History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 8

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 1314

USA > Pennsylvania > Fayette County > History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 8

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the booming of the artillery which welcomed the gen- eral's arrival, and a little later themselves encamped on the hillsides about that post." The artillery es- corted by Gage arrived at the fort on the 20th.

Arriving at the fort on the 10th, the general re- mained there about one month, during which time his expeditionary force was completed and organized. Two companies, Rutherford's and Clarke's, had been stationed at the fort during the winter, and were still there. The Forty-fourth and Forty-eighth regulars had been augmented to a total of fourteen hundred- men by the addition of Virginia and Maryland levies at Alexandria. A company of Virginia light-horse, under command of Capt. Stewart, acted as the gen- eral's body-guard. A body of seventy provincials was formed into two companies of pioneers, each having a captain, two subalterns, and two sergeants, and with these was also a very small company of guides. A lieutenant, Mr. Spendelow, and two midshipmen from Admiral Keppel's fleet were present with about thirty sailors to have charge of the cordage and tackles, necessary for the building of bridges and the hoisting of artillery pieces and other heavy material over precipices. The other provincial troops brought the total number up to about two thousand one hun- dred and fifty, including officers, but exclusive of wag- oners and the usual complement of non-combatant camp-followers, among whom were a number of women. There were eight friendly Indians who ac- companied the expedition.

The forces of Gen. Braddock were brigaded by his orders as follows :

First Brigade, commanded by Sir Peter Halket, composed of

The Forty-fourth Regiment of Regulars.

Capt. John Rutherford's ) Independent Companies

Capt. Horatio Gates' + § of New York.

Capt. William Polson's Company of Pioneers and Carpenters.

Capt. William Peyronie's Virginia Rangers.

Capt. Thomas Waggoner's Virginia Rangers. Capt. Eli Dagworthy's Maryland Rangers.

Second Brigade, commanded by Col. Thomas Dun- bar, composed of

The Forty-eighth Regiment of Regulars.

Capt. Paul Demerie's South Carolina detachment. Capt. Dobbs' North Carolina Rangers.

Capt. Mercer's Company of Carpenters and Pio- neers.

Capt. Adam Stephen's

Capt. Peter Hogg's Virginia Rangers.

Capt. Thomas Cocke's

Capt. Andrew Lewis had been sent with his com- pany of Virginians to the Greenbrier River for the protection of settlers there ; but he afterwards rejoined Braddock's column on its way to Fort dn Quesne.

1 The council, however, had really nothing to do with the adoption of the plan of operations, which was made entirely according to the mar- tinet ideas and opinions of the commander-in-chief.

" The same Gage why as major-general commanded the British forces in Boston in 1775.

3 C'apt. Orme, in his journal of the expedition, says, " The general ordered a bridge to be built over the Antietum, which being furnished and provision laid upon the road Col. Duubar marched with his regiment from Frederick on the 28th of April, and abont this time the bridge over the Opeccon was finished for the passage of the artillery, and floats were Intilt on all the rivers and creeks." The " Antietum" here mentioned is the same historic stream whose locust-fringed banks witnessed the ter- tific battle between the Union and Confederato hosts uuder Mcclellan and Lee, ou the 17th of September, 1862.

4 Afterwards Major-General Gutes, to whom Burgoyne surrendered at Saratoga.

BRADDOCK'S EXPEDITION IN 1755.

The field-officers under Braddock were Lieutenant- Colonels Burton and Gage; Majors Chapman and Sparks; Brigade-Major Francis Halket; Major Sir John Sinclair, deputy quartermaster-general ; Mat- thew Leslie, assistant quartermaster-general. The secretary to the commanding general was William Shirley, and his aides-de-camp were Capt. Robert Orme, George Washington,1 and Roger Morris. Christopher Gist and Nathaniel Gist, his son, ac- companied the expedition as principal guides. George Croghan and Andrew Montour were with the general as Indian interpreters.

