The Postmortem on Forbes
In this year of 2022 we are coming to a close, reviewing 1758 and in particular the Forbes Expedition. Winchester VA is watching. That terrorist base of operations, an "al Qaeda," was Fort Duquesne. It had been sending war parties of terror through this whole area often threatening settlements all around Winchester. They had already lost even then. Nothing was going to stop the remorseless westward expansion. But Fort Duquesne was going to be stopped. That base, that Fort Duquesne, had to be "reduced."
And so it was finally done.
So now we ask:
Does anyone give much credit to the Forbes Expediton?
That's what Cubbison wonders, in his research on the Forbes Expedition.
Cubbison writes:
"Numerous historians
have suggested that the various Indian Negotiations culminating in the Treaty of Easton directly resulted in the seizure of Fort Duquesne by Forbes and his army."
"Dr Fred Anderson
titled the chapter on the Forbes Campaign in his study of the Seven Years War,
"Indian Diplomacy and the Fall of Fort Duquesne."
Forbes' advance
upon the Forks of the Ohio
occupies
a mere two pages
in Anderson's study,
while he devotes nearly
twenty pages to Indian diplomacy.
He concludes,
"The French emissary . . . sent word back warning Lignery not to expect help from [Delaware] allies.
When the unwelcome news arrived at the Forks, the commandant took the only option left to him and ordered the fort evacuated and destroyed.
Forbes''s presence with his army a mere ten miles from the fort had no effect upon Lignery's decision, according to Anderson."
End quote.
"Francis Jennings
similarly stated:
"The remainder of [Lignery's] Indians abandoned him to attend the great peace council at Kuskuski, where a French captain labored in vain to disrupt the proceedings. On the 24th of November, Lignery burned and blew up the fort . . ."
Jennings devotes an entire chapter,
nearly forty pages,
to Indian diplomacy,
and a mere four pages
to the remainder of the Forbes's campaign. "
Page 192 of
The British Defeat of the French in Pennsylvania, 1758: A Military History of the Forbes Campaign Against Fort Duquesne: by Douglas R. Cubbison.
French Commander der Pouchot
would go so far as to state, "The loss of Fort Frontenac . . . caused the lost of For duQuesne."
Page 188 of
The British Defeat of the French in Pennsylvania, 1758: A Military History of the Forbes Campaign Against Fort Duquesne: by Douglas R. Cubbison.
Cubbison's book on the Forbes Expedition tells of the immense logistics Forbes directed.
The mountain of logistics Forbes choreographed is so impressive.
Especially since such a herculean effort was piloted by a dying man.
He literally thought of everything.
Creating the Army was a task. Of all the generals assigned a campaign in 1758, he was the only one who had no army when he arrived in Philadelphia. Planning the setting up of camps and forts a day apart, each with supplies, each a place of refuge if needing to retreat, to avoid Braddock's error of going long with no nearby refuge planned. This plan very much followed the classic seige pattern slowly buidling trenches closer and closer to the enemy fort. Forbes was the force behind pushing the Easton Peace Treaty with the Indians. Constant attention to the supply chain. Constant attention. Constant attention given to the Indian allies. Keeping open minded about which road to take. This in itself made the enemy think Fort Cumberland was the base and start of the expedition. Reviewing why Burd's scouts didn't spot the French and Indian threat ahead of time on Loyalhanna in October which led to Forbes redesigning the perimeter system of scouts that caught the enemy nearby in November. Forbes was even willing to stop the campaign, knowing full well if he does, that will not live to see the goal attained. Contrast that sacrifice and restraint with James Grant. Having come that close to Fort Duquesne, Grant had many chances to leave, but felt he had to come away with some accomplishment before retreating.
Cubbison's book is one of the few that goes into all the detail of this army, ignored by most other historians.
Although Forbes would have agreed all those others influences helped, none of it would have mattered without his army.
None of it.
His army.
His Little Army as he called it.
That in itself was a miracle in creation, a miracle in keeping it supported, fed, transported, clothed, sheltered and supplied with the tools needed to cut a path through mud, mountain, ford, forest.
