Biography Cards
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Biography Card: Queen Alliquippa
About 1679 - 1754
As a young woman, Queen Alliquippa (AL-uh-KWIP-uh) met William Penn. Penn was a rare leader. He truly wanted to be friends with the local American Indians. He treated them with respect and honesty. Penn made a lot of friends among the American Indian nations. Throughout her life, Queen Alliquippa was friendly to the British, perhaps because she had met with Penn.
Conrad Weiser was a man who communicated between the American Indians and the British colonist. In 1748, Weiser traveled to an American Indian village near Logstown. He met a Seneca leader named Queen Alliquippa. He reported that she ruled with "great authority."
The American Indians of the Ohio River Valley had both men and women leaders. The Europeans gave the American Indians titles of "king" and "queen." They did not get their power by inheriting it, but by their wisdom and leadership. Unlike the kings and queens in Europe, American Indian leaders did not have great wealth. James Smith wrote, "the chief of a nation had to hunt for his living, as any other citizen."
In 1749, when the French army traveled down the Ohio River, the commander, Céleron (SEL-or-ohn) tried to meet with Queen Alliquippa. However, she and most of her people were out of town. She probably did not meet with him on purpose. The French came with many soldiers and Queen Alliquippa was friendly with the British. In fact, Céleron described her as an old woman who led her town. He also said, "She looks upon herself as a queen, and is entirely devoted to the English."
In 1753, George Washington and Christopher Gist met with Queen Alliquippa on their trip back from Fort LeBoeuf. Washington brought her presents including a blanket with ribbon around the edges that could be used as a coat. She told Christopher Gist, "that she would never go down the river Allegheny to live, except if the English build a fort, and then she would go and live there." Queen Alliquippa asked the Virginians to build a fort in her area.
Queen Alliquippa left the Forks of the Ohio when the French took control in 1754. In June of that year, she and the Half King visited Washington's camp at the Great Meadows with all of Queen Alliquippa’s people. In an effort to get the warriors to stay with his army, Washington held a council.
Queen Alliquippa and the Half King decided not to fight with Washington. They moved to a trading post in central Pennsylvania. She did not live much longer. When she died in December 1754, she was probably about 75 years old.
(American Indian)
Biography Card: Guyasuta
About 1720 – 1794
Guyasuta, (GEYE-ah-SOO-tah), was one of the most powerful Seneca chiefs of his time. He was described as "able, prudent, and wise."
In 1753, Guyasuta traveled with George Washington from Logstown to Fort LeBoeuf when Washington was delivering a message to the French. In Washington’s journal, Guyasuta is called "The Hunter."
During the French and Indian War Guyasuta fought with the French. He was active against General Forbes’ army in 1758.
At the end of the French and Indian War the British took control of all the French territory east of the Mississippi. Many American Indians were upset with the new trade rules the British put in place. In the spring of 1763 Pontiac gathered warriors from many nations to attack Fort Detroit. Pontiac wanted to drive the British out. Other American Indians thought this was a good idea and attacked other British forts. Guyasuta joined and was a leader in the Ohio River Valley during Pontiac’s War.
Colonel Bouquet (boo-KAY) held a peace conference with the American Indians in the fall of 1764, to end Pontiac’s War. Guyasuta was there. He helped Bouquet without being disloyal to his own people.
In 1770 Guyasuta met someone he hadn’t seen for 17 years, George Washington. Guyasuta greeted him warmly. He shared a buffalo he had just killed with Washington and his group and let them use his campsite.
After the American Revolution Guyasuta worked with his nephew, Cornplanter, for friendly relations with the United States.
(American Indian)
Biography Card: Mary Jemison
1743 – 1833
Mary Jemison was born on the ship as her family made the voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to Pennsylvania. The Scotch-Irish Jemison family moved to the Pennsylvania frontier. They settled at the Marsh Creek settlement, not far from today’s Gettysburg, PA. There they built a cabin and began to build a new life.
On April 5, 1758 a raiding party of French soldiers and Shawnee came to the Jemison family farm. The two oldest boys escaped. But Mary, her parents, and the rest of the family were taken captive. The rest of the family was killed. Jemison was forced to walk to Fort Duquesne, where she was given to two Seneca women. She was taken down the Ohio River. There the two women adopted her as a sister. Her Seneca name was Dickewamis (DIK-uh-WAHM-us) which meant "pretty girl." The two Senecas treated her "as a real sister."
She learned the Seneca ways and married Sheninjee (SHE-nin-jee), a Lenape. Jemison soon had a baby named "Thomas," after her father. The fall after Thomas was born Jemison and Sheninjee agreed that she would go see her Seneca sisters for the winter. They had moved away and now lived near the Genesee River. Sheninjee would hunt and come get Mary and Thomas in the spring. Jemison traveled to her sisters’ town with her Seneca brothers and carrying baby Thomas on her back the whole way. Jemison said "only [those] who have travelled on foot the distance of five to six hundred miles, through an almost pathless wilderness, can form an idea of the fatigue and sufferings that I endured on that journey." Jemison was very happy when she reached the town and the sisters that she loved. Unfortunately Sheninjee did not return. He had become sick and died that winter.
Several years later the British offered money to anyone who returned white captives to them. Jemison did not want to leave her American Indian family. However, there were other people in her town who wanted to turn her in and get the money. Twice she had to run away and hide. The chiefs decided in council that she could stay in the town as long as she wanted. Jemison lived her whole life with the Seneca.
She married a man named Hiokatoo (HEYE-oh-KAH-too) and had seven more children. She became a member of Seneca society
In 1823, she told her life story to James Seaver who wanted to write down her memories. The next year a book called The Life and Times of Mrs. Mary Jemison was published. She died at the age of 90.
(American Indian)
Biography Card: Ensign Charles-Michel Mouet de Langlade
1729 - 1800
Charles-Michel Mouet de Langlade (LON-glahd) was the son of a French father and an Ottawa mother. His uncle was a powerful Ottawa chief.
Langlade worked as a trader, just like his father. However, he was known better as a military leader. Throughout the French and Indian War he sided with the French. He led American Indians as they fought with French allies. His military career began in 1750 when he joined the French army.
In 1752, Langlade was sent to attack the village of Pickawillany (PIK-uh-WIL-en-ee). The Miami American Indians in that town had allowed the British to set up a trading post. The British were selling items for less money than the French were. The French were losing business and this was very upsetting to them.
