Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-03-06
Who Killed Braddock:

Who Killed Braddoek:
There is not little romance connect
ed with this whole story of Braddoek
and his defeat-the heroic exploits of
the tlen youthful Washington, and the
capture of Fort Duqusne-eventsw which
occurred century and quarter ago.
The writer of this has rambled over
these mountainous regions several times
in former years, visiting all the points
of interest along the old Braddock road
from Cumberland on the Potomac 10
the battle field on the MonOngahela.
Ii is. indeed, mostly wild region, but
an interesting one mainly because of
the events which transpired along that
old line-events which were the turn
ing points in American history. That
was the gateway through which passed
the civilization that now rules the West
and is the glory of our country. These
wild adventurers had to do with the
retirement of the French power in
America and the establishment of the
Protestant form of Christianity.
The place on the right of the old Ma
tional Road on the western declivity of
the Allegheny Mountains, marked
.'Braddock's Grave" is undoubtedly
the spot where his remains were finally
inferred. The late Hon. Andrew Stew
art, for many years member of Con-
greSs from Pennsylvania, once stated
to the writer that his father lived near
this place, and for many years was su-
pervisor of the highway. On one oc-
casion, when they were repairing the
road, one Tom Fausett, an old man and
noted hnnter, one of the first settlers
of that region, was present. Fausett
said that he and his brother Joseph
were in the battle of Monongahela un-
der Braddock, and that he had himself
assisted in the burial of the British
General. Now" said the men one
day, you have always claimed that
you helped to bury Braddock; show Us
where he lies and we will dig him up"
Fausett took some observations and
bearings, and then, pointing to par
ticular spot, said: Dig here; lam not
six feet from his bones" He contin-
ued: Eve buried him in the road and
then drove the wagons over the grave
so the Indians could not find him."
The workmen dug right where he di-
rected them, and sure enough, found the
remains of man which all admitted
must have been those of the unfortu-
nate British General. They were then
inferred at the foot of large oak tree
near the road, and that place has ever
since been pointed out to the tourist as
Braddock's grave. Mr.. Stewart said
he was then about eleven years old, and
was an eyewitness of these proceed
ings.
Some English gentlemen travelling in
this country within few years have
placed around this spot a substantial
fence, ont of respect to the memory of
their countryman.
But now comes the question, who
killed Braddock? 1t must have been
this same Tom Fausett. There once
lived in the family of the writer of this
sketch a man by the name of Leonard.
For a number of years Leonard's father
kept an old township pauper who was
this same Tom Fausett, and who, as be-
fore stated, with his younger brother
was a soldier undsr Braddock. Ii was
this younger brother whom Braddock
struck down with his sword for taking
shelter behind tree to escape deadly
ambush into which the army had fallen.
When Tom Fausett, as stated by Leon
ard, was old and dim Of sight and feeble,
day long under the shade of an old APP
pie tree in the front door yard, and re-
peat to himself over and over again:
''They say shot Braddock; well, if |
did, l shot him with two silver sleeve
buttons" There was an old supersti-
ton, which may exist yet for aught we
know, that a general could not be killed
with lead, but with a silver bullet only.
Fausett was enraged at Braddock for
having struck down his brother, and so
most likely, cutting off the buttons
from the sleeve of his uniform, which
were called "silver" even if they were
not, used them instead of lead. Poor
Braddock fell mOrtally wounded, and
in four days was buried. He died say
ing: "Who would have thought it?
We shall know better how to deal with
them the next time" Ii Fausett did
shoot BraddOck, one could hardly blame
him, for it was his fall that saved the
army from entire destruction, such as
that which Custer met upon the plains
of the West. If Braddock had not fall
en-, we might never have had our
Washington, for the entire army, rout-
ed and confused, would have been the
prey of the French and the savage In
dianS