How different from any other General?
His planning was better in all ways.
And reading that book by Cubbison, you will see why.
All commanded, examined, supervised by a dying man.
Founders Online footnote 6 to a letter Colonel George Washington wrote to General Forbes 1 Jan 1759: Forbes reached Philadelphia on 17 Jan., and on 11 Mar. 1759 Bouquet wrote General Amherst: “It is with the utmost grief I am to inform your Excellency that Br Genl Forbes died this morning. Tho’ in the cruel situation he was reduced, his death only could put an End to his miseries” (Kent, ibid., 3:186–88).
That's it.
That's our lead story.
There's always more.
Skip around.
Read bits and pieces.
Compiled and authored by Jim Moyer 11/17/2022, 11/20/2022, updated 12/3/2022, 12/4/2022, 1/2/2023
Table of Contents
The last attempt by the French
George Washington's 1754 map
Map based on Christopher Gist's surveys of 1751
12 miles of no road to Fort Duquesne
Lindenmuth's report
Bouquet's report
Obituary
Forbes interrment in the tallest bldg in the colonies
A Parade
Never made, never worn by the officers for which it was meant
but the Boy Scouts made one
So when did the French leave?
The French and their Indians
did not
leave after
Fort Frontenac had fallen August 27, 1758 to Bradstreet.
Nor did the French and their Indians
leave after the
It sure had effect on their morale, loss of allies and on their supply chain.
But what really hit hard?
Cubbison reports that most of the Great Lakes Indians departed after Grants Defeat 14 September 1758. And why not? They got what they wanted. They got their scalps, their hostages, their plunder, their moment of the warrior. This was their reason for helping. Now they can be free to help on the Fall hunt. To feed their people. To provide deerskins to pay off their debt to the Traders. Same reasons Forbes' allied Indians left too. But he didn't have any local Indian allies who could remain. The French did.
Fred Anderson, in Crucible of War, page 281, reports the same:
"Ironlcally, his [ 55 year old Francois-Marie Le Marchand de Lignery] greatest victory, the defeat of Grant's reconnaissance party on Sept 14, had resulted in the departure of so many Ottawa, Wyandot and other warriors from the pays d'en haut that soon thereafter he found himself with few Indians beside the local Delawares, Shawnees and Mingos left to rely upon."
And yet, a sizeable number of Indians were left remaining.
Mainly because they were local to the area.
Enough remained to attack and harrass and steal 200 horses from the Forbes force 12 October at Loyalhanna [not yet dubbed Fort Ligonier until 1 Dec 1758].
And they were going to attack
on 12 November or later,
but the Virginians got the jump on them
[only because Forbes designed
the perimeter system of scouts]
which ended in a capture
of a prisoner who
exposed how vulnerable the French were,
despite that night ending in a disastrous Friendly Fire incident between the two Virginia Regiments.
But the French were not going to give up yet.
Kuskusky
The Last Attempt by the French
Lignery, the French commander, sent war beads to the Indians at Kuskusky. That was 20 November 1758. Fred Anderson reports the Indians kicked it around unceremoniously, quoting Christian Frederick Post, like it was a poisonous snake:
"Give it [back] to the French captain," they told Lignery's messenger, "and let him go with his young men; he boasted much of his fighting; now let us see his fighting. We have often ventured our lives for him; and hardly a loaf of bread [in return] . . . ; and now he thinks we should jump to serve him."
The French emissary, "pales as death," endured their ridicule until midnight, then sent word back warning Lignery not to expect help from his erstwhile allies.
Source:
-- Fred anderson, Crucible of War,
pages 282-283, citing 20 Nov 1758. "Second Journal of Christian Frederick Post." page 29.
Where is Kuskusky?
It is actually a number of Indian villages, more often referred to as the Kuskuskies.
George Washington spelled it with a C, as in Cuscusca Town, on his 1754 map. Touch or click to enlarge.
Fred Anderson, in Crucible of War, on page 270, writes:
" . . . town of Kuskuski on upper Beaver Creak, a tributary of the Ohio that joins the river about 25 miles below the Forks."