Langlade led a band of 180 Chippewa and 30 Ottawa warriors, as well as about 30 French soldiers. They attacked the settlement and captured most of the women. Langlade then offered to return the women in exchange for the British traders who were in the village. The people in the village agreed.
A British trader and the village headman were tortured and killed. This, Langlade said, was a sign of what would happen to American Indians who traded with the British. Governor Duquesne wrote of him, "He is acknowledged here to be very brave, to have much influence on the minds of the Indians, and to be very zealous when ordered to do anything."
Langlade was among the leaders of the American Indians at General Braddock’s defeat in 1755 and again at the capture of Fort William Henry in 1757. He fought with the French when they were defending Quebec in 1759.
After the French surrendered Canada, some of his friends told him they expected to see him in Paris. But he did not want to live in a city.
Langlade adjusted to the British as the new rulers. He even fought with the British in the American Revolution.
Late in his life, he told stories about the 99 battles in which he had fought. A friend said that he "never saw so perfectly cool and fearless a man on the field of battle" as Langlade.
(American Indian)
Biography Card: Andrew Montour
Before 1720 - 1772
Montour’s American Indian name was Sattelihu (SAT-tel-ee-hyoo). His father was an Oneida. There are many stories about his mother, Madam Montour. She lived her life and raised her children in American Indian towns. However she was very familiar with European lifestyles. She spoke several languages and served as an interpreter between Europeans and American Indians.
Montour inherited his mother’s gift for language. He spoke French, English, Lenape, Shawnee and the Iroquoian languages. It was very unusual to find a person who spoke so many languages and did it so well. He made his living helping the colonists and the American Indians communicate. It was called a "go-between." He set up meetings, delivered messages, and translated whenever it was needed. He was a man comfortable both with the American Indians and the Europeans.
In 1742 when Count Zinzindorf met Montour he wrote Montour looked "decidedly European, and had his face not been encircled with a broad band of paint" we would have thought he was one. Montour wore European clothes. However, in his ears he wore earrings "of brass and other wires" braided together.
Throughout the French and Indian War Montour sided with the British. He often worked for the Pennsylvania government. He was with George Washington before the battle at Fort Necessity. He was also one of the few American Indians to travel with Braddock. He had so much influence with the American Indians in the Ohio River Valley that the French offered money to have him killed.
In 1752 Montour received land from the Pennsylvania government for all the work he had done for them. He had an idea for his land. He thought that many different types of people would live with him on the land. He wanted many types of Europeans, such as Irish, German and British; as well as many types of American Indians including Lenape, Iroquois and Delaware. However, neither the man in power in the Pennsylvania government nor the leaders of the Iroquois like this idea. Montour was not able to go ahead with his plan.
Montour was very unusual in his ability to understand both the Europeans and the American Indians. He was able to live in either world. But, in the end very few people followed his lifestyle. They chose to live either as American Indians or Europeans.
(American Indian)
Biography Card: Pontiac
About 1720-1769
Pontiac was probably near Detroit. His father was Ottawa (ah-TUH-wuh), and his mother was Ojibway (oh-JIB-wuh).
Pontiac fought with the French throughout the French and Indian War. He is reported to have fought against General Braddock.
After the French were defeated and had surrendered New France, the British commander in chief, Sir Jeffrey Amherst, decided to change the way the British dealt with American Indians.
Amherst told traders that they could no longer take goods to American Indian villages. In practice, this meant that hunters, who often did not have horses, had to carry their furs over long distances. Amherst also limited the amount of gunpowder and lead the American Indians could purchase at one time. With only small amounts it was difficult to carry out their fall and winter hunting.
The effects were disastrous. The American Indians could not provide for their families and villages. They believed the British wanted to destroy their way of life.
On April 27, 1763, Pontiac called a council of more than 400 chiefs and warriors. He was intelligent, an excellent warrior, and a good speaker. He told the war council that if they began a revolt, the French would join them and take back the forts. The French had always made sure American Indians had food, tobacco, guns, and powder.
On May 9, 1763 Pontiac and his followers attacked Fort Detroit. They surrounded the fort and did not let supplies in, or the soldiers out. Other American Indians who were upset with Amherst’s policy joined in attacking the British. Within two months the American Indians had captured eight British forts. The only forts west of the Allegheny Mountains still held by the British were Fort Pitt and Fort Detroit. Both of those forts were surrounded.
Never before had the American Indians united and made a widespread attack on the Europeans. The British were desperate and wanted to use smallpox and dogs against the American Indians.
That summer the French and British signed a treaty formally ending the French and Indian War. The French did not join Pontiac’s War. The American Indians were not getting gunpowder and lead from the French and were running low.
Finally, the British changed their trading rules. The American Indians liked the new rules. In the summer of 1765, Pontiac and other chiefs made peace with the British and Pontiac’s War ended.
(American Indian)
Biography Card: Scarouady
About 1700 or before – 1758
Scarouady (SKAR-roh- ah-dee) was also known as Monacatoocha, (MON-ah-kah-TOO-thuh). This was the name George Washington always called him in his writings.
He was an Oneida. Like the Half King, he was sent by the Iroquois to be their representative among the Shawnee in the Ohio River Valley. The Iroquois wanted to remain neutral in the French and Indian War. Scarouady clearly understood that they would have to take sides. He once said, "You can’t live in the woods and be neutral." He believed the only way for the Iroquois to hold onto the Ohio River Valley and for the American Indians to remain in control of their own future was to become allies with the British.
When the Half King went with Washington to Fort Necessity, he sent Scarouady to persuade the Ohio nations to fight against the French. The effort was not successful.
After the death of the Half King, Scarouady succeeded him as leader. In 1755, he was one of the war chiefs who met with General Braddock at Fort Cumberland. He did not like Braddock but thought siding with the British was the right choice. Only eight American Indians went with Braddock’s army, including Scarouady and his son. During the march Scarouady’s son was scouting for French and their allies who had been spying on the army. Some nervous British soldiers saw Scarouday’s son. Thinking he was the enemy they shot and killed him. Scarouady was so upset by this he "was hardly able to support his loss".
Scarouady later said that Braddock "was a bad man when he was alive; he looked upon us as dogs, and would never hear anything what was said to him. We often endeavored to advise him of the danger he was in with his Soldiers; but he never appeared pleased with us."
