Westmoreland County Historical Society

In June and July of 1755, Major General Edward Braddock and his expedition of British and American troops traversed approximately 100 miles of American wilderness starting from their base at Fort Cumberland, Maryland, and ending at Braddock’s Field in Braddock, Pennsylvania. Today, the trip can be made easily along highways studded with historical signs that mark key points on Braddock’s march to disaster.

The early part of Braddock’s route is very scenic starting with the impressive mountain ridges around Cumberland, Maryland, where Wills Creek meets the Potomac River. For many miles, Braddock’s road follows present-day Alt. Rte. 40, the former National Pike. At the Pennsylvania State line, U.S. Rte. 40 parallels Braddock’s Road. Along the way travelers find many lovely towns, sites of historical importance, old inns, interesting shops, and great vistas.

Less well known, but no less important or interesting, is the last part of Braddock’s journey to the Forks of the Ohio where Pittsburgh stands today. As Braddock’s doomed force of 1,300 cut and blasted their way through the forests of Fayette, Westmoreland and Allegheny Counties in southwestern Pennsylvania, they met increasing resistance from the French and Indians. Finally, on July 9, Braddock’s army suffered bloody defeat at the hands of a much smaller force of French, Canadians, and Indians some eight miles from their objective, Fort Duquesne.

The final days of Braddock’s expedition, the greatest European military adventure in America to that time, were filled with drama. The stakes could hardly have been greater as France and England fought for control of the strategically and economically important Ohio River Valley, and ultimately, for dominance over the far west. The fate of empires rested upon the actions of a few thousand men fighting in the unmapped forests of southwestern Pennsylvania that long ago summer. While Braddock ultimately failed in his quest, the road he built provided a way for settlers to move west and thereby speeded American occupation of the western frontier in the late 18^th and early 19^th century.

As the 250^th anniversary of Braddock’s campaign approaches, there is a growing interest in the man himself, as well as the road that bears his name. It is still possible to drive along the path followed by Braddock and the young George Washington who served as his aide.

What follows is a detailed description of how a modern traveler can follow Braddock’s Road in southwestern Pennsylvania as closely as possible using public roads. Parts of the old military trail run unmarked through fields, woods, cemeteries, urban neighborhoods, and industrial plants. At one point a flood control project has submerged part of the road. Nonetheless, the path of the road runs near or under public highways its entire length. To retrace Braddock’s Road is to get in touch with the roots of American history. It is also an opportunity to observe some wonderful scenery.

To determine the exact course of Braddock’s Road in southwestern Pennsylvania, the authors consulted contemporary accounts of Braddock’s campaign and reports of later historians who researched the road. We were greatly helped by recent efforts of Mr. James Steeley, Executive director of the Westmoreland County Historical Society, who identified the route of Braddock’s Road in Westmoreland County and pinpointed the sites of Braddock’s two encampments in the Mt. Pleasant area. We have organized the tour around the sites where the army encamped each night. Many of these sites have historical markers put up by the State of Pennsylvania, school children, or patriotic organizations. However, there is evidence that these signs, at best, approximate the actual location of the camps. This is particularly true in Westmoreland County where the signs may be as much as several miles distant from the true camp location. Indeed, more research needs to be done to place accurately these sites along Braddock’s line of march.

Continue your Journey down the trail