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116 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.
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Letter Bk. II.
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from the Fort (who were sent as twas supposed to intercept
a Convoy of Provisions designed for our men) & having killed
Jumonville & 7 or 8 of his Detachment they took the rest
Prisoners & sent them under a Guard to the Governor of Vir-
ginia where they yet remain. No sooner did the news of this
Skirmish reach the Ohio but the Enemy drew together from
the several Fortresses which they have built up & down that
River near 1000 Men in order to fall on our Troops & return
the Compliment. Mr Washington being apprized of this a few
Days before the Enemy approached him with the Advice of the
other Officers retired a few Miles to a place called the Meadows,
it being Low Land between two Eminences or small Hills
where He encamped & as well as the time would permit
endeavoured to secure himself by drawing around him a small
Ditch & building within it a Sort of Log House, here on the
3d of July about noon the French attacked him & having killed
him about 30 Men obliged him toward the Evening to capitu-
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p. 16
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late & accept terms which indeed were very far from being
pretty honourable, that He did not stand longer on the
Defensive He attributes to the great improbability there was of
holding out against such a Superiority of Numbers when he
had not any Expectations of seeing the other Troops come to
his Assistance & being also in want of both Ammunition &
Provisions, but that He was prevailed on to sign a dishonorable
Capitulation is owing he declares & concurrent Circumstances
support his Assertion not to these Difficulties but to the
Infidelity of one of his Captains now a Hostage with the
Enemy on whom he depended to interpret to him the Terms
& Conditions proposed to him by the Enemy which were
written in French a Language that Mr Washington had the
misfortune to be entirely unacquainted with thus at once were
frustrated all the hopes that had been conceived from the Vir-
ginia Armament & tho the news of this Defeat has somewhat
allarmed the people in this part of the Continent yet they could
not be persuaded to advance any thing considerable for carrying
on another Expedition against these Invaders who I am afraid
will gradually make themselves Masters of our Possessions as
they have already of all the Indian Trade unless some measures
be taken at home to oblige us to defend them ourselves
or Remittances be made hither to encourage the Service. At
present the Independant Companies a Company of 100 men
which this Province has raised & the Remains of the Virginians
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p. 17
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whom Death & Desertions have reduced to about 200 are
encamped on the Frontiers of the setled part of Virginia &
this Province at a Place called Wills Creek where I beleive
they are to proceed to build a Fort or sort of Magazine & there
remain till some Instructions from home shall open to them a
prospect of entering upon Action with greater probability of
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