Even after all of this Scarouady still believed that the only future was in a British and American Indian alliance. Scarouady continued to try to get British help for the Ohio River Valley American Indians until his death in 1758.
(American Indian)
Biography Card: Shingas
Unknown – 1763
In 1752 the Lenape had been without a chief for 5 years. This was frustrating to the colonial governments to have no one to meet with. Shingas was a Lenape war chief and a wise leader. At the time the Lenape were under the control of the Iroquois. They did not always like this. They did not want the Iroquois representative, the Half King, to speak for them and they wanted to speak for themselves.
At a treaty conference in Logstown in 1752 the Half King decided to recognize Shingas as the "king" of the Lenape. This allowed him to speak for his nation in the future.
In 1755, Shingas, Scarouady and others traveled to Fort Cumberland to meet with General Edward Braddock. The group wanted to let Braddock know that they might be interested in forming an alliance with the British to defeat the French.
Before forming an alliance with the British Shingas asked Braddock whether the American Indians would be free to live in their homeland if the British defeated the French. Braddock said that he intended for the British to live there. The next day, Shingas asked again, and again Braddock said that he intended that the British would settle the land. He told Shingas "No Savage should inherit the land." Shingas was so angry he left and joined the French.
Shingas lead many war parties on raids of the Pennsylvania frontier. He was a courageous and strong warrior. He was so feared that Pennsylvania offered $350.00 to anyone who would kill him.
In 1758 news of the Treaty of Easton reaches Shingas. In the treaty the British promised that after the war, they would withdraw to east of the Allegheny Mountains. He decided to believe the British and accepted the treaty.
Shingas remained an ally of the British. By the 1760s, it looked like the British would not keep their promise and most of the Lenape wanted to drive the British from their lands. He died in 1763, probably from smallpox.
(American Indian)
Biography Card: Tanaghrisson - The Half King
About 1700 - 1754
Probably born into the Catawba nation, Tanaghrisson (tan-ah-GRIS -suhn) was only a child when the French and their American Indian allies took him captive. Tanaghrisson said the French boiled and ate his father. He was adopted into the Seneca nation.
Tanaghrisson was chosen to be the Iroquois to represent and lead the American Indians in the Ohio River Valley. The British called him the "Half King" because he was a sub-chief or representative of the Iroquois leaders. He lived at Logstown (where present day Ambridge, Pennsylvania is located).
Although the Iroquois leaders wanted the Half King to be neutral he sided with the British. In 1752, the Half King advised the Virginia colony that they should build a fort or "strong House" at the Forks of the Ohio.
In 1753, a young George Washington visited Logstown. He asked the Half King to go with him to Fort LeBoeuf, where he was to deliver a message to the French ordering them to leave the area. The Half King and three other American Indians went with Washington on this trip.
In 1754, the Half King and Washington met again. On May 27, the Half King sent word to Washington that he had located the camp of some French soldiers near Washington’s camp. Washington and his men walked through the dark and rainy night to the Half King's camp. There they met and talked. In the morning, Washington and the Half King surrounded the French soldiers and a fight broke out.
At the end of the skirmish, the Half King saw that the French commander, Ensign Jumonville, was wounded. He said to Jumonville, "Thou are not dead yet my father." Then he raised his tomahawk and killed him. It was both a horrifying and symbolic act. To the Half King and his people, Jumonville represented the French in the Ohio River Valley. Killing him showed that they wanted the French to leave.
Washington asked the Half King and another leader, Queen Alliquippa, if their warriors would fight the French with him. They decided not to fight with Washington. The Half King said that he left "because Colonel Washington would never listen to them." He also did not think Washington’s fort was large enough. He called it "that little thing upon the meadow."
The Half King and his people moved to central Pennsylvania. The Half King did not see much of the French and Indian War. He died in October 1754, near present day Harrisburg.
(American Indian)
Biography Card: Captain Daniel-Hyacinthe-Marie Lienard de Beaujeu
1711 – 1755
Born in New France, Beaujeu (BOH-joh) was the commander of two important French forts, Fort Niagara and Fort Detroit. He would not have been given those positions if he did not have experience dealing with American Indians. Beaujeu understood the importance of American Indian allies. In 1755 Beaujeu was given his third fort to command, Fort Duquesne.
July 8th, the night before the battle with General Braddock, the French decided that they would ambush the British as they crossed the Monongahela River. However, there were not enough French soldiers. They would need the help of the American Indians. The American Indians had been spying on Braddock’s army. The rumors among the American Indians were that Braddock’s force could not be defeated. Beaujeu worked hard to convince American Indians to ally with the French. The American Indians thought the French were "making no sense." They did not agree to go.
According to legend the next morning Beaujeu and his troops marched out. Beaujeu tried again to convince the American Indians to join him. He said, "I am determined to confront the enemy. What – would you let your father go alone? I am certain to defeat them!" His speech was almost definitely longer than this, but it worked. The American Indians decided to join the French. The barrels of gunpowder and musket balls were brought out and everyone took what they needed. Beaujeu wore no shirt, just like the warriors with him. He wore a crescent shaped piece of metal around his neck called a gorget (GOR-jay). It showed he was a French officer. When they left Fort Duquesne Captain Beaujeu had 637 warriors and 254 French and Canadian soldiers.
They had marched about 6 miles when they were surprised. The British had crossed the Monongahela River. They could not ambush them. As Beaujeu stopped to reorganize the British opened fire. Beaujeu was killed. Now there was great confusion among the French soldiers and warriors. Quickly the Captain Jean-Daniel Dumas took charge.
Although Beaujeu died he had made a difference. The addition of the American Indian warriors to the French force was an important factor in the French winning the battle.
(French)
Biography Card: Private Charles Bonin, "Jolicoeur"
1733 – Unknown
Stories about the life of ordinary soldiers are rare. However during the French and Indian War, one French soldier wrote down the details of his life. Many years after he died his writings were published as La Marine, The French Colonial Soldier in Canada. No one knew who the author was. He was only identified by his initials, J.C.B.
Today, scholars believe that the author was "Jolicoeur" Charles Bonin (BON-nah). "Jolicoeur" was his nickname and meant "kind heart." He came to New France at the age of 18. He served in the French army throughout the French and Indian War. His first journey was in 1753 when he went with the army to build Fort Presque Isle. He was amazed at the beauty of Niagara Falls. He climbed to the bottom and went under the waterfalls, even though there was no path and it was dangerous. The next year he was with the French as they took control of the Forks of the Ohio. He took part in the building of Fort Duquesne which he wrote "was built of squared timbers twelve feet thick." He stayed at Fort Duquesne until shortly before the French abandoned it in 1758.
