served, on account of high waters, was not founded; he had himself passed with a body of men, the Yohogany, the most rapid stream, and the soonest filled of any on the road, after thirty days of almost incessant rain. The Monongahela might be avoided. The defiles on Raystown road were as numerous as on Braddock's, and the saving in distance was inconsiderable. But the insuperable objection to the new route, he observed, was the time that must be expended in opening it. The distance was little short of an hundred miles, over mountains, almost impassable, and covered with woods and rocks. The most that could be expected, he said, on this route the present season, would be to gain the height of land, there erect fortifications, and wait the return of spring. This delay must be attended with ruinous consequences to the colonies, which had exerted themselves beyond their strength to drive the French from the Ohio the present campaign.

the

In the same letter, he communicated an order of march on Braddock's road, which would bring army in sixtyfour days before Fort du Quesne, with provisions for eighty six days. He also wrote to Maj. Halket, Aid of Gen. Forbes, to engage his good offices to prevent the fatal plan. "I am just returned from a conference held with Col. Bouquet. I find him fixed-1 think I may say, unalterably fixed, to lead you a new way to the Ohio, through a road, every inch of which is to be cut at this advanced season, when we have scarcely time left to tread the beaten track, universally confessed to be the best passage through the mountain.

"If Colonel Bouquet succeeds in this point with the General, all is lost! All is lost indeed! Our enterprise is ruined, and we shall be stopped at the Laurel Hill this winter-but not to gather laurels, except of the kind which cover the mountains.The southern Indians will turn against us, and these colonies will be desolated by such an accession to the enemy's strength. These must be the consequences of a miscarriage, and a miscarriage the almost necessary consequence of an attempt to march the army by this route."

The judgment and advice of Colonel WASHINGTON in this important measure were overruled, and to his extreme mortification, the new route of the army was adopted. The disappointment and gloomy prospect which he entertained, are strongly expressed in the following letter, written from Cumberland, to the Speaker of the House of Burgesses.

SEPT. 2, "We are still encamped here, very sick1758. ly and dispirited at the prospect before us. That appearance of glory which we once had in view, even that hope, that laudable ambition of serving our country, and meriting its applause, are now no more; all is dwindled into ease, sloth and fatal inactivity. In a word, all is lost, if the ways of men in power, like certain ways of providence, are not inscrutable. But we, who view the actions of great men at a distance, can only form conjectures agreeably to a limited perception; and, being ignorant of the comprehensive schemes which may be in contemplation, might mistake egregiously in judging of

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things from appearances, or by the lump. Yet every fool will have his notions, will prattle and talk away; and why may not I ? We seem then, in my opinion, to act under the guidance of an evil genius. The conduct of our leaders, if not actuated by superiour orders, is tempered with something-I do not care to give a name to. Nothing now but a miracle can bring this campaign to a happy issue."

Mentioning the arguments he had brought against the new road, he proceeds, "But I spoke all unavailingly. The road was immediately begun, and since then, from one to two thousand men have constantly wrought on it. By the last accounts I have received, they had cut to the foot of Laurel Hill, about thirtyfive miles, and I suppose by this time, fifteen hundred men have taken post about ten miles further, at a place called Loyal Hanna, where our next fort is to be constructed.

"We have certain intelligence, that the French strength at Fort du Quesne did not exceed eight hundred men, the 13th ultimo, including about three or four hundred Indians. See how our time has been mispent....Behold how the golden opportunity is lost, perhaps never more to be regained! How is it to be accounted for? Can General Forbes have orders for this? Impossible.... Will then our injured country pass by such abuses? I hope not; rather let a full representation of the matter go to his Majesty; let him know how grossly his glory and interests, and the publick money have been prostituted."

Col. Grant, with a force of eight hundred men, having been detached to reconnoitre the country, in the neighbourhood of the Ohio, was about this time defeated with loss; and himself, and Major Lewis of Colonel WASHINGTON's regiment, were taken prisoners. Three companies of this regiment were on the expedition, and behaved with great bravery. Of eight officers belonging to these companies, on this service, five were killed, one wounded, and one taken prisoner. Capt. Bullet, who had charge of the baggage, defended it with great resolution, and did much to protect the defeated troops; he fortunately came off the field without a wound. This spirited and soldierly conduct the Britons acknowledged to be highly honourable to the troops themselves, and to the Commander, who trained them to the service. Gen. Forbes complimented Colonel WASHINGTON on the occasion.

Colonel WASHINGTON was at this time employed on the new road, in the neighborhood of Rays

town.

1758.

Ост, 8, General Forbes resolved that the main army should move from this place; and he called upon the commanding officers of regiments to lay before him a plan for its march. Colonel WASHINGTON presented his; it has been preserved, and is said to display the soundness of his judgment.

Through a road almost impassable, the army at length reached Loyal Hanna, about ten miles from the foot of Laurel Hill, and forty five from Fort Cumberland. At this place Colonel WASHINGTON

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had predicted the expedition would terminate. In a Council of War it was actually resolved to be unadviseable to proceed further this Autumn. Το have wintered in this inhospitable wilderness would, perhaps, have been impossible; but before any disposition of the army was made, intelligence was brought by some prisoners, that the garrison of Fort du Quesne had not been supported from Canada; that the Indians had deserted it; and, that it was not in a situation to make resistance. This intelligence induced General Forbes to change his resolution, and to push on to the Ohio. Colonel WASHINGTON was ordered to the front to superintend opening the road for the army; which duty he, with extreme fatigue, executed. In slow and laborious marches, GenerNov. 25, al Forbes reached du Quesne, and found 1758. that the French, on the evening preceding his arrival, had set fire to this fort, and had passed in their boats down the river.

The success of the campaign was wholly to be attributed to the pressure of the English on Canada, which constrained the French Commander in chief to call in, or weaken his out posts; but for this circumstance, the gloomy predictions of Colonel WASHINGTON Would have been verified, in the failure of the expedition.

The Fort being repaired, was called Fort Pitt, in compliment to the preeminent British Minister, under whose auspices the war was now conducted.

Colonel WASHINGTON furnished two hundred men of his regiment to the garrison, and soon after returned to Williamsburg to take his seat in the