" The soldiers were ordered to be furnished with one new spare shirt, one new pair of stockings, and one new pair of shoes; and Osnabrig waistcoats and breechies were provided for them, as the excessive heat would have made the others insupportable; and the commanding officers of companies were desired to provide leather or bladders for the men's hats."2

The transportation which was collected at Fort Cumberland for the use of Braddock's force consisted nf one hundred and ninety wagons and more than fifteen hundred horses. When he landed in Virginia he expected that "two hundred wagons and one hun- dred and fifty carrying-horses" would be furnished by the provincial authorities, but when he arrived at Frederick, Md., he found that not more than a tenth part that number had been raised, and that some of these even were in an unserviceable condition. Upon learning this he burst out in fierce invective against the inefficiency, poverty, and lack of integrity among the provincials, and declared that the expedition was at an end, for that it was impracticable to proceed without one hundred and fifty wagons, and a corre- sponding number of horses at the very least. But Dr. Benjamin Franklin, who was present at Frederick, told the general that the Pennsylvania farmers were able to furnish the necessary transportation, and that he (Franklin) would contract for a specified sum to

deliver one hundred and fifty wagons and the neces- sary horses at Fort Cumberland within a given time, whereupon Braddock proceeded on his march ; and in about two weeks Franklin had assembled the specified number of wagons and animals at the fort. Gen. Braddock was very grateful for this service, and he warmly complimented Franklin in a letter which he wrote to the Secretary of State, dated at Wills' Creek, June 5th, as follows :

" Before I left Williamsburg the quartermaster-gen- eral told me that I might depend on twenty-five hun- dred horses and two hundred wagons from Virginia and Maryland; but I had great reason to doubt it, having experienced the false dealings of all in this country with whom I had been concerned. Hence, before my departure from Frederick, I agreed with Mr. Benjamin Franklin, postmaster in Pennsylvania, who has great eredit in that province, to hire one hundred and fifty wagons and the necessary number of horses. This he accomplished with promptitude and fidelity; and it is almost the only instance of address and integrity which I have seen in all these provinces."

It has been said that, in procuring the wagons and horses from the Teutonie farmers in the Southern Pennsylvania counties, he was materially aided by the presence of Braddock's quartermaster-general. "Sir John SinclairS wore a Hussar's cap, and Franklin made use of the circumstance to terrify the German settlers with the belief that he was a Ilussar, who would administer to them the tyrannical treatment

3 This same Sir John Sinclair was a man of very rough speech and imperious and domineering character, as ia made apparent by the ful- lowing extract from a letter written by Messrs. George Croghan, James Burd, John Armstrong, William Buchanan, and Adam Hoops to Gover- nor Morris, of Pennsylvania, dated Fort Cumberland, April 16, 1755, at which time some of the companies, as well as Sir John himself, had already renched the rendezvous. The writers of the letter had been appointed to view and lay out a rond over the mountains, and had re- turned from their mission to the fort. In the letter they say, " Last evening wo came to the camp, and were kindly received by the officers, but particularly Capt. Rutherford. We waited for Sir John coming to camp from the road towards Winchester, who caore this day at three o'clock, but treated us in a very disagreeable manner, Ile is extremely warm and angry at our province ; he would not look at our draughts, nor suffer any representations to be made to him in regard to the prov- ince, but stormed like a lion rampant. Hle said our commission to lay ont the road should have issued in January last, upon his first letter ; that doing it now is doing nothing; that the troops must march on the first of May ; that the want of this road and the provisions promised by Pennsylvania has retarded the expedition, which may cost them their lives, because of the fresh number of the French that are suddenly like to be poured into the country ; that instead of marching to the Ohlo he would in nine days march his army into Cumberland County, to ent the rond», press wagons, etc. ; that lte would not suffer n soldier to handle an axe, but by fire and sword oblige the inhabitants to do it, and take every man that refused to the Ohio, as he had yesterday some of the Virginians; that he would kill all kind of cattle, and carry nway the horses, burn houses, etc .; and that if the French defeated ther, by the delays of this province, that he would with hia sword drawn pass through the prov- ince nod treat the inhabitants us a parcel of traitors to his master : that he would to-morrow write to England by a man-of-war, shake Mr. Penn's proprietaryship, and represent Pennsylvania as disaffected, . . . and told us to go to the general, if we pleased, who would give us teo I bad words for one he had given."

1 After his return from the Fort Necessity campaign, Cul. Washing- ton'a rank, as well as thint of other colonial officers, was reduced by royal order, which caused him to resign his commission, and at the time of Gen. Braddeck's arrival in America he was not in the military ser- vice. But Braddock, well aware of the importance of securing his services, urged Washington to take the position of volunteer aide-de- camp on his staff, and the offer, so earnestly pressed, was accepted.

