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Ill Starred General Braddock Of The Coldstream Guards

Abe Mitchell

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Published in Ill Starred General: Braddock Of The Coldstream Guards

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General Edward Braddock was a British officer who led an expedition against the French and Native Americans in the Ohio Valley in 1755. The expedition was a disaster, and Braddock was killed in the Battle of the Monongahela.

Ill-Starred General: Braddock of the Coldstream Guards

by Lee McCardell

4.7 out of 5

Language	:	English
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Braddock was born in Perthshire, Scotland, in 1695. He joined the British Army in 1710 and served in the War of the Spanish Succession. After the war, he was promoted to captain and served in various staff positions.

In 1754, Braddock was appointed commander of the British forces in North America. He was tasked with leading an expedition to capture Fort Duquesne, a French fort in the Ohio Valley. Braddock's expedition consisted of about 2,000 British regulars and colonial militia.

Braddock's expedition set out from Fort Cumberland, Maryland, in June 1755. The expedition moved slowly through the wilderness, and Braddock's arrogance and inflexibility alienated his subordinates.

On July 9, 1755, Braddock's expedition encountered a force of French and Native American warriors near the Monongahela River. The British were ambushed and routed. Braddock was killed in the battle, and his expedition was a complete failure.

Braddock's defeat was a major setback for the British in the French and Indian War. It also led to the resignation of George Washington, who had served as Braddock's aide-de-camp.

Braddock's legacy is one of failure and arrogance. He was a talented officer, but his inflexibility and lack of understanding of the American wilderness led to his downfall.

Additional Information

Braddock's expedition was the subject of a famous painting by Benjamin West. The painting, which is now in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., depicts Braddock's defeat at the Battle of the Monongahela.

Braddock's expedition is also the subject of a number of books and articles. One of the most recent books about Braddock is Ill Starred General: Braddock of the Coldstream Guards by Robert Middlekauff.

General Edward Braddock was a tragic figure. He was a talented officer who was defeated by his own arrogance and inflexibility. His expedition against the French and Native Americans in the Ohio Valley was a disaster, and it led to his own death.

Braddock's legacy is one of failure and arrogance. However, he is also remembered as a symbol of the British struggle to conquer the American wilderness.

Ill-Starred General: Braddock of the Coldstream Guards

by Lee McCardell

4.7 out of 5