Battle of Fort Necessity facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Fort Necessity |
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| Part of the French and Indian War and The Seven Years War | |||||||
 The modern reconstruction of Fort Necessity |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 France Colony of CanadaNative allies |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 George Washington  James Mackay |
Louis Coulon de Villiers |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 100 regulars from a South Carolina Independent Company 293 officers and men from the Virginia Regiment, about 1/4 of whom did not fight due to illness or exhaustion. |
600 French regulars and Canadian Militia, and about 100 Indians | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 31 killed 369 captured (70 of whom were wounded) |
3 killed 19 wounded |
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The Battle of Fort Necessity (also known as the Battle of the Great Meadows) happened on July 3, 1754. It took place near what is now Farmington. This battle was George Washington's first time leading soldiers in a fight.
The Battle of Fort Necessity was the start of the French and Indian War. This war later grew into a much bigger conflict around the world, known as the Seven Years' War.
Washington built Fort Necessity in a large, open field called a "meadow." This meadow was located in the Allegheny Mountains. It was an important spot because it was near paths leading to other settlements.
Contents
Why the Battle of Fort Necessity Happened
The Fight for the Ohio Country
In the 1700s, both the French and the British wanted to control North America. France had fewer settlers, about 75,000 to 90,000 people in New France (modern-day Canada). But they controlled large areas by using important rivers like the Ohio River and the Mississippi River. They also had strong friendships with many Native American groups.
The Ohio Country, a region between Lake Erie and the Ohio River, became very important. It was a key link between French settlements in Canada and their colony in Louisiana.
British settlers were also moving into the Ohio Country. There were many more British colonists, about 1.5 million in North America by 1754. They wanted to move past the Appalachian Mountains and settle in these western lands.
British traders often said the Ohio Country was empty land. They believed it should be open for everyone to trade. However, the French had been trading there for years. They knew they couldn't compete with the British, who offered cheaper and better goods. So, the French tried to keep the British out of the Ohio Country.
Building Forts and Sending Messages
To protect their claims, the French started building forts in the Ohio Country in 1753. This worried the British and some Native American tribes. Even though the French and Native Americans usually got along, British traders had convinced some tribes to trade with them instead.
One important Native American leader was Tanacharison, a Mingo chief. He became angry with the French. A French commander, Paul Marin, reportedly yelled at Tanacharison and threw down a peace offering. This made Tanacharison strongly against the French.
The colony of Virginia also claimed the Ohio Country. In 1748, rich Virginians formed the Ohio Company. They wanted to claim and sell land in the west. Governor Robert Dinwiddie, Virginia's governor and an investor in the Ohio Company, sent a young George Washington to deliver a message to the French.
In December 1753, 21-year-old George Washington traveled to Fort Le Boeuf, a French fort. He told the French commander, Jacques Legardeur de Saint-Pierre, that the French needed to leave. Saint-Pierre politely refused, saying he was just following orders.
Washington's Orders and Fort Duquesne
Washington returned to Williamsburg and told Governor Dinwiddie that the French would not leave. Dinwiddie then ordered Washington to gather a militia (citizen soldiers). Their job was to hold the "Forks of the Ohio," where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers meet (present-day Pittsburgh). Washington thought this was a great spot for a fort.
Dinwiddie also sent another group, led by William Trent, to start building a fort there right away. Trent's men began building in February 1754. But in April, a larger French force of about 500 men arrived. Trent's small group of 36 men had to leave. The French then tore down the British work and built their own fort, which they called Fort Duquesne.
Leading Up to the Battle
Washington's March to the Frontier
In March 1754, Governor Dinwiddie sent Washington back to the frontier. His orders were to defend British claims. He was told to stop anyone who tried to block British work or settlements. If they resisted, he could capture or even kill them. This order, given without permission from the British government in London, was seen by some as an invitation to start a war.
Washington gathered 186 men and left for the frontier on April 2. The French commander at Fort Duquesne, Contrecœur, had orders not to attack unless provoked. On May 23, he sent Joseph Coulon de Villiers de Jumonville with 35 men. Their job was to see if Washington was in French territory and to tell his troops to leave.
As Washington marched, he met Captain Trent and the Mingo chief Tanacharison. Trent told Washington about Jumonville's French force. Tanacharison promised to help the British. To keep Tanacharison's support, Washington decided not to turn back. Instead, he chose to build a fort and wait for more orders. His men built a wide road as they went, which would help them move supplies and soldiers later.
The Jumonville Glen Skirmish
Washington heard that French troops were nearby. He sent Captain Hog with 75 men to find them. Washington also told some young Native Americans that the French wanted to harm Tanacharison. So, the Native Americans also went to find the French.
That evening, Tanacharison sent a message to Washington. He had found the French camp. Washington decided to attack. He took 40 soldiers and met with Tanacharison's 12 Native American warriors. Together, they attacked the French camp. They killed 10 to 12 French soldiers, wounded 2, and captured 21. Jumonville was among the dead. The exact way he died is unclear, but some say Tanacharison killed him while he was reading his message.
