Quaint and Historic Forts of North AmericaHammond, John Martin
History
Quaint and Historic Forts of North America
Hammond, John Martin
Fortification -- North America; Fortification -- United States; Historic buildings -- United States
Braddock’s unfortunate march began May 27, 1755, from Fort
Cumberland, Maryland (Cumberland, to-day), and of the details of
that disastrous journey little need be told in these pages as the
story is already familiar. Braddock had the bravery of his calling
and the arrogance and presumption of the European brought into
contact with provincials. He did not believe that anything very
good could come out of the colonies and did not hesitate to show
this attitude of mind. On the line of march he scorned to send out
scouts ahead as was necessary in fighting Indians. He insisted on
sending his Continental troops in solid order against an enemy who
fought behind trees and stumps in any kind of order that suited
his purpose. He committed all of the stupidities that vanity and
overweening self-confidence could dictate, and, when the French in
a despairing last-minute effort against overwhelming numbers had
found easy victory, gave up his life on the field of battle. He
was buried beneath the feet of the retreating troops so that their
steps should obliterate from the fiendish enemy the location of his
last resting place.
The English loss in this battle was 714 men killed and a shattering
of their military prestige with all of the Indian people of the
borderland. The French loss was 3 white men killed and 27 Indians.
The access to their influence amongst the savage tribes because of
their unexpected victory was much.
Fort Duquesne fell to the English in 1758 when 7,000 men under
Brigadier General John Forbes slowly and circumspectly proceeded
against it. The French deserted the post after attempting to
destroy it and the English took possession November 25 of that
year. A new fort was commenced under Forbes which stood on the
Monongahela side of the city at the south end of the present West
Street and between West and Liberty Streets. It was occupied in
1760 and was completely finished in the summer of 1761. The stone
bomb-proof magazine stood until 1852 when the Pennsylvania Railroad
built its freight terminal here.
Of the remainder of the line of French forts along the Ohio River
there are no relics left, though memorials have been established
at several points. The first of this Ohio River chain was Presque
Isle on Lake Erie, now the little city of Erie, Pennsylvania. For
some years after French domain in the New World Presque Isle was of
importance and, indeed, for some years after the Revolution.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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