From Farm House to the White House - 912 Freedom Library

Farm House to the White House, by William M. Thayer 90
receiving but a pittance, and half starved into the bargain. His appeal was a sincere and earnest one for his
soldiers.
As on former occasions, Washington was his own chaplain. Twice a day his little army were called to prayers
in the fort, which he himself conducted. On the Sabbath only works of necessity were performed, and he
conducted religious services. Sometimes his brief remarks, called forth by the condition of his army, deeply
impressed his listeners, who knew that they were honest words from a true heart.
He was exceedingly annoyed by the profanity and wickedness of his men, and at one time he issued the
following order:
"Colonel Washington has observed that the men of his regiment are very profane and reprobate. He takes this
opportunity to inform them of his great displeasure at such practices, and assures them that, if they do not
leave them off, they shall be severely punished. The officers are desired, if they hear any men swear or make
use of an oath or execration, to order the offender twenty-five lashes immediately, without a court-martial. For
a second offence he shall be more severely punished."
As the French army did not make its appearance after waiting many days for it, Washington resolved to march
upon Fort Duquesne, as the French had named their stronghold at the forks in honor of the governor of
Canada.
Leaving Captain Mackey with his company to garrison the fort, Washington advanced towards the forks. But
he had marched only thirteen miles when he met several friendly Indians, one of whom said:
"The French are on the march against you."
"How far away?" inquired Washington.
"A few miles only."
"In large force?"
"Eight hundred Frenchmen and four hundred Indians."
"I can hardly credit that they are coming with so large a force," replied Washington. "That is a formidable
army for my small army to fight."
The Indians convinced him that it was even so, whereupon he called a council of war, when it was
unanimously decided to retreat to their base of supplies. After two days of wearisome marching, on the retreat,
they reached the fort at the Great Meadows. Here many of the men and horses were so exhausted and weak
for the want of food that Washington decided to make a stand there. He was forced to stop there, and so he
named the stockade "Fort Necessity."
The able-bodied soldiers were set to work digging a trench around the fortifications, and felling large trees to
obstruct the march of the enemy upon their works. But their labors were far from being completed when, on
the morning of July 3, a wounded sentinel came rushing into camp and shouting, "The enemy is upon us! The
French army is here!"
The drum beat the soldiers into line quickly, outside of their fortifications, though subsequently they were
withdrawn into the fort. About eleven o'clock the enemy opened a heavy fire upon the fort, which was
returned with spirit.