6                     Preface.

           commanded by Coulon de Jumonville, and a skirmish ensued in which

           De Jumonville was killed, and the rest of his party either slain or made

           prisoners. Shortly after, Col. Fry was killed by a fall from his horse,

           and Washington succeeded to the chief command.

             When the news of De Jumonville's disaster reached the French at

           Fort Du Quesne, his brother, Commandant De Villiers, was sent by

           Contrecceur with a force of 600 men to attack the English, who fell back

           to a place called the Great Meadows, on a branch of the Youghiogeny,

           and there threw up hasty defences. These, however, they were unable

           to hold; and on the 3d of July Washington and his force surrendered.

           The French had maintained that De Jumonville had been sent to parley

           with the English, and that the death of that officer was an “assassina

           tion”; and this word Villiers inserted in the articles of capitulation,

           which Washington signed, thereby subjecting himself to severe censure.

           He pleaded that, as he did not understand French well, Captain Van

           Braam of his command had translated the articles to him by word of

           mouth, and had softened the ugly word “assassination” to "death."*

             This mishap caused great alarm, especially in the southern Provinces,

           and the governors set about raising men and supplies. The home

           government also bestirred itself. Sharpe had already been raised to

           the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and commissioned to take command of

           the operations against the French; and in October two regiments of

           foot commanded by Sir Peter Halkett and Col. Dunbar were ordered

           out to Virginia. Dinwiddie began the construction of a stockade fort

           on Wills' Creek, which he named Fort Cumberland, in honor of the

           victor of Culloden; and Sharpe exerted himself to raise and equip

           forces for effective operations in the spring. But the English govern

           ment resolved to send out a general officer to take the command in the

           field; as it was rightly judged that Sharpe and the other governors

           would have their hands full in enlisting men, procuring supplies and

           means of transportation, and extorting funds from their respective

           legislatures. The officer selected was Edward Braddock, whose arrival,

           movements, and disastrous end, will be found chronicled in the following

           pages.

             The difficulties with which Sharpe had to contend were many and

           great. As a commissioned officer under the crown, he had to strain

           every nerve to procure the requisite men and supplies; as the repre

           sentative of the Proprietary, he was bound to guard against any

           encroachment of his rights; as the governor of the Province, it was his

           duty to shield the inhabitants from wrong and injustice. It is evident

           that he endeavored to execute his duty, amid these conflicting claims,

           with justice, prudence, and moderation.

             The war and its concomitants were not the only difficulties with which

           Sharpe had to contend. The Proprietaries of Pennsylvania, not satisfied

           with having robbed- Maryland of all the territory between the present

           * A copy of the articles of capitulation was found in the Calvert Papers, and is-printed on p. 78.