To stimulate the zeal of his troops, and to form a body of military settlers, Dinwiddie issued a proclamation, granting to them two hundred thousand acres on the Ohio—a measure received with little approbation by the legislature of Pennsylvania, who considered that they had counter-claims to the lands in question.
A party of forty-one men, under Captain Trent, had already been sent to the Fork of the Ohio, and had commenced building a fort there by Washington's advice. Early in April, he himself marched from Alexandria with two companies, and arrived on the 20th at Wills' Creek. Here he received intelligence that the French, in large force, had driven out his men, and had themselves gone on to finish the works, which they named Fort Duquesne, after the governor of Canada. This may be regarded as the first act of open hostility. Washington, having held a council of war, and having dispatched messengers for reinforcements, determined to advance in the direction of the Ohio. It was a very slow and exceedingly toilsome advance. An entrenchment was thrown up at the Great Meadows, which Washington purposed fortifying more carefully, when he learned that a detachment of the French was only a few miles off, lurking in concealment, evidently with no good purpose. He promptly resolved to seek them out, and, guided by the Indians, he soon after found them—May 28th—in a place surrounded by rocks and trees, where they had put up a few cabins for shelter from the rain. The moment the French discovered the presence of Washington and his men, they ran to arms; a sharp skirmish ensued, for a while; the balls whistled around the young commander's head, and a man was killed at his side. Jumonville, the leader of the French, fell dead; nine others were slain, and the survivors yielded.[1] La Force, a person of great cunning, and considered by Washington to be a very dangerous adversary, was among the prisoners. These, amounting to twenty-one in all, were sent to Governor Dinwiddie at Winchester.
Blame was attempted to be thrown upon Washington for the sad results of this encounter. It was claimed that Jumonville was entitled to the protection due to the character and mission of an ambassador, since he was advancing with a summons to the English to evacuate the territory of the French; and Washington was denounced as an assassin. The truth, however, was, that the party under Jumonville, as was proven by a letter of instructions found on that young officer, were engaged in outlying occupation, in ascertaining everything they could about the country, and the plans of the English, and in sending messages to the commander at Fort Duquesne. And they had acted accordingly. "Instead of coming in the public and open manner of ambassadors," to use Washington's words in reply to the foul aspersion, "the party of Jumonville came secretly; they sought out the most hidden retreats, and remained
- ↑ See Mr. Brancroft's account, "History of the United States," vol. iv. p. 117–19.
