was the middle of December when this heroic little band commenced
its march. Snow whitened the hills. Wintry gales swept the bleak
plains, and moaned through the forests. The roads were almost
impassable. Fierce storms often entirely arrested their march. The
wilderness was very thinly inhabited. It required the toil of a month,
for Franklin to force his way through these many obstructions to the
base of his operations, though it was distant not more than ninety
miles.

The troops moved very cautiously to guard against ambush. The
philosopher, Franklin, though he had never received a military
education, and was quite inexperienced in military affairs, was the
last man to be drawn into such a net as that in which the army of
Braddock was destroyed.

Franklin, as a philosopher, could appreciate the powerful influence of
religious motives upon the mind. Rev. Mr. Beatty was his chaplain,
whose worth of character Franklin appreciated. Before commencing their
march, all the troops were assembled for a religious service. After an
earnest exhortation to fidelity and duty, a fervent prayer was
offered.

The march was conducted with great regularity. First, scouts advanced
in a semi-circular line, ranging the woods. Then came the advanced
guard, at a few hundred paces behind. The centre followed, with all
the wagons and baggage. Then came the rear guard, with scouts on each
flank, and spies on every hill.

Upon reaching Guadenhutton, an awful scene of desolation and carnage
met the eye. The once happy village presented now but a revolting
expanse of blackened ruins. The mangled bodies of the dead strewed the
ground, mutilated alike by the savages and the howling wolves.
Franklin ordered huts immediately to be reared to protect his troops
from the inclemency of the weather. No man knew better than he, how to
make them comfortable and cheerful with the least expense.

A fort was promptly constructed, which he called Fort Allen, and which
could easily repel any attack the Indians might make, unless they
approached with formidable French artillery. There were many
indications that the Indians, in large numbers, were hovering around,
watching all their movements. But the sagacity of Franklin baffled
them. They kept concealed without any attack. The savages were very
cautious men; they would seldom engage in a battle, unless they were
sure of victory.

A trifling incident occurred at this time, worthy of record as
illustrativ