The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1872-01-25
IDAHO CITY. THURSDAY, JANUARY %, 1872. .
BRADDOCK'S FATE.
AN OLD SETTLER ASSERTS THAT HE SHOT THE GENERAL
AN INTERESTING LETTER. s."'st

A correspondent, after giving an account
of the planting on the 29th ult., by Mr.. Muir
dock and Mr.. King, of sundry selected trees
at the grave of General Braddock, in Fayette
county, Penn, adds the following interesting
historical sketch of events and incidents con-
nected with Braddock's expedition and death,
and the customs of that period:
In connection with Braddocks grave, we
cannot resist the temptation to give some his
torcal incidents derived from Andrew Stew
art About the year 1902, Stewards father
lived about two miles east of BraddOck's grave,
on what is called "Braddock's Old Road y
the military road Being Supervisor of roads,
he went with some hands to repair the road l.
taking with him Stewart, then a boy ten or
twelve years Of age. While the men were at
work on the east bank of Braddock's Run,
Thomas Faucette (born in 1712, and died in
1916, aged l04 years, and who was with Brad
dock army at the time of his defeat and death)
an old mountain hunter, then living on the road
less than mile east of BraddOck's grave in a
cabin, some of the ruins of which are still visi-
Bile, came along with his rifle on his shoulder,
a hunting-k knife in his belt. dressed in blue
hunting shirt, bearskin cap and buckskin pants,
standing straight as an arrow, about six feet
four in his mocasins. Faucette said: "Take
care, men, or you will dig up Braddock's bones.
We buried him here where he died, right on
the bank of this run. We dug away the bank
and drove the baggage-wagons over the grave,
so that the enemy could not find the grave. /
will show you the spot. The water has washed
down nearly to the bones. Dig down here
foot or two and you will find them" The men
did so and found the bones.
"Braddock," said Faucette tot he workmen,
"was a brave man. but to save his men | shot
him." "Wky So" we asked. Il will tell
you. Ny brother Joe and / were fighting be-
hind trees, when Braddock came riding along
and struck Joe, saying, You coward, stand
out and fight like a man. Considering him
our worst enemy, turned round and shot him
instead of an Indian. When Washington took
command he told us TO tree. We did so, and
the remnant of US were saved"
In confirmation of Faucette's story, history,
says that it was thought at the time that Brad
dock was shot by one Of his own men, and it
was upon this occasion that Braddock. when
Washington advised him to let the men tree,
said: High times, when Virginia buckskin
undertakes 10 teach British General how to
fight"
inferred at the foot of large white oak tree,
except few which his father took home and
aiterward sent by some Western merchants
going East, with directions to put them in the
museum at Philadelphia. The merchants,
Stewart says, then traveledin companies, armed
with pistols, to protect their money, consisting
of Spanish dollars. Each pack-horse carried
two or three thousand dollars in small leather
bags. The merchants would carry back on the
same horses. iron, salt and other merchandise
for the supply of the Western people, the whole
in year amounting perhaps to not much more
than one "iron-horse" now takes over the
mountains in a single train. Slaves from Vir-
ginia were driven through Uniontown in those
days, corraled together like horses for the
Western market. This may seem strange to
young ears, but there are many old persons
still living who witnessed it.