Washington's campaign of 1754 ended July 4th, but it didn't have to.
On June 8th Colonel Innes had 350 North Carolinians at Winchester.
On June 30th he had 170 North Carolinians. and 2 Independant
companies of New Yorkers at Arlington. That's another 720 men.
Support for another adventure fell apart, historically, but did it
have to?
What would have happened if ....
a) Colonel Innes leads an expedition to Ft Duquesne with GW as a
second-in-command during September.
Since the French withdrew back along the Nemacolin Trail burning Fort
Necessity, Gist's Plantation and the Red Stone Trading Post I would
guess that Innes would not advance any further than Red Stone. Would
the French have come out again to fight them? Over the winter of '54-
'55 most of the French left the Ohio valley. Did they leave in
September, or later? Had Contreceour heard of a second English
advance, would he have allowed troops to be withdrawn? Would he have
any say?
b) Colonel Innes sends the 350 men on to GW. There would've been
plenty of time for the force to arrive at the Great Meadow, or Gist's
Plantation before the arrival of the French.
With nearly 800 men, and presumeably more supplies, would GW have
made his stand at Gist's Plantation, thereby NOT wearing his men out
before the battle? Would the 30-40 Mingoes have stayed to help? Would
the French attack an equally sized force? Gist's Plantation was
located in more open ground (from what I can gather), would the
battle have been one more akin to the Plains of Abraham action, than
the historical one at Fort Necessity? or, would GW holed up behind
entrenchments around Gist's buildings?
IF ... the French decided to decline battle and withdraw. What kind
of battle would have taken place at Fort Duquesne? I assume GW would
have held up at Red Stone until Inness brought up the New Yorkers and
rest of the NC troops.
I've found no reference of any mortars, howitzers or cannons being
available in '54. Would Innes' troops have enough combat power to
take Ft DuQuesne, or would a siege have been possible? Would merely
arriving at the forks with 1,000+ men been enough to bring the
Delaware, Shawnee and Mingo back into the English camp, actively?
Would those two forces, English and Indians, been strong enough to
evict the French? Would Contreceour been obligated to come out and
fight?
Just some thoughts. Maybe '54 could've been a bit more fun for the
English.
al