The third workshop in the Bridgeville Area Historical Society’s series dedicated to George Washington’s seven visits to Western Pennsylvania focused on General Edward Braddock’s campaign against Fort DuQuesne in 1755.
The previous workshop had left Washington back in civilian life in October 1754. After the Fort Necessity disaster, Governor Dinwiddie had decided to disband the Virginia Regiment and replace it with ten independent companies. When he offered Colonel Washington a captaincy commanding one of the companies, our future president chose to end his military career by resigning his commission.
However, events in England would soon lead him to reverse this decision. The Duke of Cumberland, third son of King George II, was commander-in-chief of the Royal Army. He proposed a major initiative against the French in North America on four different fronts.
Massachusetts Governor Shirley would attack Fort Niagara, General William Johnson would attack Crown Point, and General Robert Monckton would attack Fort Beausejour in Nova Scotia, all as diversions to the main thrust to capture Fort Duquesne. An old colleague from the Coldstream Guards, Colonel Edward Braddock, would be promoted to general and command the Fort Duquesne effort.
Braddock was recalled from his assignment at Gibraltar and joined a fleet transporting two Irish regiments, an artillery unit, and a massive amount of munitions and supplies to the New World. Late in February, 1755, they arrived in Hampton Roads and began preparation for the campaign.
On April 14 Braddock met with Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia, Governor Shirley of Massachusetts, Governor Delancey of New York, Governor Morris of Pennsylvania, and Governor Sharpe of Maryland in Alexandria to discuss strategy.
Washington had petitioned Braddock for a commission in the Royal Army, but had to be satisfied by the offer to be part of the general’s staff, as one of his aides-de-camp. The other aide-de-camp was Captain Robert Orme. Orme’s journal of the Braddock expedition is recognized as the best source of historical information about it.
The 44th Foot Regiment, commanded by Colonel Sir Edward Halkett, and the 48th Foot Regiment, commanded by Colonel Robert Dunbar, proceeded to Wills Creek, where they promptly renamed the fortification there Fort Cumberland. They were accompanied by three independent Royal Army companies, a contingent of Royal Navy seamen led by Lieutenant Spendlowe, and the artillery unit.
Not to be outdone, the colonies provided an impressive group of units as well. A troop of Virginia Light-horse led by Captain Robert Stewart served as Braddock’s escort. Two companies of Virginia Carpenters did the tough work of clearing the forest prior to road building. Seven Ranger companies from Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina completed the entourage.
On April 23 Braddock and Washington met with Benjamin Franklin at Frederick and contracted for the supply of 150 wagons and 1500 horses from Pennsylvania. Franklin’s concern about the wisdom of marching a column four men wide and four miles long through Indian-infested forests was ridiculed by General Braddock.
On May 29 the vanguard of the expedition left Fort Cumberland and began the chore of cutting a wagon road twelve feet wide through the wilderness. By June 16 they had reached Little Meadows, where Braddock held a council of war. Concerned with the slow pace they were making, Washington proposed dividing their forces.
A “flying column”, primarily composed of fighting men, would proceed as fast as possible, leaving the bulk of the provisions in a second unit which would move more slowly. Braddock accepted the suggestion, assigning Colonel Dunbar to the second unit.
When the expedition left Fort Cumberland it was accompanied by about one hundred and fifty friendly Seneca and Delaware Indians and their families. By June 22 the Indians had become so angry at their treatment by Braddock that all but seven of them deserted, leaving Monacatootha and six Mingoes.
On July 6 a tragic incident occurred. While returning from a scouting mission Monacootha and his men were fired upon by nervous sentries. His son was killed. Braddock responded by burying the young Mingo with full military honors.
By July 8 the flying column had reached a point “two miles east of the Monongahela, below the mouth of the Youghiogheny”, within a day’s march of Fort DuQuesne. Christopher Gist advised against following the obvious route down Turtle Creek Valley, a perfect spot for an ambush. Instead they decided to cross the Monongahela River twice and then march to the fort.
The river was waist deep at both fords and neither crossing was contested by the enemy. Braddock concluded the French had been intimidated into abandoning Fort DuQuesne; he instructed his musicians to play the Grenadiers’ March as they continued their triumphant march.
