1753.] QUEEN ALIQUIPPA. 133 commissioner. She being, like other petty sovereigns, exceedingly jealous as to her dignity, expressed herself highly offended that Major Washington with his suite should have passed her by, on his outward journey, without turning aside to pay his respects. Hearing this, he resolved to make honorable amends on his return, and accordingly presented himself, worn and weary as he was, to assure her copper-colored majesty that no offence was intended. But ladies of her class are not easily appeased by mere words, and we judge that in this case there must have been a remnant of displeasure lingering on the royal brow; for we learn that ere his peace was fully made, Major Washington had, with his usual gallantry, presented Queen Aliquippa with—not French gloves and Eau de Cologne, as some of our readers might suppose, but his old watch-coat and a bottle of rum-" which latter," says Washington's journal, "was thought much the better present of the two." So tastes differ. CHAPTER XIII. Report to the Governor-Journal published in England-French and Indians more troublesome than ever-Supplies very slow-Colonel Washington rather indignant-Death of Jumonville-Misrepresentations respecting it-The mild and peaceful character of Washington's mind. REACHING Williamsburg on the sixteenth of January, 1754, Major Washington made his report to Governor Dinwiddie, delivering also the letter of the French commandant. The council ordered the raising of two companies of men, by way of preparation for resisting the encroachments of the French, now perceived to be assuming a hostile attitude toward the colonists. Major Washington was at once appointed to the command of these troops, and by way of informing the people of the probable designs of the French, and exciting their indignation to the pitch of war, the Governor ordered the journal, from which we have quoted a few passages, to be published entire, much against the inclination of the writer, who thought very little of it. It was reprinted in England, and attracted much attention there. The Governor's orders to his young commander and his subordinates were, "to drive away, kill, and destroy, 1754.] RAISING TROOPS WITHOUT MONEY. 135 or seize as prisoners, all persons not the subjects of the king of Great Britain, who should attempt to settle or take possession of the lands on the Ohio river, or any of its tributaries." But the country in general was not particularly well-disposed toward the warlike manifestations planned by Governor Dinwiddie, who writes somewhat piteously to the Lords at home, "I am sorry to find them very much in a republican way of thinking." He persevered, however, and enlistments went on; the forces were increased, and demands for aid made on the neighboring colonies. Washington's experience in raising and equipping troops without money commenced here; he writes, from his head-quarters at Alexandria, to the Governor, that his men are much discouraged for want of pay, and that many of them are without shoes or stockings, some without shirts, and not a few without coats or waistcoats. Washington was at this time raised to the rank of lieutenant-colonel, second in command under Colonel Fry, an excellent officer. Cannon and other military equipments, recently arrived from England, were sent to Alexandria, for the use of the growing army. French aggressions on the Ohio precipitated hostilities somewhat. Some men who were building a fort, were attacked by a thousand French under Captain Contrecœur, and were forced to leave the ground, the French staying to complete the works, which they named Fort Duquesne, in compliment to the Governor of Canada. Colonel Washington occupied an outpost, much exposed, and his force was quite insufficient for any serious resistance; but he lost not a moment in pushing forward into the wilderness, to clear and prepare a road--an effort which would at least give active business to his men, and keep off discontent and timidity. To all hardships were superadded that of scanty fare, that least tolerable ill to a laborer. But the young chief thought there was "no such word as fail" for him, at least; and he tried to find an expeditious passage by the Youghiogany river, in the course of which he encountered rocks and shoals, and at length came to a fall, which rendered further exploration impracticable. When he returned to the camp, he received a warning message from the Half-King, importing that the French were marching towards him, determined upon an attack. On further information of the near approach of the enemy, Washington set off to join the Half-King, a task of no small difficulty, as the march was to be performed in the night, in a violent storm of rain, and through an almost trackless wilderness. That the state of affairs at this time was not wholly satisfactory, may be judged from the following passage in a letter addressed by Colonel Washington to the Governor :-" Giving up my commission is quite contrary to my intention. Nay, I ask it as a greater favor than any amongst the many I have received from your 1754.] POOR PAY WORSE THAN NONE. 137 * * Honor, to confirm it to me. But let me serve voluntarily; then I will, with the greatest pleasure in life, devote my services to the expedition, without any other reward than the satisfaction of serving my country; but to be slaving dangerously for the shadow of pay, through woods, rocks, and mountains-I would rather prefer the great toil of a daily laborer, and dig for a maintenance, provided I were reduced to the necessity, than serve upon such ignoble terms. * * I hope what I have said may not be taken amiss, for I really believe, were it as much in your power as it is in your inclination we should be treated as gentlemen and officers, and not have annexed to the most trifling pay that ever was given to English officers, the glorious allowance of soldier's diet, a pound of pork, with bread in proportion, per day. Be the consequence what it will, I am determined not to leave the regiment, but to be among the last men that shall quit the Ohio." A painful occurrence, at this stage of the border war, was the death of M. Jumonville, a French captain, who fell in an attack led by Washington himself, all the circumstances of which unhappy affair have been strangely misrepresented by the French historians. They assert that Jumonville advanced in the pacific character of a messenger. Washington observes- “Thirty-six men would almost have been a retinue for a princely ambassador instead of a petit * An ambassador has no need of spies; his char * |