Sparks, in his " Life of Washington" (page 58), in speaking of Waal- Ington's Acceptance of Braddock's proposition to necompany himu on the expedition as a member of his military family, says, " His views on the subject were explained, with a becoming frankness and elevation of mind, in a letter to a friend: 'I may be allowed,' said he, ' to claim some merit if it is considered that the sole motive which invites mr to the field is the lauduble desire of serving my country, not the gratifica- tion of any ambitions or lucrative plans. This, I flatter myself, will manifestly appear by my going as a volunteer, withont expectation of reward or prospect of obtaining a command, as I am confidently assured it is not in General Braddock's power to give me a commission that I would accept. . . . It is trns I have been importuned to make this campaign hy Gen. Braddock as a member of his family, he conceiving, I suppose, that the small knowledge I had an opportunity of acquiring of the country and the Indians is worthy of his notice, and may be useful to him in the progress of the expedition.'"

" Capt. Omme's Journal.

HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

they had experienced in their own country if they did not comply with his wishes."

At a council of war held at Fort Cumberland the order of march was determined on, viz. : the advance was to be led by "a party of six hundred men, workers and coverers, with a field-officer and the quartermaster-general ; that they should take with them two six-pounders, with a full proportion of am- munition ; that they should also take with them eight days' provisions for three thousand two hundred men ; . that they should make the road as good as possible, and march five days towards the first crossing of the Yoxhio Geni,1 which was about thirty miles from the camp, at which place they were to make a deposit of provisions, building proper sheds for its security, and also a place of arms for the security of the men. If they could not in five days advance so far, they were at the expiration of that time to choose an advan- tageous spot, and to secure the provisions and men as before. When the wagons were unloaded the field- officer with three hundred men was to return to camp, and Sir John St Clair with the first engineer was to remain and carry on the works with the other three hundred." 2

This advance detachment was to be followed by the remainder of the forces in three divisions, in the fol- lowing order: First, Sir Peter Halket's command, with "abont one hundred wagons of provisions, stores, and powder;" second, Lieutenant-Colonel Burton, " with the independent companies, Virginia, Mary- land, and Carolina Rangers," taking the artillery, am- munition, and some stores and provisions; third, Colonel Dunbar's brigade, "with the provision- wagons from Winchester, the returned wagons from the advanced party, and all the carrying-horses."

In accordance with this order, Major Chapman with a body of six hundred men, and accompanied by Sir John Sinclair, marched at daybreak on the 30th of May, but " it was night before the whole baggage had got over a mountain about two miles from camp. . . . The general reconnoitred this mountain, and deter- mined to set the engineers and three hundred more men at work on it, as he thought it impassable by howitzers. He did not imagine any other road could be made, as a reconnoitring-party had already been to explore the country ; nevertheless, Mr. Spendelow, lieutenant of the seamen, a young man of great discernment and abilities, acquainted the general that in passing that mountain he had discovered a valley which led quite round the foot of it. A party of a hundred men with an engineer was ordered to cut a road there, and an extreme good one was made in two days, which fell into the other road about a mile on the other side of the mountain."

" Everything being now settled, Sir Peter Halket, with the Forty-fourth Regiment, marched on the 7th of June; Lieutenant-Colonel Burton, with the inde-

pendent companies and Rangers, on the 8th, and Col- onel Dunbar, with the Forty-eighth Regiment, on the 10th, with the proportions of baggage as was settled by the council of war. The same day the general left Fort Cumberland, and joined the whole at Spen- delow Camp, about five miles from the fort."3 The name of this camp was given in honor of Lieutenant Spendelow, the discoverer of the new route around the foot of the mountain.

At Spendelow Camp a reduction of baggage was made, and the surplus sent back to the fort, together with twosix-pounders, four cohorns, and some powder and stores, which cleared about twenty wagons of their loads, "and near a hundred able horses were given to the public service. . . . All the king's wagons were also sent back to the fort, they being too heavy, and requiring large horses for the shafts, which could not be procured, and country wagons were fitted for powder in their stead."

