od horses were
left, 'twas our duty to give up: and Roxana has a couple of packs upon
her back instead of her young master. She knows me right well, and
whinnies when she sees me, and I walk by her side, and we have many a
talk together on the march.

"July 4. To guard against surprises, we are all warned to pay especial
attention to the beat of the drum; always halting when they hear the
long roll beat, and marching at the beat of the long march. We are
more on the alert regarding the enemy now. We have our advanced pickets
doubled, and two sentries at every post. The men on the advanced pickets
are constantly under arms, with fixed bayonets, all through the night,
and relieved every two hours. The half that are relieved lie down by
their arms, but are not suffered to leave their pickets. 'Tis evident
that we are drawing very near to the enemy now. This packet goes out
with the General's to Colonel Dunbar's camp, who is thirty miles behind
us; and will be carried thence to Frederick, and thence to my honoured
mother's house at Castlewood, to whom I send my duty, with kindest
remembrances, as to all friends there, and bow much love I need not say
to my dearest brother from his affectionate--GEORGE E. WARRINGTON."

The whole land was now lying parched and scorching in the July heat. For
ten days no news had come from the column advancing on the Ohio. Their
march, though it toiled but slowly through the painful forest, must
bring them ere long up with the enemy; the troops, led by consummate
captains, were accustomed now to the wilderness, and not afraid of
surprise. Every precaution had been taken against ambush. It was the
outlying enemy who were discovered, pursued, destroyed, by the vigilant
scouts and skirmishers of the British force. The last news heard
was that the army had advanced considerably beyond the ground of Mr.
Washington's discomfiture on the previous year, and two days after must
be within a day's march of the French fort. About taking it no fears
were entertained; the amount of the French reinforcements from Montreal
was known. Mr. Braddock, with his two veteran regiments from Britain,
and their allies of Virginia and Pennsylvania, were more than a match
for any troops that could be collected under the white flag.

Such continued to be the talk, in the sparse towns of our Virginian
province, at the gentry's houses, and the rough roadside taverns, where
people met and canvassed the war. The few messeng