(Translator's Note: The original text of this comes from: Grenier, Fernand, Ed. Papiers Contrecoeur et autres documents concernant le conflict Anglo-Francais sur l'Ohio de 1745 a 1756. Quebec, 1952, pages 196 - 202. Villiers's original spelling is quite atrocious, as are his punctuation and capitalization. I have left a sense of the latter in this translation, but tried to correct his spelling).

I arrived the 26th of June at Fort Duquesne at eight o'clock in the morning with the different Nations of whom Mr. The General had given me the command.

I found out upon my arrival that Mr. De Contrecoeur had made a Detachment of five hundred men and eleven Indians of different Nations of the Ohio River to whom he had confided the Command to Mr. The Chevalier Le Mercier, who was to leave the next morning.

Since I was the senior of this officer, since I commanded the Nations, And as my brother had been assassinated, Mr. De Contrecoeur honored me with the Command, and Mr. Le Mercier testified to me, that although deprived of the Command, it would be his great pleasure to make the Campaign under my orders.

I assembled the domiciled Indians to get them to accept the hatchet that Mr. De Contrecoeur presented them [along] with a Necklace to each Nation.

One of the Iroquois Chiefs told us, that their Father Onontio had not sent them but to work at Good affairs, therefore that they did not want to trouble the land, And that their Father had assured them that they would do nothing but Regard and maintain the Peace.

However the Warriors Took up the hatchets, the Necklaces, and two Barrels of wine that had been brought to make up their feast.

Two hours later the Council was Held again, and all the Nations accepted the hatchet, War Songs were sung, the Chiefs asked the following day to sew their moccasins, and Things were disposed of as desired.

The 27th work was begun to prepare for the Campaign, Mr. De Contrecoeur summoned Mers. Le Mercier, de Longueiiil, and me to deliberate on what had to be done in the Campaign Looking at the place, the strength of the Enemy, The assassination that they had made upon us, and the Peace that we had the intent to maintain between the two Crowns; see attached the Results of this conference.

The Chiefs then came to announce to Mr. De Contrecoeur that the Warriors were going to follow me, and that Those who had come to work at Good affairs remained near him.

The 28th Mr. De Contrecoeur Gave me my orders, food was distributed, each Embarked, and we left the fort around ten o'clock in the morning.

I commenced from this instant to have Indian scouts by land to Avert any surprises, and I joined several Cadets to them who were mutually relieved, as were the Indians during the Remainder of the Voyage, I had us Sleep Seven or eight Arpents above the first fork of the Monongahela River although I was not of the design to take that route.

I assembled the Indians and requested their advice, they referred the Route to a Chief Sononten of the Ohio, as having better knowledge of the Locality. He then decided, that as the Route was longer, it was better to take the Monongahela River, seeing that If the English had continued Their march, they would have been able to gain the cart shed, and that moreover the other Branch of The River would be Likely to lack Water.

The Indians pointed out to me that the Band of the Mississagua were missing, this could have delivered a Blow to them, that would have done them great harm, but I Reassured them there on this account.

The 29th the Mass was given in Camp, after which we marched forth with the ordinary precautions, I saw a Mississagua who came to Rejoin me and who brought Letters from Mr. De Contrecoeur.

We had no other events this day and made a Good day's progress.

The 30`h we Arrived at the cart shed [73] that was [made of] pieces On [other] pieces, well Crenulated, and Around thirty feet in length, By twenty-two feet wide. Since it was late, and I did not want to do Anything Without consulting with the Indians, I had us Camp within two musket shots from there.

