University of Virginia Library

NOTE A.—Braddock's Route.

The following is an extract of a letter from the distinguished historian,
Jared Sparks, in reference to the march of Genl. Braddock to the west, in
1755. It bears date, Salem, Mass., Feb. 18, 1847. * * *

Having therefore examined with care the details of Braddock's expedition,
I am persuaded that the following, as far as it goes, is a correct account
of his march from Gist's plantation.

On the 30th of June the army forded the Youghiogheny, at Stewart's
crossings, and then passed a rough road over a mountain. A few miles
onward they came to a great swamp, which detained them part of a day in
clearing a road. They next advanced to Salt Lick creek, now called Jacob's
creek, where a council of war was held, on the 3d of July, to consider a
suggestion of Sir John St. Clair, that Col. Dunbar's detachment should be
ordered to join the main body. This proposal was rejected, on the ground
that Dunbar could not join them in less than thirteen days; that this would
cause such a consumption of provisions as to render it necessary to bring
forward another convoy from Fort Cumberland; and that in the mean time
the French might be strengthened by a reinforcement which was daily
expected at Fort Du Quesne—and moreover, the two divisions could not
move together after their junction.

On the 4th the army again marched, and advanced to Turtle creek, about
twelve miles from its mouth, where they arrived on the 7th inst. I suppose
this to have been the eastern branch, or what is now called Brush creek,
and that the place at which they encamped was a short distance northerly
from the present village of Stewartsville. It was Gen. Braddock's intention
to cross Turtle creek, and approach Fort Du Quesne on the other side; but
the banks were so precipitous, and presented such obstacles to crossing with
his artillery and heavy baggage, that he hesitated, and Sir John St. Clair
went out with a party to reconnoitre. On his return before night, he reported
that he had found the ridge which led to Fort Du Quesne, but that
considerable work would be necessary to prepare a road for crossing Turtle
creek. This route was finally abandoned, and on the 8th the army marched
eight miles, and encamped not far from the Monongahela, west of the
Youghiogheny, and near what is called in an old map, "Sugar Run." When
Braddock reached this place, it was his design to pass through the narrows,
but he was informed by the guides, who had been sent out to explore, that
the passage was very difficult, about two miles in length, with a river on the

left, and a high mountain on the right, and that much work must be done
to make it passable for carriages. At the same time he was told that there
were two good fords across the Monongahela, where the water was shallow, and
the banks not steep. With these views of the case, he determined to cross
the fords the next morning. The order of march was given out, and all the
arrangements were made for an early movement.

About eight o'clock, on the morning of the 9th, the advanced division
under Colonel Gage, crossed the ford and pushed forward. After the whole
army had crossed and marched about a mile, Braddock received a note from
Col. Gage, giving notice that he had passed the second ford without difficulty.
A little before two o'clock, the whole army had crossed this ford, and was
arranged in the order of march, on the plain near Frazier's house. Gage
with the advanced party was then ordered to march, and while the main
body was yet standing on the plain, the action began near the river. Not
a single man of the enemy had before been seen.

The distance, by the line of march, from Stewart's crossing to Turtle
creek, or Brush creek, was about thirty miles. At this point the route
was changed almost to a right angle in marching to the Monongahela. The
encampment was probably two or three miles from the bank of the river,
for Col. Gage marched at the break of day, and did not cross the ford till
eight o'clock. During the whole march from the Great Meadows, the pickets
and sentinels were frequently assailed by scouting parties of French and
Indians, and several men were killed. Mr. Gist acted as the general's guide.

On the 4th of July two Indians went out to reconnoitre the country
towards Fort Du Quesne; and Mr. Gist also, on the same day, in a different
direction. They were gone two days, and all came in sight of the fort, but
brought back no important intelligence. The Indians contrived to kill and
scalp a French officer, whom they found shooting within half a mile of the
fort.

The army seldom marched more than six miles a day, and commonly not
so much. From Stewart's crossing to Turtle creek, there were six encampments.
During one day the army halted. * * *

In addition to the foregoing, we will give a few extracts from the account
of Mr. Atkinson, the engineer who surveyed the route. Mr. A. deserves
much credit for the zeal he has manifested in this matter, and the faithful
manner he has traced the route trodden by the unfortunate army.

