As Lt. Col. George Washington approached this glen on May 28, 1754, he knew the French position and numbers but not their intentions. The French troops there might have been diplomats proclaiming a French desire for friendship or spies gathering information on British troops, and unknown to Washington they carried papers supporting both positions. At daybreak, Washington and his officers met nearby with Iroquois allies Monacatootha and Tanacharison, also called the Half King. While the officers and Indian leaders planned their strategy, 40 untested, soaked soldiers ate their rations and dried their flintlocks. These were Virginia militia, not disciplined British regulars, wearing a mixture of uniforms and civilian clothes, and for most of them, including Washington, this would be their first military encounter. However, the dozen or so Iroquois with them were probably skilled warriors. Soon, two Iroquois scouts led Washington's troops to this point overlooking the unsuspecting French camp.
