Jumonville

Jumonville. -the "skirmish...that set the world on fire". , At sunrise on May 28, 1754, young Colonel George Washington and Seneca Chief Tanacharison ("The Half King") led a combined force of 40 Virginia militia and Iroquois warriors in an attack against 33 French soldiers camped along the large ledge of rocks now known as "Jumonville Glen"-a few hundred yards from this spot. The French, taken by surprise, were defeated in fifteen minutes, with ten soldiers killed, 22 taken prisoner, and just one escaping., Among the dead was the French commander, Joseph Coulon de Jumonville. His death had international repercussions, for France and England were not at war, but both claimed ownership of the "Ohio Country." According to the French, Jumonville was on a peaceful diplomatic mission, was ambushed, and tried desperately to summon Washington before he was killed. Washington denied these claims. Nevertheless, this undeclared war escalated when a French force defeated Washington at Fort Necessity on July 3rd. The French commander, Louis Coulon de Villiers (Jumonville's brother) witnessed Washington's signature on the surrender document that included a phrase admitting to the "assassination" of Jumonville., Despite debate over whether Washington really knew he had admitted to murder, the account of the Jumonville affair was widely publicized in Europe, leading England and France toward another "War for Empire" in North America. In the words of historian Francis Parkman, "this obscure skirmish began the war that set the world on fire.", [Captions]: George Washington, by Charles Willson Peake. , Courtesy of Washington / Custis / Lee Collection , Washington and Lee University, "Tanacharison" Portrait Courtesy of Fred Threlfall