The Battle of the Great Meadows, also known as the Battle of Fort Necessity was a battle of the French and Indian War fought on July 3, 1754 in present-day Fayette County, Pennsylvania. It, along with the Battle of Jumonville Glen, are considered the opening shots of the French and Indian War which would spread to the old world and become the Seven Years War. It was the only time George Washington ever surrendered on the battlefield. The French and Indian War is the American name for the decisive nine-year conflict (1754-1763) in North America between Great Britain and France, which was one of the theatres of the Seven Years War. ... July 3rd is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 181 days remaining. ... 1754 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Fort Necessity was a British fortress west of the Pennsylvania colony. ... Uniontown is a city located in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. ... Fayette County is a county located in the state of Pennsylvania. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British military. ... Starting in the late 16th century, the English began to colonize North America. ... First Nations is the current title used by Canada to describe the various societies of the indigenous peoples, called Native Americans in the U.S. They have also been known as Indians, Native Canadians, Aboriginal Americans, Amer-Indians, or Aboriginals, and are officially called Indians in the Indian Act, which... The Marine Troops (Troupes de Marines) is a subset of the French Army dedicated to external operations. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... First Nations is the current title used by Canada to describe the various societies of the indigenous peoples, called Native Americans in the U.S. They have also been known as Indians, Native Canadians, Aboriginal Americans, Amer-Indians, or Aboriginals, and are officially called Indians in the Indian Act, which... Order: 1st President Vice President: John Adams Term of office: April 30, 1789 – March 3, 1797 Preceded by: None Succeeded by: John Adams Date of birth: February 22, 1732 Place of birth: Westmoreland, Virginia Date of death: December 14, 1799 Place of death: Mount Vernon, Virginia First Lady: Martha Washington... An artist’s rendering of Fort Duquesne The Braddock Expedition also called Braddocks Campaign was a failed British attempt to capture the French Fort Duquesne in the summer of 1755 during the French and Indian War. ... The French and Indian War is the American name for the decisive nine-year conflict (1754-1763) in North America between Great Britain and France, which was one of the theatres of the Seven Years War. ... July 3rd is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 181 days remaining. ... 1754 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Fayette County is a county located in the state of Pennsylvania. ... The French and Indian War is the American name for the decisive nine-year conflict (1754-1763) in North America between Great Britain and France, which was one of the theatres of the Seven Years War. ... The Old World consists of those parts of Earth known to Europeans before the voyages of Christopher Columbus: Europe, Asia, and Africa. ... This article is about the 1756–1763 war. ... Order: 1st President Vice President: John Adams Term of office: April 30, 1789 – March 3, 1797 Preceded by: None Succeeded by: John Adams Date of birth: February 22, 1732 Place of birth: Westmoreland, Virginia Date of death: December 14, 1799 Place of death: Mount Vernon, Virginia First Lady: Martha Washington...

The battle was the culmination of years of boundary disputes between the British and French Empires in North America. Principle among the disputed territories was the Ohio Country, an area that includes portions of the present American states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. The Ohio Country, showing the present-day U.S. state boundaries The Ohio Country (sometimes called the Ohio Territory) was the name used in the 18th century for the regions of North America west of the Appalachian Mountains and in the region of the upper Ohio River south of Lake... State nickname: The Keystone State Other U.S. States Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Governor Ed Rendell Official languages None Area 119,283 km² (33rd)  - Land 116,074 km²  - Water 3,208 km² (2. ... State nickname: The Buckeye State Other U.S. States Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Governor Bob Taft Official languages None Area 116,096 km² (34th)  - Land 106,154 km²  - Water 10,044 km² (8. ... State nickname: Mountain State Other U.S. States Capital Charleston Largest city Charleston Governor Joe Manchin Official languages English Area 62,809 km² (41st)  - Land 62,436 km²  - Water 376 km² (0. ...

In the spring of 1754, Virginia's Lt. Governor Robert Dinwiddie ordered militia officer George Washington and 159 men to aid a building party sent to construct a fort at the Forks of the Ohio River (Present Pittsburgh), but the party was surrounded and forced to return to Virginia before Washington arrived. The French then constructed Fort Duquesne at the forks of the Ohio. Robert Dinwiddie (1693–July 27, 1770) was a British colonial administrator who served as Lieutenant Governor of colonial Virginia from 1751 to 1758, first under governor Willem Anne van Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle, and then, from July 1756 to January 1758, as deputy for John Campbell, 4th Earl of... Order: 1st President Vice President: John Adams Term of office: April 30, 1789 – March 3, 1797 Preceded by: None Succeeded by: John Adams Date of birth: February 22, 1732 Place of birth: Westmoreland, Virginia Date of death: December 14, 1799 Place of death: Mount Vernon, Virginia First Lady: Martha Washington... The Ohio River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, 981 mi (1,579 km) long in the eastern United States. ... City nickname: The Steel City Location in the state of Pennsylvania Founded 1758 Mayor Tom Murphy (Dem) Area  - Total  - Water 151. ... An artist’s rendering of Fort Duquesne Fort Duquesne was a fort established by the French in 1754, at the junction of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in what is now downtown Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. ...

