106 COLLISION OF THE RIVAL COLONIES. [1755. 



his first arrival in Virginia, he called together the 

 governors of the several provinces, in order to 

 explain his instructions and adjust the details of 

 the projected operations. These arrangements 

 complete, Braddock advanced to the borders of 

 Virginia, and formed his camp at Fort Cumberland, 

 where he spent several weeks in training the raw 

 backwoodsmen, who joined him, into such disci- 

 pline as they seemed capable of; in collecting 

 horses and wagons, which could only be had with 

 the utmost difficulty; in railing at the contractors, 

 who scandalously cheated him ; and in venting his 

 spleen by copious abuse of the country and the 

 people. All at length was ready, and early in 

 June, 1755, the army left civilization behind, and 

 struck into the broad wilderness as a squadron puts 

 out to sea. 



It was no easy task to force their way over that 

 rugged ground, covered with an unbroken growth 

 of forest ; and the difficulty was increased by the 

 needless load of baggage which encumbered their 

 march. The crash of falling trees resounded in 

 the front, where a hundred axemen labored with 

 ceaseless toil to hew a passage for the army.^ 

 The horses strained their utmost strength to drag 

 the ponderous wagons over roots and stumps, 

 through gullies and quagmires ; and the regular 

 troops were daunted by the depth and gloom of 

 the forest w^hich hedged them in on either hand, 

 and closed its leafy arches above their heads. So 

 tedious was their progress, that, by the advice of 



1 MS. Diary of the Expedition, in the British Museum. 



