He knew the
Indians. He had quickly realized that danger threatened
his wilderness post, and had left nothing undone to make
it secure. On the fourth day of May, Ecuyer had written
to Colonel Henry Bouquet, who was stationed at Philadelphia,
saying that he had received word from Gladwyn that he
'was surrounded by rascals.' Ecuyer did not treat this
alarm lightly. He not only repaired the ramparts and made
them stronger, but also erected palisades within them to
surround the dwellings. Everything near the fort that
could give shelter to a lurking foe was levelled to the
ground. There were in Fort Pitt at this time about a
hundred women and their children--families of settlers
who had come to the fertile Ohio valley to take up homes.
These were provided with shelter in houses made shot-proof.
Small-pox had broken out in the garrison, and a hospital
was prepared under the drawbridge, where the patients in
time of siege would be in no danger from musket-balls or
arrows. But the best defence of Fort Pitt was the capacity
of Ecuyer--brave, humorous, foresighted; a host in
himself--giving courage to his men and making even the
women and children think lightly of the power of the
Indians.
It was nearly three weeks after the siege of Detroit had
begun that the savages appeared in force about Fort Pitt.
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