He marched the same night towards the French camp, and his measures were so well concerted, that after a short contest the whole party (with the exception of one man) were either taken or killed: among the latter was M. de Jumon‘ille, the com mander. This skirmish attracted great attention at the time, because the pretended murder of his officer was one of the main complaints of the king of France at the declaration of war; but it is now chiefly remarkable as the first martial exploit of one who afterwards filled so large a space in the history of modern warfare.
The death of Colonel Fry shortly after these transactions, devolved the command of the Vir ginian regiment upon Washington; and he was farther strengthened by the junction of two addi tional companies of regulars. With this force he immediately marched to dislodge the enemy from Fort du Quesne; but learning on his advance that a body of eight hundred French and four hundred Indians were on their way to meet him, he was compelled to fall back upon his little post at the Great Meadows, called Fort Necessity. To this position he was very soon followed by Monsieur De Villiers, who commenced at once a warm and vigorous attack. An extremely gallant defence was made by the Americans, and when the. supe riority of the enemy at length rendered a capitu lation necessary, Washington retired with all the honours of war for his garrison, and with the highest personal character for courage and conduct. The legislature of Virginia expressed the gratitude of the province in a public vote of thanks to the com mander.
In the course of the following winter (1754-5) orders were transmitted from England, regulating the comparative ranks of regular and provincial officers. The general and field officers of the colo nies were divested of all rank while serving with the same grades commissioned by the king; and company officers of equal rank were directed to give precedence to the regulars, without regard to seniority of date. Professional pride and dignified self respect were always among Washington's most marked characteristics. Notwithstanding his ar dent devotion to a military life, he resolved at once to resign a station which he believed was no longer to be held without personal dishonour, and his commission was immediately returned into the hands of the governor of Virginia. He retired to
Mount Vernon, a seat on the Potomac, which had descended to him from his eldest brother, lately deceased: and he there resided until a new call was made upon his services, in that name to whose ap peal he was never deaf or wanting.
An army composed of two English regiments and some corps of provincials, raised for the pur pose of striking a serious blow at the enemy, was placed under the orders of General Braddock, a brave soldier, but otherwise of unfounded repu tation. The military talents and local knowledge of Washington were considered essential to the success of the expedition; and he was consequently invited to join it, with the rank of aid-de-camp to the commander..
Great delays occurred from the difficulty of ob taining wagons, which, according to the rules of European warfare, were deemed indispensable. It was long in vain that the experienced aid-de-camp advised the substitution of pack-horses; but at last the reason of his counsel became too strong for the prejudices of the regular commander, and Brad dock marched for Fort Du Quesne, with the confi dent expectation of driving the French from their strong hold on the Ohio. Celerity was considered by Washington the secret of success; for the French force assembled to oppose them was known to be small, though there was reason to apprehend its immediate and formidable increase. Advice to this effect was urgently repeated to the general, but his council of war regularly overruled it as rash and contrary to established custom. When rapidity was at length determined upon, four days were occupied in advancing nineteen miles; and according to a letter written by the aid-de-camp, " they were halting to level every mole-hill, and to erect bridges over every brook." This ridiculous delay was unaccompanied by even ordinary cau tion. The army marched without advanced guards or scouts, and the whole force of French and Indians was embodied in their front, without the least suspicion, on the part of the English com mander, of the approach of a single enemy. It was on the 9th of :filly 1755 that the British army was suddenly attacked on the Monongahela, and a battle was fought long memorable in the annals of the colonies.