I wasn't sure if you were referring to the opening battle of the Seven Years War ( or the French and Indian war for us colonials) for sure, that's why I asked.

I read Fred Anderson's 746 page "Crucible of War" when it was released back in 2000, with great interest, and learned how the 7 Years War lead almost directly to the Revolutionary War a decade later.

As the American soldiers served in the Armed Forces of Great Britain in the Seven Years War in North America, many American officers gained a great deal of confidence in their ability to meet with the Red Coated Army, the greatest military force in the known world....

Described as the First Real World War, it was fought on four continents, and removed the French from North America, and ultimately cost King George much of British North America.

And made young Lieutenant Washington the father of his nation, and a hero for the ages.

And yes, British Loyalists were most of the citizenry early in the years leading to the rebellion. But like all Revolutions, one did not want to remain on the losing side, for a number of reasons, including one's angry fellow citizens.

"Crucible of War" is a monumental work, well worth reading and understanding!

My wife is from the hills of western Pennsylvania, so I am quite familiar with Braddock's March to Fort Duquesne.

Braddock's march took place in 1755.

To call the attack of May 28, 1754 a battle is to ignore the actual events. The french camp was completely unaware of Washington and his force nor had they any reason to suspect that someone might attack them as until that event there had not been any military action.

Washington ordered an unannounced surprise attack on people who had not attacked. That does not constitute a battle anymore than if you were attacked while you were out camping would constitute a battle.

I know Braddock's march was a year later.

In "Crucible of War", as I understand it, there are described several different witness's accounts, as to who shot first, and how that all came to occur.

There were three parties, the French troops, the Colonial troops under Washington, and the Native American forces with the Colonials, that were only partially under Washington's control.

The story I remember as the most striking was that Tanacharison, the “Half King, the Native American leader of the Ohio Iriquois, literally smashed the French Lt. Jumonville's brains out with a war club, the better to start a war between Britain and France, after the French forces surrendered to the Colonials.

I found it very hard to be certain what really happened that May day, and doubt that anyone ever will, as it was lost to history. Or covered up by some of the participants, perhaps, too.

How 22-Year-Old George Washington Inadvertently Sparked a World WarThe first U.S. president's celebrated military career actually started out quite poorly, in the French and Indian War.www.history.com

I wonder, also, what verbal instructions Washington might have received from the Governor of Virginia before Washington departed for Pennsylvania, that were not recorded by history.