can be taken."

"Your order shall be obeyed," replied Captain Lewis, although he looked
with contempt upon the braggart whom he addressed.

General Braddock's blunder was repeated on that day. The regulars moved
forward, and marched directly into an Indian ambuscade.

With unearthly yells the savages sprang from their hiding places, and
poured a terrific fire into the faces of the regulars. At the same time
the French rushed out of their fort, sending volley after volley of
leaden death into their ranks. The English stood their ground for a
moment, then broke and retreated in confusion. The savages, emboldened
by their success, rushed on to more fearful slaughter, and between
musket and tomahawk, butchery reigned supreme.

Major Lewis, who was left behind with the baggage, leaving fifty men
under the charge of Captain Bullit to guard it, rushed forward with his
Virginia force to the relief of the regulars. His timely aid checked the
advance of the foe; but, in a hand to hand fight with an Indian warrior,
he was taken prisoner, though not until the warrior lay dead at his
feet.

Major Grant was taken prisoner, and would have been tomahawked on the
spot but for the interposition of a French officer.

The retreat became a complete rout, the savages pursuing with their
accustomed yells. Captain Bullit determined to resist the pursuit of the
enemy by piling the baggage across the road for a barricade. Behind
this, with his fifty men, he poured a deadly fire into the foe as they
approached, volley after volley, checking their advance by striking
terror to their hearts for a moment. Perceiving that he could not long
hold out, he resorted to a strategy that would have been regarded
barbarous if adopted by Indians. Irving speaks of it as follows:

"They were checked for a time, but were again pressing forward in
greater numbers, when Bullit and his men held out the signal of
capitulation, and advanced, as if to surrender. When within eight yards
of the enemy, they suddenly leveled their arms, poured a most effectual
volley, and then charged with the bayonet. The Indians fled in dismay,
and Bullit took advantage of this check to retreat, with all speed,
collecting the wounded and scattered fugitives as he advanced."

The whole of the straggling army did not reach Fort Loyal Harman at
Laurel Hills until the fifth day of November. Many of the soldiers,
especially the wounded, suffered terribly on the retreat.

Washington