Monongahela twice in order to avoid a very bad and dangerous defile call'd the Narrows. To secure our Passage, Lieut. Col. Gage was order'd, about an hour before Day break, to march with a Detachment of 300 Men to make the two Crossings, and to take Post upon Advantageous Ground after the last Crossing.

Sir John St. Clair with a working Party follow'd at Day break, and the whole march'd at six o'clock. Lt. Col. Gage and Sir John St. Clair's Detachments having made the two Passages, the General pass'd with the Column of Artillery, Ammunition, Provision and Baggage, and the main Body of the Troops about one o'clock. When the whole had march'd about half a mile, the advanc'd Party found some French and Indians posted on a very advantageous Heighth, some of whom fir'd upon one of their flank Parties, which immediately alarm'd the whole, and brought on a very severe Firing without any Order or Execution.

The General immediately sent forward his van guard under the Command of Lieut. Col. Burton1 to sustain the two Detachments, and instantly form'd the Column in such a manner as to secure it, and to be able to bring more men to Act in case of Necessity.

The two Advanc'd Parties gave way, and fell back upon our Van, which very much disconcerted the Men, and that, added to a manner of fighting they were quite unacquainted with, struck such a Pannick that all the Intreaties, Perswasions, and Examples of the General and Officers could avail nothing, nor could order be ever regain'd; after firing away all their Ammunition they gave ground and left the Artillery, Baggage, etc. in the hands of the Enemy.

The General was with great Difficulty brought out of the Field, he had five Horses Shot under him, and was at last mortally wounded, of which he died the 13th Instant.

1 Lt. Col. Ralph Burton was wounded in this engagement, but recovered in time to command a brigade in the Louisburg campaign of 1758 and to become lieutenant governor of Quebec after its capture by Wolfe. He was advanced to a major generalship in 1762 and died in 1768.

I should be extremely happy to have your Directions as soon as possible in relation to the papers of the General, which should go with the Command. As Col. Dunbar seems to think that he has an Independent Command,1 and as it was always imagin'd that in case of any Accident the whole Command on the Continent devolv'd to you, I shall not part with any Papers 'till I receive your Instructions; I heartily wish you Success, and am with the greatest Sincerity. Dear Sir,

Your most Obedient, and
most Humble Servant.

ROBT. ORME.

I am so extremely ill in Bed with the Wound I have receiv'd, and Capt. Morris likewise wounded that I have been oblig'd to beg the favour of Capt. Dobson to write this Letter; I propose to remove to Philadelphia as soon as I'm able; from thence to Boston, where, if you should be anyways near; will do myself the pleasure to wait upon you. Col. Dunbar is returning to this Place with the remainder of the Troops and Convoy. As the whole Baggage fell into the Enemy's hands, the Papers the General had with him are all lost.

Endorsed: Copy letter from Robert Orme Esqr. to Major General Shirley dated Fort Cumberland July 18th, 1755, in Majr. Genl. Shirleys letter of Augt. 11th, 1755.

WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO RICHARD PETERS 2
Albany, July 23, 1755.

SIR,
At 11 o'clock at Night on the 27th Inst. I receiv'd your
Advice and Letter dated 18th dispatch'd to me by Order of

That Governor Shirley had no intention of acquiescing in this claim of Dunbar is seen from his orders of Aug. 6 and 12, post, Pp. 215 and 231. 2 Original, Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

the Council of your Government. If Colonel Innes's account is right, it is fatal News indeed; but I think there is room to hope from the account of the Disposition of General Braddock's Army given in the Letter contain'd in Governor Sharpe's; and one from the General himself to me dated from Bear camp the 22d of June, wherein he tells me, that he was advanc'd with 1100 pick'd Men; that at the worst it is only part of the General's Army that is defeated, and that Col. Dunbar had not join'd him, and very possibly, Sir John Sinclair was not with him. In Short, I hope for a better account by the next Advices, as Col. Innes seems to have wrote in an Hurry, and does not mention by whom he recd. his Intelligence: It is nevertheless prudent to act with the same Circumspection, as if the News were true.

