Washington's force, marching through the forests of…

May 1754 CE

Washington's force, marching through the forests of the frontier, is joined by more men at Winchester.

He learns of the French advance at this point from Captain Trent.

Trent also brings a message from Tanacharison, who promises warriors to assist the British.

Washington, to keep Tanacharison's support, decides not to turn back, choosing instead to advance.

He reaches a place known as the Great Meadows (now in Fayette County, Pennsylvania), about thirty-seven miles (sixty kilometers) south of the forks, began construction of a small fort and awaited further news or instructions.

Contrecœur operates under orders that forbid attacks by his force unless they are provoked.

He sends Joseph Coulon de Villiers de Jumonville with thirty-five soldiers on May 23 to see if Washington had entered French territory, and with a summons to order Washington's troops out; this summons is similar in nature to the one Washington had delivered to the French four months earlier.

Washington is informed on May 27 by Christopher Gist that a Canadian party numbering about fifty is in the area.

In response, Washington sends seventy-five men with Gist to find them.

That evening, Washington receives a message from Tanacharison, informing him that he had found the Canadien camp, and that the two of them should meet.

Despite the fact that he had just sent another group in pursuit of the Canadians, Washington goes with a detachment of forty men to meet with Tanacharison.

The Mingo leader has with him twelve warriors, two of whom are boys.

After discussing the matter, the two leaders agree to make an attack on the Canadians.

The attackers take up positions behind rocks around the Canadian camp, counting not more than forty Canadiens.

Exactly what happened next has been a subject of controversy and debate.

Washington ambushed the French, killing ten to twelve, wounding two and capturing twenty-one.

The few primary accounts of the affair agree on a number of facts, and disagree on others.

They agree that the battle lasted about fifteen minutes, that Jumonville was killed, and that most of his party were either killed or taken prisoner.

The exact manner of Jumonville's is death is uncertain, but by several accounts Tanacharison executed Jumonville in cold blood, crushing his head with a tomahawk and washing his hands in Jumonville's brains.

One account, reported by a native to Contrecœur, claims that Jumonville had been killed by Half King while the summons was being read.

The dead are left on the field or buried in shallow graves, where they will later be found by the French.

According to Canadian records, most of the dead were colonials.

The Battle of Jumonville Glen is widely considered the formal start of the French and Indian War and ultimately of the Seven Years' War.

Following the battle, ...