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Show EPISODES OF GEN. BLOCK'S DEFEAT Tre location of Braddock's memorable memor-able defeat on July 9, 1755, is still well marked, and no visit to Pittsburg Pitts-burg by the tourist is complete unless un-less he takes the time and trouble to go to the scene of the memorable battle, and the visit will well repay him. The gradual encroachment of the French settlers upon our western west-ern frontier excited the jealousy of England, which power, in order , to maintain her claims, sent General Braddock, with 12000 British soldiers and Colonial troops, to drive the French from her territories. Braddock arrived in Virgluia In April, 17.":,, and at once, in connection connec-tion with the Governors of the Colonies, Col-onies, determined to commence operations; opera-tions; and of the three expeditions then agreed upon, Braddock resolved to lead the one against Fort Du- A large proportion of the 12000 men were regulars and the remainder undisciplined un-disciplined provincial troops, yet the j latter were much better skilled In encountering the Indians, with whom the French were in alliance, than even the flower of the British sol- 1 dierj Passing up the west bank of the Monongahela to a point directly opposite op-posite the mouth of a small stream, now known as Turtle creek, Braddock Brad-dock determined to cross the river and pursue the balance of his march toward the fort on the Pittsburg j side. The landing of his forces was undisputed, and having disposed them In the finest military order, he was marching within a fifteen minutes' walk of the now memorable field, I little thinking that the termination of his course was to be stopped by a fatal bullet. The formation of the hank of the river at this point and extending for half a mile back, is very peculiar On the immediate margin of the river, there is a level flat, which extends! back about two hundred yards, where It gives way to a second bottom bot-tom of about a "quarter of a mile in width, but of much greater elevation; eleva-tion; and at the northern edge of this, a third eleation rears it s commanding com-manding heights, that constituted the main theater of this Important contest. con-test. Running across this second flat, about a quarter of a mile apart, are two deep ravines, leading from the upper margin down to the water's edge. These ravines, owing to the fa t that the ground -, w . re not subjected sub-jected to any agricultural process, from the time the battle was fought, until the middle 0f the past century,! are still preserved, in about the samej state of formation, as they were I described in an ancient record of i them made a hundred and fifty years! ago. Large forest trees and clumps) of underbrush eovcred tho plain between be-tween these two natural entrenchments entrench-ments which, together with the lat ter, afforded the most complete facilities facili-ties imaginable for an enemy to ambush. am-bush. It is not hard to imagine, while looking down this ravine, the gory panorama of that tragic scene in the spring ot 17."..".. It was growing late in the afternoon, when the van of the English reached tho western edge of the inclosure formed by the two ravines, ra-vines, when suddenly they found themselves the victims of a perfect hailstorm ot shot, aimed with a deadly dead-ly precision of an undiscovered foe, and which at once threw the regulars into the utmost confusion. It was at this time that Colonel Washington, the aide of Braddock, though but 23 years of age, saw the Importance of directing to his suuperior in command. com-mand. But the advice of Washington Washing-ton was unheeded and ruin was the result. The provincials, seeing the great disadvantage to which they were subjected l.y attempting openly to fight with a hidden foe, new behind the trunks of trees to employ a siml-I siml-I lar stratagem. ' But, Braddock, too proud to depart from the scientific tactics f w ar too brave to fly for his life at the peril of his honor -but, alas, too arrogant to profit by Mi. judicious advice of a subordinate omcer, rushed forward, 6word in hand, and branding his men with row.-irdlce, actually struck several of his own men for thus Intimating the meanness of an Ignominious foe. For some time the battle raged with rreat fury. Five hordes had been shot tiom under Braddock before he rec Ived his fatal wound; almost every British officer lay dead upon the field, and when the retreat was commenced, com-menced, Washington was the only 11 v. lng or unwouuded mounted person In the army. It is not justifiable to ask, In view of this, that the strong arm of the Almighty was that day, and ever af-ter, af-ter, the invincible shield of that man of war? Sixty-four officers and one-half one-half of the army were either killed or wounded That the procedure of Hraddock was, on this occasion, ra h and impolitic no one can doubt; yet it. Is equally certain that he made himself the voluntary martyr to a courage which but few men possess. When the Pennsylvania railroad was being built through that section, passing pass-ing midwav between the main battle ground and the river, a sword was exhumed, and oven to this day, an occasional grape and musket shot is picked up. |
