Edward Braddock British military leader Country: Great Britain

1. Early Life and Military Career
2. Command in North America
3. Braddock's Expedition
4. Battle of the Monongahela
5. Death and Burial

Early Life and Military Career

Born in 1695 in Perthshire, Scotland, Edward Braddock was the son of a military officer. He joined the Coldstream Guards in 1710 and served under Prince William IV of Orange in Holland in 1747.

Command in North America

In 1754, Braddock was appointed major general and became commander of British forces in North America. He arrived in Virginia in February 1755 and convened the Alexandria Congress, where he met with British colonial governors.

Braddock's Expedition

Pursuant to Congress's decision, Braddock embarked on an expedition to capture Fort Duquesne from the French. With 2,000 British troops and George Washington as his aide-de-camp, Braddock's column set out in June 1755.

Battle of the Monongahela

On July 9, 1755, Braddock's advanced guard was attacked by a combined force of French and Native American troops near the Monongahela River. The British column was surrounded and routed, while Braddock was mortally wounded.

Death and Burial

Braddock died on July 13, 1755, near the battle site. George Washington ordered him to be buried in the middle of the road near Fort Necessity, with carts driving over the grave to conceal it from hostile Indians.