George Mercer's Report on Thomas Bullitt Sept 1759
George Mercer writes a letter on 16 Sept 1759 to a retired Colonel George Washington. It contains a lot of details. The focus here is on one of those details. Particularly, the focus here, is on a court of enquiry on Thomas Bullitt's behavior during a battle sometime before 23 May of 1759.
He was accused of cowardice. His argument was one of tactics and defense. This battle, by the way, was crazy horrific: it featured a "most violent Tornado of Rain Thunder & Lightning."
Bullitt's Court Trial
Thomas Bullitt's behavior was called into question during a battle 3 or 4 miles west of Fort Ligonier (formerly known as Loyalhanna before 1 Dec 1758).
George Mercer's opinion is expressed in the letter of 16 Sept 1759:
Bullitt is immediately to appear before 12 & a President—
as tis generally supposed poor Tom [Bullitt] was intimidated (to use his own Word) when his Party was attacked—
God knows whether he was or not but he made his Escape—with a Guard for his sacred Person, in a most precipitate Manner, consisting of about 60 of his Men—
The Remainder were almost cut to Pieces—
there were only 60 of the Enemy,
and Bullitts Command consisted of 100 Rank & File—
but he took Care of 60 of Them—21 or 22 of the remaining 40 were killed, & tho. they were so hotly engaged, Bullitt never returned to the Charge—notwithstanding the most earnest Entreaties of his Men—
Thus the Story is told by the two Officers whom Bullitt left in the Scrape—I hope it will turn out better, but I always supposed Bullitt more capable of being commanded, than commanding—I have thought him brave—but this Tale tells badly.8
More detail is added by Founders Online footnote 8 to was George Mercer wrote above.
Robert Stewart speaks of that case too
Stewart writes 28 Sept 1759 from the "camp at Pittsburgh" :
I’m sorry that the Noble Profession of Arms, so much revered in all Ages, is become the Subject of Redicule to the most ignorant & foolish Tattlers & news mongers amongst the Mob;
tho’ it’s no small alleviation of the intended Injury, that these vain Speculative Arbiters of Military actions, can neither add to, nor diminish from, their intrinsick value; which will always be ascrib’d to them by the knowing & Judicious part of Mankind, and from them receive the grateful acknowledgements & just Tribute due to genuine Merit.
I flattr’d myself that our distance from the Inhabitants, would have prevented, Bullet’s Affair from being exhibited amongst them in that Light in which it’s generally beheld in this Army, where it’s talk’d off in such a manner that some of our Officers have refus’d to Rank with him;
A Court of Enquiry is soon to sit on it,
which most imagine will only be a Prelude to a General Court Martial; I wish to God for his sake & that of the Corps it may turn out very differently from what many think it will.2
Exhonerated
Bullitt was eventually exhonerated of all charges of incompetence or of cowardice.
Founders Online - end of footnote 8:
". . . on 30 Nov. 1759 Col. William Byrd published in Hunter’s Virginia Gazette (Williamsburg) a letter dated 26 Oct. 1759 and sent from Pittsburgh in which he stated that Gen. John Stanwix at Byrd’s request convened a court of inquiry to investigate Captain Bullitt’s conduct. The court decided unanimously “that Captain Bullet behaved like a good Officer, and did every Thing in his Power to repulse the Enemy, and save the Convoy.”
Both Mercer and Stewart weren't so sure about Bullitt.
Thomas Bullitt often allied with Adam Stephen against George Mercer, Robert Stewart and George Washington on the Promised Land of Dinwiddie's Proclamation of 1754.
More
We tell more about this crazy battle that featured violent tornado and lightning in the link below.
Also in that link is a lot more detail about Thomas Bullitt, a man that could compete with Daniel Boone if he only had Walt Disney behind him.
Battle and Bio of Thomas Bullitt
Prevented a Riot in March 1758
Thomas Bullitt was commander of Fort Loudoun Winchester VA where he prevented a Cherokee riot.
Compiled by Jim Moyer, updated 9/13/23, 9/17/2023
The Renaming
A quote from Cubbison's book on the Forbes Expedition:
On December 1 [1758],
Forbes issued those orders that remain today as his most enduring legacy in North America. Specifically, he named the posts upon which he had expended so much labor and effort:
"General Forbes is please to name the different Posts as follows & all Officers serving in the Army are desired to give them their several appelations either in Writing or otherwise;
Late Fort Duquesne = Pittsburgh
Loyal Hannon = Fort Ligonier
Ray's Town = Fort Bedford "
Source:
Page 179, The British Defeat of the French in Pennsylvania, 1758: A Military History of the Forbes Campaign Against Fort Duquesne: by Douglas R. Cubbison. More on this author here. And a review here.
The letters by all the top officers --
all refer to Reastown (Raystown) and to Loyalhanna -- not Fort Bedford, not Fort Ligonier until after the French abandoned Fort Duquesne
More detail on why those name changes
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