The word "below"
doesn't mean south,
because the Ohio
does go northward
before it curves around
to go south.
Compare the two maps.
On the map below,
based on Christopher Gist's 1751 surveys,
you can see Kuskusky,
spelled here Kuskuskies.
As you can see someone else added Fort Duquesne
when the French took the point.
Kuskusky is spelled many ways.
Towards the top left you will see Kuskuskies. Touch map for link and more detail.
Now it's 21 Nov 1758.
But . . .
The French didn't leave until the Forbes army kept advancing.
Turtle Creek
12 Miles of No Road to Fort Duquesne
The Forbes forward forces were now 12 miles away from Fort Duquesne, at the head source of Turtle Creek, 21 Nov 1758.
That advance was too close.
Lignery was not going to wait around.
Cubbison thinks Lignery could have still made some harrassment or some stand.
Cubbison thinks Lignery should not have split his forces on a retreat to two different locations.
Not too many agree.
This this forward advance ended up at the headwaters of Turtle Creek,
very near where Swallow was killed and his son wounded in 1757.
This is also near Bushy Run of the famous battle in 1763.
Further away, between Loyalhanna (Fort Ligonier) and Raystown (Fort Bedford),
is where one of the jet airliners was force-crashed on 9-11-2001.
And of course, Braddock's Defeat, 9 July 1755, near where the Turtle Creek empties into the Monongahela.
This area is kind of a Bermuda Triangle.
Once Forbes' army was within 12 miles, the French commander decided to cut loose, burn the fort, take what supplies they could and destroy the rest.
That was the 21 Nov 1758, the same day Lignery learned the Delawares at Kuskuskies were not going to do one more fight.
The French left late afternoon near dusk on 24 Nov 1758,
leaving as little usable shelter and supplies as possible for their enemy.
Smoke on the Water, Fire in the Sky
Smoke Sighted
Bouquet's Reports only Smoke seen, not hearing the Explosion.
The 23 [23 Nov 1758] we took post 12 Miles from hence [Fort Duquesne]
and halted the 24 [ 24 Nov 1758] for Intelligence.
In the Evening
our Indians reported that they had discovered
a very thick smoak from the Fort [another transcription uses "Front"]
extending in the bottom along the Ohio;
a few hours after they sent word that the Enemies had abandoned their Fort after having burnt everything.
Source:
Page 172 of The British Defeat of the French in Pennsylvania, 1758: A Military History of the Forbes Campaign Against Fort Duquesne: by Douglas R. Cubbison. Cites The Papers of Henry Bouquet, 2:610.
Loud Explosions
Sergeant Lindenmuth, with the 2nd Pennsylvania Provincials in Bouquet's Brigade, recalled the stirring events of that day from an infantryman in the ranks' perspective:
"Finally, it was decided to march against the enemy with the entire army . . . as the weather was hard and cold, the march proceeded very poorly until finally on the [23rd] we arrived at Bouquet's encampment or Bouquet's Breastwork.
On the morning of the [24th] in a deep snow orders were given the entired army to march, but then a halt was called due to an alarm because our leader or pilot had discovered a corps of Indians who however fled as quickly as they could. Immediately the cavalry with 50 men was sent off under Captain Hambrecht's [this is Captain John Hambright of the 2nd Pennsylvania Provincials, who commanded the Pennsylvania Light Horse] command.
But before the infantry could set off, a
shuddering was heard, that is to say like an earthquake.
We then went in full march.
In came the cavalry, however [they] rode forward very hard to be about 8 miles this side of the fort, where they met a lad of 16 who had run off from them [the Indians], who said that they were occupied in burning everything, which put Captain Hambrecht into such a fervor that he immediately gave orders to set out and they rode with such speed that they still found 7 barrels of powder of which in one magazine one barrel was no further than one London Inch from the fire, and also 8 barrels of pork which were saved. The pork was destroyed for fear it had been poisoned. And otherwise all the building were completely in flames.
That evening in the night the infantry and cavalry arrived at 6 o'clock and took possession of the place in very hard weather and camped on the open field.
