The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

MET. 22.] LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 49
and despatched messengers with intelligence to his
commander at the fort. These were strong evidences
of a hostile intention; and, had Colonel Washington not
regarded them in that light, he would have been justly
censurable for ignorance or neglect of duty.
The summons itself was by no means conciliatory;
and, if Colonel Washington had actually known, that
the French officer had such a paper in his pocket, he
could not properly do otherwise than he did, under
the circumstances in which M. de Jumonville chose to
place himself. It warned the English to retire below
the Alleganies, and threatened compulsory measures
if it should not be obeyed. The presumption was,
that the summons was only a feint, in case the party
should be captured, and that Jumonville was to remain concealed, and wait for reinforcements, after he
had reconnoitred the English camp, and ascertained
its strength. If such were not the object, the consequences are justly chargeable on the indiscretion of
M. de Jumonville in the extraordinary mode of conducting his enterprise.
The labors and dangers of the field were not the
only troubles, with which Colonel Washington at this
time had to contend. By an ill-timed parsimony, the
pay of the officers was reduced so low, as to create
murmurs and discontent throughout the camp. Complaints grew loud and vehement, accompanied with
threats to resign and leave the army to its fate. Under this pressure the character of Washington shone
with the same purity and lustre, that often distinguished
it afterwards on similar trying occasions. In his letters to the governor he assumed a firm and manly
tone, demanded for himself and his associates an allowance equal to that received by the King's troops, and
deprecated the idea of being placed upon a footing,
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