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Show Washington's Sad i Fourth of July ammmtmmmmrnisamemmmmammmmmmc Day Wltnened Ills Surrender of Fort Necessity to the French. It was the 4th day of July, 1754, Tl yoars beforo tho Declaration of In-dopondonco In-dopondonco tnndo tho day over fn-inotiH. fn-inotiH. Tho light of early morning shono upon n strnngo scone In tho wilderness of western Pennsylvania. A force of GOO Frenchmen and 100 Indians was camped around a rudo stockade a little to tho southeast nnd not Tar from tho present city of Pittsburg. Pitts-burg. Thoy wero commnndod by Coulon do Vllllers, a young Frenchman, French-man, the commandant of Fort Du-qucsno, Du-qucsno, who had sworn vengoanco against the English for tho (loath of his brother, Jumonvlllo, who had fallen fall-en Jn a skirmish a few days boforo Bcsldos, ho was pledged to mako good tho French boast that no EnglUh ling should wave wost, of the Allcghonies In tho fort a little forco numbering less thau hnlf tho number of tho French nnd IndlniiB hail hold out for ono long day and six hours of the night against tho attack of tholr vengetul u:ul ovorpoworlng foe. Boforo wo relate tho story of Fort Necessity, howovor, It will bo well to refor to the causes which led to this I'ourth of July episode. At tho commencement of tho French and Indian wur It was determined by the English, for tho batter protection of their Interests, to build a fort at the junction of the Allegheny and Monongnhela rivers, on tho presont slto of PlttBburg. A body of troops was accordingly dispatched by Gov. Olnwlddto of Virginia to accomplish this object. Tho death of their colonel on tho .narch throw the cormnnd-'lnto-the minds or tho second officer, a toll Virginian Vir-ginian of 22, with brown hair nnd gray eyes, whoso gravity of manner nnd nrcvorn nppoarunco bespoko ovon then tho greatness he was to win. 1'hls Vlrglnlnn youth wub George Washington. Boforo ho reached tho goal of hU Journey, Washington learned from his scouts tho futility of his errand. In-stead In-stead of driving out tho French, he and hlB cnnummd Htood In a fair wny of bolng themselves driven out, If not altogether annihilated. Tho French had boon improving tho summer weather. They had captured (ho fow English nnd built and manned u strong fortress at tho very place whore tho English oxpocted to build one, nnd a French and Indian forco of more than 1,000 men was thronging tho ndjncoht forests Whon within u day s march of the now fort which tho French had named Duquesne, after tho governor of Canada, Can-ada, Washington halted at a place cahed Urn Great Meadows and constructed con-structed u fortification of logs nnd earth, throwing up with his own hands tho first shovelful of soil. To this rudo stockade ho gavo the annii) of Fort Necessity. In It wore placed the cannons which ho had dragged with so groat toll through the forest putlis from Virginia. Tho scouts of tho faithful Shawnee chief found tho enemy's trail, and In (ho darkness of a rainy night the Ungllnh mado a successful raid. Jumonvlllo, Ju-monvlllo, tho Fronch loader, was killed, and sovoral of his mon fell prisoners Into Washington's hands. After a few d'iys' rest, Washington wont forward with a portion of hi." forco to moot tho Shawnee chief, Half King. A council was hold and it was determined to mnke a night nttacK upon the French Ho now foil hack upon Fort Necessity, Neces-sity, Ills situation was a critical ono. Ills mon had but liitle ammunition, and no broad of nay kind, having lived for sovoral days on frosh moat alone, and even thlH was not plentiful. Washington spent his slnglo day of respite In strengthening his rampart with logs. On the morning of the 3d of July his scouts brought IntolliT gence of tho advance of tho Fronch. Meanwhllo tho French and IndlniiB, under tho command of Coulon do Vllllers, Vll-llers, had boon holding a grand powwow pow-wow at Fort Duquesno. Tho "Fronch father" had supplied his children liberally lib-erally with flroarms and tho wherewithal where-withal to oat and drink. The braves aftor consuming sovernl oxen nnd drinking two barrels of wine, had expressed thoir willingness to march against the English and drlvo them across tho Alloghenlos. Do Vllllers sot out on this expodl- tlon. Tho way through the forost was 'iH a difficult ono, nnd boforo they ronchod M Fort Necessity rain began to fall heav- M lly. But tho French pressed on, and H beforo noon of tho 3d of July they M were firing upon Washington's de- M Their position was such, being upon iH higher ground, on two Blight elova- M tlons, nnd well Bholtored by trees and H bushes, that thoy could cross their H fire upon the fort and enfilndo a por- M tlon of it, without thomsolvcs being M exposed to much injury irom tho Eng- M At a little nftor nlno o'clock in the il ovonlng tho French commander called il out for a parloy. Washington's fonr H of treachery led him to Ignore tho pro- H posnl at first, but Ills position was so H desporato that ho complied tho second H Capt. Vanbraam, a Dutchmnn, tho 'il only person in his troop who could H talk Fronch, was nont to Do Vllllor'a H After n long preliminary tn.lk tho 'H Frenchman wroto his terms of stir- H render by tho (luring light of n pine- H knot, the rain drops spattering upon H the paper and rendering tho writing H almost illogtblo. H The terms pormitted Washington H nnd his mon to march out with the H honors of war, retaining tholr arms, H stores and baggngo. H Washington signed tho pnpor bo- H tweon midnight and ono o'clock, and jH tho rost of tho night passed quietly, H though tho men remained under armB. H At dawn of tho Fourth of July tho ,H Great Meadows presented an animated H scone. Tho morning was fair, and tho H buu shone brightly over tha damp, H green forests nnd tho lofty rldgo of JjH Laurol Hill. IH Tho horses and cattle belonging to H tho garrison had nil been killed, nnd, H burdonod by tho sick and wounded, 'H whom thoy carried on tholr backs, tho liH English woro obliged to lonvo most of H . tliclrbaggajgo and cannons behind. iH "lowJyth67Tllod"oilt'of-tho fort nnd""", WL --wuH begun tholr slow and woarlBomo march H for Wills Creole, tho nearost English ', stutlon, 52 mllos over the Allcghonies. j Sad must have boon tho neart ot Washington as ho survoyod tho scone. H All hlB hopes of mllltnry glory soomed "iH blighted In tho bud, hut whntovor may, H have been his fcollngs, no word of romplnlnt or anger escnpod his lips. H Without any doubt, howovor, It was JM llio darkest and most mlsorablo morn- 'ttil Ing In his BiiiH Ho could not foroseo tho future, but H on thnt other day, whon tho boll on H tho statu house at Philadelphia was H proclaiming the Declaration of Iude- H pendonco far and wldo, nnd Jubilant H crowds wero shouting and throwing H up their hats at tho glad tidings there- of, Washington must havo thought ot H tho tlmo whon ho loft the walls of H Fort Necessity, n defeated man nnd a H fugitive. Golden Dnys. jjH |