the quaker colonies-第15章

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f　about　fifteen　hundred　only　four　hundred　and　fifty　escaped。　The　French　and　Indian　loss　was　not　much　over　fifty。

This　defeat　of　Braddock's　force　has　become　one　of　the　most　famous　reverses　in　history；　and　it　was　made　worse　by　the　conduct　of　Dunbar　who　had　been　left　in　command　of　the　artillery；　baggage；　and　men　in　the　rear。　He　could　have　remained　where　he　was　as　some　sort　of　protection　to　the　frontier。　But　he　took　fright；　burned　his　wagons；　emptied　his　barrels　of　powder　into　the　streams；　destroyed　his　provisions；　and　fled　back　to　Fort　Cumberland　in　Maryland。　Here　the　governors　of　Pennsylvania　and　Virginia　as　well　as　the　Pennsylvania　Assembly　urged　him　to　stay。　But；　determined　to　make　the　British　rout　complete；　he　soon　retreated　to　the　peace　and　quiet　of　Philadelphia；　and　nothing　would　induce　him　to　enter　again　the　terrible　forests　of　Pennsylvania。

The　natural　result　of　the　blunder　soon　followed。　The　French；　finding　the　whole　frontier　of　Pennsylvania；　Maryland；　and　Virginia　abandoned；　organized　the　Indians　under　French　officers　and　swept　the　whole　region　with　a　devastation　of　massacre；　scalping；　and　burning　that　has　never　been　equaled。　Hurons；　Potawatomies；　Ojibways；　Ottawas；　Mingoes；　renegades　from　the　Six　Nations；　together　with　the　old　treaty　friends　of　Penn；　the　Delawares　and　Shawanoes；　began　swarming　eastward　and　soon　had　killed　more　people　than　had　been　lost　at　Braddock's　defeat。　The　onslaught　reached　its　height　in　September　and　October。　By　that　time　all　the　outlying　frontier　settlers　and　their　families　had　been　killed　or　sent　flying　eastward　to　seek　refuge　in　the　settlements。　The　Indians　even　followed　them　to　the　settlements；　reached　the　Susquehanna；　and　crossed　it。　They　massacred　the　people　of　the　village　of　Gnadenhutten；　near　Bethlehem　on　the　Lehigh；　and　established　near　by　a　headquarters　for　prisoners　and　plunder。　Families　were　scalped　within　fifty　miles　of　Philadelphia；　and　in　one　instance　the　bodies　of　a　murdered　family　were　brought　into　the　town　and　exhibited　in　the　streets　to　show　the　inhabitants　how　near　the　danger　was　approaching。　Nothing　could　be　done　to　stem　the　savage　tide。　Virginia　was　suffering　in　the　same　way：　the　settlers　on　her　border　were　slaughtered　or　were　driven　back　in　herds　upon　the　more　settled　districts；　and　Washington；　with　a　nominal　strength　of　fifteen　hundred　who　would　not　obey　orders；　was　forced　to　stand　a　helpless　spectator　of　the　general　flight　and　misery。　There　was　no　adequate　force　or　army　anywhere　within　reach。　The　British　had　been　put　to　flight　and　had　gone　to　the　defense　of　New　England　and　New　York。　Neither　Pennsylvania　nor　Virginia　had　a　militia　that　could　withstand　the　French　and　their　red　allies。　They　could　only　wait　till　the　panic　had　subsided　and　then　see　what　could　be　done。

One　thing　was　accomplished；　however；　when　the　Pennsylvania　Assembly　passed　a　Quaker　militia　law　which　is　one　of　the　most　curious　legal　documents　of　its　kind　in　history。　It　was　most　aptly　worded；　drafted　by　the　master　hand　of　Franklin。　It　recited　the　fact　that　the　province　had　always　been　ruled　by　Quakers　who　were　opposed　to　war；　but　that　now　it　had　become　necessary　to　allow　men　to　become　soldiers　and　to　give　them　every　facility　for　the　profession　of　arms；　because　the　Assembly　though　containing　a　Quaker　majority　nevertheless　represented　all　the　people　of　the　province。　To　prevent　those　who　believed　in　war　from　taking　part　in　it　would　be　as　much　a　violation　of　liberty　of　conscience　as　to　force　enlistments　among　those　who　had　conscientious　scruples　against　it。　Nor　would　the　Quaker　majority　have　any　right　to　compel　others　to　bear　arms　and　at　the　same　time　exempt　themselves。　Therefore　a　voluntary　militia　system　was　established　under　which　a　fighting　Quaker；　a　Presbyterian；　an　Episcopalian；　or　anybody；　could　enlist　and　have　all　the　military　glory　he　could　win。