JCB was with the French at Fort Necessity in 1754. After the surrender he wrote that the troops "went to work immediately and demolished the fort."
The next year JCB fought against General Braddock’s army. After the army was defeated he said, "The Indians were the first to discover the military chest. They did not know the value of money, and scattered it right and left in the forest. The French began to gather it up." That night, because they did not know if the British would return, he was required to guard the battlefield. He wrote that two men sat at the foot of each tree.
For a while he was the shopkeeper for the trade goods at Fort Duquesne. He liked this job because he could do favors for people and then they would do things for him. When he did favors for the American Indians they would bring him meat.
While at Fort Duquesne he saw many American Indians. There were lots of raiding parties that stopped at the fort. The American Indians would have scalps and prisoners when they returned from a raid. The French purchased some prisoners, some were taken to be adopted and some were tortured. JCB was the secretary at a council held at Fort Duquesne. He wrote down all the speeches and what "each belt or string of wampum" meant.
During his free time in New France, JCB quickly became part of a group that socialized and danced. After the French and Indian War he returned to France.
(French)
Biography Card: Colonel Louis-Antoine de Bougainville
1729-1811
Bougainville (BOO-gan-vil) was born in France. He came to New France with General Montcalm as his aide-de-camp in 1756. Although he was still young he had already published a mathematics book and worked in London.
Bougainville kept detailed journals. His writings offer some of the best information about the life of a French officer during the French and Indian War. He was involved in many of the major battles. Some of the places he fought included Oswego, 1756; Fort William Henry, 1757; Fort Ticonderoga, 1758; Quebec, 1759 and Montreal 1760. He often wrote about the lack of soldiers and supplies.
In November 1758 Montcalm sent Bougainville to France to ask for more help. He was able to speak with the king. During the meeting one of the king’s advisors told him he wasn’t going to get the things he asked for. The advisor said "when the house is on fire one can not occupy oneself with the stable." By this he meant that when France itself (the house) was being attacked in Europe, that they couldn’t worry about Canada (the stable). In April of 1759, Bougainville reached Quebec with the bad news. "France, sir, has suffered reverses [defeats] almost everywhere. She has been unfortunate by sea as well as by land. Her navy is badly crippled, her finances are ruined and the only source of victory she can claim is at your own hands here in North America."
After the French and Indian war, Bougainville became a naval officer. In September 1781 the French fleet won a very important naval battle. It took place in the Chesapeake Bay. The French navy was assisting the Americans during the American Revolution. After the battle, the French drove the British fleet away. The British army in Virginia needed the fleet to bring it supplies. Without the British fleet helping them the British army surrendered at Yorktown on October 19, 1781. This was the end of the American Revolution. Bougainville was there. He commanded several ships in the French fleet.
Bougainville was the first Frenchman to sail around the world. He led a scientific expedition and explored many little known places in the Pacific Ocean. He visited many islands including Tahiti. Today, there is an island and a strait in the South Seas that are named after him.
(French)
Biography Card: Captain Pierre-Joseph Céloron de Blainville
1693 - 1759
Pierre-Joseph Céloron (SEL-or-ohn) de Blainville was born in Montreal. He was the son of a career military officer. At the age of 13, as was the custom, he entered the army as a cadet. He served as the commander of Fort Detroit, Fort Niagara, and elsewhere.
In 1749, Céloron was ordered to lead an expedition down the Ohio River. They began near Montreal. With him were 200 French and Canadian soldiers and about 30 American Indians. They wanted to reclaim the land for the French and see how much the American Indians were trading with the British.
When they reached the Ohio River Valley, Céloron read a message from the governor of Canada at each American Indian village. In part, the message said, "I will not suffer [allow] the English in my territory." In many places Céloron fastened metal plates to trees and buried lead plates in the ground. These lead plates were intended to mark French claims to the land.
As the expedition moved down the Ohio River, fewer American Indians came to meet the group. They would leave their villages and hide. Céloron started sending one member of the group ahead to tell the American Indians that he did not intend to fight.
They continued down the Ohio River to Logstown, a town of about 50 dwellings, and an important trading center. The American Indians there seemed to be hostile.
There were ten British traders at Logstown when they arrived. Céloron ordered them to leave. Then Céloron read the governor’s message to the American Indians. The American Indians asked that the British be allowed to remain for a while, since they depended on the goods they brought. Céloron also realized that the American Indians wanted the British to stay since they sold their goods at one fourth the price of the French.
At Logstown, a American Indian chief, who was old and blind, heard that Céloron had claimed the Ohio River Valley for the French. The chief did not like this and said, "Shoot him." This did not happen. However, Céloron began to leave out that part of the governor’s message.
The expedition continued to bury lead plates, meet with the American Indians, and order British traders to leave. At the Miami River they headed north and back to Canada. In all, they traveled more than 3,000 miles in four months.
In his final report, Céloron did not paint a hopeful picture. He ended by saying, "All that I can say is that the nations in these localities are very badly disposed towards the French, and are entirely devoted to the English. I do not know in what way they could be brought back."
(French)
Biography Card: Captain Louis Coulon de Villiers
1710 – 1757
Imagine how you would feel if you heard that someone had murdered your brother. That’s probably how Louis Coulon de Villiers, (duh VIL-yay) felt when he learned that his brother, Ensign Jumonville, had been wounded by troops under George Washington’s command. Then the Half King used his tomahawk to kill Jumonville.
On June 28, 1754, about a month after his brother had been murdered, de Villiers left Fort Duquesne. He commanded a force of about 600 French and Canadian soldiers, and another 100 American Indians. His orders were to "march against the English . . . in order to avenge ourselves and chastise [punish] them for having violated the most sacred laws of civilized nations."
On July 3, de Villiers and his troops arrived at the place where Jumonville was murdered. They buried the bodies they found there and de Villiers told the troops he hoped to get revenge for his brother’s assassination.
Later that day they reached Fort Necessity. They surrounded the fort. He and his troops could stay protected in the woods to shoot at the British. Soon it began to rain. As the British guns got wet, they did not fire well. But the French, in more protected areas, could still fire their weapons.
