Braddock Expedition

thumb|Map of [[Braddock Road (Braddock expedition)|Braddock's Military Road]]

The Braddock Expedition, also known as Braddock's Campaign or Braddock's Defeat, was a British military expedition which attempted to capture Fort Duquesne from the French in 1755 during the French and Indian War. The expedition, named after its commander General Edward Braddock, was defeated at the Battle of the Monongahela on July 9 and forced to retreat; Braddock was killed in action along with more than 500 of his troops. It ultimately proved to be a major setback for the British in the early stages of the war; the historian John Mack Faragher claimed the expedition was one of the most disastrous defeats suffered by British forces during the 18th century.

Background

Braddock's expedition was part of a massive British offensive against the French in North America that summer. As commander-in-chief of the British Army in America, General Edward Braddock led the main thrust against the Ohio Country with a column some 2,100 strong. His command consisted of two regular line regiments, the 44th and 48th, in all 1,400 regular soldiers and 700 provincial troops from several of the Thirteen Colonies, and artillery and other support troops. With these men, Braddock expected to seize Fort Duquesne easily, and then push on to capture a series of French forts, eventually reaching Fort Niagara. George Washington, promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel of the Virginia Regiment on June 4, 1754, by Governor Robert Dinwiddie, was then just 23, knew the territory and served as a volunteer aide-de-camp to General Braddock. Braddock's Chief of Scouts was Lieutenant John Fraser of the Virginia Regiment. Fraser owned land at Turtle Creek, had been at Fort Necessity, and had served as Second-in-Command at Fort Prince George (replaced by Fort Duquesne by the French), at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers.

Braddock mostly failed in his attempts to recruit Native American allies from those tribes not yet allied with the French; he had but eight Mingo Indians with him led by George Croghan, serving as scouts. A number of Native Americans in the area, notably Delaware leader Shingas, remained neutral. Caught between two powerful European empires at war, the local Native Americans could not afford to be on the side of the loser. They would decide based on Braddock's success or failure.

Expedition strength

According to returns given June 8, 1755, at the encampment at Will's Creek.

;His Majesty's Troops

{| class="wikitable"

! align="left" width="400" | Regiment

! align="left" width="55" | Officers present

! align="left" width="55" | Staff present

! align="left" width="55"| Sergeants present

! align="left" width="55"| Drummers and effectives present

! align="left" width="55"| Wanting to complete the establishment

| 44th Foot || 33 ||5 || 30|| 790 || 280

|48th Foot || 34|| 5|| 30|| 704|| 366

|Capt. John Rutherford's Independent Company, New York || 4 || 1 || 3 || 93 || –

|Capt. Horatio Gates's Independent Company, New York || 4 || 1 || 3 || 93 || –

|Detachment from South Carolina, commanded by Capt. Paul Demeré || 4 || 0 || 4 || 102 || –

|Source:

;Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina Troops

{| class="wikitable"

! align="left" width="400" | Troop or Company

! align="left" width="55" | Officers present

! align="left" width="55" | Staff present

! align="left" width="55"| Sergeants present

! align="left" width="55"| Drummers and effectives present

! align="left" width="55"| Wanting to complete the establishment

|Capt. Robert Stewart's Virginia Light Horse || 3 ||0|| 2|| 33|| –

|Capt. George Mercer's Virginia Artificers || 3 ||0|| 3|| 42|| 11

|Capt. William Polson's Virginia Artificers || 3 ||0|| 3|| 50|| 3

|Capt. Adam Stevens's Virginia Rangers || 3 ||3|| 3|| 53|| –

|Capt. Peter Hogg's Virginia Rangers || 3 ||0|| 3|| 42|| 11

|Capt. Thomas Waggoner's Virginia Rangers || 3 ||0|| 3|| 53|| –

|Capt. Thomas Cocke's Virginia Rangers || 3 ||0|| 3|| 47|| 6

|Capt. William Perronée's Virginia Rangers || 3 ||0|| 3|| 52|| 1

|Capt. John Dagworthy's Maryland Rangers || 3 ||0|| 3|| 53|| –

|Capt. Edward Brice Dobb's North Carolina Company || 3 ||0|| 3|| 72|| 28

|Source:

Aftermath

thumb|264px|left|The mortally wounded Braddock retreating with his troops.

By sunset, the surviving British forces were retreating back down the road they had built. Braddock died of his wounds during the long retreat, on July 13, and is buried within the Fort Necessity parklands. Of the approximately 1,300 men Braddock had led into battle, 456 were killed and 422 wounded. Commissioned officers were prime targets and suffered greatly: out of 86 officers, 26 were killed and 37 wounded. Of the 50 or so women that accompanied the British column as maids and cooks, only 4 survived. The French and Canadians reported 8 killed and 4 wounded; their Native American allies lost 15 killed and 12 wounded.

Colonel Dunbar, with the reserves and rear supply units, took command when the survivors reached his position. He ordered that excess supplies and cannons should be destroyed before withdrawing, burning about 150 wagons on the spot. Ironically, at this point the defeated, demoralized and disorganised British forces still outnumbered their opponents. The French and Native Americans did not pursue; they were far too busy looting dead bodies and collecting scalps. The French commander, Dumas, realized Braddock's army was utterly defeated. Yet, to avoid upsetting his men, he did not attempt any further pursuit.

References

External links

Braddock Road Preservation Association
The French Army 1600–1900