I shall set out from hence to morrow for Schenectady, and march with the last Division but one of my Forces the Day following, for Oswego, where I expect to be detain'd some little time: Advices sent by Express directed to Mr. Stephenson of this Place Merchant, will be dispatch'd after me to Oswego or Niagara; and as sending any important Intelligence from the General's Camp with the utmost Speed may be of Consequence to his Majesty's Service. I hope your Govt. will be pleas'd to order what they may receive from them to be transmitted to me.

Be pleas'd to make my Compliments to Govr. Morris, upon his Return to Philadelphia, and let his Honour know I ask the same Favour of him.

I am,
Sir,

Your most Humble Servant

[To Richard Peters.]

P.S. Excuse my detaining your

Express so long; I could not avoid it.

W. SHIRLEY.1

1 Shirley sent a second letter on July 24 to the same effect. It is in the Archives of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and is as follows:

ROBERT DINWIDDIE TO WILLIAM SHIRLEY1

SIR,

Williamsburg, Virginia, July 29th, 1755.

I doubt not before this you have heard of the unexpected Defeat of our Forces on the Banks of Monongahela under the Command of General Braddock, of his death and many more brave Officers etc.

I send you also a Copy of Mr. Orme's and Col. Washington's Letter on that unlucky Affair; as also a List of the Officers kill'd and Wounded: This News gave me a most sensible Concern as I never doubted of the Success of our Arms on the Ohio, as I think we were more numerous than the Enemy, besides having so large a Train of Artillery. But the Battle we may observe is not to the strong, nor the Race to the Swift.

On this misfortune I considered we had four Months of the best Weather in the Year to retrieve our Loss (we have very little Winter here before Xmas) I therefore wrote my thoughts and Opinion to Col. Dunbar; Copy thereof you have here inclosed; on the Death of the General the suDEAR SIR,

I receiv'd your second Letter late last night for which I am much oblig'd to You. I am just now setting off for Schenectady and can only observe that as I never imagin'd but that the first account you sent me of the General's Engagement had been much exaggerated by Mr. Innes's hurry and Surprize so I can't but hope the next account will be more favourable still and that the General may recover his Artillery with the force Col. Dunbar had behind. Your first Express did infinite Mischief by spreading the Report as he came along. I could wish Caution might be given to these People not to prate. I am

Albany

July 24, 1755.

Richd. Peters Esqr.

Sir,

Your most Humble Servt.

W. SHIRLEY.

1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 46. Inclosed in Shirley to Robinson of Aug. 11. See also Colonial Records of North Carolina, 5, 429, and the Pennsylvania Magazine of History, 20, 409; 23, 310; 26,

499.

preme Command devolves upon you, I therefore thought it necessary to send you a Copy of that Letter, believing Col. Dunbar would do nothing without your Orders. Our Assembly meets next Tuesday when I have no doubt of their qualifying me to reinforce him with 4 or 500 Men if you approve of my Plan.

It's very probable that the French will sit down easy and expect no further Attempts this Year, and it's likely that many of them will go to Canada, if so, I hope the Vessels on Lake Ontario will give a good Account of them. If you should not approve of my Proposal, I hope you will Order Col. Dunbar and the Forces to remain on our Frontiers to defend His Majesty's Colonies from the Insults and Devastation of the Enemy; for if he should leave our Frontiers, it's more than probable they will come over the mountains and rob and murder our People. There has already been many flying Parties of French and Indians, that have murdered forty of our People, rob'd them of what they had and burn'd their Houses; I immediately Ordered three Companies of Rangers to go on our Frontiers to resist their Insults, with Orders to kill all the French Indians they met with.

I do not doubt but you will be of Opinion with me, that Something should be immediately done, and that the Forces remaining are not to sit down quietly after the Loss we have sustained but if the Panic that seized the private Soldiers should be removed, after a Month's Refreshment and recovery of their Spirits they may be able to retrieve our Loss, but this I leave to Your superior Judgment.

I think if we remain easy under this Loss it will give great Spirits to the Enemy, and therefore am of Opinion that something should be done while they remain in Security thinking no more will be attempted this Year, they may be the sooner vanquish'd. I send this Express on purpose for your Orders and Instructions on this emergent Occasion and hope you will give him quick dispatch and no doubt your Orders will be complyed with.

I hope this will find you in possession of the Fort at Niagara and shall be glad to hear General Johnson prevailed with