Grant's Hill
This is Major James Grant's hill. No relation to Ulysess Grant. We are following the events of 1758 in this year of 2022. Colonel George Washington's men were on this expedition. They all spent the last few years in Winchester and old Frederick County. The Braddock Cannon sitting on Cork and Braddock in Winchester points to the target of this expedition. Colonel George Washington's Major Andrew Lewis was captured and taken to Quebec. He was exchanged a year later. His scout, Colby Chew was killed. Lt Thomas Bullitt got high praise for standing on a little Alamo to fight off overwhelming force.
Notice Fort Duquesne in the background?
And the high hills?
That's Grant's Hill before it was considerable reduced for development.
When Grant and his force could have retreated unscathed, Grant fought for some reason to claim success. So he put the lives of all of his men in danger. Of course he didn't think he was doing that. But had he obeyed Bouquet's very specific orders all his men would have lived. He sent Forbes' favorite engineer to a certain death to get a better look at Fort Duquesne, despite the hill having an excellent view of the fort. Grant never gets court martialed. He becomes the leader of a campaign destroying Cherokee towns a couple years later.
Major Grant is given permission to attack the outer cabins and outer encampments of the Indians and French outside of the walls of Fort Duquesne.
This is against Forbes' and Bouquet's better judgement.
This expedition was taking too long.
Inevitably the desire to finish takes over.
And so they picked a hill to die on.
This "Grant's Hill" was not the right hill to die on.
But on this hill they did.
And what of that hill?
It's gone.
There are many details to this story.
This website will include a map and pictures to tell the story of Grant's Hill in a compact way.
For now, that's it.
That's our lead story.
Compiled and authored by Jim Moyer 9/18/2022 10am, updated 234pm, 355pm
We recommend one of the best books on Forbe's Expedition:
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.
This is the first complete military study of the campaign directed by Brigadier General John Forbes in 1758 to drive the French out of the forks of the Ohio River. The author details the leadership, logistics, artillery, training and discipline that led to the campaign's success and discusses its role in American Colonial history.
See review of this book here:
Sources:
What is called the Battle of Fort Duquesne is about this Grant's Hill too:
Colby Chew and his Cherokee Conjurers and a scout report of Fort Duquesne:
Lt Bullitt is in command of Fort Loudoun Winchester VA and may have stopped a Cherokee rebellion at the fort:
Pictures
Maps
Maps
Grant Street evolution
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.
See review of this book here:
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