British Defenses

British Defenses. Fort Necessity National Battlefield. , From the earthworks and stream banks behind you, the British fired back at the French and Indians. A steady rain dampened the gun powder and fouled muskets. Lying in water-filled trenches, the British soldiers' ammunition and morale began to dwindle. Casualties mounted. Dozens of wounded were carried or dragged into the stockade. About 30 dead soldiers lay in the mud., By late afternoon, the drizzle changed to a downpour. When it stopped, the British feared the worst. With few bayonets to counter a deadly charge from the woods, the British were at a great disadvantage. Then, about 8:00 p.m., a Frenchman yelled out, not in a battle cry, as expected, but asking the British if they wanted to negotiate., [Sidebar:] , Twenty-two-year-old Colonel George Washington planned his defenses between two streambeds, with earthworks surrounding a wooden stockade. Although Washington's selection for the fort's location was proper for the tactics of the time, it had two drawbacks: the fort was too close to the treeline, and the trenches dug into the boggy soil filled with water when it rained.