Battle of Fort Necessity

Battle of Fort Necessity
The Battle of Fort Necessity, also known as the Battle of the Great Meadows, took place on July 3, 1754. It is marked as one of the first battles George Washington won, and ultimately was one of the great preventions of the French and Indian War. Washington built the fort in what is now Fayette County, Pennsylvania, in the woods west of the Allegheny Mountains.

Background
Around 1750, the issues between the French and English regarding the territory along the Ohio River reached its climax. The French drove out English traders and claimed the Ohio River for themselves. In 1753, Governor Robert Dinwiddie sent George Washington to warn the French to leave, but they refused. Dinwiddie then ordered Washington to start forming a militia, and sent Virginia soldiers to start building a fort at the forks of Ohio. A French force drove off the Virginians and started building their own fort called Fort Duquesne.

Battle of Jumonville Glen
On May 28th, 1754, Washington launched a surprise attack on the French troops at Jumonville Glen. The events of the attack are uncertain and controversial. It is believed that Washington and 40 troops had been at Fort Duquesne when they received a message to rescue Indian allies who were threatened by the French. Washington and some Indians under the Indian leader Tanacharison surrounded 32 of the French soldiers and killed 10 of them, including their leader, Jumonville. Washington and his troops also wounded 2 and captured 21 of them. The death of Jumonville is very controversial. Some accounts say Jumonville actually tried to surrender, but Tanacharison killed him anyway.

Fort Necessity
After the Battle of Jumonville Glen, Washington was expecting an attack from the French and began to build Fort Necessity on June 3rd. Washington decided to build the fort in the woods, so that they could not be surrounded in case of the attack, and their cattle could use the open meadows for grazing. By June 9th, the rest of the Virginians arrived at Great Meadows without Colonel Joshua Fry, who died on the way. Washington took over as Colonel. Washington heard there were 500 French troops at Fort Duquesne, so Washington led 300 Virginians out of Great Meadows to widen the road to Red Stone Creek. They arrived at Fort Necessity on July 1st with supplies. At Fort Necessity, the hut was ready for battle. Trenches were dug up and maintained properly, and weather was warm and clear skies. They had plenty of shelter and materials for battle.

The Attack
On July 3rd, 1754, the French attacked Washington and his fort. The French fired their muskets at Fort Necessity and began to advance closer to the fort, but the French leader, Louis Coulon de Villiers, miscalculated the location of the fort because of its strategic location in the woods. Because of the miscalculation, Washington had time to prepare his troops. Coulon ordered his soldiers to charge the fort, but Washington’s men shot them down before they made it to them. Washington ordered swivel cannons to be shot, and steady fire from both sides continued.

French Surrender
Washington sent an officer to the French side to negotiate with Coulon. Washington asked that the French surrender before the British reinforcements arrive. Coulon agreed to surrender and signed the surrender terms given to him by Washington’s officer which entailed that the French would agree to giving the British the disputed land, and remain in their previously owned land without any further disputes.

Outcomes
On July 4th, Washington and his troops left Fort Necessity in victory and returned back to Britain on July 17th. Washington reported to Governor Dinwiddie the results of the battles. Dinwiddie was satisfied, and gave credit for the victory to the abundance of supplies and aid from other soldiers. England maintained their prior Ohio-Pennsylvania territory, and the disputed land went to the British. This battle could have started the movement for a French and Indian War. Washington went back to Great Britain because there was no longer a need for war in the United States, and he became very prominent in British politics and the British forces. If Washington had lost, he could have learned a lot more about being an exceptional leader because of his defeat. Would Washington have stayed in the United States and become a prominent historical figure in the United States? Would there be more conflict with the French, and ultimately a war? Could Washington have become President of the United States later on? Would the outcome of this battle be different if the weather and location was different? What else would have changed if Washington lost this battle and the British were not in charge of the newly claimed U.S. territory?