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The 27th. Mr. Gist arrived early in the Morning, who told us, that Mr. la Force with Fifty Men, whose Tracks he had seen five Miles off, had been at his Plantation the Day before, towards Noon; and would have killed a Cow, and broken every Thing in the House, if two Indians whom he had left in the House, had not perswaded them from their Design; I immmediately detached Sixty-five Men, under Command of Captain Hog, Lieutenant Mercer, Ensign Peyronie, three Sergeants, and three Corporals, with Instructions.

The French enquired at Mr. Gist’s what was become of the Half-King? I did not fail to let the young Indians who were in our Camp know, that the French wanted to kill the Half-King; and that had its desired effect.1 Upon the spot they offered to accompany our People, against the French, and had they found it true that he had been killed, or even insulted by them, one of them would have promptly carried the News to the Mingo Town, and incited their Warriors to fall upon them. One of these young Men was sent towards Mr. Gist’s; and should he not find the Half-King there, he was to send a Message by a Delaware.

About eight at Night, received an Express from the Half-King, which informed me, that as he was coming to join us, he had seen along the Road, the Tracks of two Men, which he had followed, till he was brought to a low obscure Place, where he thought the whole Party of French was hidden: That very Moment I sent out Forty Men, and ordered my Ammunition to be concealed, fearing a Stratagem of the French to attack our Camp. I left a guard to defend it and with the rest of my Men, set out in a heavy rain, and in a Night as dark as Pitch1 ; along a Path scarce broad enough for one Man; we were sometime fifteen or twenty Minutes out of the Path, before we could come to it again, and so dark that we would often strike one against another: All Night long we continued our march, and the 28th, about Sun-rise, we arrived at the Indian Camp, where, after holding a Council with the Half-King, it was concluded to attack them together; so we sent out two Men to discover where they were, and in what position, and what Sort of Ground was thereabout; after which, we formed ourselves for surrounding them and took up our march one after the other, in the Indian Manner; We were advanced pretty near to them, as we thought, when they discovered us; whereupon I ordered my Company to fire, mine was supported by that of Mr. Waggener, and my Company and his, received the whole Fire of the French, during the greatest Part of the Action, which only lasted a Quarter of an Hour, before the enemy was routed.2

We killed Mr. de Jumonville, the Commander of that Party, with nine others; we wounded one, and made Twenty-one Prisoners, among whom were M. la Force, M. Drouillon, and two Cadets. The Indians scalped the Dead, and took most of their Arms, after which we marched with the Prisoners and the Guard, to the Indian Camp, where again I held a Council with the Half-King; and there informed him, that the Governor was desirous to see him, and was waiting for him at Winchester. He answered that, he could not go just then, as his People were in too imminent a Danger from the French, whom they had just attacked; that he must send Messengers to all the allied Nations, inviting them to take up the Hatchet. He sent a young Delaware Indian to the Delaware Nation, and gave him also a French Scalp to carry to them. This Man wished to have a Part of the Presents which were allotted for them, and that the remaining Part might be kept for another Opportunity. He proposed to go to his own Family, and to several others, and conduct them to Mr. Gist’s, where he desired Men and Horses should be sent to aid them to reach our Camp. After this I marched on with the Prisoners. They had informed me that they had been sent with a Summons to order me to depart—a plausible Pretence to discover our Camp, and to obtain a Knowledge of our Forces and our Situation! It was so clear that they were come to reconnoitre, that I admired at their Assurance, in telling me that they were come as an Embassy; for their Instructions mentioned that they should get what Knowledge they could of the Roads, Rivers, and of all the Country as far as Potowmack. And instead of coming as an Embassador, publicly, and in an open Manner, they came most secretly, and sought after the most hidden Retreats, more fit for Deserters than an Embassador; in such retreats they encamped, and remained hid for whole Days together, being no more than five Miles from us. From thence they sent spies to reconnoitre our Camp; the whole Force retraced their steps two Miles; they sent the two Messengers spoken of in the Instruction, to acquaint M. de Contrecœur of the Place we were in, and of our Disposition, that he might send his Detachments to inforce the Summons as soon as it should be given.

Besides, it was a suite worthy of a Prince that this Ambassador had; whereas he was merely a petty French Officer; an Embassador has no Need of Spies, his Character being always sacred: And since their Intention was so good, why did they tarry two Days, five Miles from us, without acquainting me with the Summons, or at least, with something that related to the Embassy? That alone would be sufficient to raise the strongest Suspicions, and we ought to do them the Justice to say, that wishing to hide themselves, they could not pick out better Places than they had done.

The Summons is so insolent, and savors so much of Gasconnade, that had it been brought openly by two Men, it was too great an Indulgence to have suffered them to return.

It was the Opinion of the Half-King in this Case that their Intentions were evil, and that it was a pure Pretence; that they never intended to come to us but as Enemies; and if we had been so Foolish as to let them go, they would never help us more to take other Frenchmen.

They pretend they called to us as soon as they had discovered us; it is absolutely False, for I was then marching at the Head of the Company, and can positively affirm, that, as soon as they saw us, they ran to their Arms, without calling; as I must have heard them had they so done.