Promptly voting 10,000, Virginia dispatched, in May, a force of one hundred and fifty men, under Washington, to the

invaded territory, instructed " to make prisoners, kill or destroy all who interrupted the Not a moment English settlements." too soon did he reach the field. The French, sweeping down

from Venango, had compelled the English to evacuate the trad ing post which they had established at the Fork, and had occu pied the place with fortifications. Washington hurried to the Great

Warned by the Half-King, Meadows, where he held a

Before conference with the friendly Lenape and Seneca chiefs. the rising sun of another day the French were attacked in

An action of about a quarter of an hour ensued ; ambush. ten of the French force were killed, including Jumonville, their commander, and twenty-<one wounded. 3 On account of the number of Buffalo found in its vicinity. Sfarkis Washing-

Bearing tidings of the

other to the west. the Fork.

ton,

n, 436.

Now the city of Pittsburg, Pa.

It

was here that the Indian path separated, one leading to the Seneca country and the

Hence the name,

Washington was severely criticised for attack, and was charged with the Memoirs Hist. murder of Jumonville. this

Soc. Penn., v, 45, etc.

OF HUDSON'S RIVER. disaster, a soldier reached the headquarters of the

mandant

;

a council of

war was

French com

instantly assembled

;

its deli

berations almost as instantly resulted in sending out an over whelming force to meet and crush the advancing English. Washington fell back to the Great Meadows, where he threw