Braddock's Field
Encyclopedia
Braddock's Field is a historic battlefield on the banks of the Monongahela River
, at Braddock, Pennsylvania
, near the junction of Turtle Creek (Monongahela River), about nine miles southeast of the "Forks of the Ohio" in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
. Here, in 1755, was fought the Battle of the Monongahela
which ended the Braddock Expedition
.
, a local Seneca
leader, gave him several hundred acres of land. He was probably the first white settler west of the Allegheny Mountains
.
The place became known as "Braddock's Field" after French and Indian forces from Fort Duquesne
defeated British General Edward Braddock
there, on July 9, 1755, in the Battle of the Monongahela
. Braddock himself was mortally wounded, dying several days later. The bones of the soldiers killed in the battle were visible to passers-by for years after the battle.
Braddock's Field also was the site of a rally of rebellious militiamen and farmers during the Whiskey Rebellion
, prior to a massive march on the city of Pittsburgh on August 1, 1794.
The Edgar Thomson Steel Works
is located nearby and may cover the former site of John Fraser's cabin.
Braddock's Field was also the location of Camp Copeland, a rendezvous for men who had been drafted into the Union forces during the American Civil War
. At Camp Copeland the men would be trained and sent to their assigned regiments. Poor conditions and several deaths in March of 1864 invited inspections and changes to the Camp. The Camp name was briefly changed to Camp Reynolds, but the old name was adopted again. Camp Copeland closed on April 29, 1865.
Battlefield location: The town of Braddock, Pennsylvania and North Braddock now occupies the approximate site of the battlefield. The exact location is disputed by some historians, but a Pennsylvania
state historical marker, located at 549 Jones Avenue near a small recreation park, is generally considered the likely center of the battlefield. The sign reads, "July 9, 1755 Gen. Braddock's British forces en route to capture Fort Duquesne were ambushed and routed by French and Indians within present limits of Braddock and North Braddock, forcing retreat and failure of the expedition. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission." A small statue of George Washington
stands nearby. A bronze plaque on a senior citizens apartment building on Sixth Street marks the furthest west Braddock's advance guard got before falling back to "Braddock's Field." Braddock is located at 40°24′13"N 79°52′7"W (40.403619, -79.868700). According to a map in Crocker's book (references), Braddock crossed the Monongahela from the southwest at the south side of the steel mill just north of Turtle Creek, turned north along the base of the hill now occupied by the golf course, turned northwest roughly along Bell Avenue, and first encountered the French near where the railroad crosses Sixth Street. His forces were strung out for at least a half mile from Sixth Street toward the river crossing and the French and Indians attacked from both sides.
Monongahela River
The Monongahela River is a river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States...
, at Braddock, Pennsylvania
Braddock, Pennsylvania
Braddock is a borough located in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 10 miles upstream from the mouth of the Monongahela River. The population was 2,159 at the 2010 census...
, near the junction of Turtle Creek (Monongahela River), about nine miles southeast of the "Forks of the Ohio" in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. Here, in 1755, was fought the Battle of the Monongahela
Battle of the Monongahela
The Battle of the Monongahela, also known as the Battle of the Wilderness, took place on 9 July 1755, at the beginning of the French and Indian War, at Braddock's Field in what is now Braddock, Pennsylvania, east of Pittsburgh...
which ended the Braddock Expedition
Braddock expedition
The Braddock expedition, also called Braddock's campaign or, more commonly, Braddock's Defeat, was a failed British military expedition which attempted to capture the French Fort Duquesne in the summer of 1755 during the French and Indian War. It was defeated at the Battle of the Monongahela on...
.
History
Native Americans inhabited the region in the 18th century. In 1742, John Fraser, his wife and family, came from the Philadelphia area and settled in the area. Queen AlliquippaQueen Alliquippa
Queen Alliquippa was a leader of the Seneca tribe of American Indians during the early part of the 18th century.Little is known about Alliquippa's early life...
, a local Seneca
Seneca nation
The Seneca are a group of indigenous people native to North America. They were the nation located farthest to the west within the Six Nations or Iroquois League in New York before the American Revolution. While exact population figures are unknown, approximately 15,000 to 25,000 Seneca live in...
leader, gave him several hundred acres of land. He was probably the first white settler west of the Allegheny Mountains
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
.
The place became known as "Braddock's Field" after French and Indian forces from Fort Duquesne
Fort Duquesne
Fort Duquesne was a fort established by the French in 1754, at the junction of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in what is now downtown Pittsburgh in the state of Pennsylvania....
defeated British General Edward Braddock
Edward Braddock
General Edward Braddock was a British soldier and commander-in-chief for the 13 colonies during the actions at the start of the French and Indian War...
there, on July 9, 1755, in the Battle of the Monongahela
Battle of the Monongahela
The Battle of the Monongahela, also known as the Battle of the Wilderness, took place on 9 July 1755, at the beginning of the French and Indian War, at Braddock's Field in what is now Braddock, Pennsylvania, east of Pittsburgh...
. Braddock himself was mortally wounded, dying several days later. The bones of the soldiers killed in the battle were visible to passers-by for years after the battle.
Braddock's Field also was the site of a rally of rebellious militiamen and farmers during the Whiskey Rebellion
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion, or Whiskey Insurrection, was a tax protest in the United States in the 1790s, during the presidency of George Washington. Farmers who sold their corn in the form of whiskey had to pay a new tax which they strongly resented...
, prior to a massive march on the city of Pittsburgh on August 1, 1794.
The Edgar Thomson Steel Works
Edgar Thomson Steel Works
The Edgar Thomson Steel Works is a steel mill in North Braddock, Pennsylvania. It is active since 1872.-History :The mill occupies the historic site of Braddock's Field, on the banks of the Monongahela River east of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
is located nearby and may cover the former site of John Fraser's cabin.
Braddock's Field was also the location of Camp Copeland, a rendezvous for men who had been drafted into the Union forces during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. At Camp Copeland the men would be trained and sent to their assigned regiments. Poor conditions and several deaths in March of 1864 invited inspections and changes to the Camp. The Camp name was briefly changed to Camp Reynolds, but the old name was adopted again. Camp Copeland closed on April 29, 1865.
Battlefield location: The town of Braddock, Pennsylvania and North Braddock now occupies the approximate site of the battlefield. The exact location is disputed by some historians, but a Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
state historical marker, located at 549 Jones Avenue near a small recreation park, is generally considered the likely center of the battlefield. The sign reads, "July 9, 1755 Gen. Braddock's British forces en route to capture Fort Duquesne were ambushed and routed by French and Indians within present limits of Braddock and North Braddock, forcing retreat and failure of the expedition. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission." A small statue of George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
stands nearby. A bronze plaque on a senior citizens apartment building on Sixth Street marks the furthest west Braddock's advance guard got before falling back to "Braddock's Field." Braddock is located at 40°24′13"N 79°52′7"W (40.403619, -79.868700). According to a map in Crocker's book (references), Braddock crossed the Monongahela from the southwest at the south side of the steel mill just north of Turtle Creek, turned north along the base of the hill now occupied by the golf course, turned northwest roughly along Bell Avenue, and first encountered the French near where the railroad crosses Sixth Street. His forces were strung out for at least a half mile from Sixth Street toward the river crossing and the French and Indians attacked from both sides.