Crowd marks anniversary of Fort Necessity battle
WHARTON TWP. – In the midst of Wednesday’s heat and humidity, an earnest crowd of visitors and a dedicated group of park staff and volunteers at Fort Necessity National Battlefield in Farmington remembered those who lost their lives in the first battle of the French and Indian War. “Two-hundred-forty-eight years ago, men from three nations waged a daylong battle on this site,’ assistant superintendent Mary Ellen Snyder stated during the memorial program, held in front of the reconstructed fort.
The battle took place July 3, 1754, when 100 South Carolina British Regulars and about 300 Virginia Regiment were surrounded by more than 600 French soldiers and 100 Indians. Col. George Washington commanded the battle for the British, which would lead to his first and only surrender.
The casualties included 30 men dead and 70 wounded on the British side, while the French suffered two dead and 15 wounded. One American Indian was killed and two were wounded.
Brian Kissler a North Versailles resident and a costumed volunteer who portrayed a negotiator for the English, read the roll call of names of the dead.
Those killed in action for the English included: William Bailey, Gerrard Clark, Thomas Fisher, John Kitson, Isaac Moor, Daniel McClaren, Barnaby McCan, William Pullen, John Robinson, John Ramsay, William Simmonds, Thomas Scott and John Tranton, all Virginians, and Lt. Peter Mercier and 16 other unknown soldiers of the South Carolina Independent Co., who were professional British soldiers.
Kissler also read the name Monsieur DuPrez for one of the French soldiers. However, Brian Reedy, supervisory park ranger, explained there is some information on the French and Indian men but not enough to establish their identities.
The Marker Sisters of Markleysburg sang “America the Beautiful’ and “The Star-Spangled Banner.’ The Marker Sisters include Cindy Carey, Jenny Wagner, Christina Orr and Tamara Marker.
The program ended with a musket-firing to honor the dead, conducted by costumed soldiers. They included park staffers Reedy and Christian Fearer, and volunteers Richard Louis of Scottdale and Jeff Clevenger of Ursina. Reedy portrayed a member of the French army, while Fearer, Louis and Clevenger were members of the Virginia Regiment.
M.J. McFadden, park ranger, made introductions during the ceremony. The park also hosted a program, “Cultures in Conflict,’ in conjunction with the memorial service. Offered at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., “Cultures’ gives the three viewpoints of the Jumonville skirmish and the battle from the perspectives of the American Indians, the French and the British. Penn State student Carol Fortunato gave a 1 p.m. tour outside Mount Washington Tavern.
This year’s memorial program was shorter than programs of the past. Reedy explained officials were keeping in mind the humidity and the fact that fewer people are available for a program in the middle of the week.
But the memorial program remains important to the National Park Service.
“It’s our whole reason for being here,’ said Reedy, interviewed just before the program. “July 3 is the reason we exist. If not for the battle here, where would we be? I don’t just mean park staff, but as a nation.’
Snyder recalled in her remarks at the ceremony how the French and Indian War ultimately led to the Revolutionary War and the creation of the United States.
War has played a role in the nation’s history through the centuries. Even today, Americans are taking up arms.
“Fresh in our collective memory are the vivid details of Sept. 11,’ said Snyder.
Meanwhile, officials hope to continue Fort Necessity’s summer interpretative program daily through Labor Day with fort walks and a solider program. A program on American Indians will be conducted from mid-July to mid-August. Program times vary daily, so Reedy suggested that visitors phone ahead for program times.
And people are coming to Fort Necessity. Reedy noted that visitation is up about 10 percent this year.
“Folks are spending more time at home, but they are discovering or rediscovering America’s history and natural beauty through our national parks,’ Reedy said. “As tragic as Sept. 11 was, it’s given patriotism a big boost, so people are looking for things to keep that spirit alive.’