The next day [25th] everything was inspected and the pickings were very poor. Everything was burned, and the cannons were all gone. We had the place in our possession but they left us nothing besides a destroyed site."
Sources:
Page 172-173 of The British Defeat of the French in Pennsylvania, 1758: A Military History of the Forbes Campaign Against Fort Duquesne: by Douglas R. Cubbison. Cites The Journal of Johann Michael Lindenmuth, pages 35-39.
More sources of the Journal:
Portions of the journal online
Different wording in this interpretation of the German
RIP
Forbes born 5 Sept 1707, dies 11 March 1759.
Obituary of General John Forbes * [ Pennsylvania Gazette , March 15 , 1759 ]
On Sunday last died , of a tedious illness ,
[Actually 11 March 1759]
John Forbes , Esq . , in the forty - ninth year of his age, son to - Forbes , of Petincrief , Esq . ; in the shire of Fife in Scotland,
Brigadier General, Colonel of the Seventeenth Regiment of Foot , and Commander of his Majesty' s troops in the South Provinces of North America ; a gentleman generally known and esteemed, and most sincerely and universally regretted.
In his younger days he was bred to the profession of physic, but early ambitious of the military character, he purchased into the regiment of Scots Grey Dragoons, where by repeated purchases, and faithful services, he arrived to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel .
Who he knew: His superior abilities soon recommended him to the protection of
General Campbell,
the Earl of Stair,
Duke of Bedford,
Lord Ligonier,
and other distinguished characters in the army;
with some of them he served as aide - de - camp , and with the rest in the familiarity of a family man . During the last war he had the honour to be employed in the character of Quarter Master General to the army under His Royal Highness the Duke [Cumberland] ; which duty he discharged with accuracy, dignity, and dispatch .
His services in America are well known.
By a steady pursuit of well concerted measures, in defiance of disease, and numberless obstructions, he brought to a happy issue a most extraordinary campaign, and made a willing sacrifice of his own life to what he valued more, the interest of his King and Country.
His personality:
As a man he was just and without prejudice, brave without ostentation, uncommonly warm in his friendship and incapable of flattery; acquainted with the world and mankind ; he was well bred , but absolutely impatient of formality and affection . Eminently possessed of the sociable virtues , he indulged a cheerful gratification ; but quick in sense of honour and duty , so mixed the agreeable gentleman and man of business together as to shine alike ( though truly uncommon ) in both characters without the giddiness attendant on the one , or the sourness of the other . As an officer he was quick to discern useful men , and useful measures , generally seeing both at first view , according to their real qualities , steady in his measures , but open to information and council; in command he had dignity without superciliousness , and though perfectly master of the forms , never hesitated to drop them when the spirit , and more essential parts of the service required it .
Yesterday he was interred in the chancel of Christ Church in this City .
* Printed , also , Olden Time , I , 189 ; Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography , XI ( 1887 ) , 120 .
Source:
Buried inside the tallest building in the colonies:
"The main body of the church was constructed between 1727 and 1744, and the steeple was added in 1754, making it the tallest building in the future United States of America, at 196 feet . . ."
And after he dies,
a great parade is assembled.
The form and order of march at his funeral was as follows:
I . The Pioneers .
II . The Seventeenth Regiment , and two companies of Colonel Montgomery ' s Regiment , the colours with crapes ; the drums covered with black ; and the officers with crapes on their arms .
III . Two pieces of cannon , with Commanding Officers of artillery .
IV . The Engineers
V . The Staff
VI . The servants , in mourning , uncovered , two and two .
VII . A led horse , covered with black , conducted by a groom .
VIII . The Surgeons .
IX . The Physicians
X . The Clergy and Chaplains of the army
XI . The Corpse and the pall held by six field officers .
XII . The mourners .
sembly , the Judges , the magistrates , and gentlemen of the Province
and city , two by two .
XIV . The Officers from the different garrisons , two and two .
N . B . The minute guns were fired from the time the corpse was brought out untill the interment was over ; and the whole ended by a triple discharge of the small arms .
