Braddock’s Defeat
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compiled by Jim Moyer April, May 2018, updated 8/18/2019
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Longest Battle fought with Nobody
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Horace Walpole writes to Richard Bentley in letter dated September 30, 1755.
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Braddock’s defeat still remains in the situation of the longest battle that ever was fought with nobody.
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But Walpole adds as consolation:
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Content your English spirit with knowing that there are very near three thousand French prisoners in England, taken out of several ships.
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Source:
https://archive.org/details/lettershoracewal03walpiala/page/352
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Use Ctrl F to find strings in this text format:
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http://www.archive.org/stream/lettershoracewal03walpiala/lettershoracewal03walpiala_djvu.txt
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Meanwhile Dunbar’s 48th
is running away
from that Nobody
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From ExploreHistoryPa.com on their historical signs page:
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Upon inheriting command after Braddock’s death, Dunbar decided against launching a counterattack against Fort Duquesne, even though he still commanded a formidable and well-supplied army.
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Instead, he continued the retreat to Fort Cumberland, which he reached on July 22.
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Two weeks later, he decided to march his troops to Philadelphia, where he surprised the city’s residents by requesting winter quarters.
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Ultimately, he took the army north to Albany, where it encamped for the rest of the year.
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What did the site of Braddock’s Defeat look like 3 years later?
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Braddock’s Defeat occurred July 9, 1755
compiled, written by Jim Moyer 2015, July 2017, 8/29/2017
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To Give a Sense of this Story,
let us give you a scene
of the battlefield 3 years later.
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Battle of the Wilderness Virginia 1864. this may have been what it looked in 1758 when the men of Forbes Expedition after celebrating their victory over Fort Duquesne, did the grim hike to their own past 3 years ago.
A word that caught our eye – The skulls.
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The Forbes Expedition follows up on this scene 3 years later.
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The French gave up, leaving a burnt ghost of a fort, November 1758, three years after Braddock’s disaster.
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And now the victors will march to Braddock field.
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It is their first chance after 3 years to see their fallen comrads.
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In Volume 2, Young George Washington, published by Charles Scribner and Sons, 1948, pages 366-367, Douglas Southall Freeman writes:
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Click on picture to Enlarge. Sketch of woods by Jim Moyer to show the extra large trees in this dark forest. The Virginia Regiment is overlaid on the sketch to show the Virginia Regiment of the Forbes Expedition after having celebrated the capture of Fort Duquesne November 1758, travel to the site of Braddock’s Defeat of 3 years earlier of July 9, 1755 to bury their men still left above ground.
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“…a service of thanksgiving on the 26th
with a sermon,
a day of celebration on the 27th,
and then a solemn march to Braddock’s field,
where the skulls
of more than 450 men were buried.
Their bones long before had been scattered by wolves.”
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A Hallowed Halloween of a site greeted our Forbes Expedition victors.
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See wolf behavior.
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David Preston writes a Thank You
Dr Preston is author of
“Braddock’s Defeat:
A Pivotal Moment in American History”
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David Preston, author

L-R – Dr. David Preston, author of “Braddock’s Defeat: A Pivotal Moment in American History” wears a Gorge, an award gladly given by the French and Indian War Foundation’s historian, Norman Baker, author of the Braddock Road Atlas.
This email of January 13, 2016 was sent from David Preston, author Braddocks Defeat: The Battle of the Monongahela and the Road to Revolution to the Foundation’s Board members Norman Baker, Dr Carl Ekberg and Steve Resan :
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“This is a long overdue note of my deepest thanks for the great honor you saw fit to bestow upon my book Braddock’s Defeat, the 2015 Judge Robert Woltz History Award of the French and Indian War Foundation.
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The lovely gorget hangs in a place of honor in my office. Receiving such an unexpected award–especially from my friend and colleague Norman–is a memory that I will long cherish.
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I greatly appreciate the work that the French and Indian War Foundation has done, and it goes without saying that I am always at your service. I hope that my book will bring added attention to the sites and the history that you are preserving and interpreting.”
