Database: Braddock Expedition

Date: July 9, 1755

This battle was part of the French and Indian War. In it, Edward Braddock's force of 1500 British Regulars and militia was decimated by a group of French-led troops half its size.

This is not something we talk about much in Britain.

Braddock had been sent to capture Fort Duquesne, at the top of the Ohio River. His officers included a young George Washington - possibly because Washington knew the area, having surrendered at Fort Necessity the year before.

Braddock's troops were about 10 miles from Fort Duquesne when they were ambushed by a group of French and Indigenous fighters. Braddock's advance troops were overwhelmed and fell back into the main body of the army. His rear guard didn't hear the order to stop, and kept advancing into the main body of the army. The result was chaos. Almost every one of his officers was killed, with the exception of Washington. Braddock himself was fatally wounded; Washington had him carried from the field and he died 4 days later. An interesting historical note - Braddock gave his officers' sash to George Washington, asking him to preserve it. Washington did - it's still on display at Mount Vernon.

The battle is also known as "Braddock's Defeat", but interestingly, no one knows why.

I'm kidding. Though if you need me to tell you why, I don't think you're really cut out for this.