That evening I summoned the Chiefs, and deliberated with Them, on the precautions to take for the Safety of our Pirogues, Food that we left in Reserve And how many would guard them. I had them Envisage the advantages of the cart shed for that or twenty men able to put up a strong Resistance, they approved of everything, they Then asked how to arrange Themselves on the Subject of scouts, to obviate the jealousy that rises among the Nations, when partiality is avoided, And it was concluded that that there would only be a very small number near the Camp, that the others would Return before us as soon that they would have information of anything from there, that on the contrary, those who were to scout The Camp, would do it during the night, and would come so that we could strike at daybreak. The first Of July we placed our Pirogues in Safety, we arranged our Effects, and everything that we could pass; in the cart shed I left a Good sergeant with twenty men and some sick Indians; ammunition was distributed, and We marched forth toward eleven o'clock. We found the roads so arduous, that at the first halt The Chaplain was no longer in a condition to continue the trip, he gave us General absolution, And Returned to the cart shed, we saw tracks, which caused us to Suspect that we were discovered.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, having received no news of our scouts, I Sent others away who Encountered our first ones, they mistook them and were On the verge of firing on them, but fortunately they ceased being on the wrong scent, they Returned to us, and announced to us that they had been on the Road that the English had made, that they had not seen them in person, and that it appeared that they had around three days since they had been there; we no longer doubted that the English had not been informed of our movements. However we continued our Route as far as an advantageous cabin Situated from where we Sent scouts on all sides, the troop was arranged there, so as to defend it, and we spent the night there awaiting our scouts.

The 2nd from daybreak, we marched forth, With our scouts not having arrived, after having marched for some time, we stopped, and I Resolved not to go onward without receiving some positive news, and I Sent scouts onto the Road, during this time the Indians that had Remained in the cart shed Returned to me, and had taken a prisoner who said that he was a Deserter. [74]

I questioned him and threatened to hang him, if he imposed upon me; I learned that the English had left their Post to Return to their fort, and that they had Brought back their Cannon. Our last Scouts arrived and told me that the first ones had missed the Road, that they had seen the tracks of ten or twelve men, and that they did not doubt that they were theirs [the tracks of the English]. I continued on my Way, and I arrived at an abandoned cabin from where several of our men spied the Camp [75] abandoned by the English And we Went there. This place consisted of three cabins Surrounded by several pieces of end-pieces, [76] and Fencing the interior of which was commanded by neighboring heights. I sent the scouts, and had everything searched, they found there several caches of tools and other utensils, that I had seized; as it was late, I had the Detachment Camp there which leveled the bad roads, moreover the weather was rainy; we Had an alert there caused by our Indians who were in the pursuit of several animals.

I again questioned the Englishman in an intimidating fashion, and gave him the Hope of Recompense. I communicated to the Indians everything that I had learned, and of the Resolution that I had not to Expose them rashly, all that night it rained.

The 3rd from the break of Day, I prepared to depart. I invited the Indians to provide scouts. The weather was rainy, but I saw the necessity of keeping the Enemy from any work that he could do, I even flattered myself that they Would be less vigilant in such awful weather.

The Nipissings and Algonquians, not wishing to go out, I told them that they could Remain, I marched forth with the other Nations, who shamed the former by the point of coming to join me with the Exception of two.

Before my departure two of my initial scouts about whom I was worried, came to Rejoin me and told me that they had taken three prisoners who came from the Cha8enons, and that they had Returned them to the cart shed, which was confirmed to me by a Letter that they Returned to me from the sergeant that I had left there.

We marched all day in the rain And I Sent scouts Upon scouts, I arrived at the place where my brother had been assassinated, and I still saw corpses there. [77]

I sent scouts to go as far as the Camp, twenty others to support them, and I advanced in order, then someone came to announce to me that we had been discovered, that the English were coming in Order of Battle to attack us. As I was told they were so close, I placed my troop in Order of Battle in the style conducive to Woods Fighting. [78]

It did not take me long to find out that our scouts had mislead me, and I ordered the troop to advance to the side from which we could be attacked; as we had no knowledge of the Locality, we presented our flank to the fort, from which they commenced to fire Cannon at US. [79]

I perceived the English close at hand, on the right, in Order of Battle who were advancing against us. The Indians as well as ourselves shouted the Cry And advanced on Them, but they did not give us the time to fire at them, before they Retreated into an Entrenchment that was attached to their fort, then we betook ourselves to investing the fort, it was situated advantageously enough in a plain from which the Woods were within musket range, we approached Them as close as possible, so as not to Expose uselessly the Subjects of His Majesty. The fire on both sides was quite brisk, and I went to the place that appeared to be the most capable of Enduring a Sortie, we succeeded in Extinguishing, so to speak, with our musketry, the fire of their cannon, it is true that the zeal of our Canadians and Soldiers upset me, because I saw that we would shortly be out of ammunition.

