orthy of the command he has enjoyed," appears to have been at a
loss whether to attribute his misinterpretation to "evil intentions or
negligence," but was rather disposed to believe that it was owing to his
being but little acquainted with the English language. Van Braam appears
to have been rather hardly judged in this affair.[468:B] Stobo, a native
of Scotland, who emigrated early to Virginia, was brave, energetic, and
a man of genius, but eccentric; his fidelity was never doubted. He was
an acquaintance of David Hume, and a friend of Smollett, and was, it is
said, the original of the character of Lismahago.

FOOTNOTES:

[468:A] Washington's Writings, ii. 456.

[468:B] Ibid., ii. 365, 456; Va. Hist. Register, v. 194; Hist. of
Expedition against Fort Du Quesne, edited by Winthrop Sargent, Esq., and
published by the Pennsylvania Hist. Society, 51.

CHAPTER LXI.

1754-1755.

Dinwiddie's injudicious Orders--Washington resigns--Statistics--
Braddock's arrival--Washington joins him as aid-de-camp--
Braddock's Expedition--His Defeat--Washington's Bravery--His
account of the Defeat.

THE Virginia regiment quartered at Winchester being re-enforced by some
companies from Maryland and North Carolina, Dinwiddie injudiciously
ordered this force to march at once again over the Alleghanies, and
expel the French from Fort Du Quesne, or build another near it. This
little army was under command of Colonel Innes, of North Carolina, who,
having brought three hundred and fifty men with him from that colony,
had been appointed, upon Colonel Fry's death, commander-in-chief. Innes
had been with Lawrence Washington at Carthagena. The force under Innes
did not exceed half the number of the enemy, and was unprovided for a
winter campaign. The assembly making no appropriation for the
expedition, it was fortunately abandoned.

Two independent companies, ordered from New York by Dinwiddie, arrived
in Hampton Roads, in his majesty's ship Centaur, Captain Dudley Digges,
in June, 1754. They were marched to Will's Creek, where they were joined
by an independent company from South Carolina; and these troops, under
command of Colonel Innes, during the autumn, built Fort Cumberland in
the fork between Will's Creek and the north branch of the Potomac, on
the Maryland side, about fifty-five miles northwest of Winchester. It
was called after the Duke of Cumberland, captain-general of the British
army. The fort was mo