From Jumonville to a World War

From Jumonville to a World War. Fort Necessity National Battlefield. The 15-minute skirmish fought here on May 28, 1754, had long-term consequences. One month later, 600 French soldiers and 100 Indians under Captain Louis Coulon de Villiers - Jumonville's brother - left Fort Duquesne "to avenge ourselves..." On July 3, the French and Indian force surrounded almost 400 British troops at nearby Fort Necessity and forced a surrender., In 1755, the French and Indians defeated Maj. Gen. Edward Braddock's larger British army at the Battle of Monongahela. Tensions between the two powers increased and, in 1756, they officially declared war on each other. The "French and Indian War," also called the "Seven Years War" in Europe, was fought on four continents and three oceans before it ended in 1763. , Captions of Illustrations , Lower left: Map below illustrates how, as British Statemen Horace Walpole wrote, "A volley by a young Virginian in the backwoods of America... set the world on fire., Center: Lt. Col. George Washington signed this document (below) before surrendering Fort Necessity to the French on July 4, 1754. Later he found the document included a statement that he had "assassinated" Jumonville here on May 28, causing an international uproar. Two years after the attack in these woods, now called "Jumonville Glen," England and France declared war., Right: This painting by Benjamin West symbolizes the three parties at war in North America. British Officer William Johnson prevents an American Indian from killing French Officer Baron Diekau, after the Battle of Lake George, New York, 1755.