On July 9, 1755, British regulars attacked. American colonial troops attacked too. They were under General Edward Braddock. He was commander in chief. He led the British Army in North America. French and Native American forces attacked them. This was shortly after crossing the Monongahela River. They were going to besiege Fort Duquesne. It was in the Ohio Valley. It was near present-day Pittsburgh. The long line of red-coated troops struggled. They could not maintain cohesion. They could not maintain discipline. Indian warriors quickly outflanked them. The warriors used the dense cover of the woods. They did so with masterful and lethal effect. Within hours, a powerful British army was routed. Its commander was mortally wounded. Two-thirds of its forces were casualties. It was one the worst disasters in military history.
David Preston’s account is gripping. It is an immersive account of Braddock’s Defeat. It is also known as the Battle of the Monongahela. It is the most authoritative ever written. Preston uses untapped sources. He uses untapped collections. He offers a reinterpretation. It’s of Braddock’s Expedition in 1754 and 1755. This reinterpretation does full justice to its remarkable achievements. Braddock had rapidly advanced his army. He brought it to the cusp of victory. He overcame uncooperative colonial governments. He overcame seemingly insurmountable logistical challenges. He managed to carve a road. It went through the formidable Appalachian Mountains. That road would play a major role. It would affect America’s expansion westward. This would happen in the years ahead. It would stand as one of the expedition’s most significant legacies.
The causes of Braddock’s Defeat are debated today. Preston’s work challenges the stale portrait. The portrait shows an arrogant European officer. He refused to adapt to New World conditions. It is the first work to fully show how the French and Indian coalition achieved victory. They did so through effective diplomacy. They did so through tactics. They did so through leadership. New documents reveal facts. The French Canadian commander planned the attack. He was a seasoned veteran. His name was Captain Beaujeu. He planned the attack on the British column with great skill. The documents also show something else. His Native allies were more disciplined. They were more disciplined than the British regulars.
Braddock’s Defeat establishes a fact. It was profoundly pivotal. This is true for Indian peoples. It is true for French Canadian peoples. It is true for British peoples. This was in the eighteenth century. The disaster altered the balance of power. This happened in America. It escalated the fighting becoming a global conflict. It is known as the Seven Years’ War. Those who were there never forgot. These people included George Washington. They also included Thomas Gage, Horatio Gates, Charles Lee, Daniel Morgan. These lessons wer brought to bear. They fought again two decades later. They were enemies or allies. The campaign had awakened many British Americans. They realized their provincial status. This was in the empire. It spawned ideas. These were ideas of American identity. It anticipated divisions. These divisions would erupt. They would lead to the American Revolution.
Read more about Braddock’s Defeat on Wikipedia!