a fort which he called Fort Ligonier, in honor of the general of that name whom Pitt had recently appointed captain-general to succeed the Duke of Cumberland.
Forbes' caution was extreme; he had learned much from Braddock's mishap and did not mean to be caught in the same dilemma. He had ordered Forts Bedford and Ligonier to be built as bases whence he could draw his supplies as needed. He would not permit himself to be hurried in his movements. He had not heard from Post, his envoy among the Indians. His supplies had been collected, but were not yet all on wheels. Besides, there was a project on foot for a grand peace council of the Indians living east of the mountains, to be held at Easton, at which he expected to have a treaty signed, settling all differences between these Indians and the provincial government, which he hoped would also have great weight with the western Indians. For this, too, he must wait. All this accomplished, he intended to hurry forward and with one blow sweep the French from the Ohio Valley. But he met with an unexpected check.
He was on his sick-bed at Raystown when he was startled by receiving two letters, one from Colonel Boquet, which enclosed another from Major James Grant of the Highland regiment. On September 14th, a detachment of Boquet's troops, under Grant, had been signally defeated. Grant had asked Boquet to send him on a reconnoissance toward Fort Duquesne. Unfortunately, Boquet granted the request and directed Grant to take with him three hundred Highlanders, one hundred Royal Americans, one hundred and fifty Virginians, one hundred Marylanders, one hundred Pennsylvanians, and a number of Indians to serve as scouts. Boquet ordered Grant to so regulate his march that he would be within five miles of the fort in the evening, and if not discovered, he was to advance to the rising ground situated midway between the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, overlooking the fort and only a half mile distant. Here he was to reconnoiter. After midnight he was to send forward a detachment and attack with the bayonet any Indians that he might find outside the fort. If he won or lost, he was to retire before daybreak, for a distance of six miles along the way by which he had come; and if followed, he was to form an ambuscade of all his men. If he won at the ambuscade, he was directed to advance again and reconnoiter the fort; but if discovered, he was to think only of retiring. The scheme was a good one. This is what happened:
Some time after two o'clock in the morning, Grant ar-
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