suited him as to the propriety of push
ing more rapidly forward with light
division, leaving the heavy troops, &C.,
to follow by easy marches. This course
Washington warmly approved. .
His rank Colonel Of Virginia troops)
did not permit him an opportunity Of
pressing these views at the Council
board, but they were brought forward
there by the General himself and it
was decided that st. Clair, with Gage
and 400 men should start on the 18th
to open a road. On the 10Th, Braddock
in person followed with about
800 men-the elite Of the army"
Colonel Dunbar remained at Little
Meadows until Ju1v with about $50