Friendly Fire Bad - Prisoner Good!
Before the Friendly Fire horror, on that night of 12 Nov 1758, Lt Colonel George Mercer's 2nd Virginia Regiment captured a white man and 2 indians in their skirmish with the French.
That white man turns out to be an Englishman. Fred Anderson in Crucible of War [page 282] refers to him as a Pennsylvania backwoodsman captured and then adopted by the French allied Indians. So he ends up being on the French side.
Now he's captured by Forbes Expedition.
And how does he avoid hanging for his treasonous behavior?
He's got to talk to avoid the noose.
That's the stick. Or rather the rope. Or the bullets from a firing squad.
The carrot?
That's the gold.
Yeah, the gold, if he talks.
Richard Johnson is his name.
What he spilled,
changed everything.
Only last night 11 Nov 1758, Forbes held the only Council of War during the entire Expedition.
That Council of War thought it best to stay put at Loyalhanna until Spring (not called Fort Ligonier by anybody until after 1 Dec 1758).
This Expedition was not going to end up like Braddock's 3 years ago.
Their dead are still lying unburied in a ghostly dark forest. Mostly skulls left by now. Their bones long dragged away by the wolves and others.
A Council of War is where the head officer wants to hear the thoughts of his junior officers.
They thought to stay put till Spring.
To Forbes credit, he was willing to abide by this decision to insure success at a great sacrifice to his own longings, knowing in the pit of his stomach he will probably be dead by Spring. And that does happen. He dies in Philly 11 March 1759, buried in the tallest building of America at the time.
But the next night 12 Nov 1758, the whole world changed.
Instead of staying in Loyalhanna until Spring, Forbes, without recalling a new Council of War, gave out the command for full speed ahead - NOW.
That's it.
That's our lead story.
There's always more.
Skip around.
Read bits and pieces.
Compiled and authored by Jim Moyer 11/18/2022, 11/24/2022, updated 12/2/2022
Where is that building in which Richard Johnson was interrogated? See its reconstruction here.
How did they know he got gold? How much? These last two questions are for the reader to find. We just don't know.
Table of Contents
A New Prisoner's True Report The gold offered to Richard Johnson is mentioned here.
Related Stories
What did Richard Johnson say?
Here is what he wrote.
Here is where he wrote it.
I, Richard Johnson, being made a prisoner in the English Camp at Loyalhanning upon the Request of Brigadier General Forbes, do confess the truth, relating to my self, and give the following just Intelligence of such Affairs of the French, and the present Condition of Fort DuQuesne according to my Knowledge ---
It is now four Days past since I left the French Fort, and by Inquiry that I made while I was there of a Dutch Prisioner. He informed me that there were then about Two Hundred French Troops in the Fort, Fourty of whom came in Consort with the Indians who appeared here Yesterday
But to the best of my Judgement there did not appear to me, to be so many in the Fort as the Dutch Man reported ---
By makeing Inquiry also of the sd [said] Dutch Man in regard to their Victualing, He gave me to know that they had not more than three Weeks provisions then in the Fort ---
And further signified, that if they had not a speedy Supply The Garrison threatened to divest the Fort ---
There was a report came to the Indians on the Road hither, that they would shortly have a fresh supply of Provisions at Fort DuQuesne
That the English Fleet was defeated by the French and
That the French Vessels had arrived safe at Canada with provisions, and
that they expected Batteaus from these loaded with Supplys of Provisions and Three Hundred Men
But my oppininon of this Report is that it was nothing but to encourage the Indians to be strong & vigilant. --
I also inquired of the afs [aforesaid] Dutchman in regards to their Ammunition He gave me to know that they had plenty and it appeared so to me for they staaid [sic; I interpret this as meaning "staved'] their Caskes [ie powder casks or barrels] and gave it to the Indians without measure -- "
The French have lately errected a new Stockade Fort with ab [about] a hundred Yards fro the old one, and to my Judgement, something larger, but of no considerable Strength as they have no great Guns mounted on it,
As to the Old Fort I cou'd have no Intelligence of what Number of Great guns it mounted, any other than by the French firing four different Guns as a Salution to any approaching Friendly Indians -- Standing by one of the Guns, I took up one of the Balls, I asked the Weight of and Was told it was of Six pount wt [weight] I observed it was small w:', to which they replied it was large enough for the English -- "
As to the Wall of the Old Fort, it is built with a Foundation of Stone three feet high and the other part neatly done with large squared Loggs, I can't judge as to the Breadth of the Foundation [ 2 or 3 words totally blotted out and illegible] Top I think it about Six feet broad ---
There is a dry Ditch surround the Fort of Eight feet [one word blootted out and illegible - the last letter is clearl 'd' and I surmise the word is "broad'] and about six deep, over which Ditch is a Draw Bridge [ start of word blotted out and illegible -- the last letters might be "ding' and I surmise the word is "leading"] to the Port of the Fort
[signed] Richard Johnson
Source:
Page 155 of The British Defeat of the French in Pennsylvania, 1758: A Military History of the Forbes Campaign Against Fort Duquesne: by Douglas R. Cubbison. Cites Shelby Family Papers for the quote above.