March 15 , 1759
Source:
Page 196 of
The British Defeat of the French in Pennsylvania, 1758: A Military History of the Forbes Campaign Against Fort Duquesne: by Douglas R. Cubbison.
He is buried inside Christ Episcopal Church in Philladelphia.
"The main body of the church was constructed between 1727 and 1744, and the steeple was added in 1754, making it the tallest building in the future United States of America, at 196 feet . . ."
The Gold Medallions
Never made, never worn by the officers for which it was meant.
Except they were made by the Boy Scouts.
It's not gold. And both sides were not done to spec.
But it has the blue ribbon.
James Grant to Bouquet
[ B . M . , Add . MSS . 21643 , f . 57 , f . 59 ; Shippen MSS . L . C . ]
Phila . 20 Feb . 1759
General Forbes highly sensible of the many fatigues and hardships you and your Officers and the Troops in General under his Command have underwent during the course of this most extraordinary Campaign that has happened in this or any other Country, and willing at the same time to give Some publick testimony of his approbation to the Gentlemen under his command, has ordered me to acquaint you and the Commanding Officers of corps that he has directed a Gold medal to be struck to the following purpose which he hereby Authorizes the officers of his Army to wear as an honorary reward for their faithful services and as soon as opportunity offers he intends to inform his Majesty of it.
In the mean time your Officers & Colonel Montgomery's may be provided in Town.
The Medal has on one side
the representation of a Road cut thro an immense Forrest, over Rocks, and mountains.
The motto
Per tot Discrimina [Through so many dangers]
on the other side
are represented the confluences of the Ohio and Monongahela rivers, a Fort in Flames in the forks of the Rivers at the approach of General Forbes carried in a Litter, followed with the Army marching in Columns with Cannon.
The motto
Ohio Brittannica Consilio manuque.
[Ohio Valley was now British through superior wisdom and skill]
This is to be wore round the neck with a dark blew ribbon - by the Genls comand
Grant N . B . General Forbes is of oppinion that Such of your officers as chuse to provide themselves with the above Medal should have a Copy of this letter Signed & attested by you as a warrant for thus wearing it
J . G .
Source:
Page 284, Chapter 28 Indian Diplomacy and the Fall of Fort Duquesne of the book:
Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754-1766 Hard Copy third printing – March 2000
Pictures of medal made by the Boy Scouts:
Never made, never worn by the officers for which it was meant.
The phrase Consilio Manuque
Since Forbes had originally studies to be a doctor, the phrase consilio manuque is popular at such doctor colleges.
A reference to consilio manuque,a phrase found in the Barber of Seville, a version orgination from the Don Juan stories from 1630.
Thank you for reading
NOTES
for later research
Sources:
Kuskusky
Cuscusa Town gw map 1754
Christ Church
Joseph Shippen
Dad is Edward Shippen
Letters and papers relating chiefly to the provincial history of Pennsylvania, with some notices of the writers.
Balch, Thomas, 1821-1877., Shippen, Edward, 1729-1806.
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=moa&cc=moa&view=text&rgn=main&idno=AFK3977.0001.001
Orderly book kept by Joseph Shippen (1732-1810)
during the French and Indian War.
Born in Philadelphia in 1732,
Joseph Shippen was the youngest son of Edward Shippen and Sara Plumley.
Shippen graduated from Princeton in 1753 and entered the Provincial Service as a Captain in the regiment commanded by Colonel William Clapham.
He also served under General Forbes in the expedition that captured Fort Duquesne on November 25, 1758.
This volume contains records of the First Battalion serving under Colonel Commander John Armstrong and includes details on life at camps in Philadelphia, Lancaster, and Carlisle.
Letters of General John Forbes relating to the expedition against Fort Duquesne in 1758
Writings of General John Forbes relating to his service in North America, compiled and edited by Alfred Procter James for the Allegheny county committee of the Pennsylvania society of the colonial dames of America.
Published:Menasha, Wis., The Collegiate press, 1938.
The Pennsylvania Department
General Forbes' Letter to William Pitt
Pittsbourgh. 27th Novemr. 1758.