Mr. Le Mercier proposed to me to have fascines made to secure our posts, and Confine the English in their fort during the night, and entirely Prevent them from Coming out. I ordered Mr. De Bailleul to go there, and to Assemble as many as possible to secure the quarter that would be attacked in the case of a general sortie. During this time we secured caches of food, munitions and merchandise, which Encouraged the Indians, And Militia.

The fire of the Enemy Broke out again towards Six o'clock in the evening with more vigor than ever, and lasted for eight hours, as we had Endured the whole day in the rain, as the Detachment was very fatigued, as the Indians announced to me their departure the next morning, and as it was rumored that the sound of Drums and Cannon fire could be heard in the distance, I proposed to Mr. Le Mercier to offer terms to the English, it was of my advice, And we made the cry, that if they wanted to parlay, we would cease firing, they accepted the proposition, there came a captain to the [point of] attack where I was, I detached Mr. Le Mercier to Receive him and I Went into the plain where we told them that we were not at war, we truly wanted them to Avoid the cruelties to which they were Exposed on the part of the Indians. If they Persisted in such a stubborn Resistance, that as of this night, we would remove any Hope of their being able to Avoid it, that we consented to pardon them, not having come but to avenge the assassination of my brother in violation of the most Sacred Laws, and we convened with Them to grant them the Capitulation a Copy of which you can see appended. [80]

We Envisioned that Nothing could be more advantageous for the Nation than this Capitulation, it not being natural in times of Peace to take prisoners that in a time of War would have been hurtful to us, since they would have consumed our supplies. Moreover we had them agree to sign, that they had committed an assassination in the Killing of my brother, [81] we took hostages for the Security of the French that were in their custody, we made them abandon, the Country as belonging to the most Christian Majesty, we obliged them to leave us their Cannon that consisted of nine pieces, we had killed all their Horses, and their Cattle, and we had them sign, that the grace that the nation accorded them, was only to prove to them how much we Wished to treat them as friends.

We could expect some advantages So considerable regarding the Enemy nearly as numerous as we were, whom we expected for many days, who had a plain in the middle of which was their fort, who had nine pieces of Cannon, and who were only attacked by a savage Musketry, where the inhabitants were little used to this military discipline. Also I must not [attribute] the Success of this Enterprise to anything other than their valor, to the firmness of the officers, and to the Example of the Cadets that comprised this party.

As of the same evening the articles of Surrender were signed, and I Had the hostages that I had demanded in Camp.

The 4th at daybreak, I Sent a Detachment to take possession of the fort. The Garrison filed out, and the number of their dead and Wounded evoked pity in me, despite the Resentment that I had for the manner in which they had caused my brother to die.

Our Indians who had completely kept to my wishes, pretended to pillage, I opposed them, but the English Still overtaken with Fear, took flight, and left behind their standard and one of their flags. [82] I demolished their fort, and Mr. Le Mercier had their Cannons broken up, in accordance with what had been agreed by the Surrender, the English not being able to Carry them.

I hurried them to leave after having broken the casks of Drink, to obviate the disorder that Would inevitably occur, one of my Indians took ten English that he brought me, and that I Returned via another who Reported to me that there was coming up behind the English a relief [column] of two hundred men, with a Great Chief.

In this attack I lost two French killed and one Pony, seventeen Wounded, of whom two were Indians, Not counting a number of Wounds So slight, that they Did not require the attention of the Surgeon. [83]

On this day I made around two leagues, and had our principal sick carried on Litters by the detachments.

The 5th I arrived At nine o'clock at the camp abandoned by the English, I had the Entrenchment torn up, and Burned the cabins, after which I continued the Route, after having detached Mr. De La Chauvignerie, to Bum those that were in the Area; I pitched camp three leagues from there.

The 6th I departed early in the morning, and arrived at the cart shed. Towards six o'clock the arrangements for the Pirogues were made, the Detachment was Resupplied; We Recalled the Reserve, found several caches, after which I had the cart shed burned.

I Embarked and marched on until Six o'clock in the evening, when I was obliged to camp by a Heavy rain that lasted all night.

The 7th I continued the Route after having detached Mr. De La Chauvignerie to bring the news of the Success of our Campaign to Mr. De Contrecoeur, I burned inside to go to every Establishment that I found, and I Returned my Detachment to Mr. De Contrecoeur at four o'clock..

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