Editing Fort Prince George (section)

== Aftermath ==

Captain Trent's men marched to Washington's camp at Wills Creek.<ref name = "Clark1"/>{{rp|91}} They were mostly Indian traders and Trent's employees, but still considered themselves militia and therefore not under Washington's command. Washington ordered them to wait for the Governor's instructions, but the men ignored this and disbanded.<ref name = "Hunter"/>{{rp|51}} 

Tanacharison wrote immediately to Washington, stating that he was "ready to fight them as you are yourselves...if you do not come to our aid soon, it is all over with us, and I think that we shall never be able to meet together again."<ref>[https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/01-01-02-0004-0002 George Washington, "Expedition to the Ohio, 1754: Narrative," Founders Online, National Archives. ''The Diaries of George Washington,'' vol. 1, 11 March 1748 – 13 November 1765, ed. Donald Jackson. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1976, pp. 174–210.]</ref> Washington regarded the capture of Trent's Fort as an act of war, and prepared to advance, writing on April 20 to Governor Dinwiddie to request artillery. Counting on Tanacharison to support him with Native American warriors, he prepared to attack French troops in what would become the first battle of the [[French and Indian War]], the [[Battle of Jumonville Glen]].<ref name = "MacGregor"/>{{rp|369}}

On May 1, Governor Dinwiddie, unaware that the fort had been captured, wrote to Governor [[Horatio Sharpe]] of Maryland that "The Plan of the Fort is not yet Drawn, as the Ground is not fix'd on being left with discretional Power to the Engineer." When Ensign Ward returned from [[Williamsburg, Virginia|Williamsburg]], he brought letters dated May 4, expressing anger with Trent and Fraser to Colonel [[Joshua Fry]]: "I am advis’d that Capt. Trent, and his Lieut., Fraser have been long absent from their duty...Which Conduct & Behaviour I require & expect You will enquire into at a Court Martial, & give Sentence accordingly."<ref>[https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/02-01-02-0046 "To George Washington from Robert Dinwiddie, 4 May 1754," Founders Online, National Archives.''The Papers of George Washington,'' Colonial Series, vol. 1, 7 July 1748 – 14 August 1755, ed. W. W. Abbot. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1983, pp. 91–93.]</ref><ref name = "Hunter"/>{{rp|51}} Lieutenant Fraser was almost court-martialed at Williamsburg for desertion, but he was released after Washington reminded Governor Dinwiddie that Fraser had accepted his lieutenant's commission with reservations. He later served as Chief of Scouts in General [[Edward Braddock]]'s army, [[Adjutant]] of Virginia Forces, and Captain of guides in the army of [[John Forbes (British Army officer)|Brigadier-General John Forbes]].<ref name = "Clark1"/>{{rp|92}}

The French erected [[Fort Duquesne]] after seizing Fort Prince George, and maintained control of traffic on the Ohio River until November, 1758. This had a devastating impact on British trade with Native Americans in the Ohio Country, leading many to side with the French at the beginning of the French and Indian War.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=yg8QAQAAMAAJ Charles W. Dahlinger, "Fort Pitt," ''Western Pennsylvania Historical Magazine,'' vol 5, No. 1, January 1922; Pittsburgh: Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania]</ref>{{rp|4}}

Fort Prince George was the first of five forts to be built to control the strategic "Forks of the Ohio".<ref>[https://colonialwarspa.org/fort-prince-george-aka-trents-fort-february-1754/ "Fort Prince George, aka Trent’s Fort – February 1754," Society of Colonial Wars of Pennsylvania, 2024]</ref>  Following the capture of Fort Duquesne in the 1758 [[Forbes Expedition]], the British built [[Fort Pitt (Pennsylvania)|Fort Pitt]]. [[Mercer's Fort]] was a temporary British fort built to defend against a French counterattack while Fort Pitt was being constructed. The final fort in what is now downtown Pittsburgh was an American post called [[Fort Lafayette (Pennsylvania)|Fort Lafayette]], built in 1792 and located farther up the Allegheny River.