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Photo shows author David Preston (left) is wearing the gorget, which is the Judge Robert Woltz History Award. Norman Baker(right) Board member is the Foundation’s historian and who fought on Iwo Jima in WWII.
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MORE LINKS
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Good article on beginnings of Braddock Expedition
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44th Regiment – Sir Peter Halkett
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48th Regiment – Colonel Thomas Dunbar
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More on Dunbar
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Conestoga Wagons in Braddock’s Campaign, 1755, Don H. Berkebile, Release Date: August 10, 2009: htttp://www.gutenberg.org/files/29653/29653-h/29653-h.htm
Produced by Chris Curnow, Joseph Cooper, Graeme Mackreth and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
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Braddock’s Expedition, a monograph, Historical Society of PA
History of an Expedition against Fort Du Quesne in 1755 under Major-General Edward Braddock edited from the original manuscripts by Winthrop Sargeant, M.A., member of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, published Philadelphia, J.B.Lippincott & Co for the Historical Society of Pennsylvania 1856
https://archive.org/stream/historyofexpedit00sarg#page/380/mode/2up
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See Details of the Defeat http://www.britishbattles.com/braddock.htm.
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Click on book for more info
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Letters in the aftermath:
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As Volunteer unpaid aide to General Braddock, George Washington writing from Fort Cumberland 18 July 1755, gives an account of the defeat to Lt Gov Dinwiddie, “As I am favourd with an oppertunity, I shoud think myself inexcusable, was I to omit givg you some acct of our late Engagemt with the French on the Monongahela the 9th Inst. …”
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Read Lt Gov Dinwiddie’s 26 July 1755 letter to Washington, asking if Dunbar might regroup to again march against Fort Du Quesne. Dunbar instead leaves for Philadelphia.
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They left Fort Cumberland, Will’s Creek, and some came back to it
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Navigate around the Emanuel Episcopal Church at Fort Cumberland using the Google car.
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Navigational Street View of Savage River Camp historical sign near Fort Cumberland.
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The Sun Never Sets on the British Empire.
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Events commemorating Braddock’s Road and Defeat
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Braddock Road Preservation Assn Annual Event
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See ANNUAL EVENT consisting of a bus tour on Friday 6 Nov 2015 and seminar Saturday 7 Nov 2015
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You can choose the bus tour only or seminar only or both.
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See times and dates
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Click on REGISTER ONLINE
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See Braddock Road Preservation Association website. This site is extensive and informative. Browse through it at your leisure.
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See their Facebook Page too.
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The French and Indian War Encampment
Event this July 16-19, 2015 will commemorate this defeat.
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The event is located off US 19 just north of the village of Portersville, Pa. – right beside Gellner’s Arctic Cat. Just a short distance from I-79 at The Portersville Old Engine & Steam Show Grounds. 1512 Perry Highway, Portersville, PA 16051.
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See FORM TO FILL OUT on the Facebook page F & I Grand Encampment: July 16-19, 2015 BRADDOCK’S DEFEAT.
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Return this form to:
By mail: Mark Wiley 5077 Clayton Circle New Castle, PA 16101
As an email attachment: wileyhouseshoppe@yahoo.com
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Registration deadline: June 1, 2015
Please note: This form should be used by any civilian or military unit or individual. Sutler registration is available by contacting Jen or Mark Wiley at wileyhouseshoppe@yahoo.com or by phone: 724 487-8617
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Cost:
$5.00 per person Children 12 and under free
Date:
July 17-19, 2015
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Place:
Portersville Old Engine and Steam Show Grounds 1512 Perry Highway Portersville, Pa 16051
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Thursday, July 16, 2015 participants, re-enactors come to set up
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Public Hours:
Friday, July 17, 2015 … 10am – 4pm
Saturday, July 18, 2015 … 9am – 5pm Battle beginning at 1:00pm
Sunday, July 19, 2015 … 9am – 4pm Battle beginning at 1:00pm
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For more information and to register please visit facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/braddocksdefeat2015/
Or contact Mark Wiley at 724-487-8617 wileyhouseshoppe@yahoo.com
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