Jasper Yeates. every lace at being so near Fort Du Quesne, — the highest object of their wishes, — the music re echoed through the mountains. How brilliant the morning, how melancholy the evening! The savages and French had hardly an idea of victory when they made the attack. Braddock appeared almost to have courted defeat. Against every re monstrance of Sir Peter Halket, Major Washing ton, and other of his officers, he refused to let a man leave his rank. They fired in platoons against no object (how very dispiriting to a gallant sol dier!); they were shot down in whole ranks. The enemy, observing the infatuation of the General, felt assured of victory, redoubled their exertions, and fired with such fatal precision as to cause our men to throw away their guns, and mn off in the greatest disorder. The officers in vain attempted to arrest their course; they were compelled to follow their example. How differently did they cross the river now, — without arms, order, or music, the hellish yells of the Indians, and the groans and shrieks of the dying and the wounded falling upon their ears! I will not pain you by a further recital; suffice it that the enemy pursued them no farther than the ford. The dead bodies of our troops were suffered to remain a prey to wolves and crows. When the English took pos session in 1758 of Fort Pitt, a party was sent out, who buried upwards of four hundred and fifty skulls. Many have since been buried, and many remain as monuments of our shame. That the enemy derived any advantage from the ground I cannot believe; their real advantage consisted in their mode of fighting and the blunder of Bradclock. We returned home late in the evening; the music of the flute was delightful and solemnly impressive. What a waste of blood and treasure has this little 'spot cost France, England, and America! The prospects around here are most charming on the Allegheny and Monongahela, the walks pleas ant beyond description. I had often heard of the celebrated Fortress of Du Quesne. in my youth. What is it now? A little irregular ground, a few graves, and the fosse of the fort are only visible. I remarked the grave of Colonel Clapham. Fort Pitt stands one hundred yards from Fort Du Quesne, fronting the junction of the waters. A garrison and guard reminds me that we are still in a state of warfare. May God grant that peace may soon be restored to us, and the Liberty of
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our country placed beyond the arm of Tyranny to reach! Yours, etc., J. YEATES.
Mr. Yeates returned to Lancaster shortly after the date on which this letter was written. He still, while following his large prac tice, entered into public life with zealous patriotism. In 1787 he was a delegate to the convention which ratified, on the part of Pennsylvania, the Constitution of the United States, and was one of the com mittee of three who reported a form of ratification. In 1791 he was appointed an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania; now it was that the harvest of Judge Yeates's years of study, research, and practice was to come. Calm, earnest, and thoughtful in disposi tion, of great natural mental powers, he possessed the ideal judicial temperament. His decisions were prompt, earnest, studied. Clearly delivered, they expedited the busi ness of the court in a most creditable man ner. Always methodical in his habits of business, the assurance his clients placed in him as a counsellor was turned into admi ration and respect for him as a judge. In 1794 President George Washington appointed him one of a commission of three "to repair to the western counties and con fer with such bodies as they may approve, in order to quiet and extinguish the insur rection." (This was the notorious " Whiskey Insurrection.") The other members of the commission were James Ross and William Bradford. These commissioners went to Pittsburg, and were there joined by the Hon. Thomas McKean and William Irvine, Esquires, who were commissioners on the part of the executive of Pennsylvania. After holding several conferences with the com mittees of the insurgents, the United States commissioners reported at length, under date of Sept. 24, 1794. The work of this committee was arduous and troublesome;
