May 28, 1754
Tanacharison, the Half-King, hated all French. The French had taken him away from his Catawba tribe and held him prisoner. The French had intruded into western lands and built forts. They had to be stopped. They had to die. He had killed many Frenchmen and now he guided Lieutenant Colonel George Washington towards some more. Tanacharison knew the deaths would not quiet the fires of vengeance. Each death was a log thrown onto the fires that burned within.
Tanacharison only had ten warriors and two boys with him, but George Washington had 40 soldiers. Washington had already sent two large groups out looking for the French, but they found nothing. It was Tanacharison who found the French and would soon get to see them die.
Quietly the Indians and British surrounded the group of Frenchmen as they camped. Joseph Coulon de Jumonville had less than 40 men and they were still unaware. A shot barked through the woods and frantic fighting ensued. It seemed all over in just a few minutes. The French were surrendering.
Ten Frenchmen laid dead. Not enough.
Tanacharison raised his tomahawk, roared, and charged the French leader. As the tomahawk swooped down Tanacharison felt a warm pain below his jaw and then heard the sound of the shot. The tomahawk continued its downward arch into the skull of Joseph Coulon de Jumonville. One more Frenchman dead. Then Tanacharison staggered and raised a hand to his own neck. With every heartbeat blood was spurting out. Already the Half-King felt faint. He fell gasping. He turned his body so that the last thing he would see would be Joseph Coulon. One more dead French man.
One more dead Indian.
Washington turned toward the man who had fired. The French soldier dropped his gun and surrendered with the others. The smoke was clearing and the Indians were finaly under control. The surviving French soldiers shouted that they were on a diplomatic mission, that Washington's ambush was murder. This all had not gone as well as he hoped but at least it was over. Joseph Coulon was dead. Tanacharison was dead. Eleven other men were dead. But Washington had won the day and it was over. A victory.
Washington had hopped that Tanacharison would be able to talk more Indians away from helping the French and talk them into helping the British. Now another Indian spokesmen would need to be found, but Washington doubted he could find someone with the Half-King's passion.