Trent's Expedition
On June 21st, 1752, force of 240 Ottawa and Ojibwa Indians allied with the French attacked Pickawillany, a village of the Miami tribe. The force was led by Charles Michel de Langlade, a Frenchman born in North America. The purpose of the attack was to drive British traders out of the Ohio Country and to punish the Miami people for rejecting an alliance with the French in favor of the British. In the attack at least one British trader was killed, and the Miami Chief Memeskia, better known to the British as “Old Briton.” The French destroy the English stockade and sent the remaining traders fleeing back east.
In the spring of 1753 the French would build a forts in the Ohio Valley in order to maintain their claim. The Iroquois were concerned about the expansion. This prompted Chief Tanaghrisson of the Mingo to send runners to William Johnson, known to the Iroquois as Warraghiggey, meaning “He who does great things.” They met with governor George Clinton of New York in Albany along with officials from other British Colonies. At this meeting, Chief Hendrick of the Mohawk called for the British to uphold their end of the “Covenant Chain.” Governor Clinton decided to uphold the British end of the agreement, and requested the other colonial officials return to their governors and ask them to do the same. The ones to respond would be Thomas Penn of Pennsylvania, and Robert Dinwiddie of Virginia, both of whom had invested interests in companies who were active in the region.
In the fall of 1753 Governor Dinwiddie would sent an expedition lead by a fur trader named William Trent, who also had investments in the Ohio Company. Along the way he would pick up a number of other volunteers, including some Mingo Indians and some interpreters. On October 12th Trent and his party arrived at the French outpost of Fort Le Boeuf. Trent would meet with the Commander of the French Forces, Paul Marin de la Malgue. However Trent’s temper got the better of him and stormed out. After acquiring a few more volunteers from nearby Indian villages with ties to the Iroquois.
On October 21st Trent would launch an attack on the French fort. In the battle Marin would be mortally wounded. Jacques Legardeur de Saint-Pierre would take over command of the French forces and successfully counter Trent’s attack, forcing him to retreat. Trent’s party made camp near the fork between the Allegheny and Monogahela rivers. A small party sent out by Legardeur from Fort Le Boeuf would meet with Trent and offer a peace with them in hopes of preventing a war between the British and French. Trent agreed to take the offer back to Virginia with him.
He would arrive in Williamsburg in late December of 1753. The peace offer made by the French was presented to Governor Dinwiddie. The offer was to allow British fur traders access to the French portions of the Ohio but in exchange for an annual fee paid by the Ohio Company or the colonial governments. Dinwiddie was not interested in the deal, and neither were his allies in Pennsylvania and New York. The message was returned to the French, stating a refusal to pay for access to the Ohio. By the Spring of 1754 Pennsylvania, New York, and Virginia each sent militias to the Ohio Country. It was the beginning of war.