112 COLLISION OF THE RIVAL COLONIES. [1755 



self who could wedge his way into the midst of 

 the crowd, and place a barrier of human flesh 

 between his life and the shot of the ambushed 

 marksmen. Many were seen eagerly loading their 

 muskets, and then firing them into the air, or shoot- 

 ing their own comrades in the insanity of their 

 terror. The officers, for the most part, displayed a 

 conspicuous gallantry ; but threats and commands 

 were wasted alike on the panic-stricken multitude. 

 It is said that at the outset Braddock showed signs 

 of fear ; but he soon recovered his wonted intre- 

 pidity. Five horses were shot under him, and five 

 times he mounted afresh.^ He stormed and shouted, 

 and, while the Virginians were fighting to good 

 purpose, each man behind a tree, like the Indians 

 themselves, he ordered them with furious menace 

 to form in platoons, where the fire of the enemy 

 mowed them down like grass. At length, a mortal 

 shot silenced him, and two provincials bore him 

 off the field. Washington rode through the tumult 

 calm and undaunted. Two horses were killed 

 under him, and four bullets pierced his clothes ; ^ 

 but his hour was not come, and he escaped with- 

 out a wound. Gates was shot through the body, 

 and Gage also was severely wounded. Of eighty- 

 six officers, only twenty- three remained unhurt ; 

 and of twelve hundred soldiers who crossed the 

 Monongahela, more than seven hundred were killed 

 and wounded. None suffered more severely than 

 the Virginians, who had displayed throughout a 



1 Letter — Captain Orme, his aide-de-camp, to , July 18. 



2 Sparks, I. 67. 



