Sir Peter Halket, and in the other he believed that he saw the bones of
a brother who had fallen at his father's side. The young officer fainted
at the sight. The two skeletons were buried together, covered with a
Highland plaid, and the Pennsylvanian woodsmen fired a volley over the
grave. The rest of the bones were undistinguishable; and, being
carefully gathered up, they were all interred in a deep trench dug in
the freezing ground.[666]

[Footnote 665: _Stanwix to Pitt, 20 Nov. 1759_.]

[Footnote 666: Galt, _Life of Benjamin West_, I. 64 (ed. 1820).]

The work of the new fort was pushed on apace, and the task of holding it
for the winter was assigned to Lieutenant-Colonel Mercer, of the
Virginians, with two hundred provincials. The number was far too small.
It was certain that, unless vigorously prevented by a counter attack,
the French would gather in early spring from all their nearer western
posts, Niagara, Detroit, Presquisle, Le Boeuf, and Venango, to retake
the place; but there was no food for a larger garrison, and the risk
must be run.

The rest of the troops, with steps quickened by hunger, began their
homeward march early in December. "We would soon make M. de Ligneris
shift his quarters at Venango," writes Bouquet just after the fort was
taken, "if we only had provisions; but we are scarcely able to maintain
ourselves a few days here. After God, the success of this expedition is
entirely due to the General, who, by bringing about the treaty with the
Indians at Easton, struck the French a stunning blow, wisely delayed our
advance to wait the effects of that treaty, secured all our posts and
left nothing to chance, and resisted the urgent solicitation to take
Braddock's road, which would have been our destruction. In all his
measures he has shown the greatest prudence, firmness, and
ability."[667] No sooner was his work done, than Forbes fell into a
state of entire prostration, so that for a time he could neither write a
letter nor dictate one. He managed, however, two days after reaching
Fort Duquesne, to send Amherst a brief notice of his success, adding: "I
shall leave this place as soon as I am able to stand; but God knows when
I shall reach Philadelphia, if I ever do."[668] On the way back, a hut
with a chimney was built for him at each stopping-place, and on the
twenty-eighth of December Major Halket writes from "Tomahawk Camp:" "How
great was our disappointment, on coming to this ground last nig