The military campaign known as the Braddock expedition, also referred to as Braddock’s campaign or Braddock’s Defeat, was launched by the British in an attempt to capture Fort Duquesne in the summer of 1755 during the French and Indian War. The British forces, led by General Edward Braddock, suffered defeat at the Battle of the Monongahela on July 9, 1755, leading to their retreat. The expedition was named after General Braddock, who tragically died during the effort. This defeat was a significant setback for the British in the early stages of the war against France, with historian John Mack Faragher describing it as one of the most disastrous defeats for the British in the 18th century. It is also one of the pivotal battles in Western Pennsylvania leading to the eventual construction of Fort Pitt and the founding of the City of Pittsburgh.
Before The Battle
During the summer, General Braddock, as the commander-in-chief of the British Army in America, led a large expedition against the French in North America. His main force consisted of 2,100 soldiers, including two regular line regiments, the 44th and 48th, as well as 700 provincial troops from various British American colonies, along with artillery and support troops. The goal of this expedition was to capture Fort Duquesne and other French forts, such as Fort Niagara. At just 23 years old, Lieutenant-Colonel George Washington, who had been promoted by Governor Robert Dinwiddie, served as an aide-de-camp to General Braddock, using his knowledge of the territory to assist in the mission. Lieutenant John Fraser of the Virginia Regiment served as Braddock’s Chief of Scouts, having previously been stationed at Fort Necessity and Fort Prince George.
In his efforts to gain support from unallied tribes against the French, Braddock was largely unsuccessful. He only had eight Mingo Indians serving as scouts with him. Many Indians in the region, including Shingas, leader of the Delaware tribe, chose to remain impartial. Due to the ongoing conflict between two dominant European powers, the native inhabitants were not willing to take sides. Their decision would depend on whether Braddock was able to achieve victory or not.
Braddock’s Road
Departing from Fort Cumberland in Maryland on May 29, 1755, the mission faced a significant logistical hurdle: transporting a large group of soldiers along with their equipment, supplies, and, most importantly, heavy cannons through the densely forested Allegheny Mountains and into western Pennsylvania, covering a distance of approximately 110 miles. Braddock received crucial aid from Benjamin Franklin in securing wagons and provisions for the expedition. Among the team of wagon drivers were two young men who would later become renowned figures in American history: Daniel Boone and Daniel Morgan. Other notable members of the mission included Ensign William Crawford and Charles Scott. The British contingent included Thomas Gage, Charles Lee, future American president George Washington, and Horatio Gates.
Braddock’s expedition faced slow progress due to his focus on constructing a road to Fort Duquesne in order to efficiently supply the position he planned to capture and maintain at the Forks of the Ohio. Another contributing factor was a shortage of healthy draft animals. This led to the column only moving an average of two miles per day, resulting in the creation of “Braddock’s Road” as they marched. To increase their speed, Braddock divided his men into two groups: a “flying column” of approximately 1,300 soldiers under his command, and a supply column of 800 men with most of the baggage, led by Colonel Thomas Dunbar. Along the way, they passed the remains of Fort Necessity, where Washington had been defeated by the French and Canadians the previous summer. There were also occasional skirmishes with small groups of French and Indian forces during the march.
At Fort Duquesne, there were only around 250 French marines and Canadian militia, along with approximately 640 Indian allies who were camped outside the fort. These Indian allies were from different tribes who had a long history of alliance with the French, including the Ottawas, Ojibwas, and Potawatomis. The leader of the Canadian forces, Claude-Pierre Pecaudy de Contrecoeur, received information from Indian scouting parties that the British were approaching to lay siege. Realizing that he could not defend against the British’s powerful cannons, Contrecoeur decided to take action and launch a surprise attack on Braddock’s army as they crossed the Monongahela River. Although the Indian allies were hesitant to attack such a large British force, the French field commander, Daniel Lienard de Beaujeu, convinced them to follow his lead by dressing in full war attire, including war paint.
Monongahela Battle
On the 8th of July in 1755, the Braddock army reached the territory belonging to Lieutenant John Fraser, the Chief Scout. During the evening, a group of Native Americans approached the British camp and requested a meeting. In response, Braddock chose Washington and Fraser to attend. The Native Americans asked the British to cease their progression in order to try and negotiate a peaceful withdrawal of the French from Fort Duquesne. While both Washington and Fraser advised Braddock to consider this, he chose not to.
