Utrecht. Its boundaries, however, not having been defined, the French continued to occupy a portion of the territory claimed by the British, and erected forts for their defence. To gain possession of these, was the object of the expedition. About 2000 militia, commanded by Colonel Winslow, embarked at Boston, and being joined, on their passage, by 300 regulars, arrived at the place of their destination in April. The forts were invested; the resistance made was feeble and ineffectual; and in a short time, the English had gained possession of the province, according to their own definition of its boundaries, with the trifling loss of three men killed.

It had been found ex

"The preparations of General Braddock in Virgi nia had proceeded slowly. tremely difficult to procure horses, waggons, and provisions. Impatient of delay, he determined to set out with twelve hundred men, selected from the different corps, and proceeded as rapidly as possible towards Fort Du Quesne. The residue of the army and the heavy baggage were left under the command of Colonel Dunbar, who was directed to follow as soon as the preparations were completed.

"Braddock had been educated in the English army; and in the science of war, as then taught in Europe, he deserved and enjoyed the reputation of more than ordinary skill. Of this reputation he was vain, and disdained to consider that his skill was totally inappli cable to the mode of warfare practised in the forests of America. Before he left England, he was repeatedly admonished to beware of a surprise; and on his march through the wilderness, the provincial officers frequently entreated him to scour the surrounding thickBut he held these officers and the enemy in too much contempt to listen to this salutary counsel. On

ets.

approaching Fort Du Quesne, Colonel Washington, who accompanied him as his aide-de-camp, made a last attempt to induce him to change his order of march. He explained the Indian mode of warfare, represented his dangers, and offered to take command of the provincials, and place himself in advance of the army. This offer was declined. The General proceeded, confident of the propriety of his conduct; the provincials followed, trembling for the consequences.

"On the 9th of July, the army crossed the Monongahela, within a few miles of Du Quesne. Their route led through a defile which they had nearly passed, when a tremendous yell and instantaneous discharge of fire-arms suddenly burst upon them from an invisible foe. The van was thrown into confusion. The General led the main body to its support. For a moment, order was restored; and a short cessation of the enemy's fire, occasioned by the death of their commander, seemed to indicate that all danger was over, But the attack was soon renewed with increased fury. Concealed behind trees, logs, and rocks, the Indians poured upon the troops a deadly and incessant fire. Officers and men fell thickly around, and the survivors knew not where to direct their aim to revenge their slaughtered comrades. The whole body was again thrown into confusion. The General, obstinate and courageous, refused to retreat, but bent his whole efforts to restore and maintain order. He persisted in these efforts, until five horses had been shot under him, and every one of his officers on horseback, except Colonel Washington, was either killed or wounded. The General at length fell, and the rout became universal. The troops fled precipitately, until they met the division under Dunbar, then sixty miles in the rear. To this body, the same panic was communi

cated. Turning about, they fled with the rest; and although no enemy had been seen during the engagement, nor afterwards, yet the army continued retreating until it reached Fort Cumberland, 120 miles from the place of action. There they remained but a short time. With the remnant of the army, amounting to fifteen hundred men, Colonel Dunbar, upon whom, on the death of Braddock, the command devolved, marched to Philadelphia, leaving the frontiers of Pennsylvania and Virginia destitute of defence. The provincial troops, whom Braddock had so much despised, displayed during the battle the utmost calmness and courage. Though placed in the rear, they alone, led on by Washington, advanced against the Indians, and covered the retreat. Had they been permitted to fight in their own way, they could easily have defeated the enemy. In this battle, sixty-four out of eighty-five officers were either killed or wounded, and at least one half of the privates.

"The two northern expeditions, though not so disastrous, were both unsuccessful. General Shirley, who had been appointed to command that against Niagara, met with so many delays, that he did not reach Oswego till late in August. While embarking there, to proceed against Niagara, the autumnal rains began ; his troops became discouraged, his Indian allies deserted him, and he was compelled to relinquish his design.

"The forces destined to attack Crown Point, and the requisite military stores, could not be collected at Albany until the last of August. Thence the army, under the command of General Johnson, proceeded to the south end of Lake George, on their way to the place of destination. There he learned that the armament fitted out in the ports of France, eluding the English squadron, had arrived at Quebec, and

that Baron Dieskau, commander of the French forces, was advancing with an army towards the territories of the English. He halted, erected slight breastworks, and detached Colonel Williams with a thousand men, to impede the progress of the enemy. Dieskau, who was near, was immediately informed of the approach of this detachment. Without losing a moment, he directed his troops to conceal themselves. The English advanced into the midst of their enemy, and, from every quarter, received, at the same moment, a sudden and unexpected fire. Their leader fell, and the men fled in disorder to the camp. They were followed closely by the enemy, who approached within 150 yards of the breastwork: and had they made an immediate assault, would probably, such was the panic of the English, have been successful. But here they halted to make dispositions for a regular attack. The Indians and Canadians were despatched to the flanks, and the regular troops began the attack with firing, by platoons, at the centre. Their fire was ineffectual, and the provincials gradually resumed their courage. A few discharges of the artillery drove the Canadians and Indians to the swamps. The regulars, although deserted by the auxiliaries, maintained the conflict for more than an hour, with much steadiness and resolution. Dieskau, convinced that all his efforts must be unavailing, then gave orders to retreat. This produced some confusion, which being perceived by the provincials, they simultaneously, and without orders, leaped over the intrenchments, fell upon the French soldiers, and killed, captured, or dispersed them. The Baron was wounded and made prisoner. The next day, Colonel Blanchard, who commanded at Fort Edward, despatched Captain M'Ginnis of New Hampshire, with 200 men, to the assistance of General Johnson. On his way, he dis

covered between 300 and 400 of the enemy seated round a pond, not far from the place where Colonel Williams had been defeated. Notwithstanding his inferiority in numbers, he determined to attack them. So impetuous was the onset, that, after a sharp conflict, the enemy fled: the brave captain, however, was mortally wounded. In the several engagements, the provincials lost about 200 men: the enemy, upwards of 700.

"General Johnson, though strongly importuned by the Government of Massachusetts, refused to proceed upon his expedition, which was abandoned, and most of his troops returned to their respective colonies. Thus ended the campaign of 1755. It opened with the brightest prospects; immense preparations had been made; yet, not one of the objects of the three great expeditions had been attained. During the fall and winter, the southern colonies were ravaged, and the usual barbarities perpetrated upon the frontier inhabitants by the savages, who, on the defeat of Braddock, and the retreat of his army, saw nothing to restrain their fury. In Virginia and Pennsylvania, disputes existed between the Governor and the legislatures, which prevented all attention to the means of defence. Scarcely a post was maintained, or a soldier employed in their service." *

The Colonies, far from being discouraged by the misfortunes of the campaign, determined to renew and increase their exertions; and General Shirley, the Governor of Massachusetts, to whom the superintendence of all the military operations was confided, made his preparations with his usual activity and zeal. While thus engaged, the official information was received from England, of his being superseded in the command; and on the 25th of June, General

* Hale, pp. 169-174.