Braddock's Crossing

After crossing the Monongahela River, Braddock and his men moved toward Fort Duquesne. Little did they know, Indian scouts watched their every move. An ambush was pending.

A group called an advance guard was sent to scout the land. They encountered a French and Indian group that had come out of the fort to engage the British. Captain Daniel Lienard de Beaujeu, commander of the French force, was killed with the first exchange of fire. The Indians, however, took advantage of their familiarity with the surrounding forest, hid amongst the trees, and fired on the British, killing 15 of the 18 officers in the advance guard.

Braddock's rear guard heard the fire and rushed forward at the same time the panicked advanced guard fell back. Both regiments collided, jumbling the formations. The results were catastrophic. The British were disoriented and trying to fire at the enemy, the Indians hiding amongst the trees, but they were firing on their own men instead. In the meantime, those British troops on horseback were sitting ducks, perched high above the rest of their men and an easy target for the camouflaged natives.

The battle raged for three hours with Braddock trying in vain to restore order. He ceased only after being wounded in the side, and the British troops retreated back across the Monongahela. Between 1,00 and 1,500 British were killed or wounded in the skirmish. George Washington had two horses shot dead from under him, but he was one of the few officers who managed to survive.

It took two days for more troops from Dunbar's Camp (in present-day Fayette County) to reach the support column. Not long after their arrival, the wounded Braddock died on July 13.

The Braddock's Crossing marker was dedicated on Monday, August 24, 1964. It reads: "Below this hill, about midday on July 9, 1755, a British army of 1300 made its second crossing of the river and advanced to drive the French from Fort Duquesne. A few hours later with general Braddock mortally wounded and his army routed, survivors recrossed, pursued by the French and Indians."

A trip through Kennywood Park will reveal even more stops along the French and Indian War Tour that are not included in this tour itself. A marker inside the park down the midway, near the site of the old Log Jammer and new Steelers theme area also describes the events of this battle, as some of it took place on the land of the park itself. A statue of George Washington, closer to the front of the park near the Kangaroo and Johnny Rockets, also bears a plaque or two discussing the historical significance of the land on which the park is built. Previously, when the Old Kennywood Railroad still existed, park patrons could take a ride on the train, and gaze down into the forest along the Monongahela River to see the banks where the British crossed years ago. You can't get as close to the action now as in previous years, but some of the forest and river are visible from the picnic groves near Kiddie Land.