Crosby Eger the only Braddock Defeat Captured Soldier
See the two contemporary sources on this Virginia Regiment soldier, Crosby Eger, captured at Braddock's Defeat 9 July 1755.
He is the only captured soldier recorded to have survived. He gets released on a ship to Plymouth England but then gets captured again by a French privateer. For all his troubles and inability to earn a living he received 15 pounds from the House of Burgesses, 27 Feb 1759.
Also in the contemporary sources sited below is the observations of prisoner James Smith captured before Braddock's Defeat in May 1755.
Compiled by Jim Moyer 9/14/2024 but backdated to Feb 2023 when I covered the year of 1759.
Table of Contents
New York Mercury
11 August 1755
page 592 footnote 15 to page 131 on Crosby Eger - Setting All the Captives Free: Capture, Adjustment, and Recollection in Allegheny Country (Volume 71) (McGill-Queen's Indigenous and Northern Studies) Hardcover – October 24, 2013 by Ian K. Steele (Author)
"Staut (Stuart) taken earlier and escaping from Fort Duquesne a few days after the battle [Braddock's Defeat], saw no burning [at the stake], but learned that 'after the Engagement the Indians pursued our People to the Monongahela, scalped and plundered all that were left upon the Field, except for five or six, who not being able to keep pace with the Victors in their return to the Fort, were all treated in the same Manner, one Virginian only surviving it.
That one Virginian was Crosby Eger.
House of Burgesses session
Monday, the 26th of February. 32 Geo. II. 1759.
#92 (p. 66) - 1 matching term
...Ordered, That a Bill or Bills be brought in purfuant to the third, fixth, and feventh Refolutions, and it is referred to the Committee of Propofitions and Grievances to pre- pare and bring in the fame.
A Petition of Crosby Eger, setting forth. That he was taken Prisoner by the Enemy in General Braddock's Engagement, where he received several Wounds,
and was removed from Fort to Fort till he arrived at Quebec,
from whence, after a tedious Imprisonment
he was sent to Plymouth, and there remained two Months in the Hospital,
in an ill State of Health.
That on his Return from thence to Boston, he was again taken Prisoner by a French Privateer, and carried to Bordeaux, where he remained six Months,
and is but late returned to this country, being now entirely destitute, and rendered incapable of providing for himself and Family, and praying the Consideration of this House.
Tuesday, the 27th of February. 32 Geo. II. 1759.
#94 (p. 68)- 3 matching terms
...M'' Bland, from the Committee of Claims, reported, That the Committee had, accord- ing to Order, had under their Confideration the Petitions of William Shaw and Crofby Eger;, to them referred, and had come to a Refolution thereupon, which he read in his Place, and then delivered in at the Table, where the fame was again twice read, and agreed to by the Houfe, as follows:
Refolved,
That the Allegations of the said Petitions are true ; and that the said William Shaw ought to be allowed the Sum of £60, and the said Crosby Eger; the Sum of ; £15, as a Recompense for their Wounds received and Hardships suffered in the Service of the Colony.
Ordered,
That it be an Instruction to the said Committee to make Allowances to the said Shaw and Eger; in the Book of Claims, pursuant to the said Resolution.
A Petition of William Brajfit, fetting forth, That he was lately a Soldier in Captain Stewart's Company, in the Virginia Regiment, and being ordered out in purfuit of fomc Deferters, came up with them in the Night, and from them received a Wound which occafioned the Lofs of one of his Legs, after which he was difcharged from the faid Regi- ment as unfit for Service, and praying the Confideration of this Houfe, was prefented to the Houfe and read....
Prisoner James Smith sees Torture
About sundown, I beheld a small party coming in with about a dozen prisoners, stripped naked, with their hands tied behind their backs, and their faces, and part of their bodies blacked—thefe prifoners they burned to death on the bank of Alegheny River oppofite to the fort. I flood on the fort wall until I beheld them begin to burn one of thefe men, they had him tied to a flake and kept touching him with fire-brands, red-hot irons &c. and he fcreeming in a mod doleful manner,—the Indians in the mean time yelling like infernal fpirits.
As this fcene appeared too mocking for me to behold, I retired to my lodging both fore and forry.
When I came into my lodgings I faw RufTel's Seven Sermons, which they had brought from the field of battle, which a Frenchman made a prefent of to me.
From the beft information I could receive there were only feven Indians and four French killed in this battle, and five hundred Britifh lay dead in the field befides what were killed in the river on their retreat. The morning after the battle I faw Braddock's artilery brought into the fort, the fame day I alfo faw feveral Indians in Britifh-officers' drefs with fain, half-moon, laced hats &c. which the Britifh then wore.
Sources:
AN ACCOUNT OF THE REMARKABLE OCCURRENCES IN THE LIFE AND TRAVELS OF Col. JAMES SMITH, {Now a Citizen of Bourbon County, Kentucky,) DURING HIS CAPTIVITY WITH THE INDIANS, IN THE YEARS I755, '56, '57, '58, & '59,
Page 12-13
Page 13-14
Page 131
Setting All the Captives Free: Capture, Adjustment, and Recollection in Allegheny Country (Volume 71) (McGill-Queen's Indigenous and Northern Studies) Hardcover – October 24, 2013 by Ian K. Steele (Author)
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