Contemporary reports and archaeological evidence obtained in 1952 provide a good picture of the fort.
The palisade itself was a circle, 53 feet in diameter, made of oak logs about 10 feet long, split in half with the flat side facing outward. Shorter logs were used to serve as gun rests and tofill in the gaps between the larger logs. A small log cabin, about 14 feet square, was built in the middle of the stockade. It was to serve as a general storehouse, ammunition storehouse, and an aid station for the wounded.
Fort Necessity as it appears today within the Fort Necessity National Battlefield in Pennsylvania. Courtesy of the National Park Service. Theme Editor: Hill Protz.
The stockade would hold fifty or so men. The others would fight from the trenches and dirt embankments dug outside the fort on the sides from which the French attack was expected.
On June 2, 1754, the Half-King with about 90 Indians arrived at the Great Meadows. Less than half were warriors and not all of them could be considered as effectives. Women, children, and old men accounted for a large portion of the group, and they all expected to be fed from Washington's sparse supplies. Both the Indians and the Virginians escaped starvation when a passing trader sold Washington a supply of flour for which Washington "paid a dear price".
A letter from Washington to Dinwiddie dated June 3 indicated that he had finished building the small fort. The oft quoted letter stated, "We have just finished a small palisade'd fort in which, with my small numbers, I shall not fear the attack of 500 men." The next day, June 4, Washington had prayers in the fort. Preparations for the expected attack continued.
Christopher Gist returned on June 6 to report that Colonel Fry, commander-in-chief of the Virginia Regiment, had died from injuries sustained in a fall from his horse.
Finally on June 9 - reinforcements! Two companies of the Virginia Regiment consisting of 110 men, five officers, arrived at the Great Meadows led by Major George Muse. Muse delivered a letter from Governor Dinwiddi, which gave Washington command of the entire Virginia Regiment, replacing the deceased Colonel Fry. Along with the orders of command came promotion to full colonel. Muse was promoted to lieutenant colonel and, Captain Stephen, who accompanied Washington on the Jumonville attack, was promoted to major. Colonel James Innes, commander of the force of 300 British regulars from North Carolina, although not yet present, was named the new commander-in-chief of the expedition against Fort Duquesne.
June 14 saw the arrival of additional forces as Captain James Mackay with the 3rd Carolina Independent Company, 100 men trained as British regulars. Washington had been warned by Dinwiddie to give Mackayall the respect due a King's officer. Eyewitness reports paint Mackay as not being unfriendly but being unflexible over matters of protocol and rank. A King's commission held precedence over any colonial rank. He made it clear that his company would only take orders from him and stressed that in reality the entire assemblage including the Virginia Regiment should be under his command.
Washington stood firm and did not give up his command of the Virginians. In addition Mackay would not allow his regulars to engage in road building tasks or in any other form of physical labor without the extra shilling per day that regulars were paid for such activities. Such tasks were fine for colonial militia and backwoodsmen, but beneath the dignity of his regulars unless of course they receive the extra pay. Needless to say, it was an uneasy truce between Washington and Mackay with each more or less going about his command tasks ignoring the other.
Washington and the Virginians along with the swivel guns brought by Muse departed the fort and the Great Meadows on the morning of June 16. Perhaps he had had enough of Mackay. He planned to march in a generally northward direction toward Gist's settlement and then on to Fort Duquesne to complete the mission started almost three months ago. The wagons broke down often and road building through the forest was most difficult. The undergrowth of mountain laurel was as thick and dense as any tropical jungles future soldiers would have to hack through.
After an exhausting march the weary Virginians finally reached Gist's settlement on June 28. Washington established his headquarters there and dispatched Capt. Lewis and about 60 men to continue the road building toward Redstone Creek to the northwest.
While at Gist's, Washington called a council of the Ohio Indians to gain their support or at least their commitment not to help the French. The council was a complete failure. As Gist may have said, "If the injuns wer'ant fer ya, they were agin ya." This proved to be true as several of the Indians openly boasted that they were there to report on the council to the French. Even the Half-King and his Mingoes faded away into the forest.
Later that day a trusted Iroquois chief, Scarroyady a.k.a. Monocatootha, reported to Washington that two days earlier he had seen reinforcements arrive at Ft. Duquesne and that the French were prepared to send 800 soldiers and 400 Indians against the small English force.
What the Indian had seen was probably the arrival of Capt. Coulon de Villers with 20 French soldiers and about 100 Indians at Ft. Duquesne on June 26. De Villers was Jumonville's older brother. He had heard about his brother's death on the way to Ft. Duquesne and upon arrival at the fort demanded to lead the expedition against Washington. His request was granted by Contrecoeur and in fact the French were departing southward down the Monongahela River from Ft. Duquesne the very day, June 28, Washington was meeting with the Ohio Indians.
The French force consisted of about 600 French regulars of the Compagnies Frenches de la Marine and Canadian militiamen with about 100 Indians. The French probably dressed in the "wilderness campaign uniform". Indian style mocassins and leggings replaced European style shoes or boots. A collarless gray greatcoat or perhaps a capot, coat made from a blanket, would be worn over a simple linen shirt. A field cap called the Bonnet du Police replaced the regulation tricorn. The field cap was the same dark blue color as the breeches and probably had a fleur-de-lis or anchor emblem on the front. Knives and metal tomahawks replaced awkward swords. As with the English, French frontier garrisons adapted their uniforms and weapons to the conditions. The French were probably much better at this due to their close association with the Indians.
Washington ordered a meeting of all the British companies at Gist's. Mackay, perhaps sensing an opportunity to prove himself in battle, even responded to this general call. Capt. Lewis was ordered to cease his roadbuilding efforts and return.
Mackay and his men arrived at Gist's at 2 AM Saturday morning, June 29. Later that morning a friendly Indian runner reported that the French had left by canoe from Ft. Duquesne. Washington called a council of war and a unanimous decision was reached to return to the fort in the Great Meadows in anticipation of supplies and reinforcements. They broke camp about noon. Since Washington had sent most of the wagons back to the Great Meadows, officer's horses had to be packed with powder, ball and shot. Without the extra shilling labor per day, Mackay would not let his troops help with the packing.
The French arrived at the mouth of Redstone Creek on Sunday, June 30, where they camped and prepared for the march inland. Indian scouts reported to de Villers about Washington's preparations at the Gist settlement. After a forced march designed to catch the British by surprise the French contingent arrived at Gist's on July 2. A few unanswered shots from French muskets let them know that the half finished encampment had been abandoned. De Villers would have to wait for his revenge.
Meanwhile, it took Washington's force two days to cover the thirteen miles back to the fort at the Great Meadows, which had now been christened Fort Necessity. When they arrived on July 1 they were heartbroken to find no supplies and no reinforcements; just the empty wagons and drivers who had been sent ahead. Another council was held and it was agreed that they were in no condition to march to Wills Creek. They would stay at Ft. Necessity and fight if necessary. Washington went about strengthening the fort. Mackay's men did help with these activities. The trenches were extended and improved. Two of the swivel guns, able to fire scattershot 100 to 200 yards, were emplaced. Orders were issued and assignments were made. It was only a matter of time until the French arrived.
Later on July 2 a deserter, John Ramsey, informed de Villers of Washington's retreat to and his strengthening of the fort in the Great Meadows. After resting his men overnight de Villers started off from Gist's toward the Great Meadows at dawn on Wednesday, July 3.
Scouting parties warned Washington of the approaching French as he attempted to complete the entrenchments. The pouring rain that had started made the work difficult.
More Rid the Ohio of the French
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