By evening, de Villiers’ provisions were almost gone. He wrote, "I saw that we would in a little while be without ammunition." De Villiers also had heard that as many as 5,000 soldiers might be on their way to relieve Washington and his troops. He couldn’t fight much longer. He sent a message to Washington asking him if he wanted to surrender.
Washington was surprised, but he agreed. After talking for four hours, the final surrender paper was ready to sign.
De Villiers sent a surrender paper to Washington’s camp. It was written in French, a language Washington did not speak. Washington signed the surrender paper. He relied on his Dutch translator to understand what it said.
De Villiers watched as Washington and his troops left the fort. "The number of their dead and wounded raised compassion in me," he said, in spite of his "resentment of the manner in which they had made away with my brother."
De Villiers had a long career as a French soldier. He was born in Canada. He became an Ensign in 1733. After the battle at Fort Necessity he continued to serve in the military until his death.
(French)
Biography Card: Governor General Ange Duquesne de Menneville,
Marquis Duquesne1700-1778
Ange Duquesne (dyoo-KAYN) de Menneville was born in France. He served as a naval officer, and was known as a person who preferred action to talk.
In July 1752, he arrived in Quebec as the Governor of New France. His instructions were "to make every possible effort to drive the English from our lands . . . and to prevent their coming there to trade."
Almost immediately, Duquesne began building forts along the waterways in the Ohio River Valley. The first two forts, Fort Presque Isle (presk eyel) on the banks of Lake Erie, (Erie, Pa.), and Fort Le Boeuf (luh-BOOF), (Waterford, Pa.) were finished in 1753. Fort Machault (mah-SHOH), near where French Creek flowed into the Allegheny River, was finished the next spring. The fourth fort was to be built at the Forks of the Ohio. In the spring of 1754, the British were building a storehouse with a stockade around it at that location.
On April 16, 1754, 360 French canoes and flat-bottomed boats arrived at the Forks of the Ohio. The 40 Virginians at the storehouse were out numbered twelve to one. The French aimed their cannons at the storehouse. They offered the commander a choice: surrender or be attacked. The British surrendered and left.
The French began to build a fort at the Forks of the Ohio. They named it Fort Duquesne after the governor.
After the French defeated Washington at Fort Necessity they were in control of the Ohio River Valley. Duquesne decided that he had accomplished his mission. He wrote to the French Minister of Marine, and asked if he could now be relieved of his duties as Governor General so that he could return to the navy.
Duquesne continued to fight against the British while at sea. In 1758, he fought a smaller British ship in the Mediterranean Sea. He was forced to surrender his ship. This defeat was very upsetting to France.
(French)
Biography Card: Ensign Coulon de Jumonville
1718-1754
Joseph Coulon de Jumonville (joo-MON -vil) was born in 1718, in Quebec. His name was actually Joseph Coulon de Villiers. But he used the name Jumonville to avoid confusion with his many brothers. His father was an officer in the French Army. At the age of 15 he began serving in the army under his father’s command.
On May 23, 1754, Ensign Jumonville and about 35 soldiers left Fort Duquesne. Jumonville was instructed to find out if the British troops coming over the Allegheny Mountains were in French territory. If they were, Jumonville was to seek a meeting with them and deliver a message telling them to leave. Jumonville and his soldiers traveled to within a few miles of George Washington and his British troops at the Great Meadows.
It was raining the evening of May 27, so Jumonville and his men made bark huts in which to sleep. The next morning they were just getting up when the quiet was broken. Soon they discovered they were surrounded by the British and American Indians. Gun shots and yells rang through the woods.
The entire fight lasted no more than 15 minutes. When it was over, 13 Frenchmen were dead and 21 captured. One French man had escaped through the woods. Jumonville lay wounded on the ground. The Half King approached Jumonville and killed him by striking his head with his tomahawk.
There are still many unanswered questions about what happened that morning. The French and British versions are very different. The French said they were fired upon with no warning and that they were in the area to deliver a message. The British said the French discovered them, ran for their guns and fired on them before Washington ordered his troops to fire. The British also thought Jumonville had two sets of orders. One set of orders told him to spy on Washington and the other set said he was a diplomat.
We will never know what really happened. However, the events of that morning marked the first shots of the French and Indian War. A very big conflict for control of North American had begun.
(French)
Biography Card: Captain Jacques Legardeur de Sainte-Pierre
1701-1755
In 1753 Captain Jacques Legardeur de Sainte-Pierre (le-GARD-dihr duh san-PIHR) was the commander of the Fort LeBoeuf (luh-BOOF). Sainte-Pierre made his living as a soldier. He was Canadian, having been born near Montreal. He had served at French forts from Acadia (Nova Scotia) to the Mississippi River. He had many years of service on the French frontier.
That December, a young Virginian came through the snow to Fort LeBoef. It was George Washington, delivering a letter from the governor of Virginia. The letter told the French that they were occupying land claimed by the British. It told the French to leave.
Washington wrote of Sainte-Pierre, "He is an elderly Gentleman, and has much the Air [acts like] of a Soldier. He was sent over to take the Command [of Fort LeBoeuf]… and arrived here about seven Days before me."
Sainte-Pierre said he would forward the letter to the governor of New France. Meanwhile, he said, "as to the summons you send me to retire [leave], I do not think myself obliged to obey it." Sainte-Pierre’s reply was polite, but firm. He was not going to leave. Washington carried Sainte-Pierre’s letter back to the governor of Virginia.
Sainte-Pierre continued to serve in the French army. In 1755, he was in command of a large group of American Indian fighters in New York. The French and their American Indian allies attacked the British near Fort Edward. In the attack, Sainte-Pierre was killed.
(French)
Biography Card: General Louis Joseph Montcalm
Marquis de Montcalm1712 - 1759
Louis Joseph Montcalm (mon-KAHLM) was born in France. His father also served in the Army. At the age of 15, he became an ensign in his father’s regiment. Two years later, he was promoted to captain.
He showed great bravery as a soldier. At the Battle of Plaisance in 1746, he was wounded five times. In May 1756, he arrived in Canada as the commander of all of the French troops in New France.
Montcalm's army had many victories. They captured Fort Oswego (1756) and Fort William Henry (1757). When the British attacked Fort Ticonderoga (TEYE-kon-duh-ROH-guh) in 1758, Montcalm and his troops withstood the attack.
