But the men whom Washington now had under his command were hopelessly few, though reinforcements had brought their strength to 350, for the French had been preparing for the struggle for a long while, and had more than a thousand men at Fort Duquesne. They advanced on Washington, who retired to Great Meadows, and threw up entrenchments, aptly named Fort Necessity. And there he was attacked in force, while a deluge of rain descended on the two opposing forces. After nine hours of gallant resistance, the French were still all round the improvised defences, and being in almost as miserable a condition as the colonials, they proposed a capitulation, which the young colonel refused. Later, when his ammunition was exhausted and some hundred of his men lay killed or wounded, he consented to discuss terms, which were at length agreed upon, for they were sufficiently honourable and lenient. Such an open rupture, it may be easily assumed, caused unusual excitement, and the presence of the French and their murdering Indians in the backwoods of the Ohio valley practically drove our trappers and pioneers back across the Alleghany range. A few hardy and courageous men, however, still clung to their huts, and we have already made the acquaintance of some of these. The excitement, and obvious intentions of the French were not sufficient even yet to rouse the thirteen States to concerted action, though Virginia, having quarrelled with Dinwiddie till he was almost frantic, and having voted him twenty thousand pounds for purposes of military defence, but saddled with some impossible proviso, at length withdrew the proviso, and granted the money free. There was little stir in the other States. Men from New York State were under arms, and some from Carolina. Pennsylvania, with a large German population, stirred not a finger. It is wonderful and amazing indeed to remember that these people inhabiting the various States and displaying such suicidal apathy, were the sons of a race which had shown wonderful pluck and perseverance, and themselves the originators of that following race of men who fought and bled for their country so manfully, whose blood flows in the veins of descendants who are justly proud of their forefathers, and who, in place of apathy, show to a wondering world great patriotism and activity, the power to fight and work with equal determination. We leave the conflict at Great Meadows, and the year 1754 with England and France still at peace in Europe, but preparing for an inevitable war in the backwoods. Those following months saw a new French expedition sent to Canada under a new governor, and feverish preparations pushed on for the coming war. As to England, she at length saw the necessity for sending help, and despatched troops to America, while her fleets sailed, each captain having no doubt secret instructions to attack and capture the French expedition. Indeed, in the summer of 1755 two French vessels were captured off Nova Scotia.