The Approach to Fort Duquesne

(Source)

Lieutenant Jefferson looked up to see a man riding back from the party of guides leading the column. The man reined up in front of him, "Begging yer pardon Sir, but 'ave ye seen Leftenant Colonel Gage?"

"Yes, he's gone back to check on the guns, what news?"

"The river Sir, we's at the Monongahela. Nobody in sight, but we're going to need the sappers to come up. The river bank at t'other side is pretty steep, the height of two of your grenadiers at least." The man looked anxious to continue on his mission.

"Very well, carry on lad," then turning to his company sergeant, "Sarn't Ashburnham, let's get the lads up to the river." Looking back at the company commander of the 48th's grenadiers he shouted, "River's ahead, let's go up and prepare to cover the crossing!"

That man answered by ordering his men to "Follow the 44th!"

Dark Moon, one of the Lenape present in de Beaujeu's force made his way to where the Gaudry's party was watching the column. "Big Bear! Les anglais are nearing the river, my chief thinks they mean to cross this day!"

Alain Gaudry, also known as Big Bear to the Indians, nodded and whistled like a bird, which immediately brought his brothers Jacques and Little Wolf to his position.

"Brother?" Jacques asked, Little Wolf said nothing, it was not his way to waste words.

"Les anglais have reached the river and mean to cross over." Alain said.

"Why, the fort is on that side of the river, they shall have to cross over again before they can attack?" Jacques didn't understand, but he hadn't seen that terrain, Little Wolf had.

"If they stay on the other side they will have the river on their left and a ridge on their right, hemming them in, a narrow path, a killing field for us. If they cross now, go maybe two leagues on this side, then re-cross, they will have an easier march." It was a long speech from Little Wolf.

"Little Wolf speaks the truth Jacques, les anglais could be picked off at will with little chance of them counterattacking us if they stay on the northern bank. Crossing now makes sense, the river is not that deep."

(Source)

"Well Sir, this isn't bad at all, water's barely up to our thighs!" Sergeant Ashburnham was getting the grenadiers of the 44th over the river. Movement wasn't quick but the river crossing wasn't as bad as he had feared.

Jefferson had his firelock at the ready, he didn't believe in carrying a spontoon like many of the line officers. He preferred to be able to shoot back at his enemies. He was scanning the far bank, though he swore that he caught glimpses of people in the treeline, he couldn't be sure. Best to get everyone across and up that damned bank.

After a few more long moments wading the river, the company was out and scrambling up the steep bank. Fortunately there were numerous small trees and shrubs they could use to pull themselves up. There had been one humorous moment when Grenadier Lewis had grabbed a sapling and when trying to pull himself up, had ripped the small tree up by its roots, sending him tumbling back into the river.

"Come on Lewis, this is no time to be takin' a bath!" One of his mates had yelled down to him, while extending a hand to pull him back onto the bank.

"Bloody French tree!" Lewis sputtered as he attempted the bank once more, this time making it up successfully.

"All right lads, check your firelocks, make ready, we might have company nearby!" Jefferson yelled out.

Shortly thereafter the 48th joined them at the top of the bank and the grenadiers presented a solid red wall to protect the sappers pulling down the bank to make a path for the six-pounder cannon traveling with the head of the column.

Capitaine Daniel Hyacinthe Liénard de Beaujeu, though an officer in the French Army, was nearly indistinguishable from his Wyandot, Abenaki, Odawa, and Lenape allies. There were no regular French troops with his force. The only men in uniform were those of the Compagnies Franches de la Marine, other than the natives, there was also a party of Canadian militia, whose clothing was that of the coureur de bois, not the army.

The Capitaine pointed at the crude map he had placed on a downed tree, "I will meet them here, they will be tired from the march, Gaudry informs me that their road builders are at the back of the column now and the track is very rough. We shall ambush them here, can we get our warriors in place in time?" He asked this of one of the Wyandot war chiefs.

"Yes Capitaine, it will be close, my men are foraging now. It depends on how fast les anglais can move."

"Call your warriors in, we must be ready for any eventuality." de Beaujeu ordered.

"This is pretty rough going ain't it Leftenant?" The commander of the 48th's grenadier company was sweating profusely, unlike Jefferson he insisted on wearing the miter cap of the grenadiers rather than the cocked hat which Jefferson wore.

"As I don't plan on throwing any grenades, I'll keep my own chapeau, thank you very much." Jefferson had quipped when questioned as to why he was wearing a line officer's hat and carrying a musket as well. Some of the other officers had sniffed and made rude comments about how Jefferson had "gone native" during the last war. Old habits being hard to break they figured.

Grenadier of the 44th Regiment of Foot, 1755
(Source)

"Move along smartly lads, keep your intervals now." Sergeant Ashburnham was keeping the column moving along Jefferson was pleased to see. The track was rough and he didn't see how they could bring the guns up without clearing some of the smaller trees. But he was an officer of foot, he'd leave the cannon to those who knew how to take care of such things.

Glancing back to the river on his left, he had spotted Indians moving rapidly to get ahead of them. He'd reported this to Gage and the lieutenant colonel had brought up more companies of the 44th and the 48th and was now leading the column himself, just behind the guides.

Jefferson had also noted that a company of provincials had joined the head of the column as well, New Yorkers led by a fellow named Gates he'd been told. Some officers belittled the performance of the provincials, but Jefferson had served with them. As good a soldier as any in Europe he'd told them. He'd also pointed out that their "regular" regiments, the 44th and 48th, had substantial numbers of soldiers recruited in Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. Fine men he'd noted.

Of course, some of those officers had scoffed at the idea that a provincial could match the professionalism of the regulars. The arrogance of some officers appalled Jefferson, who did they think they were going up against now? Indeed, most of the French they would be facing in the next few days were provincials themselves, and Indians, lots of Indians.

Which was one thing Jefferson felt they sorely lacked, Indian auxiliaries. They had a grand total of seven Oneida warriors with them. Though these men were superb scouts, there weren't enough of them. He would have felt far more comfortable with a few hundred warriors from the Six Nations, but all they had were seven scouts. He doubted it would be enough.

He hadn't forgotten that scalp nailed to a tree, nor had his men.

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