The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1816-06-26
From Mies' Wrekiy Regrster.
HIGHLY INTERESTING DOCU-
MENT.
Washington'S Letter
On 81 addock's Defeas.


Mr. NIes--As the enclosed may cast
an adailionsl ray of light upon the his.
tory OF our country, and as ailthat are
latcs to Washington, however minute,
cannot fail to he particularly interesting
to every eiuzen OF imdcpt ndent Ame
RIGA, and more especially, an accurate,
simple and Unaffected relation Of al
event so important in its nature and
consequences as that OF Braddock's de-
feat, dictated 10 the spirit of feeling
and affection, by one OF he most illus
trDus heroes aEd patriots our country
ever produced, send il to you for pub
lica,ion and preservation in your valua
, BILE X eister This copy was found
mong the papers OF the late colonel
HinrY Fl znugb, Of King George coun
ty, Virginia. indorsou in his hand writ
ing thus :" A copy of colonel George
Wasbington's letter TO his mother im
mediately after 8raddock's defeat" ~"
II will be iecollected tina, Mrss Wash
insIon, the mother oil the late general,
then resided at Bushfield, ia West
Inoreland county, which is the next
county on the Potomac, below Kig
George and also, that Mr.. Samuel
Washingi ons Inc generals brother
then lived r.'ghbor 10 Coionei FI,zhugh
with whom he was IN the habits oil IN.
timacy and friendship. From these
circumstances there can be no doub
about its Authenticity.
Cory Of col g Washingtoa's lettr,
30 AS mother i'm Hediafeiy after Brad
dock IS defeaE.
{" Hon RED MADAM,
AS | d ut not you have heard o.
our defeai, and perhaps have had it re
esenlcd In a worse light (if possible
than ii deserves, have taken the ear
Hest opportunity 10 give you some &C
count Of the engagement as it, happen
ed within seven miles of the French
fort, on Wednesday, the 9th inst. We
marched on 10 that place without ally
consi terable loss, having only now and
then straggler picked up by the
FJench scouting Indians When we
came there We were attacked by boz
dy of French and Indians, whose mum
bers, / am certain, did not exceed 800
men. Ours consisted OF about 1900
we'll armed troops, chiefly of the Eng
Iish soldiers, who were struck with such
a panic that they behaved with more
cowardice than it is possible 10 con.
ceive The officers behaved gallanlly
In order to en-, ouFsge the men, for
which they sufi'ered greatly there be
ing nearly 60 killed aud wounded, {
large proportion out of the number we
had The Virginia troops showed a
great deal Of bravery, and were near
all killed for believe out of three
companies that there is scorce 80 ner
left alive. Capt. Peyconee and all the
officers, down 10 corporal, were kill
ed. Cspt. PouIson shared near as hard
a fate, Cor only one of his men vas left
In short, the dsstardly behaviour oil
those they call regulars, exposed all
others that were inclined 40 do their
duty TO almost certain death and at
last, in despite of the efforts of the
officers TO 'he contrary they broke and
ran as sheep pursued by dogs, and it
wss impossible to rally them.
the general was wounded, Of which
he died three days af,er Sir Peler
Packet was killed in the fld, there
died many other brave Offices ]
luckily escaped without wound, tho
] bad tour bullets through my coat,
aud TWO horses shot under me. Cspts
Orme aut Morris, TWO of The generals
aids-de-camp, were wounded early H.
the engagement, which rendered the
duty hard upon me, as | was the Only
person then itftto distribute the gene
RAILS orders, which was scarcely ablo
TO do. as 4 was<no, half recovered frcm
violent speli OF sickness that cobfneG
me TO my bed and Wagon for abov.
ten days am still III week and fee
bic condition, which induces me TO
halt here two or three days, in hopes
OF recovering little strength to enable
me to proceed homewards, whence /
fear SHAH not be able to stir until to.
wards September"
u may be matter of curiosity and
gone utility 10 contrast AVID compare
tins account OF Braddock's defeat, ei-
ven by the late general Washington,
who was present, with that of the his
tcrIsus vino have undertaken to relate
the particulars of it.
BetShGm, in his history of Great
Britain vol 4, p. 262, says that " ca
~ IN the year l755. gen. Braddock mad
alied from Cork with considerable
rdy OF regular troops, and, on bis ar.
fsf n Virc MIA fook unon hin, tho