On the 9th of July, 1755, without any resistance, Braddock’s soldiers crossed the Monongahela River approximately 10 miles south of Fort Duquesne. The first group of 300 grenadiers and colonials, led by Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Gage, began their advance with two cannons. Despite George Washington’s attempts to warn him about potential flaws in their plan, such as the different fighting styles of the French and Indians compared to the British’s open-field approach, Braddock refused to listen and insisted that his troops fight with a sense of “gentlemen”. Unexpectedly, Gage’s group encountered a party of French and Indians led by Beaujeu, who were rushing to the river and were too late to set up an ambush.
During the confrontation between the soldiers under Gage and the French, Beaujeu was one of the casualties due to being hit by the initial musket fire from the grenadiers. Despite the retreat of approximately 100 French Canadians to the fort and the use of cannons to keep the Indians at bay, the death of Beaujeu did not dampen the French’s spirits. Another French officer, Jean-Daniel Dumas, rallied the remaining French soldiers and their Indian allies. This marked the official start of the battle, which is known as the Battle of the Monongahela, the Battle of the Wilderness, or Braddock’s Defeat. The British forces consisted of about 1,400 men, while the French and Indians had an estimated number of 300 to 900. Described as an ambush, the battle was actually a meeting engagement, where two opposing forces unexpectedly clash. The swift and effective response of the French and Indians, despite the loss of their leader, caused many of Braddock’s men to believe that they had been ambushed. However, French battle reports reveal that both the French and Indian forces were caught off guard and were not able to plan an ambush.
Upon engaging in a firefight, Gage’s leading group retreated. In the limited space of the road, they encountered the main force of Braddock’s army, which had swiftly moved forward upon hearing the gunshots. The entire line became chaotic as Canadian militiamen and Native Americans surrounded them and kept attacking the British flanks from the forest on either side of the road. Meanwhile, the French marines joined in by advancing on the road and forcing the British to retreat.
The officers attempted to mimic Braddock’s approach by attempting to organize the units into a traditional formation along the narrow road. However, this tactic proved futile as it only made the soldiers more vulnerable to attacks. The artillery teams tried to offer support, but the limited space made it difficult for them to aim and load their weapons effectively. The provincial troops who were accompanying the British eventually became disorganized and began firing at their own discretion. Amidst the chaos, the British soldiers mistakenly targeted some of their own allies, thinking they were the enemy.
Following a prolonged period of intense fighting, Braddock was fatally wounded while riding his horse, leading to the breakdown of resistance. Despite lacking an official rank in the chain of command, Colonel Washington managed to establish and uphold some level of organization. He created a protective unit at the back, enabling the remaining troops to retreat. This earned him the nickname of “Hero of the Monongahela,” which was used to honor him, and solidified his reputation for a considerable period.
In July of 1755, we proceeded to that location with minimal casualties, only encountering a few stragglers who were captured by the French and Indigenous scouts. Upon arrival, we were ambushed by a group of French and Indigenous warriors, estimated to be about three hundred in number. Our own forces, consisting of approximately one thousand three hundred well-equipped soldiers, were overcome with such fear that they displayed cowardice beyond belief. The officers showed bravery in an attempt to motivate their troops, but they suffered greatly, with almost sixty killed or injured, which was a significant portion of our total force. This information was conveyed by George Washington in a letter to his mother.
As the sun set, the remaining British and colonial troops were retreating down the road that they had constructed. General Braddock perished from his injuries during the extended withdrawal, on July 13th, and his resting place can be found within the grounds of Fort Necessity.
Braddock had approximately 1,300 men under his command during the battle, but only 456 of them survived while 422 were wounded. The officers were specifically targeted and suffered the most, with 26 out of 86 being killed and 37 wounded. Out of the small group of women who were part of the British column as maids and cooks, only 4 made it out alive. The French and Canadians reported 8 deaths and 4 injuries, while their Indian allies had 15 casualties and 12 wounded.
Colonel Dunbar assumed control of the remaining soldiers and support units once they arrived at his location. He issued a command to destroy any extra supplies and cannons before retreating, resulting in the burning of approximately 150 wagons on site. Interestingly, even though the British troops were beaten, demoralized, and disorganized, they still outnumbered their adversaries. However, the French and Indians did not give chase as they were preoccupied with looting corpses and collecting scalps. The French leader, Dumas, was aware of the complete defeat of the British forces. However, he chose not to pursue them any further in order to avoid upsetting his own men.
