Parlee With The French

George Washington first experienced the lands that would become Pittsburgh in the summer of 1753. A twenty-one year old Major in the British Colonial Army, Washington was sent by the Governor of Virginia to the river junction to meet with a French contingent. He was assigned the task of kindly asking the French to abandon their quest to settle in the region.

Both the French and the English claimed the Ohio River territory, and quarrels were beginning to erupt. English settlers were moving into the region and the French, along with their Indian allies, were beginning to react with force, defending what they considered an unlawful incursion.

The river junction that became the focal point of British and French claims to the region.

When Major Washington reached the forks of the Ohio River, he noted in his journal that the land was "extremely well situated for a Fort, as it has absolute command of the rivers." He also commented that someday there would rise a great city.

Washington soon arrived at the French encampment at Venango and delivered his message to Commandant Legardeur St. Pierre. It was December 12, 1753. The French commandant respectfully refused, and Washington returned to Virginia with the discomforting news.

The Jumonville Affair

On his way back to Virginia, Washington was met by a group of Virginia militia, along with some settlers, who had set out for the river junction establish a presence and build a fort. They were attempting to beat the French to the prize.

Upon his return, Major Washington immediately raised a regiment and rushed to join the detachment that were encamped at the newly constructed Fort Prince George.

The French were mindful of the English presence at the forks, and rushed a force of soldiers and Indians to capture the British fort. While Washington and his force approached, on April 17, 1754, the French surrounded the stockade and persuaded the small British force to abandon the site. They were granted safe passage and began the retreat back to Virginia.

On April 2, Washington set out with two advanced companies toward the forks. Along the way he met the remnants of the Virginians who had left the fort. He was informed that the French now had command of the area and were erecting a much larger fortification.

Undaunted by the news, Major Washington continued onward to the English settlement at Great Meadows. He was determined to meet and engage his French counterparts and regain control of the forks. On May 28, his command encountered a small French reconnaissance force led by Ensign Joseph Coulon de Jumonville.

Washington's troops ambushed and quickly dispatched of the small French force. Ensign de Jumonville was killed. This incident was refered to as the "Jumonville Affair", and marked the formal beginning of the French and Indian War.

A Bitter Defeat at Great Meadows

Washington soon learned that a retaliatory force of 1000 French and Indians were on the warpath and headed in his direction. He retreated back to Great Meadows and began construction of a stockade, Fort Necessity. There, his small army awaited the French attack.

Fort Necessity, where George Washington and the British battled the French in 1754.

At noon on July 3, 1754, during a drenching rain, the French struck. The British struggled against the onslaught of both the enemy and the elements. From the beginning of the battle, the half-built stockade offered little protection. The trenches filled with water. British ammunition ran low and their powder was wet, but Washington's force fought on.

"We continued this unequal fight," wrote Washington, "with an enemy sheltered behind trees, ourselves without shelter, in trenches full of water, and the Enemy galling us on all sides incessantly from the woods, until 8 o'clock at night."

The French then offered to discuss terms and Washington accepted. His soldiers retreated with honors back to Virginia. The French burned the settlement at Great Meadows and all other British encampments in the region. The Indians flocked to the victorious Fleur-de-Lis and it seemed that French control of the Ohio River Valley was secure.

Major George Washington and his troops retreat from Fort Necessity in July 1754.

The Hero of the Monongahela

The English had other ideas. Although no formal declaration of war had been signed, the British ministry had planned elaborate counteroffensives to remove the French presence from the entire Northeast. When news of the fall of Fort Necessity reached Benjamin Franklin, he published his famous cartoon of the snake cut into thirteen pieces: "Unite or Die."

General Edward Braddock was named supreme commander of British forces in North America. One of his aides was George Washington, now a Colonel. Braddock's aim was to strike back at the French Fort Duquesne, wresting control of the vital river junction with one powerful blow.

French Fort Duquesne at the junction of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers - 1754.

In February an army was raised for the task. On May 29, 1755, Braddock set out from Cumberland, Maryland with a column some 2,100 strong. The command consisted of the 44th and 48th regiments, including over 500 British regulars and militiamen from several colonies, with artillery and support troops. George Washington served as a volunteer aide-de-camp.

In June they crossed the Great Divide, the Allegheny Mountains, into the Ohio River Country, and by July had reached a point nearly eight miles from the forks, near present-day McKeesport is located. The French knew of the British approach and prepared a force of 250 soldiers and 600 Indians to intercept them. Note: Among the Indians was an Ottawa chief named Pontiac, who in 1763 would lead an unsuccessful Indian rebellion against the British.

On July 8, 1755, Braddock sent Colonel Washington and a scout to meet with a French delegation who requested that the British halt their advance and negotiate a peaceful withdrawal of the French garrison. Braddock was not willing to negotiate.

The following day, Braddock's column crossed the Monongahela River, ten miles south of the French fortress. There they met the French force in what is referred to at the Battle of the Monongahela, or simply, Braddock's Defeat. The engagement began at two o'clock. The British force was surprised and routed by their French adversaries. General Braddock was mortally wounded and after three hours of intense combat, Colonel Washington took charge.

General Edward Braddock lies mortally wounded at the Battle of the Monongahela.

Washington had two horses shot out from underneath him during the battle, but managed to organize a general retreat and lead a successful rearguard action. The British force stumbled back to Virginia. Casualties totalled 456 dead and 421 wounded. For his actions during the battle, George Washington became known as the "Hero of the Monongahela."

le General Washington

Washington returned to Virginia with the battered army. He was officially named Commander-In-Chief of the Virginia regiment. At twenty-three years of age, the veteran officer was began preparations for a third assault on the French force.

During this time, several small incursions were made into the Ohio River Country by small British forces. Although he was not present, many of these raids were attributed to le General Washington, a sign of respect shown by his French opponents.

The Capture of Fort Duquesne

By 1758, the British were ready to launch another attempt to regain control of the forks. George Washington was not present during this campaign, when an overwhelming force of 6000 British and colonial troops, under the command of General John Forbes. The French, hopelessly outnumbered, abandoned and burned Fort Duquesne and retreated to the Northwest. The British now controlled the river junction, and retained control until the beginning of the American Revolution in 1776.

The British erected a large, modern fort, named Fort Pitt, beside the ruins of Fort Duquesne. The village of Pittsborough was chartered in 1759 and the history of the City of Pittsburgh began.

The First American President

George Washington returned to Pittsburgh briefly in 1770 on his way to Ohio to inspect land holdings. In 1776 he was named Commander of the Continental Army as the thirteen colonies embarked on the war of revolution. Washington's legendary winter stay in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, could be considered a turning point in the American struggle for freedom.

In 1789, the esteemed General Washington was elected the first President of the United States of America. Some wanted him to be King, but the modest man accepted only the title of President. Eight years later he became the first head-of-state to voluntarily relinquish his power.