It　was　altogether　a　volunteer　system。　Two　years　afterwards；　as　the　necessities　of　war　increased；　the　Quaker　Assembly　passed　a　rather　stringent　compulsory　militia　bill；　but　the　governor　vetoed　it；　and　the　first　law　with　its　volunteer　system　remained　in　force。　Franklin　busied　himself　to　encourage　enlistments　under　it　and　was　very　successful。　Though　a　philosopher　and　a　man　of　science；　almost　as　much　opposed　to　war　as　the　Quakers　and　not　even　owning　a　shotgun；　he　was　elected　commander　and　led　a　force　of　about　five　hundred　men　to　protect　the　Lehigh　Valley。　His　common　sense　seems　to　have　supplied　his　lack　of　military　training。　He　did　no　worse　than　some　professional　soldiers　who　might　be　named。　The　valley　was　supposed　to　be　in　great　danger　since　its　village　of　Gnadenhutten　had　been　burned　and　its　people　massacred。　The　Moravians；　like　the　Quakers；　had　suddenly　found　that　they　were　not　as　much　opposed　to　war　as　they　had　supposed。　They　had　obtained　arms　and　ammunition　from　New　York　and　had　built　stockades；　and　Franklin　was　glad　to　find　them　so　well　prepared　when　he　arrived。　He　built　small　forts　in　different　parts　of　the　valley；　acted　entirely　on　the　defensive；　and　no　doubt　checked　the　raids　of　the　Indians　at　that　point。　They　seem　to　have　been　watching　him　from　the　hilltops　all　the　time；　and　any　rashness　on　his　part　would　probably　have　brought　disaster　upon　him。　After　his　force　had　been　withdrawn；　the　Indians　again　attacked　and　burned　Gnadenhutten。

The　chain　of　forts；　at　first　seventeen；　afterwards　increased　to　fifty；　built　by　the　Assembly　on　the　Pennsylvania　frontier　was　a　good　plan　so　far　as　it　went；　but　it　was　merely　defensive　and　by　no　means　completely　defensive；　since　Indian　raiding　parties　could　pass　between　the　forts。　They　served　chiefly　as　refuges　for　neighboring　settlers。　The　colonial　troops　or　militia；　after　manning　the　fifty　forts　and　sending　their　quota　to　the　operations　against　Canada　by　way　of　New　England　and　New　York；　were　not　numerous　enough　to　attack　the　Indians。　They　could　only　act　on　the　defensive　as　Franklin's　command　had　done。　As　for　the　rangers；　as　the　small　bands　of　frontiersmen　acting　without　any　authority　of　either　governor　or　legislature　were　called；　they　were　very　efficient　as　individuals　but　they　accomplished　very　little　because　they　acted　at　widely　isolated　spots。　What　was　needed　was　a　well　organized　force　which　could　pursue　the　Indians　on　their　own　ground　so　far　westward　that　the　settlers　on　the　frontier　would　be　safe。　The　only　troops　which　could　do　this　were　the　British　regulars　with　the　assistance　of　the　colonial　militia。

Two　energetic　efforts　to　end　the　war　without　aid　from　abroad　were　made；　however；　one　by　the　pacific　Quakers　and　the　other　by　the　combatant　portion　of　the　people。　Both　of　these　were　successful　so　far　as　they　went；　but　had　little　effect　on　the　general　situation。　In　the　summer　of　1756；　the　Quakers　made　a　very　earnest　effort　to　persuade　the　two　principal　Pennsylvania　tribes；　the　Delawares　and　Shawanoes；　to　withdraw　from　the　French　alliance　and　return　to　their　old　friends。　These　two　tribes　possessed　a　knowledge　of　the　country　which　enabled　them　greatly　to　assist　the　French　designs　on　Pennsylvania。　Chiefs　of　these　tribes　were　brought　under　safe　conducts　to　Philadelphia；　where　they　were　entertained　as　equals　in　the　Quaker　homes。　Such　progress；　indeed；　was　made　that　by　the　end　of　July　a　treaty　of　peace　was　concluded　at　Easton　eliminating　those　two　tribes　from　the　war。　This　has　sometimes　been　sneered　at　as　mere　Quaker　pacifism；　but　it　was　certainly　successful　in　lessening　the　numbers　and　effectiveness　of　the　enemy。

The　other　undertaking　was　a　military　one；　the　famous　attack　upon　Kittanning　conducted　by　Colonel　John　Armstrong；　an　Ulsterman　from　Carlisle；　Pennsylvania；　and　the　first　really　aggressive　officer　the　province　had　produced。　The　Indians　had　two　headquarters　for　their　raids　into　the　province；　one　at　Logstown　on　the　Ohio　a　few　miles　below　Fort　Duquesne；　and　the　other　at　Kittanning　or；　as　the　French　called　it；　Attique；　about　forty　miles　northeast。　At　these　two　points　they　assembled　their　forces；　received　ammunition　and　supplies　from　the　French；　and　organized　their　expeditions。　As　Kittanning　was　the　nearer；　Armstrong　in　a　masterly　maneuver　took　three　hundred　men　through　the　mountains　without　being　discovered　and；　by　falling　upon　the　village　early　in　the　morning；　he　effected　a　complete　surprise。　The　town　was　set　on　fir