rees with the celerity of monkeys, which excited a
loud laugh among the Virginians.

The rain fell heavily during the day; the trenches were filled with
water; and many of the arms of Washington's men were out of order. The
desultory engagement lasted till eight o'clock in the evening, when the
French commander, having twice sounded a parley, and the stock of
provisions and ammunition in the fort being much reduced, it was
accepted. About midnight, during a heavy rain, one half of the garrison
being drunk, a capitulation took place, after the articles had been
modified in some points at Washington's instance. The French at first
demanded a surrender of the cannon; but this being resisted it was
agreed that they should be destroyed, except one small piece reserved by
the garrison upon the point of honor; but which they were eventually
unable to remove.

These guns, probably only spiked and abandoned, were subsequently
restored, and lay for a long time on the Great Meadows. After the
Revolution it was an amusement of settlers moving westward, to discharge
them. They were at last removed to Kentucky.

The troops were to retain their other arms and baggage; to march out
with drums beating and colors flying, and return home unmolested. The
terms of the surrender, as published at the time from the duplicate copy
retained by Colonel Washington, implied ("by the too great condescension
of Van Braam," the interpreter) an acknowledgment on his part that M. de
Jumonville had been "assassinated." It appears that Washington was
misled by the inaccuracy of Van Braam in translating the word, he being
a Dutchman, and the only officer in the garrison who was acquainted with
the French language. It was so stormy at the time that he could not give
a written translation of the articles, and they could scarcely keep a
candle lighted to read them by, so that it became necessary to rely upon
the interpreter's word. The American officers present afterwards averred
that the word "assassination" was not mentioned, and that the terms
employed were, "the death of Jumonville." The affair is involved in
obscurity: for why should the French require Washington to acknowledge
himself the author of "his death," unless the killing was unjustifiable?
On the other hand, with what consistency could Villiers allow such
honorable terms in the same articles in which it was demanded of
Washington that he should sign a confession of his own disgrace?

Of the