Washington was sent new orders to construct a wagon road from Wills Creek (present Cumberland, Maryland) into the Ohio country and await reinforcements. On May 24, 1754, Washington’s party arrives at a marshy clearing at the junction of two streams in what is now Wharton Township Fayette County, Pennsylvania called the Great Meadows. They set up camp at the site and explored possible water routes to the Forks of the Ohio while awaiting reinforcements. Cumberland is a city located in Allegany County, Maryland. ... May 24 is the 144th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (145th in leap years). ... Wharton Township is a township located in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. ... Fayette County is a county located in the state of Pennsylvania. ...

Late in the evening of May 27, word arrives in camp that a French scouting party has been spotted nearing the Great Meadows. Half King, a native war chief allied to the British, insists that the group was a large French war party sent to ambush the British garrison. He convinced Washington to takes a detachment of troops to ambush the French. After an all night march through a rainstorm, Washington’s men arrive at the French encampment in a narrow valley early the next morning. In an incident now known as Battle of Jumonville Glen the French camp was attacked. Ten French soldiers were killed and the party’s commanding officer, Ensign Joseph Coulon de Jumonville, was taken prisoner along with 21 others. As Washington interrogated Jumonville, Half King unexpectedly walked up to Jumonville and struck him dead. Tanacharisson (Half King) (1700? - 1754) A leader of the Mingo (Seneca tribe) of Native American Indians who took part in the French and Indian War as an ally of the British. ...

Washington retired from Jumonville Glen back to the Great Meadows and prepared for a French counterattack. Several Frenchmen had escaped from Jumonville Glen and returned to Fort Duquesne informing the garrison of the incident. On May 29, Washington ordered the construction of a log palisade at the Great Meadows which he named Fort Necessity. Washington believed that the site would provide the British a tactical advantage due to the open spaces surrounding the fort. Washington however had failed to take into account that the fort was constructed in a depression and he over estimated the distance from the tree line to the log walls. An artist’s rendering of Fort Duquesne Fort Duquesne was a fort established by the French in 1754, at the junction of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in what is now downtown Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. ... May 29 is the 149th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (150th in leap years). ... A palisade is a Medieval wooden fence. ... Fort Necessity was a British fortress west of the Pennsylvania colony. ...

The arrival of 100 British reinforcements under Captain James Mackay on June 14 provided more trouble than relief. Mackay and Washington immediately began arguing over who was in command. Although Mackay was only a captain, his commission as an officer in the British army technically took precedence over Washington’s militia rank of Lt. Colonel. The two ultimately agreed to an awkward power sharing agreement that hindered British command and control throughout the battle. June 14 is the 165th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (166th in leap years), with 200 days remaining. ...

On June 28, a party of 600 French and 100 French allied native tribesmen left Ft. Duquesne to attack the British party. At the time, the bulk of the British garrison had been sent to Gist’s plantation (present Brownsville, Pennsylvania) on the Monongahela River. Washington decided that this outpost was indefensible and gathered all his remaining strength at Fort Necessity. On July 1, the whole garrison had returned to the Great Meadows and began construction of trenches and further fortifications. Several of allied bands of natives including Half King's group argued that Fort Necessity was also indefensible and abandoned Washington. Washington briefly considered abandoning Fort Necessity but decided that his men were too fatigued and the French forces too near to make a safe and orderly retreat. Brownsville is a borough located in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. ... The Monongahela River is a river of the eastern United States of America. ...

The French expedition against Fort Necessity was lead by Captain Louis Coulon de Villier, who was the brother of the slain Ensign Joseph Coulon de Jumonville. Captain de Villier was outraged by the death of his brother, which he considered to be a cold blooded murder. He was further enraged when he passed Jumonville Glen and discovered that the British have failed to bury the bodies of the slain French soldiers.

At about 11:00 AM on July 3, the French column arrived at the Great Meadows and immediate began a vigorous attack. Washington’s misjudgement of the Great meadows site quickly proved disastrous. The French were able to conceal themselves in the cover of the treeline and fire on the fort from an elevated position. The British in the fort were exposed in the shallow trenches and the flimsy log walls of the palisade provide little cover. The poorly supplied British quickly began to run short of ammunition. Compounding the problems of the British, it began to rain heavily a few hours later filling their trenches with water.

By evening, Washington realized the hopelessness of his situation. At about 8:00 PM, he asked the French for terms of surrender. The negotiations were slow and difficult. None of the British officers spoke French and none of the French officers spoke English. One Colonial of Dutch descent spoke English and French just well enough to provide basic communication. In the surrender document, Washington unwittingly admitted to “assassinating” Jumonville. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

The fort was handed over on July 4 and the British were allowed to return to Maryland with full military honors. The French razed the fort and returned to Fort Duquesne. July 4 is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 180 days remaining. ...

External Links

• Fort Necessity National Battlefield (http://www.nps.gov/fone/)