On the 8th of of June, Braddock left Fort Cumberland. Scaroodaya, successor
to the Half-King of the Senecas, and Monacateotha, whose acquaintance
Washington had made on the Ohio, on his mission to Le Bœuf, with
about 150 Indians, Senecas and Delawares, accompanied him. George
Croghan, the Indian agent of Pennsylvania, and a friendly Indian of great
value, called Susquehanna Jack, were also with him.

The first brigade under Sir Peter Halket, led the way, and on the 9th,

the main body followed. They spent the third night only five miles from the
first. The place of encampment is marked by a copious spring bearing
Braddock's name.

The route continued up Braddock's run to the forks of the stream, where
Clary's tavern now stands, nine miles from Cumberland, when it turned to the
left, in order to reach a point on the ridge favorable to an easy descent into
the valley of George's creek. It is surprising that having reached this high
ground, the favorable spur by which the National road accomplishes the
ascent of the Great Savage mountain, did not strike the attention of the engineers,
as the labor necessary to surmount the barrier from the deep valley
of George's creek, must have contributed greatly to those bitter complaints
which Braddock made against the Colonial governments for their failure to
assist him more effectively in the transportation department.

Passing a mile to the south of Frostburg, the road approaches the east
foot of Savage mountain, which it crosses about one mile south of the National
road, and thence by very favorable ground, through the dense forests
of white pine peculiar to this region, it got to the north of the National
road, near the gloomy tract called the Shades of Death. This was the 15th
of June, when the gloom of the summer woods, and the favorable shelter
which these enormous pines would give an Indian enemy, must have made a
most sensible impression on the minds of all, of the insecurity of their mode
of advance.

This, doubtless, had its share in causing the council of war held at the
Little Meadows[31] the next day. To this place, distant only about twenty
miles from Cumberland, Sir John St. Clair and Major Chapman had been
dispatched on the 27th of May to build a fort.

The conclusion of the council was to push on with a picked force of 1200
men, and 12 pieces of canon, and the line of march, now more compact, was
resumed on the 19th. Passing over ground to the south of the Little Crossings,
and of the village of Grantsville, which it skirted, the army spent the
night of the 21st at the Bear Camp, a locality I have not been able to identify,
but suppose it to be about midway to the Great crossings, which it
reached on the 23d. The route thence to the Great Meadows or Fort Necessity,
was well chosen, though over a mountainous tract, conforming very
nearly to the ground now occupied by the National road, and keeping on
the dividing ridge between the waters flowing into the Youghiogheny on the
one hand, and the Cheat river on the other. Having crossed the Youghiogheny,
we are now on the classic ground of Washington's early career,
where the skirmish with Jumonville, and Fort Necessity, indicate the country
laid open for them in the previous year. About one mile west of the
Great Meadows, and near the spot now marked as Braddock's grave, the

road struck off more to the north-west, in order to reach a pass through
Laurel Hill, that would enable them to strike the Youghiogheny, at a point
afterwards known as Stewart's crossings, and about half a mile below the
present town of Connolsville. This part of the route is marked by the farm
known as Mount Braddock. This second crossing of the Youghiogheny was
effected on the 30th of June. The high grounds intervening between the
river and Jacob's creek, though trivial in comparison with what they had
already passed, it may be supposed, presented serious obstacles to the
troops, worn out with previous exertions. From the crossing of Jacob's
creek, which was at the point where Welchhanse's mill now stands, about a
mile and a half below Mount Pleasant, the route stretched off to the north,
crossing the Mount Pleasant turnpike near the village of that name, and
thence, by a more westerly course, passing the great Sewickley near Painter's
Salt Works, thence south and west of the post office of Madison and Jacksonville,
it reached the brush fork of Turtle creek.

The approach to the river was now down the valley of Crooked run, to
its mouth, where the point of fording is still manifest, from a deep notch in
the west bank, though rendered somewhat obscure by the improved navigagation
of the river. The advance, under Col. Gage, crossed about eight o'clock,
and continued by the foot of the hill bordering the river bottom to the second
fording, which he had effected nearly as soon as the rear had got through
the first.

The second and last fording, near the mouth of Turtle creek, was in full
view of the enemy's position, and about one mile distant. By one o'clock the
whole army had gained the right bank, and was drawn up on the bottom
land, near Frazier's house, and about three-fourths of a mile from the
ambuscade.