The defeat of General Edward Braddock by the French and Indians was not
due to any lack of courage on the part of the English commander and his
men, but to the fact that they knew nothing about colonial warfare and
would not take advice from the colonial troops. Had Braddock followed
the advice of George Washington the French would have been routed, and
Fort Duquesne, which is now Pittsburgh, would have been captured.
Edward Braddock was born in Perthshire, Scotland, in 1695. He was the
son of Major General Edward Braddock. In 1710 he joined the Coldstream
Guards. As a lieutenant colonel in 1747 he served under the Prince of
Orange during the siege of Bergen-op-Zoom. Six years later he was made
colonel of the 14th Foot, and the following year became a major general.
This was at the time of the Seven Years’ War between the French and
English. England had a poor opinion of the colonial officers and
soldiers,--these same officers and soldiers who were to defeat their
trained troops on every hand a few years later in the Revolution,--and
at the beginning of the war sent General Braddock with two regiments
of regulars to Virginia. Braddock landed on American soil in 1755,
and, appointing George Washington one of his aides, set off with his
regulars and some colonial troops from Fort Cumberland in Maryland for
Fort Duquesne.
The country to be traversed was a wilderness. No road led through
the woods; so the troops were forced to cut one as they slowly went
westward. Braddock was brave and honest, but harsh and brutal in
manners. He could not understand the nature of a war in the woods. Like
other English officers of the time, he despised American militia and
their half-Indian way of fighting. Washington and the other American
officers advised him to send scouts ahead to look for the enemy; but
Braddock would have none of this. He marched his army through the
forest in perfect alignment, with the band playing and banners flying.
On July 9, 1755, after crossing the Monongahela River, when they were
only eight miles from Fort Duquesne, those in the front of the army
suddenly saw what seemed to be a single Indian coming toward them.
It was really a French officer with a band of French and Indians at
his back. Feeling that they were doomed to defeat, the French had
determined as a last resort to sally out from Fort Duquesne and give
battle to the English in the woods.
As soon as the French officer saw the British he stopped and waved his
hat. The French and Indians immediately disappeared into the bushes and
opened fire on the English troops. The red coats of Braddock’s men made
a fine target. They tried to return the enemy’s fire; but there was no
foe to be seen. They stood their ground bravely for a time; but it was
a slaughter. Huddled together like sheep, they were shot down by scores.
The colonial soldiers attempted to fight from behind trees, but
Braddock considered this cowardly, and beat them back into line with
the flat of his sword.
“Come out into the open field like Englishmen!”
It was courageous; but it was foolhardy.
General Braddock exposed himself fearlessly. In rallying his men he
had four horses shot under him, and was at last mortally wounded.
Washington, who was the only officer on Braddock’s staff not killed or
wounded, saved the defeat from becoming a rout. Two horses were shot
under him and four bullets pierced his clothes.
On the way back to Fort Cumberland, General Braddock died, and
Washington took charge of the demoralized troops. In order to prevent
the Indians finding Braddock’s grave and mutilating the body, the
general was buried in the road and the entire army passed over
it,--men, horses, and wagons.
PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 1, No. 35, SERIAL No. 35
COPYRIGHT, 1913. BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.
[Illustration: PONTIAC IN COUNCIL]
_THE CONTEST FOR NORTH AMERICA_
_The Pontiac Conspiracy_