Spoils of War: George Washington, the French, and a Wampum Belt
Created | Updated Jul 5, 2015
This, too, has been one of the dark places of the world, as Joseph Conrad remarked about the Thames Estuary. The river that flows by, not far from where I sit typing, was part of a hotly disputed territory between the French, the British, and some Red Indians, back in the 1750s. It seems everybody was writing letters about their territorial claims, and making plans to attack each other.
We got the text of these missives from the Journal of George Washington1 , who was a major back then, and up to the buckles of his knee breeches in military escalation.
George Washington, the French, and a Wampum Belt
A summons sent by order of M. de Contrecoeur, captain of one of the Independent companies of the detachment of Marines, Commander-in-Chief of his Christian Majesty's troops now at the Ohio, to the Commander of those troops belonging to the King of Great Britain, whereof M. le Mercier was Bearer, the i6th of April, 1754:
'Nothing can surprise me more than to see you thus attempt to settle on the territories of the King my Master; tis that which obliges me this Day to send you M. Le Mercier, Captain of the Cannoneers, and Commander of the Artillery in Canada, that he may know, Sir, from yourself, by virtue of what orders you are erecting Forts on the Territories of the King my Master. This Motion appears to me so contrary to the last treaty of Peace concluded at Aix-la-Chapelle, between his most Christian Majesty, and his Majesty the King of Great Britain, that I know not
to whom I shall impute such usurpation; since those Lands which are situated along the river Ohio, beyond all dispute belong to the most Christian King.
'I am certainly informed, Sir, that your schemes are contrived only by a company who hath the interest of trade more in view than to maintain the Union and Harmony existing between the crowns of Great Britain and France; though, sir, the Maintainance thereof, may be as advantageous to your nation as to ours.
'However, sir, if you come vested with any orders to this place, I summons you from the King my Master, by virtue of the orders which I have from my General, peaceably to withdraw yourself, and your troops, from the King's territories; if not, I shall be under the necessity, for the performance of my duty, to oblige you thereto. I hope, sir, you will not prolong the time, and thereby force me to Extremes. You may, sir, in that case, be fully persuaded, I shall give such orders to my Detachment, that you shall receive no damage thereby.
'Sir, I give you notice now, that it will be to no purpose to demand one hour's Delay, or to expect I shall consent to your stay, until you receive Orders from your Governor, for none he can give upon the Lands of the King my Master. The orders I have received from my General are a Law to me; therefore, sir, I cannot go from them.
'But if, on the Contrary, you have no orders; if you are only come here to trade, I am sorry to inform you that I am obliged to seize your person, and confiscate your effects to the use of the Indians, who are our children, our allies, and our friends, as you are not permitted to follow any illicite Trade...'
He [Mercier] also delivered me [George Washington] the following speech which the Half King sent to me.
Fort on Ohio2, April 18th, 1754.
A speech from the Half-King, Scruneyattha [a Seneca chief], and a belt of wampum, for the Governors of Virginia and Pennsylvania.
'My Brethren the English. The Bearer will let you understand in what manner the French have treated us. We waited a long time, thinking they would come and attack us; we now see how they have a mind to use us.
'We are now ready to fall upon them, waiting only for your succor. Have good courage, and come as soon as possible; you will find us as ready to encounter with them as you are yourselves.
'We have sent those two young men to see if you are ready to come, and if so they are to return to us to let us know where you are, that we may come and join you. We should be glad if the troops belonging to the two Provinces could meet together at the Fort which is in the way. If you do not come to our assistance now, we are entirely undone, and imagine we shall never meet together again. I speak with a heart full of grief.'
Ed. Note: Okay, basically, Washington said, get out of King George's backyard, Froggies, and the Frogg…er, French replied, 'Go away, or we will taunt you some more.' And the Indians demanded, 'Can we please attack them now?' To quote Browning, 'And what good came of it at last, quoth little Peterkin?' Not much, we're afraid.
All this palavering ended in grief. The Seven Years' War broke out, aka World War Zero. People ended up fighting around the globe. And hardly any of them could spell Monongahela.
