West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-12-27
Gen. nrn,nnc,,,. nrnrc-

The place OF Braddock's scpulchrc was
within few yards OF a small stream, the
banks of which abruptly sloped down 10 the
water, and distant about two miles-west-
warily from Fort Necessity. The grave
Was made Immediately i'm the road, about n
stones throw from the present National
road. When the march was resumed the
horses, wagons and troops passed over the
grave, the purpose being Ia prevent it's dis
coVcry and dcscCration bv the enemy.
About 1924, a party of workmen engaged
in repairing the old road came upon the re
mains OF "A human skele on which was sup
posed to bc that of BraddoC6. Numerous
insignia of rank were found with il, aud
there was no knowledge of the burial of any
other officer in that vinicity. Those who
were present on the occasion carried away
with them rs souvenirs the buttons and
other metal articles which had not been
destroyed 10y corrosion. Some OF the party
even went so far in the qualification of their
passion for relies as TO make way with sew
eral OF the small bones Of the hands. Mr.
James Matthews, blacksmith who lived
at Mount Washington, rs Fort Necessity
has since been called, was present on the
occasion referred To aud witnessed thS dis
mternmeut Of these remains They were
carried 10 point about one hundred and
nifty yards eastward and buried i'm field AT
the loot of q large oak tree some twenty-five
yards from the National Road I'm order
TO mark the spot more clearly 10 strangers
| Hon. Andrew Stewart had prepared "A board
ON which was inscribed the fact that this
was the last resting place OF Major General
Edward BrqddoCk, aud this board was
nailed to the tree. FOR twenty five wears
the National Road was the great highway
bctwecn the East and the West, and thous-
ands of persons passed over it, The writer
can well remember how when boy, each
morning and evening, long trains of stage
co0ches arrived at and left Cumberland over
this gIeIt highway. l5raddoCk's grave was
ono of ,hc great points OF attraction on the
road, aud every day the stages were stopped
in order that the passengers might discm-
bark for few minutes To inspect the place
The old oak tree ten years since fch n
victim 10 the imperous hand OF time, and
during the prevalence of storm was blown
down, the trunk breaking Oft some feet from
the ground, leaving only stripped aud
shiverdcd trunk TO mark the sacred spot.
The stump has now entirely disappeared
and no mark of the old tree remains. In
1871 party of gentlemen from England
visited the place and before leaving IL they
inclOscd it with a fence of boards, securely
built, and thus 1t remains to-day A foot
note in De llass' History Of the Indian
Wars Of West Virginia states that many
years since the remains Of General Brad
dock were removed TO England and now
rests with the quiet sIeepcrs of Westminster
Abbey Whence this information wns
derived has not transpircd. However It is
certainly erroneous. Those remains un-
doubtly still lie In the place above described.
and no inhabitant OF that locality has ever
heard of their removal TO England Those
bones which were carried away as souvenirs
by dcsccrating curiosity seekers were after
ward gathered together by Mr. Stewart and
are supposed TO have been deposit in Peale's
Museum, Philadelphia. II was Washing
toms intention when he buried Braddoc<
TO return at some future day and erect a
monument ~ his memory. but his time
was 80 occupied 10y the events of the years
following that 1t was not until after the
close of the Revolutionary War that he was
able 10 undertake the self-imposcd task. In
l7Sf he visited the place for the purpose
indicated, and ''made "a diligent search for
the grave, but the road had been 80 much
tsrncd and the cleared land 20 extended
that it could net he found" The British
Government is not wont 20 neglect her sold
iers, but she never took the slightest notice
OF the resting place OF Braddock, and il was
left for a Strangers hand 20 mark the spot
where he lay more than half a century after
he fell