Before daylight on
the morning of July 14, 1755 just east of Orchard Camp,
the remnant of Gen. Braddock's shattered army paused
before continuing their retreat to the
safety of Fort Cumbeland; here they laid to rest the
remains of their commander who had died the evening
before. Since the chaplain of the army had been
wounded in the engagement of July 9th, it fell to the
young Virginia aide de camp, George
Washington, to perform the Anglican service of
burial. The sign in the distance marks the exact
spot on a portion of Braddock's Road where the
original interment occurred. Here, on July 17, 2005
began the ceremony of commemorating the events that
July morning two hundred and fifty years
ago.
After a short
reading of the burial service the soldiers marched
over the grave to obliterate all evidence of its
presence. The rouse had been so successful that
about twenty years later when George Washington
visited the area, he was unable to find the
spot.
After an introduction by Ken
Mabery, Superintendant of Fort Necessity National
Battlefield (on far right), Mr. Walter Powell,
President of the Braddock Road Preservation
Association, gave a short talk on General
Braddock. Following the talk, Colonel Patrick
Reese Davis, Countess Mountbatten's own Frontiersmen,
Legion of Horse, laid a wreath at the monument.
Col. Davis made some eloquent comments and read a
letter that spoke of the long tradition of British and
American soldiers standing together against a common
enemy. To see his remarks click
here.
Col. Davis paying his respects to the memory of General Edward Braddock and the fallen soldiers of the Battle of the Monongahela.
The wreath laying was followed by a flintlock rifle salute by the soldiers stationed behind the monument.
After the ceremony the crowd had an opportunity to talk with the speakers and to the reenactors and to take pictures.
The reenactors here pose with Col. Patrick Reese Davis before the Braddock Monument where the General's remains now lie. The remains were moved to the present location in the early nineteenth century.
The wreath laid by Col. Patrick Reese Davis at the grave of General Edward Braddock on July 17, 2005 in commemoration of the two hundred and fifthieth anniversary of the General's death.
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