Montcalm did not like to rely on American Indians. He did not trust them. He thought professional soldiers should defend New France. Over time, his attitude had an effect and fewer and fewer American Indians assisted the French.
His last battle was the battle of Quebec, 1759. The city was a natural fortress. On either side of the city were high cliffs that stretched for miles. Two rivers also protected the city to the west and east. Montcalm placed cannons at key points on the cliffs and in the town.
In June, a large British naval force arrived. General James Wolfe was in command. He set up cannons that bombarded the city day and night. Montcalm knew that if he could simply hold out until cold weather, the British would have to depart when the St. Lawrence River froze over.
General Wolfe decided upon a desperate gamble. He learned that there was a small footpath that led from the river to the farms outside the city. During the night of September 12, the British troops landed and climbed up the path. The next morning the French saw the British in the fields outside the city.
Montcalm ordered his troops to attack. Montcalm rode among his men, trying to encourage them. But the British held their ground, and they eventually won the battle.
During the attack, both generals were killed. Montcalm was wounded and knew he had only a few hours to live. "So much the better," he said, "I shall not see the surrender of Quebec." Montcalm died the next morning. British General Wolfe lived long enough to know that his troops would win the battle.
(French)
Biography Card: Colonel Henry Bouquet
1719 – 1765
Henry Bouquet (boo-KAY) was born in Switzerland. In 1756 he joined the British army and came to America. In 1758 he was second in command to General John Forbes on the expedition to capture Fort Duquesne at the Forks of the Ohio. He was Forbes’ most experienced field officer. Bouquet ended up doing much of the work, because Forbes was so ill. He was with the British army in Western Pennsylvania throughout the rest of the French and Indian War.
In the summer of 1763, during Pontiac’s War, Fort Pitt was under siege. Bouquet was given the responsibility of delivering troops and supplies to the fort. On August 4, he left Fort Ligonier and set out about 450 men. They brought with them packhorses that carried large bags of flour as well as other provisions.
The post at Bushy Run was about halfway between Fort Ligonier and Fort Pitt. Bouquet’s plan was to march for 18 miles to Bushy Run. Then, after a few hours’ rest, he and his men would cross Turtle Creek in the dark. Bouquet believed that Turtle Creek was the most likely place for an ambush, and thought he would be safe by following this plan.
However, the American Indians had been watching Bouquet. Instead of attacking at Turtle Creek, they attacked about a mile from Bushy Run on August 5th. This was a very smart plan, since by this point Bouquet’s troops were both tired and thirsty.
No one knows exactly how many American Indians attacked. By the late afternoon Bouquet’s army had 50 men wounded or killed. Bouquet and the troops used the flour sacks as a makeshift fort. That night Bouquet came up with a plan. On August 6, Bouquet pulled his troops back as though they were retreating. The American Indians charged in. However, instead of retreating Bouquet’s army circled around and attacked the American Indians from the side. The warriors retreated. Bouquet and his army made it to Fort Pitt.
The next year, in 1764, Bouquet marched a large army west of Fort Pitt. His mission was to stop any American Indians still fighting the British. He was to make peace with any nations that were ready to make peace. The nations he met were ready to make peace, even though it was hard on them. One of the things the American Indians were required to do was to give up all their European captives. This included the children born to captives. It was very hard to give up their own children.
Bouquet continued in the British army in North America. He died in Florida.
(British)
Biography Card: General Edward Braddock
1695 - 1755
In 1755, General Edward Braddock arrived in Virginia. He was the new commander in chief of the British army in North America. He planned a three-part attack on New France. He would go with the troops to capture Fort Duquesne. Other officers would command the troops sent to capture other French forts.
When Braddock arrived he was 60 years old and had been in the British Army for 45 years. However, Braddock had never been to America. Neither were any of the people in London, England, who helped him make his plan. He did not understand the large amount of wilderness and the lack of roads for wagons.
After landing, Braddock and his army soon set out for the Forks of the Ohio. With him were many Americans, including George Washington. The army was the largest ever seen in North America – more than 2,200 men. There were also a few women, most of whom were nurses, cooks, and camp followers.
America was very different from any place Braddock had been. He couldn’t get wagons to carry his supplies. Benjamin Franklin helped him hire wagons. The American Indians were also new to Braddock. When the army got to Fort Cumberland, George Croghan arrived with about 50 warriors. However, Braddock didn’t know how to act. He angered the American Indians and they all left. Only 8 would return to march with him.
In late May, the huge army set out. Building a road through the trees and over the mountains made the army move very slowly. Braddock created a "flying column" of about 1,300 men that could march quickly. The slow wagons would come as soon as possible.
On July 9, Braddock’s army had nearly finished crossing the Monongahela River. They were only 8 miles from Fort Duquesne and confident they would capture it without a problem. Then they were surprised. Fighting began at the front of the army. The French and American Indians had come out of the fort to attack them.
This was a new type of fighting. There were huge trees and the soldiers could not see the enemy. Many British soldiers were killed or wounded. Braddock tried hard to rally his troops. During the battle, he had four horses shot from under him. While he was mounting his fifth horse, he was shot through the lungs. Washington helped carry him from the field in his red silk sash. Braddock ordered a retreat.
Braddock died four days later. His body was buried in the middle of the road. Washington said the prayers. Then the entire army marched over the grave. This was to hide it from the French and American Indians who might find it, dig it up and destroy it.
(British)
Biography Card: Charlotte Browne
Unknown - Unknown
Charlotte Browne arrived in Virginia in 1755. She was with the British army in the hospital unit. Her job was head nurse, or matron. She traveled with her brother, who was also with the British army hospital unit as the apothecary (or druggist). She was a widow and left children behind in England.
Browne had a very important job; in fact, she was the highest-paid and most respected woman in the army. She supervised nurses, laundresses, and cooks. She was often left with her brother to care for many sick patients.
She got to work immediately. While still in Alexandria, Virginia, she wrote, "Just here and got 50 ill already."
Soon the hospital unit left Alexandria to follow Braddock’s army. Traveling was extremely difficult. The roads were dusty and miserable. In one place the road was so bad she couldn’t ride and she walked until her feet were blistered. She picked ticks from her body. During the journey, Browne and the nurses baked bread, boiled beef, and did laundry.