In reality French commander Captain Lienhart de Beaujeu had decided to move his forces out of the fort and to set up an ambush. Although his three hundred French and Canadian soldiers and their six hundred Indian allies were outnumbered by Braddock’s twelve hundred men, he believed the element of surprise would make the difference.
Beaujeu had underestimated the speed of Braddock’s column and was still en route to the ambush site when the vanguards of both armies unexpectedly encountered each other. He quickly signaled his Indian allies to take to the woods on both sides of the enemy. Captain Horatio Gates maneuvered his company into four ranks deep and began to fire volleys at the French.
The third volley found Beaujeu, killing him instantly. About a third of the French deserted at this point, heading back for the safety of the fort. A cheer went up from Gates’ company and the punishing volleys continued. At this point Captain Jean Daniel Dumas rallied the remaining French Marines, establishing a strong defensive position.
For a few minutes the two sides fought at a stalemate, while reinforcements for Gates’ company began to arrive. The stalemate was ended by a crescendo of Indian war whoops and effective musket fire from the woods on both sides. At this point the British forces panicked and tried to retreat, only to run into the advancing column.
The officers tried valiantly to rally their forces. Volleys were fired without any real targets. Braddock’s beloved “twelve pounder” artillery pieces were discharged indiscriminately. Many of the casualties resulted from friendly fire. Washington’s request that the Virginians be sent into the woods to skirmish with the Indians was over-ruled by Braddock.
Braddock showed great courage, having five horses shot from under him, before suffering a serious wound, possibly from friendly fire. From the earliest days there have been rumors that he was purposely shot by one of the Virginians. A man who later lived in Midland, Thomas Faucet, claimed that he had shot the general in retribution for Braddock’s running his sword through Faucet’s brother Joe while trying to stop him from deserting.
The panicked mob retreated to the river, where a company of Virginia Rangers covered them while they waded across. The valuable artillery pieces, wagons containing supplies and munitions, and those too wounded to walk were left behind. Though badly wounded, Braddock was still sufficiently coherent to retain command. He instructed Washington to go to notify Colonel Dunbar of the disaster and request help.
A day later the survivors had managed to reach Gist’s Plantation. Their fears of being pursued by the enemy were unfounded. The French were too exhausted to follow them, and the Indians were far more interested in finishing off and scalping the wounded and collecting loot to exploit their astonishing victory.
By July 13 they reached Dunbar’s Camp, where Braddock died. Colonel Dunbar decided to destroy their large cache of supplies and munitions and retreat to Fort Cumberland. Braddock was buried near Great Meadows and wagons driven over his grave to hide it.
Before he died, Braddock bequeathed his favorite horse, his manservant, and his ceremonial sash to Washington, who cherished all three for the rest of his life. The blood-stained, woven red sash is proudly displayed at Mount Vernon today.
The aftermath of this calamity was the resurrection of the Virginia Regiment, commanded by Colonel George Washington. They spent the Fall of 1755 and all of the next two years defending the Virginia frontier against Indian raids.
The cast of characters in Braddock’s expedition includes many familiar names, many of them playing minor roles. Daniel Boone and his cousin Daniel Morgan were young teamsters, driving wagons. Morgan would go on to become a Revolutionary War general, as would Charles Lee and Horatio Gates, both of whom served as officers under Braddock.
George Croghan and Andrew Montour went long as interpreters. Especially interesting is James Smith, who was captured by Indians, ran the gauntlet, and adopted by a Mohawk family. Repatriated at the end of the French and Indian War he later gained famed as leader of the Black Boys, a group of settlers who rebelled against the British in 1769 and captured Fort Bedford.
One of the Indian leaders was Guyasuta, a Seneca who had met Washington two years earlier at Logstown. He was a major opponent during Forbes’ Campaign and in Pontiac’s Rebellion. In 1770 when Washington visited the Ohio country, he met Guyasuta and reminisced over old times. One story is that Guyasuta believed Washington was enchanted; twice he had clear shots at him and each time something mysterious deflected his slug.
Braddock’s Expedition is a fascinating story, filled with drama, and an important part of the great American epic that details the adventures of a young George Washington in the years 1753 through 1758. One wishes that it had been immortalized by a long narrative poem by Carl Sandburg, or a sequence of operas by Aaron Copland, or a cycle of plays by August Wilson.