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JOURNAL COLONEL GEORGE WASHINGTON, COMMANDING A DETACHMENT OF VIRGINIA TROOPS, . SENT BY ROBERT DINWIDDIE, LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA. ACROSS THE ALLEGHANY MOUNTAINS, IN 1754, TO BUILD FORTS AT THE HEAD OF THE OHIO. IT COMPRISESTHE HISTORY OF MARCHES, CAMPINGS AND EVENTS, A SKIRMISH WITH THE FRENCH, AND THE DEATH OF THEIR LEADER, DE JUMONVILLE. The journal fell into the hands of the enemv, who, in 1756. prioied a version of it in French a new tslation of is into English is wbat is here dren in the absence of the original To complete the history of the Expedition AN APPENDIX IS ADDED IN THE FORM OF A DIARY, SUPPLYING AN ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE OF THE GREAT MEADOWS AND THE CAPITULATION OF FORT NECESSITY THE RETREAT OF THE ARMY WITH COPIES OF ORIGINAL MUSTER AND PAY ROLLS OF THE VIRGINIA REGIMENT, AND OTHER DOCUMENTS CONNECTED WITH THIS EXPEDITION. Edited, with Notes, BY J. M. TONER, M. D. ALBANY, -- 1893. -- INTRODUCTION. The real provocation or motive for the armed expedition to the Ohio in 1754 was not frankly stated by the Governor to the Legislative Assembly of Virginia, or in any state paper by the British Ministry, and is only to be gathered from the official lettersof Governor Dinwiddie and the correspondence of other parties, well informed in State affairs, of that The following extract from a letter written by Governor Dinwiddie to Colonel Thomas Cresap, and dated Williamsburg, January 23, 1752, presents the views then held by the Colony of Virginia as to the obligations it was in duty bound to observe toward the French in the region of the head-waters of the Ohio Sir You herewith will receive the Opinion of the Council in Answer to your Letters. As to making Reprisals for theRobberies done by the French on the Ohio, it is inconsistent with the Laws of Nations, while We are in Peace with France, and your Letter is too general if you can give a particular Account of the different Robberies, we must apply to the Governor of Canada for Redress Upon his Refusal, we may proceed in another manner. The Governor shortly after writing this letter became interested in 14the Ohio Company, which was a creation of the British Ministry designed to test the strength and disposition of the French in maintaining their claim to that vast region of country and to see what support measures for asserting a counter-claim would, receive from the Colonies. The movement on the part of Virginia was by no means a spontaneous outburst on the part of the people. On the contrary, the measure was set on foot by the Governor, almost without conference, except with his Council, although he solicited aid from the other Colonies soon after he had committed himself to the enterprise. It seems more than probable that the project was in- spired more by state-craft and private interest, than from any ambition on the part of lyirginia to repel Indian depredations or to acquire additional territory. While the expedition was a war measure, war had not been declared, and the propriety of, and necessity for, the measure were not apparent to, or sympathized in, by the mass of the people in the several Colonies and was, to a great degree, unpopular with the As- semblies of Virginia, hlaryland and Pennsylvania. The following extract from a letter written on the subject by Governor Dinwiddie in January, 1754, to Lord Fairfax, discloses some of the State motives and, at the same time, shows theindifference of the people. He says As the French Forces on the Ohio intend down as far as Logstown early in the spring, I think it is for His Mys Service and the Pro- tection of the Settlemts of this Domn to do all in our Power to prevent their building any Forts or making any Settlemts on that river, and more par- ticularly so nigh us as that of the Logstown...

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