A PRISONER'S FALSE REPORT?
as told by Douglas Southall Freeman
Compare the report by the newest prisoner captured with a prisoner captured a month before.
About a month before on 14 Oct 1758 when the French attacked Loyalhanna, a French prisoner was captured.
He told tall tales of great French strength at Fort Duquesne.
It had some believablity especially on how Grant's little expedition took casualties, reminding them of Braddock's Defeat.
Source
From Douglas Southall Freeman's Young George Washington, Volume 2, Page 357, published 1948, Charles Scribner's Sons
Uncertainty prevailed both as to the weather and as to the strength of the enemy.
None of the Indians would undertake reconnaissance as far as Fort DuQuesne at that bleak and treacherous season.
A solitary prisoner captured in the affair at Loyal Hannon [what they called the Battle of Fort Ligonier 12 Oct 1758, even though Loyalhanna was not called Fort Ligonier until after 1 Dec 1758] had insisted there were 1000 white soldiers on the Ohio and abundant Indian support.
[Footnote 161]
This was a higher figure than had been accepted in September[Grant's Defeat on his attack on Fort Duquesne 14 Sept 1758], but it might be correct.
The vigor of the reception given Grant and the boldness of the advance on Loyal Hannon had not indicated that the enemy lacked strength.
If, then, any less force than that of the entire command were thrown against the enemy’s stronghold, the result with Forbes might be as ruinous as with Braddock.
Footnote 161
See Harry Gordon’s interrogation, in French, of this prisoner, Oct 14, 1758, Shippen Papers, 144.
Source
From Douglas Southall Freeman's Young George Washington, Volume 2, Page 357, published 1948, Charles Scribner's Sons
A New Prisoner's True Report
This is the report of the new prisoner, Richard Johnson, as decscribed by Douglas Southall Freeman.
12 Nov 1758 Richard Johnson was captured and then interrogated.
Washington’s humiliation was not without balm. The white prisoner taken by the Virginia Regiment proved to be a British subject, one Johnson, who for some reason had thrown in his fortunes with the French and had served in the garrison at Fort DuQuesne. If he could be made to tell the truth, he could give Forbes the information most desired, that of the strength of the enemy at Fort DuQuesne. Experienced officers [footnote 167] took Johnson in hand and informed him in stern terms where he stood For bearing arms against his King, he deserved death. He would receive the extreme penalty, in some extraordinary form, unless he divulged everything he knew about the French and the situation on the Ohio. If he answered every question, and his information later was verified, he would receive a shining reward Faced with the promise of life and gold as the alternative to torture and dp arbj Johnson talked freely The previous attack on Loyal Hannon, he said, had been delivered by the French in an effort to make the British think they were strong. Actually, the French at Fort DuQuesne
Footnote 167: Their identity is not known
RIVAL ROADS TO THE OHIO Page 359
were weak. The contingent that had made the raid on Loyal Hannon had quit the forks of the Allegheny and Monongahela, the Ohio Indians had gone home [Footnote 168].
To this story, Johnson adhered. Similar information was given by the two captured Indians, who were examined separately and with much care.
