[Footnote 234:  Autobiography of Franklin.]

[Footnote 235:  Colonial Records of Pa., VI. 480.]

Dinwiddie remained tranquil at Williamsburg, sure that all would go well.  The brief note of Innes, forwarded by Lord Fairfax, first disturbed his dream of triumph; but on second thought he took comfort.  “I am willing to think that account was from a deserter who, in a great panic, represented what his fears suggested.  I wait with impatience for another express from Fort Cumberland, which I expect will greatly contradict the former.”  The news got abroad, and the slaves showed signs of excitement.  “The villany of the negroes on any emergency is what I always feared,” continues the Governor.  “An example of one or two at first may prevent these creatures entering into combinations and wicked designs."[236] And he wrote to Lord Halifax:  “The negro slaves have been very audacious on the news of defeat on the Ohio.  These poor creatures imagine the French will give them their freedom.  We have too many here; but I hope we shall be able to keep them in proper subjection.”  Suspense grew intolerable.  “It’s monstrous they should be so tardy and dilatory in sending down any farther account.”  He sent Major Colin Campbell for news; when, a day or two later, a courier brought him two letters, one from Orme, and the other from Washington, both written at Fort Cumberland on the eighteenth.  The letter of Orme began thus:  “My dear Governor, I am so extremely ill in bed with the wound I have received that I am under the necessity of employing my friend Captain Dobson as my scribe.”  Then he told the wretched story of defeat and humiliation.  “The officers were absolutely sacrificed by their unparalleled good behavior; advancing before their men sometimes in bodies, and sometimes separately, hoping by such an example to engage the soldiers to follow them; but to no purpose.  Poor Shirley was shot through the head, Captain Morris very much wounded.  Mr. Washington had two horses shot under him, and his clothes shot through in several places; behaving the whole time with the greatest courage and resolution.”

[Footnote 236:  Dinwiddie to Colonel Charles Carter, 18 July, 1755.]

Washington wrote more briefly, saying that, as Orme was giving a full account of the affair, it was needless for him to repeat it.  Like many others in the fight, he greatly underrated the force of the enemy, which he placed at three hundred, or about a third of the actual number,—­a natural error, as most of the assailants were invisible.  “Our poor Virginians behaved like men, and died like soldiers; for I believe that out of three companies that were there that day, scarce thirty were left alive.  Captain Peronney and all his officers down to a corporal were killed.  Captain Polson shared almost as hard a fate, for only one of his escaped.  In short, the dastardly behavior of the English soldiers exposed all those who were inclined to do their duty to almost certain death.  It is imagined (I believe with great justice, too) that two thirds of both killed and wounded received their shots from our own cowardly dogs of soldiers, who gathered themselves into a body, contrary to orders, ten and twelve deep, would then level, fire, and shoot down the men before them."[237]