Building Fort Necessity
After the fight at Jumonville Glen, Washington expected the French to attack back. Tanacharison tried to get more Native American tribes, like the Lenape and Shawnee, to join the Virginians at Great Meadows.
With about 150 Virginians, they started building a fort. Washington named it Fort Necessity. It was finished on June 3.
By June 9, more Virginia soldiers arrived. A few days later, 100 British regular soldiers, led by James Mackay, also arrived. But they camped separately outside the fort.
French Advance and British Retreat
Washington heard that there were 500 French troops at Fort Duquesne, and they were not well supplied. So, on June 16, he led 300 Virginians out of Great Meadows to widen the road. He hoped to reach Fort Duquesne. However, he had lost support from some Native American groups.
On June 28, Washington decided to retreat back to Great Meadows. On the same day, 600 French soldiers and 100 Native Americans left Fort Duquesne. They were led by Louis Coulon de Villiers, Jumonville's older brother. To stay ahead of the French, the Virginians had to leave most of their supplies behind. They reached Fort Necessity on July 1.
Preparing for Battle
At Fort Necessity, supplies were low. Heavy rain started on July 2, turning the trenches Washington had dug into streams. Washington knew he had to defend against a direct attack. He also realized the nearby woods were close enough for attackers to shoot from. To make the fort stronger, Washington ordered his men to cut down trees and build makeshift walls.
As the British worked, Coulon's French force used the road the Virginians had built to approach Fort Necessity. They arrived on the morning of July 3.
The Battle of Fort Necessity
The French Attack Begins
By 11:00 am on July 3, 1754, Louis Coulon de Villiers and his men saw Fort Necessity. The Virginians were still digging trenches in the mud. British guards fired their muskets and fell back to the fort. Then, three groups of Canadian soldiers and Native Americans moved downhill towards the fort.
Coulon had misjudged the fort's location. He had to stop and move his troops. As he did, Washington got ready for the attack.
Coulon moved his soldiers into the woods, where they were close enough to shoot at the fort. Washington knew he had to force them out of this position. He ordered his entire force to charge across the open field. Seeing this, Coulon ordered his soldiers, led by Native Americans, to charge directly at Washington's line.
Washington told his men to hold their ground and fire. Mackay's British regulars followed orders. With the help of two small cannons, they caused some casualties among the attacking Native Americans. However, the Virginians ran back to the fort, leaving Washington and the British regulars greatly outnumbered. Washington then ordered everyone to retreat back inside the fort.
Coulon reformed his troops in the woods. The Canadians spread out around the clearing and kept firing heavily at Fort Necessity. Washington ordered his troops to fire back, but they aimed too high and hit very few enemies. The cannons also didn't help much. To make things worse, heavy rain began to fall that afternoon. Washington's soldiers couldn't keep fighting because their gunpowder got wet.
Negotiations and Surrender
Louis Coulon de Villiers and his men were tired. Their gunpowder and bullets were running low. He also worried that more British soldiers might arrive. So, he decided to talk. He sent an officer with a white flag to negotiate.
Washington did not let the French officer inside the fort. Instead, he sent two of his own men, including his translator Jacob Van Braam, to talk. The French said they didn't want to start a war between their countries. They only wanted to "avenge the murder of one of our officers" (Jumonville) and stop the British from building on French land. Coulon told Van Braam that he only wanted the British soldiers to surrender. Then, the Virginians could go back home. He warned that if they didn't surrender, the Native Americans might storm the fort.
Van Braam brought this message to Washington. Washington agreed to these basic terms. One of Coulon de Villiers' assistants wrote down the surrender terms in French. Van Braam then translated it for Washington. The document said that Jumonville had been "assassinated." Both Washington and Mackay signed the surrender paper.
After the Battle
On July 4, Washington and his troops left Fort Necessity. They marched away with their drums beating and flags flying. But the Native Americans and French began to take things from the soldiers' bags as they left. Washington, fearing a bigger fight, did not try to stop them. The Native Americans continued to take things until July 5.
Washington and his troops arrived back in eastern Virginia in mid-July. On the 17th, Washington gave his report to Governor Dinwiddie. He expected to be scolded, but instead, he received thanks. Dinwiddie blamed the loss on poor supplies and other colonies not helping.
When news of the battles reached England in August, the British government decided to send an army the next year. They wanted to remove the French from the area. Major General Edward Braddock was chosen to lead this mission. However, his expedition ended badly. The French kept control of Fort Duquesne until 1758. That's when a new expedition, led by General John Forbes, finally captured the fort.
Word of the British plans reached France before Braddock left. So, King Louis XV sent a much larger group of soldiers to Canada in 1755. Even though they arrived too late to help against Braddock, the French soldiers led to many French victories in the years that followed.
Another British action also made things worse. On June 8, 1755, Admiral Edward Boscawen fired on a French ship called Alcide. He captured it and two other ships carrying French troops. Military actions grew on land and at sea until France and Britain officially declared war on each other in spring 1756. This marked the official start of the Seven Years' War.
Today, the battlefield is protected as the Fort Necessity National Battlefield.
Images for kids
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An engraving showing George Washington's evening meeting at Fort Necessity.
See also
In Spanish: Batalla de Great Meadows para niños
