AN. HISTORICAL ADDRESS. 15 
At this latter period commencing with the year 1754, the 
history of the western country becomes involved in the bit- 
ter and relentless wars between France and England for 
American supremacy. France at the first, occupying the 
most advantageous ground, became the successful aggressor, 
and was then engaged in carrying out the grand military de- 
sign of maintaining a continuous line of forts from Canada 
to the Mexican Gulf, including the head of navigation on 
the Ohio. It was at this time occured the memorable de- 
feat of Braddock, in attempting the capture of Fort Du 
Quesne, July 9th, 1755. It was in managing the retreat 
from this disaster, that the military genius of Washington 
was first brought'into notice. A few years later, in 1757, 
occurred the massacre of Fort William Henry, on Lake 
George, a survivor of which, Captain Jonathan Carver, as 
we shall presently have occasion to note, made an early ex- 
ploration of the Upper Mississippi Valley, and published a 
very full and accurate account of its geography and natural 
resources: 
Following these early successes however, the French were 
doomed to a continued series of most disastrous defeats, 
culminating in the treaty of Paris, of 1763, by which France 
surrendered to Great Britain all her North American pos- 
sessions east of the Mississippi, including the whole of Can- 
ada, with the exception of some small fishing islands off the 
Gulf of St. Lawrence, still held by France, which together 
with certain West India possessions, comprises all that this 
great European power now controls in the western hemis- 
phere. Cotemporary with this important event in the his- 
tory of the Mississippi Valley, we have to note an addi- 
tional secret treaty, concluded between France and Spain, 
the year previous, November 8rd, 1762, by which the for- 
mer ceded to Spain all her possessions west of the Mississ- 
ippi, including the country we now oceupy, and the Island 
of Orleans, this controling the outlet of the Mississippi river. 
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