This
summer tour through the lovely Laurel Highlands of Fayette
County, Pennsylvania, will visit the
places where George Washington gained his first military experience
during the French and Indian War of 1754-1763. Later, Washington would achieve everlasting fame and the gratitude of future generations for leading
the Continental Army to victory in the Revolutionary War, but in the summer of
1754, not many would have guessed what awaited him.
Our
tour will  follow in the
footsteps of Washington and his regiment of Virginians who set forth into the
untamed wilds of Southwest Pennsylvania in 1754 to enforce British claims in the region
against the French. After an overview on Friday evening of our program, during
which we will discuss the background of the French and Indian War and the
global conflict known as the Seven Years’ War of which it was a part, we
will begin touring on Saturday morning with a visit to Jumonville
Glen, where “The volley fired by a young Virginian in the backwoods of
America set the world on fire” in the opening act of the French and Indian War.
The fighting in the glen resulted in the death of the French Ensign Joseph Coulon
de Villiers de Jumonville, who was leading a scouting party tracking >Washington’s
movements. After the skirmish with Jumonville's forces, Washington feared "we might be attacked by considerable forces." During the last
two days of May and the first three days of June, 1754, Washington built
a crude, circular palisade to fortify his position. He called it Fort Necessity.
Jumonville’s brother, Captain Louis Coulon de Villiers, with 600 French troops and 100 Indians, soon marched from Fort
Duquesne (now Pittsburgh) to exact revenge. On July 3, 1754, they attacked Fort Necessity. Throughout the day, heavy rain swamped
the low lying fort making the use of firearms difficult and ruining much of the
gunpowder. Late in the day, seeing his position as untenable, Washington
accepted a truce that allowed the peaceful withdrawal of his forces. The French
subsequently occupied the fort and then burned it.
We will spend considerable
time at Fort Necessity, where we will discuss Washington’s relationships with
his Indian ally – the Seneca chief Tanaghrisson, known as “Half-King,” as well as the young Virginian’s command decisions during the battle there. At
times, we will see “the Father of our Country,” as a naïve young officer,
inexperienced in the ways of war and the frontier. This campaign also led to
charges of assassination against him, which brought international embarrassment
and scrutiny to the young Virginian.
Then, we will visit the
grave of British General Edward Braddock who led an expedition in 1755
to retrieve what the French had taken from Washington in his failed campaign. We will follow the trail of
Braddock’s expedition and discuss the campaign and its impact on Washington and
American history. With men such as Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas
Gage, Horatio Gates, and Daniel Morgan, the story of
Braddock’s Expedition is a veritable who’s who of the American Revolution. The
expedition ended in disaster and the virtual annihilation of Braddock’s army by
the French and their Indian allies along the banks of the Monongahela River.
Braddock lost more than 900 of the 1,400 enlisted soldiers who went into
battle, with almost half being killed, many in a massacre after the battle
ended. Of 96 officers, 26 were killed and 36 were wounded, a testament to the
bravery of the British and the ferocity of the French and Indians.
On Sunday morning, we will leap ahead to 1763 as we visit Bushy Run
Battlefield. The French and British had made peace but the Native
American’s under Chief Pontiac carried on the fight against the
encroaching British colonists. Pontiac captured every British fort in the “Ohio Country,”
with the exception of Fort Detroit and Fort Pitt. Pontiac placed Fort Pitt under siege, but the Swiss born Colonel Henry
Bouquet led a relief force westward to raise the siege. Pontiac’s
warriors learned of the approaching column and attacked Bouquet’s force at
Bushy Run. The gritty Scottish Highlanders and Royal Americans soldiers barely
held off savage attacks by Pontiac’s warriors, and the resourcefulness of Bouquet gained
victory that broke the back of Pontiac’s war.
We hope you’ll join us on this exciting tour of the frontier fighting in the beautiful countryside of Pennsylvania that set the
stage for the emergence of George Washington as one of the most important figures in American history.
About Our Tour Leader
Scott
C. Patchan is a leading authority on the American Civil War, especially on the
1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign. He is the author of The Forgotten Fury: The
Battle of Piedmont and Shenandoah Summer: The 1864 Valley Campaign.
He served as a consultant and contributing writer of Shenandoah 1864 (Time-Life
Books Voices of the Civil War series). His interest in the Civil War is only
exceeded by his passion for the French and Indian and American Revolutionary
Wars, of which he is a lifelong student.
Program
Schedule:
Friday, July 11
8:00 PM - 8:45 PM Overview
– at Four Points Sheraton, Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Saturday, July 12
8:00 AM Bus
Departs for tour of Jumonville and Fort Necessity
5:00 PM Arrive
Back at Four Points Sheradon
Sunday, July 13
8:00 AM Bus Departs for tour of Bushy
Run Battlefield
12:00 N Arrive Back at Four Points Sheradon
Registration Fees (Lodging not Included): $ 225 Under Age 23: $ 95
You can reserve a space on this tour
by making a $50 Deposit per Person.
If You Must Cancel we will
refund 100% of your fees paid. However, to receive a 100% refund, you must allow
30 days from the date of our receipt of your notice of cancellation
What is Included in your
Registration Fee:
· the services of an expert
historian chosen for his knowledge and experience
· transportation to sites as
indicated
· Saturday picnic lunch
· refreshments and snacks during the
tour
· map package
Base Location & Lodging: Our program will be based at the Four Points Sheraton, 100 Sheraton Drive, Route 30 East, Greensburg, Pennsylvania where we have reserved a block of sleeping rooms at the special nightly rate of $105.00 + tax - Single or Double. To reserve a room under our block, call 724-836-6060, ask for in-house reservations, and identify yourself as a registrant for the American History Forumtour. The hotel website is www.fourpointsgreensburg.com.
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