(in the beginning of the dog-days!) leaving all the frontiers of Maryland and Virginia exposed to the merciless tomahawk.

Such facts ought to be recorded for the benefit of young men, who, with no military qualifications but big limbs, can yet covet red coats and shoulder-knots.

Being thus shamefully deserted by Colonel Dunbar, Washington with his thirty rangers, set out with sorrowful hearts to return home. But before he left. Fort Cumberland, he dispatched an express, to inform Governor Dinwiddie, that " General Braddock was slain his army totally defeated-the remnant on their march to Philadelphia-and the whole frontier given up to the Indians!" The consternation that was spread throughout the country by this news, was inexpressible. Heart-sickening terrors, as of a woman in labour, seized upon all families-and a frightened fancy found food for its fears in every thing around it-the blast whistling round the corners of their cabin, alarmed, like the yell of murderous savages-the innocent death-bell-the croaking raven—the midnight howl of dogs- -were all sure harbingers of fate. While, for dread of the Indians, the roads were filled with thousands of distracted parents, with their weeping little ones, flying from their homes.

The Governor instantly ordered a call of the Legislature, who, by the time Washington reached Williamsburgh, were assembled, and, together with numbers of citizens, went out and met him near the

own.

The interview was tender. For the citizens were almost moved to tears, when they saw that of so many of their brave countrymen who went forth to battle, only this little handful remained! They were exceedingly rejoiced to see, alive, and well, their beloved Washington. He had always been dear to them; but now doubly dear, in such times of danger. They mourned the misfortunes of their country; but laid

no blame to him. On the contrary, it was universally believed, that, but for him the ruin would have been complete. "Braddock," said they, "lost the victory but Washington saved the army."

CHAPTER VII.

Fatal effects of Braddock's defeat-Washington wishes to carry the war into the Indian country-government refuses-defensive war preferred-the frontiers desolated.

GREAT was the joy at Fort Duquesne on the return of their troops from the slaughter of Braddock's army. The idea of victory, as appeared afterwards, had never once entered their heads.-They had gone out just to reconnoitre, and harass the British in their approach! How unbounded then must have been the joy of the garrison, on seeing their friends come back next morning, not sad and spiritless, as had been expected, but whooping and shouting for a glorious victory; and enriched with the artillery, ammunition, provisions, and baggage-waggons of a British army cut to pieces!!

The French commandant took care to make a proper use of his advantage; for as soon as the days of savage feasting and drunkenness were over, he sent out deputations of his chiefs with grand-talks to several of the neighbouring tribes, who had not yet lifted the hatchet.

The tribes being assembled, and the calumet or pipe of friendship smoked around, the chiefs arose; and in all the pomp of Indian eloquence announced their great victory over Long Knife (the Virginians) and his white brothers, (the British)--then with a proud display of the numerous scalps and rich dresses which they had taken, they concluded with inviting

the young men to unbury the tomahawk, and rush with them to drink the blood of their enemies.

This was enough" Grinning horribly a ghastly smile," at such prospects of blood and plunder, the grim children of the desert, rose up at once to war. No time was lost in preparation. A pouch of parched corn, and a bear-skin, with a rifle, tomahawk, and scalping knife, were their equipage. And in a few weeks after Braddock's defeat, an army of at least fourteen hundred of those blood-thirsty savages were in full march over hills and mountains, to surprise and murder the frontier inhabitants.

Washington had early foreseen the storm that would one day burst from Fort Du Quesne. On his first trip through that country, two years before, he had marked the very spot, and pointed it out as "the key of the western world." But Britain and America, (like the wild ass and her colts, though mule-stubborn in acting, yet snail-slow to act,) let the golden chance escape; till one Du Quesne, a French officer, with some troops, passing along that way in 1754, and struck, as Washington had been, with the situation, immediately built thereon a fort, which he called after his own name. It answered the fatal purposes which Washington had predicted. By means of the bold water courses on which it stood, it greatly favoured the conveyance both of goods and of intelligence. There the French laid up magazines for their Indian allies, and there they hoisted the dread signals of war.

Not having been able to prevail on his countrymen to occupy it before the enemy, Washington's whole ambition now was to take it from them. "Send two thousand men," said he, in numerous importunate letters to the Governor and Legislature, "send two thousand men, and drain the fountain at once-the streams will fail of course."

But, spite of this advice, the mad policy of a defensive war prevailed in the Virginia Government:

and instead of raising 2000 men, they voted to raise about half that number! and then, like hypocrites who make up in lip-service what they lack in good works, they dubbed him Commander in chief of all the troops raised or to be raised in Virginia, with the privilege of naming his own field officers!

These vain honours served but to exalt him to a higher sphere of misery-the misery of taking a wider survey of thos, misfortunes of his country which he could not remedy,-and to feel a deeper responsibility for those blunders of others, which he could not cure. He saw Fort Duquesne mustering her murderers, which he had no powers to prevent! He had a frontier of 360 miles to defend, and generally less than 700 men to defend it with! If he kept his troops embodied, the whole country would be left open to the savages. If he broke them down into small parties, they might be destroyed one after another, by a superior force. If he threw them into forts, they were sure to be starved; or derided by the enemy, who could easily pass them in the night and surprise, destroy, and murder the inhabitants with impunity. And though thus completely crippled by the stupidity or parsimony of the government, and incapacitated from doing any services for his country, yet great services were expected of him, and great blame bestowed for every failure. If no victories were gained over the enemy, he would be blamed for inactivity. If the settlers were murdered, he would be accused of neglect and if he pointed out the errors of government, he would be charged as "officious" and "impertinent;" and this while young officers of the worthless sort, mere cork-drawers and songsters at great men's tables, were basely cutting in with a weak old governor's prejudices, to work him out, and to worm themselves into favour and rank.

But all these vexations and sorrows were but trifles in comparison of others which he was doomed to feel. Seeing no hopes of a force sufficient to attack

Fort Duquesne, he formed a chain of garrisons along the frontier; and then, with a flying corps of the most active and daring young men, continued night and day, to scour the country in quest of the enemy's murdering parties. In this bold and dangerous employment, which lasted almost three years, he was often presented with sights of human destruction, sufficient to excite sympathy in hearts of flintiest stone.

On cautiously entering the hapless plantation with his men, they halt and listen awhile-but hear no voice of man-see no house, nor sign of habitationall is void and silent. Marking the buzzards perched on the trees in the corn-fields, they approach, and find, lying by his plough, the half-devoured carcass of a man. The hole in his breast shows that he had been shot, while the deep gashes in the forehead of his dead horses, point out the bursting strokes of the tomahawk. Amidst the ashes of the late dwelling, are seen, white as chalk, the bones of the mother and her children. But sometimes their raw and bloody skeletons, fed on by the hogs, are found in the yards or gardens where they were surprised.

"One day❞—said he to an intimate; though it was but seldom that he mentioned those things, they gave nim so much pain-" One day, as we drew near through the woods, to a dwelling, suddenly we heard the discharge of a gun. Whereupon quickening our pace, and creeping up through the thick bushes to a fence, we saw what we had dreaded-a party of Indians, loaded with plunder, coming out of a house, which, by the smoke, appeared as if it were just set on fire. In a moment we gave the savages a shower of rifle balls, which killed every man of them but one. He attempted to run off. It was in vain. Some of our swift-footed hunters gave chase, and soon overtook and immolated him with their tomahawks. On rushing into the house, and putting out the fire, we saw a mournful sight indeed a young woman lying on a bed floating in blood-her fore