1755.J RESULTS OF BRADDOCK'S DEFEAT. 113 



degree of courage and steadiness which put the 

 cowardice of the regulars to shame. The havoc 

 among them was terrible, for of their whole num- 

 ber scarcely one-fifth left the field alive. ^ 



The slaughter lasted three hours ; when, at 

 length, the survivors, as if impelled by a general 

 impulse, rushed tumultously from the place of car- 

 nage, and with dastardly precipitation fled across 

 the Monongahela. The enemy did not pursue 

 beyond the river, flocking back to the field to col- 

 lect the plunder, and gather a rich harvest of scalps. 

 The routed troops pursued their flight until they 

 met the rear division of the army, under Colonel 

 Dunbar ; and even then their senseless terrors did 

 not abate. Dunbar's soldier's caught the infection. 

 Cannon, baggage, provisions and wagons were des- 

 troyed, and all fled together, eager to escape from 

 the shadows of those awful woods, whose horrors 

 haunted their imagination. They passed the 

 defenceless settlements of the border, and hurried 

 on to Philadelphia, leaving the unhappy people to 

 defend themselves as they might against the toma^ 

 hawk and scalping-knife. 



The calamities of this disgraceful rout did not 



1 " The Virginia troops showed a good deal of bravery, a;id were 

 nearly all killed ; for I believe, out of three companies that were there, 

 scarcely thirty men are left ahve Captain Peyrouny, and aU his officers, 

 down to a corporal, were killed. Captain Poison had nearly as hard a 

 fate, for only one of his was left. In short, the dastardly behavior of those 

 they call regulars exposed all others, that were inclined to do their duty, 

 to almost certain death ; and at last, in despite of all the efforts of the 

 officers to the contrary, they ran, as sheep pursued by dogs, and it was 

 impossible to rally them." — Writings of Washington, II. 87. 



The English themselves bore reluctant testimony to the good conduct 

 of the Virginians. — See Entick, Hist. Late War, 147. 



8 