Finally the hospital unit arrived at Fort Cumberland. Browne called it "the most desolate Place I ever saw." The next day she became ill with a fever. When she recovered, her brother became ill.
The hospital unit stayed at Fort Cumberland. On July 11th they got news of Braddock’s defeat. Browne wrote, "we hope that it is not true." Soon they were very busy taking care of the wounded from the battle.
On July 17th, Browne’s brother died. It was a terrible blow to her. She wrote, "I have lost my kind guardian… and am now left a friendless Exile from all that is dear to me."
Browne stayed with the army’s hospital unit. After Braddock’s defeat, she moved several times to other battles. Her last journal entry was, "I here End My Journal having so much Business on my Hands that I cannot spare Time to write it." Nothing more is known of her life.
Although women could not be soldiers during the French and Indian War, many of them, such as Browne, played valuable roles.
(British)
Biography Card: George Croghan
Unknown – 1782
George Croghan (CROW-an) was very well known for his activities in the Ohio River Valley. He was born in Ireland, but moved to America in 1741. He began trading with the American Indians in the Ohio River Valley at that time. By 1749 Croghan had set up a large trading post at Pickawillany (PIK-ah-WIL-en-ee). He offered trade items at a much better price than the French did. This was hurting their business so much that the French offered money to anyone who killed Croghan. In 1752 French officer Langlade (LON-glayd) led a party of American Indians who attacked Pickawillany. They destroyed Croghan’s trading post and killed several traders. The French wanted to send a message that the British were not welcome. It was because of traders like Croghan that tensions between the French and British in the Ohio River Valley began to rise. However, the attack at Pickawillany did not stop him. He soon built up a very big trading company and was known as the "King of the Pennsylvania Traders."
Croghan looked for other ways to make money too. In 1749 he purchased a large quantity of land from the Iroquois near the Forks of the Ohio. He hoped to sell the land to settlers at a profit.
Croghan’s knowledge of the American Indians soon gave him other work. In 1755 he became deputy to Sir William Johnson. Johnson was in charge of all American Indian affairs in the northern British colonies. As Johnson’s deputy Croghan set up conferences with the American Indians and made treaties with them. He was at the Treaty of Easton in 1758.
During Pontiac’s War, Johnson even sent Croghan to London to tell the British official in person, about American Indian affairs. Back in America, in 1765, he went on a peace mission down the Ohio River. He and his Shawnee allies were attacked. He received a serious hatchet wound to the head. However, he and a Shawnee chief used the attack to frighten the hostile nations into thinking if they did not make peace, the British and Shawnee would be at war with them. The hostile nations made peace. Croghan wrote "a thick Scull [skull] is of Service on some Occasions." Later, he said his work at making peace "cost him more trouble than he had ever had in his life."
Croghan had two daughters, one by his European wife and one by his Mohawk wife. His European wife may have died shortly after she gave birth to her daughter.
(British)
Biography Card: General John Forbes
1710-1759
John Forbes was born in Scotland in 1710. At the age of 25, he joined the British Army. In 1756 he came to America.
In 1758, the British planned a three-part attack on the French. They would attack Fortress Louisbourg, Fort Ticonderoga (TEYE-kon-dah-ROH-guh), and Fort Duquesne (dyoo-KAYN). Forbes was assigned the responsibility of taking Fort Duquesne. He assembled a strong staff to assist him. Colonel Henry Bouquet served as his second in command, and George Washington led Virginia soldiers.
Forbes realized that one of the reasons for Braddock’s defeat was his lack of supply posts. Instead of using the route that General Braddock had taken, Forbes decided to build a new road. This road was shorter than Braddock’s Road. Every 40 miles, he built a new fort. The last fort built was to be the "Post at Loyalhanna," or Fort Ligonier (lig-oh-NIHR). It was only about 50 miles from Fort Duquesne. George Washington thought Forbes’ plan to build a new road was foolish.
Forbes also realized that the American Indians were important in defeating Braddock. Forbes had American Indian warriors with his army. The British were also working on a treaty with the Ohio River Valley American Indians that would get them to stop fighting for the French.
During the campaign, Forbes was extremely sick with what he called a "bloody flux." He was so ill he often had to be carried on a sling between two horses. However, he was always a clear thinker. He said to Henry Bouquet, his second in command, that their job was to "keep every body in [good] Spirits."
By the time Forbes reached Fort Ligonier in November, the weather was getting bad. The British decided not to take Fort Duquesne until spring.
On the 12th of November a French soldier was captured. He told the British that the soldiers at Fort Duquesne were very weak, and that their supplies were almost gone. Immediately, Forbes ordered the army to attack. On November 24, the French blew up Fort Duquesne and left. The next day Forbes occupied the burnt and abandoned fort. Finally, after four years, the British were in control of the Forks of the Ohio.
After concluding treaties with the American Indian nations in the Ohio River Valley, Forbes returned to Philadelphia. He died shortly afterward.
(British)
Biography Card: Benjamin Franklin
1706 - 1790
Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston on January 17, 1706. The family was poor. At the age of twelve, young Franklin was apprenticed to his brother James, a printer. His brother was not nice to him. Franklin left and went to Philadelphia.
By 1730, Franklin had his own printing business. In 1733, he started publishing Poor Richard's Almanack which was very popular. Many of Franklin’s most famous phrases, such as "A penny saved is a penny earned," came from the Almanac.
As a printer, Franklin wanted to publish stories that interested people. He published many stories about the treaties between the Iroquois and the British. Franklin learned more about the Iroquois and their form of government. The Iroquois Confederacy was made up of five nations. Each nation could manage its own affairs. However, to be more powerful, they acted together when making war, making peace, or trading.
Franklin thought the Colonies would benefit by working together like the Iroquois Confederacy. In 1754, he first proposed that the colonies unite. He even drew a snake cut into pieces with the words "join or Die" to illustrate the idea. The colonies rejected it. The government in England could manage war, peace, trade and other affairs. Each colony was still looking out for its own interests. Franklin’s proposal was far ahead of its time.
Franklin was always interested in politics. In 1755, he helped General Braddock get wagons and horses. He was a member of the Second Continental Congress. He helped write the Declaration of Independence. In 1776, he signed the Declaration. He made voyages to England and France to help the colonies and the new nation. Franklin was a very good diplomat. He helped to convince France to join the Americans in fighting the British during the American Revolution. He also helped write the constitution of the United States.