On the 13th the column moved to Martin's plan- tation ; on the 15th it "passed the Aligany Moun- tain, which is a rocky ascent of more than two miles, in many places exceedingly steep ; its descent is very rugged and almost perpendicular; in passing which we entirely demolished three wagons and shattered several." That night the First Brigade camped about three miles west of Savage River. On the 16th the head of the column reached the Little Meadows, ten miles from Martin's plantation ; but the rear did not arrive there until the 18th, At this place they found Sir John Sinclair encamped with three hundred men, this being the farthest point he could reach in the five days specified in the orders.

At the Little Meadows the general adopted a new plan of campaign,-to move forward with a division composed of some of his best troops, with a few guns and but little baggage, leaving the remainder of his force behind to bring up the heavy stores and artillery.

This decision was taken largely through the advice of Washington, who, although not of rank to sit in the councils of war, possessed no small share of the gen- eral's confidence, by reason of the experience he had gained in the campaign of the preceding year. He gave it as his opinion that the movement of the army was too slow, on account of the cumbrous wagon- train, which on the march stretched out for a distance of more than three miles, thus not only retarding the progress of the forces, but affording an excellent op- portunity for lurking parties of the enemy to attack and destroy some lightly-defended part of it before help could arrive from the main body. He had from the first urged the use of pack-horses instead of wagons for the greater part of the transportation, and although his advice was ignored by the general, its wisdom now became apparent. Orme's Journal says that by the experience of the four days' march from Spendelow Camp to the Little Meadows, "it was found impos-

1 Youghingheny.

: Orme's Journal.

3 Orme's Journal.

BRADDOCK'S EXPEDITION IN 1755.

sible to proceed with such a number of carriages. The horses grew every day fainter, and many died; the men would not have been able to have undergone the constant and necessary fatigue by remaining so many hours under arms, and by the great extent of the baggage the line was extremely weakened. The general was therefore determined to move forward with a detachment of the best men, and as little en- cumbrance as possible."

The selected force destined to move in the advance consisted of between twelve and thirteen hundred men. " A detachment of one field-officer with four hundred men and the deputy quartermaster-general marched on the 18th to cut and make the road to the Little Crossing of the Yoxhio Geni, taking with them two six-pounders with their ammunition, three wagons of tools, and thirty-five days' provisions, all on carry- ing-horses, and on the 19th the general marched with a detachment of one colonel, one lieutenant-colonel, one major, the two eldest grenadier companies, and five hundred rank and file, the party of seamen, and eighteen light-horse, and four howitzers with fifty rounds each, and four twelve-pounders with eighty rounds cach, and one hundred rounds of ammunition for each man, and one wagon of Indian presents; the whole number of carriages being about thirty. The howitzers had each nine horses, the twelve-pounders seven, and the wagons six. There was also thirty- five days' provisions carried on horses." The troops left behind with Col. Dunbar numbered about nine hundred, including four artillery officers. Eighty- four wagons and all the ordnance stores and provis- ions not immediately needed by the advance column were also left in his charge.

The advanced force under Braddock reached the Little Crossings (Castleman's River) on the evening of the 19th, and camped on the west side of the stream. At this camp Col. Washington was taken seriously ill with a fever, and when the troops marched the next morning he was left behind with a guard and proper attendance' and comforts. As soon as able he was to come on with the rear division under Col. Dunbar; but it has been stated that he asked and

received from Gen. Braddock a promise that the fort should not be attacked until he had recovered and rejoined the assaulting column. It does not, however, scem reasonable to suppose that he would have wished to jeopardize the success of the expedition by asking such an indefinite delay, nor that Braddock would, under any circumstances, have bound himself by such a promise.

In four days from his departure from the Little Meadows, Gen. Braddock's column had made nine- teen miles, and arrived at the Great Crossings of the Youghioghieny. The troops crossed the river without bridging,2 and on the night of the 24th of June made their first camp within the present territory of Fay- ette County, n.ar a place known as the Twelve Springs, between Mount Augusta and Marlow's, south of the National road. Their march of that day was only a distance of about six miles, from the river to their night camp. During the day they passed an Indian camp, recently vacated, which gave indica- tions that it had been occupied by about one hundred and seventy persons. "They had stripped and painted some trees, upon which they and the French had written many threats and bravadoes, with all kinds of seurrilous language." The French had received early information of Braddock's coming, and parties of them with their Indian allies had advanced cast beyond the Laurel IIill to meet the English; not for the purpose of attacking them, but to hover along their front and flanks, to spy out their movements, murder stragglers, and to keep the commandant at Fort du Quesne informed, from day to day, of the progress of the English forces. From the time when the troops crossed the Youghiogheny hostile Indians were always near them along the route, and evidences of their presence multiplied with each succeeding day's march.