Sir,
I do myself the Honour of acquainting you that it has pleased God to crown His Majesty's Arms with Success over all His Enemies upon the Ohio, by my having obliged the Enemy to burn and abandon Fort Du Quesne, which they effectuated on the 25th:, and of which I took possession next day, the Enemy having made their Escape down the River towards the Mississippi in their Boats, being abandoned by their Indians, whom I had previously engaged to leave them, and who now seem all willing and ready to implore His Majesty's most Gracious Protection. So give me leave to congratulate you upon this great Event, of having totally expelled the French from this prodigious tract of Country, and of having reconciled the various tribes of Indians inhabiting it to His Majesty's Government.
It would be too tedious for a Letter to enter into the detail how this Affair has been brought to a conclusion, I have therefore thought it proper and necessary to send over to you Brigade Major Halkett whose serving with me all this Campaign, and knowing from whence Events arose will be able to give you a true & succinct Account of the whole Affair from the beginning. I beg to recommend that Gentleman to your Protection, whose Zeal and abilities in the Service have been particularly distinguished, not only in this but in every preceding Campaign from the beginning of the war in this Country, and whose Father Sr. Peter Halkett, lost his life at the Monongahela under Genl. Braddock.
I should have carried the troops up the River to the Lake Erie, and destroyed the French posts at Venango and Presque Isle, but the Season of the year, and the Scarcity of my Provisions, does by no Means admitt of it, this last inconveniance (being obliged to carry every bit of my Provisions for Man and horse for betwixt 3 & 400 Miles thro' almost impracticable roads and Mountains) renders it extreamly difficult for me to leave a sufficient Garrison here for the Protection of this Country, as all Manner of Communication with the inhabited parts of the provinces will be cut off during the Winter for at least four Months, notwithstanding that I have built Forts, and erected Posts at proper distances, to have kept the Communication open if possible.
Altho' that I have made frequent Applications not only to the Commander in Chief of His Majesty's Forces for his Orders, and instructions but likewise to the Governours of the adjacent colonies and Provinces for the Advice and Councill how I was to behave myself in case that I was so fortunate as to render myself Master of Fort Du Quesne, and the Country of the Ohio, yet I have never been favoured with any of the Sentiments upon that Subject, except in one letter from the Lieut Governr. of Virginia, wherein he tells me that his Assembly and Councill would not venture to give any opinion, but at the same time acquaints me that they had addressed him to recall their troops by the firs day of decemr., therefore having been left to act intirely from my own judgement hitherto, I must beg His Majesties Indulgence that He would be graciously pleased to attribute my faults or omissions that I may have made, to my want of greater abilities and not want of Zeal for His Majesty's Service, which I shall ever think my duty to exert to the utmost of my power. As thus you see Sir., that I am without advice or Orders, and that I very soon run a risque of being without troops if Pennsilvania recalled theirs as well as Virginia, I shall soon be greatly difficulted how to maintain our new conquest should the Enemy return, as I will have only 4 Companies of the Royal Americans and Colo. Montgomery's young Battalion to depend upon, both greatly impaired as to Numbers by their frequent skirmishes with the Enemy during the Campaign.
This far I had wrote at Fort Du Quesne upon the 27th: Novemr. since which time I have never, either been able to write, or capable to dictate a letter; but as General Amherst acquainted me that he had sent to you my letter with the Accounts of my taking the place, I was the less anxious of sending Major Halkett, but now dreading my silence may have some wrong construction put upon it when the true cause is unknown it will very well bear, I now send you the Major who must give you the best Accounts he can, untill I am able to write more circumstantially, which I hope will be by the first Packett, altho' my Physicians and all our Hospital People unanimously agree that I must go directly for England for to save my life, I must therefore beg it as the greatest favour that you will be so good as to move His Majesty to be graciously pleased to give me His leave of returning home as soon as I possibly can in order to re-establish my health, which at present renders me incapable of any service, or doing any duty whatever.