Franklin had many other interests. He helped organize Philadelphia’s first fire company. He invented a safer stove to heat people’s houses. Other inventions include the odometer, a new type of reading glasses and swim fins. He studied electricity, including his famous experiment with a kite and lightening. This made him famous throughout the world.
He died in 1790. More than 20,000 people came to his funeral. Many consider him to be the greatest of the Founding Fathers who never served as President.
(British)
Biography Card: Samuel Jenkins
Unknown – Unknown
Samuel Jenkins was African American. In 1754 he was Captain Charles Broadwater’s slave. They lived in Springfield, Virginia, where Broadwater was a member of the Virginia militia.
The next year Captain Broadwater and the Virginia soldiers joined General Braddock's army. Jenkins went too.
Jenkins was not a member of the army. He was paid to help the army as a driver of a provision wagon. General Braddock paid 15 Schillings per day for each wagon with 4 good horses and driver. Jenkins was one of over 200 wagoners on the Braddock Campaign. A young Daniel Boone was also on this list as a wagoner.
Jenkins's job as wagoner was to keep was his horses in good health and keep his wagon in good operating condition. He kept his team of horses under control on steep mountain climbs and dangerous descents without brakes.
Braddock’s army built a road 6 feet wide through dense forests. It was very difficult. There were rivers and streams, swamps, rocks, stumps and boulders that all got in the way. Jenkins braved insects, snakes, rainstorms and heat during his long journey.
Jenkins drove a wagon loaded with 2000 pounds of supplies or food. A lot of food was needed for Braddock’s huge army. Wagons would have carried cheese, Indian corn, rum, flour, rice, peas, salt, flour, bacon, salted beef and pork. Oats and forage for the 2500 horses was also hauled in wagons like Jenkins's. There was little for them to eat in the forest.
The supply wagons were not with General Braddock when he was defeated. Braddock had split his army. The supply wagons were so slow that about half the army went ahead without them. After the battle, as the retreating soldiers caught up with the supply wagons and the rest of the troops, there was panic and fear. The wagons were needed to carry wounded and injured soldiers back to Fort Cumberland where a hospital was set-up for their care. They needed to get rid of the provisions that Jenkins had so carefully transported. They did not want the French to get the food, muskets, gunpowder or any of the other supplies, so the supplies were burned.
(British)
Biography Card: James Smith
1737 - 1812
In 1755, American Indians captured James Smith. Pennsylvania was building a road to connect to General Braddock’s road and he had been hired to help build it.
The warriors took Smith to Fort Duquesne (dyoo-KAYN). There he was forced to run between two lines of warriors. Each held a stick and they hit him as he passed by. This was called running the gauntlet. The warriors valued courage and strength. Captives were often forced to run the gauntlet. If they were strong and fearless they would be kept.
Although Smith was beaten severely he healed quickly and was soon taken to a Caughnewago (KON-uh-WAY-goh) village. There, Smith went through a ceremony that seemed strange to him. Most of his hair was plucked, and his nose and ears were pierced. His body was painted. Then some women took him to a river and began to scrub him.
Smith did not know what was happening. He was afraid that he was going to be put to death. Instead, he learned, he was formally adopted as a son of the village. "From that day I never knew them to make any distinction between me and themselves in any respect whatever until I left them," he later wrote. "If they had plenty of cloathing [sic] I had plenty, if we were scarce we all shared one fate." His American Indian name was Scoouwa (SKOO-wuh).
He hunted and trapped with the men. In the winter, he and the other members of his village made sugar from maple sap.
One day Smith, and his adopted brother were talking about beavers. Smith mentioned that the beavers built dams so that there were plenty of fish to eat. His brother laughed and asked why he thought beavers ate fish. Smith said he had read it in a book. His brother told him that beavers ate bark. Smith did an experiment with a pet beaver and found it would not eat fish or meat. He also looked at the stomachs of killed beaver and did not find fish. He decided the book had been wrong.
Smith lived with the American Indians for four years. In 1759, while near Montreal, he left the American Indians to go back home.
Smith returned home in 1760. Throughout his life he often used fighting skills he had learned from his American Indian family. His book about his life was published in 1799. He died in 1812.
(British)
Biography Card: Captain Robert Stobo
1727 - 1770
Robert Stobo was born in Glasgow, Scotland, to a wealthy merchant. As a young man, he moved to Virginia and began to work as an independent merchant.
In 1754, he became a captain in the Virginia Militia. He was sent to meet George Washington at Fort Necessity. Stobo enjoyed traveling in comfort. He brought along 10 servants. He also had a wagon that contained many things including 126 gallons of wine!
He fought with the British at Fort Necessity. When they surrendered one of the things the French and British agreed upon was that the French would take two people as hostages. Because Stobo was unmarried, he was a logical choice to be one of the hostages. The other was Jacob van Braam.
The hostages were taken to Fort Duquesne. Because they were hostages and not prisoners, they were given the freedom to move around. They were treated very well. Stobo began to learn French. He also paid careful attention to every detail of the fort.
On July 28, 1754, he wrote as much as he could about the daily life at the fort in a letter. On the reverse side, he made a careful drawing of Fort Duquesne. He signed his full name and then had a American Indian smuggle the letter out of the fort to the British.
That fall Stobo and van Braam were moved to Quebec. They continued to enjoy freedom.
Stobo’s pleasant life changed after Braddock’s defeat July 9, 1755. Among the papers found on the battlefield was Stobo’s letter. Stobo and van Braam were put in jail. In 1756, Stobo was put on trial. He admitted writing the letter, but said, "I believed myself entirely free to do what I pleased for the interest of my country." Stobo was found guilty and sentenced to death. The court found van Braam not guilty. Still, both were returned to jail.
With the help of some friends, Stobo escaped twice and was recaptured both times. In 1759, Stobo escaped a third time and made it. In disguise, he set out in canoes with eight other people. They rowed hundreds of miles. They captured two French ships and sailed to freedom.
Stobo had gotten free just in time to help British General Wolfe attack Quebec. Stobo spoke with him often. It must have been Stobo who told Wolfe about the small footpath used by the British to capture the city.
In 1759, five years after he had left Williamsburg, he arrived home again. He was hailed as a hero. The Virginia government offered him "Thanks for his steady and inviolable attachment to the interest of this country, and for his singular bravery and courage exerted on all occasions."
(British)