Forbes believed his opportunity, his last opportunity, had come. He would gamble on the truth of this new intelligence, his advanced units must cut a road quickly over the last barrier of Chestnut Ridge, then with an unencumbered, fast-moving force he would march for Fort DuQuesne. Twenty-five hundred of the strongest men of the army must be selected. Each must take a blanket and a knapsack and nothing besides Tentage and baggage were to be left behind. Only provisions, ammunition and some light artillery would be conveyed on wheels [Footnote 169].
To assure fullest mobility, Forbes divided his attacking force into three Brigades. One of these was to be commanded by Colonel Bouquet, and another by Lt Col Archibald Montgomery of the 77th.
The third temporary Brigade, the only one entrusted to a provincial officer, was assigned to Washington [Footnote 170]. He was not promoted and he could not be by Forbes, but in official papers and doubtless in formal salutation, he now was “Brigadier Washington”. Even if he were merely acting at that rank, he had a standing to which many a Colonel of the regular establishment, twice his age, had aspired in vain. Brigadier - - it had a pleasant, martial sound. His command was to be his own Regiment, two Companies of artificers, and the Maryland, North Carolina and Delaware contingents, [Footnote 171] whose joint first assignment was the unspectacular but indispensable one of helping to clear the projected road across Chestnut Ridge, the last great barrier on the way to the French stronghold.
168
Penn Gazette, Nov 30, 1758
169
Volume 2 GW , 308-09, Capt John Haslet to Rev Dr Alison, Nov 26, 1758, 6 Hazards His Reg , 227 Bouquet to Chief Justice William Allen, Nov 25, 1758, ibid , 226-27
170
Forbes's Orderly Book Nov 14, 1758. In 2 Ford 108, is a note between a letter of October 8 and one of October 30 to the effect that “on the 14th” the army was divided. This note was copied in Vol2 GW , p298. Casual reading would create the impression that this arrangement was made on the 14th of October, but Ford meant to give the date clearly set forth in the Orderly Book., November 14
171
Ibid The Delaware troops, as usual, were mentioned as the men from the ‘low counties ”
Source
From Douglas Southall Freeman's Young George Washington, Volume 2, Pages 357-359, published 1948, Charles Scribner's Sons
Mercer's men find the French first
Cubbison states,
As Captain Thomas Bullitt's account unabashedly states,
Washington lost control
of the situation
and his column
collided with Mercer
instead of the
French and Indians. "
[ But didn't Washington leave first?
According to General Forbes he ordered
Colonel Washington with 500 men out first.
Then he ordered out Lt Col George Mercer with 500 men.
Could it be assumed he ran into the French first?
Then Mercer's men leaving afterwards
ran into Washington's men?
These leading questions are what
Douglas Southall Freeman must have thought.]
Cubbison continues,
"Although
at least Mercer made contact
with the French
and held his own in the contest,
capturing three prisoners in the process,
the French were able to slip away,
and the Virginian columns
ended up engaging
each other in the dark."
-- source Page 154 of The British Defeat of the French in Pennsylvania, 1758: A Military History of the Forbes Campaign Against Fort Duquesne: by Douglas R. Cubbison.
That Mercer made contact with the French first, appears to be supported by Washington, who wrote a remembrance of this event almost 30 years later. Click on quote here. ]]]
George Washington wrote this about 30 years afterward. IN here he claims Mercer's men found the French first. From this we infer he also captured the prisoner too.
the enemy sent out a large detachment
to reconnoitre our Camp, and to ascertain our strength; in consequence of Intelligence that they were within 2 miles of the Camp
a party commanded by Lt Colo. Mercer of the Virga line
(a gallant & good Officer) was sent to to dislodge them between who a Severe conflict & hot firing ensued which lasting some time
Source of Picture of log building
Page 155 of
The British Defeat of the French in Pennsylvania, 1758: A Military History of the Forbes Campaign Against Fort Duquesne: by Douglas R. Cubbison.
RELATED STORIES
Friendly Fire
12 Nov 1758
GW or Mercer? Who found the French first?
An Attack, Virginia closes session, Bastion crumbling
12 Oct 1758
Reas town & Loyalhanna (later as Forts Bedford & Ligonier)
1 Dec 1758
Grant's Hill
14 Sept 1758
Stories after Grant's Loss
14 Sept 1758
Post Mortem on Forbes Expedition
.
.
.
.