I must likewise take the boldness, to beg your Countenance & Protection with His Majesty of having me restored to my Rank which is one day antecedent to Genl: Amherst as Lieut. Colo..--Had I ever committed any fault, or been guilty of any misdeamenor in the Service, I should be now ashamed of making this Application to you, but the having so many people put over my head, without my being sensible of any faux pas committed, has made and still makes the deepest impression on my mind. If Lord Ligonier pleases to let you know the hardness of my case, I flatter myself with the protection and Service of Mr. Pitt, to restore me to Peace of mind.
I have used the freedom of giving your name to Fort Du Quesne, as I hope it was in some measure the being actuated by your spirits that now makes us Masters of the place. Nor could I help using the same freedom in the naming of two other Forts that I built (Plans of which I send you) the one Fort Ligonier & the other Bedford. I hope the name Fathers will take them under their Protection, In which case these dreary deserts will soon be the richest and most fertile of any possest by the British in No. America. I have the honour to be with great regard and Esteem Sir, Your most obedt.. & most humble. servt.
Jo: Forbes. Philadelphia. 21st. January 1759.
From Letters of General John Forbes relating to the Expedition Against Fort Duquesne in 1758, Compiled by Irene Stewart for the Allegheny County Committee of the Pennsylvania Society of the Colonial Dames of America. Pittsburgh: Allegheny County Committee, 1927.
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To Risk It All: General Forbes, the Capture of Fort Duquesne, and the Course of Empire in the Ohio Country
Michael N. McConnell
Copyright Date: 2020 Published by: University of Pittsburgh Press https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv16x2bz7Pages: 400
https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv16x2bz7
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THE GENERAL CHOOSES A ROAD The Forbes Campaign of ...
https://journals.psu.edu › wph › article › download
PDF
Down at Fort Cumberland Washington kept his troops busy repairing the start of the Braddock Road, and by sending out strong parties to "waylay" on the road as far as the Great Crossing. The feints for using Braddock's route so effectively deceived the 102 Bouquet to Washington, Aug. 10, 1758: Bouquet Papers, p. 350. 103 Stephen to Bouquet, Aug. 12, 1758: Bouquet Papers, p. 361. 104 Stephen to Bouquet, Aug. 18, 1758: Bouquet Papers, p. 341. 105 St. Clair to Bouquet, Aug. 12, 1758: Bouquet Papers, p. 360. 106 Bouquet to Forbes, Aug. 18, 1758: Bouquet Papers, p. 379. 246 NILES ANDERSON SEPTEMBER French that construction of the new road was not discovered until too late to halt its completion. 107 Not only was a continuous flow of scouting parties sent to Fort Duquesne to gain intelligence, but both Washington and Bouquet sent parties forward to reconnoitre a possible link-up from Salt Lick on the Braddock Road to a near point on the Traders Path beyond Loyalhanna, along which the Forbes Road likely would be built. Bouquet estimated that the two roads would be but 16 miles apart on the westerly side of Chestnut Ridge, and on the 17th wrote Washington concerning the junction of routes to suggest: "Asitis not impossible (between us) that a Body of Troops under your Command Should march by B Route, you will keep at Cumberland a Stock of Provisions for one Month when your Convoy joins, and the Rest is to be forwarded to Reas Town."
by N Anderson · 1959 — Ifhis letter to Bouquet for forwarding to Forbes was a coldly ... 107 The French were aware of Forbes* march and estimated his army at 8,000 men.
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TIMING IS EVERYTHING --- FORBES POSTMORTEM
Grant's defeat although a tactical blunder more because he didn't follow his orders
but strategically it satiated Indian desire for plunder and victory to take back home just before the Hunter's Moon
And then Frontenac taken by Armstrong
And the Easton Peace Treaty separated more Indians from the French
And now they are Loyalhanna just in time
And they still have 60 or so good scouts from the Cherokee
How other authors minimized all the work of this expediton by focusing on the peace treat or Fort Frontnenac.
Fred Anderson in the Crucible of War, and another author -- according to Cubbins
But look at what Forbes himself spent most of his time on? The logistics. He couldnt leave the main load of that on St Clair.
FORBES didnt even have an army to start with like the other expeditions had
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