In fact, nearly all the savages west of the mountains were now ranged on the side of the French. A few only of the Indian allies of the English had remained true to them after the surrender of Fort Necessity, and among these were Scarooyada, the successor of the friendly Half-king,? and Monacatoocha, whose acquaintance he had made on his trip to Le Bœuf in the previous year. These two chiefs, with nearly one hundred and fifty Seneca and Delaware warriors, had joined the English on their march to the Youghio- gheny, and proposed to accompany them as scouts . and guides. They could without doubt have ren- dered great service in that capacity, and if the warn- ings of their forest experience had been listened to, might perhaps have saved Braddock's army from the disaster which overtook it. But the general despised and rejected their services, and treated them with so

1 In some accounts of this sickness of Washington, it has been stated flint Dr. James Crnik (who was with the expedition as a surgeon in the Virginia troops, and who was also the lifelong friend and physi- cinn of Washington) was left behind at the Little Crossings to attend him, but such dues not appear to have been the case. The Hon. James Findley, in a letter written to the editor of Niles' Register, dated Youngs- town, Pa., March 27, 1818, relates some conrisations which he hud with Washington in reference to Bruddluck's campaign, from which letter the following extracts are ninde : "On one occasion, in a mixed company, somle question being asked of me, then sitting next the President (Washi- ington), about the Big Meadows and Dunbar's Run, by Col. Sprigg, of Maryland, which I could not answer, the President, to whom I referred the question, in answering them described Dunbar's camp, to which the remains of Braddock's army retired after the defent. . . . Looking round seriously to me, he said, ' Braddock was both my general and my physician. I was attacked with n dangerous fever on the match, and he left a ser- geant [not n surgeon] to take care of me, und Jumes' ferer powders, with directions how to give them, and a wagon to bring me on when I would be able, which was only the day before the defeat.""

" An entry in Orme's Journal for this day is to this effect : "Thur 241h of Juno we marched nt five in the morning, and passed the second branch of the Yoxhio Geni, which is about one hundred yards widr, about three feet deep, with a very strong current.""

3 The Half-King, Tanacharison, had died in the preceding October, at Harris' Ferry (now Harrisburg), on the Susquehanna.

HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

much of slight and contempt that they finally retired in disgust and left him to his fate.

On the 25th of June, " at daybreak, three men who went without the sentinels were shot and scalped." Gen. Braddock was greatly ineensed at these mur- ders, and issued an order directing that "every sol- dier or Indian shall receive five pounds for cach Indian scalp." On this day the column moved from its first camp west of the Yonghiogheny to another about seven miles farther on, sometimes spoken of as the Old Orchard Camp, "near and northwest of Braddock's grave," mentioned in Orme's Journal as " two miles on the other side" of the Great Meadows,1 the general riding in anticipated triumph over the very spot which in twenty days was to be his last resting-place. On the following day the troops marched only four miles (the route being exceedingly rough and toilsome), and encamped for the night at the Great Rock, near Washington's Spring, the same place which had been the camp-ground of the Half- King when he and Washington marched to attack the camp of Jumonville. At this halting-place they found the marks of another French and Indian camp, so lately vacated that the fires were yet burning. The Indians who had occupied it, said Orme, "had marked in triumph upon trees the scalps they had taken two days before, and many of the French had written on them their names and sundry insolent expressions. We picked up a commission on the march, which mentioned the party being under the command of the Sieur Normanville. This Indian camp was in a strong situation, being upon a high rock, with a very nar- row and steep ascent to the top. It had a spring in the middle, and stood at the termination of the In- dian path to the Monongahela, at the confluence of Redstone Creck. By this pass the party came which attacked Mr. Washington last year, and also this which attended us. By their tracks they seemed to have divided here, the one party going straight for- ward to Fort du Quesne, and the other returning by Redstone Creek to the Monongahela. A captain, four subalterns, and ninety volunteers marched from the camp with proper guides to fall in the night upon that party which we imagined had returned by the Monongahela. They found a small quantity of pro- visions and a very large bateau, which they de- stroyed," but they saw nothing of the foe they were sent to capture.

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History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 8

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co. Number of Pages: 1314

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 1314