Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-01-22
GEN. BRADDOCK,S GRAVE.

The place of Braddock's sepulchre was
within few yards of small stream, the
banks of which abruptly sloped down to the
water, and distant about two miles-west.
wardly-from Fort Necessity. The grave
was made Immediately in the road, about a
stones throw from the present National road.
When the march was resumed, the horses,
wagons and troops passed over the grave, the
purpose being to prevent discovery and desc
Grafton by the enemy. About 1924, party
of workmen, engaged in repairing the old road,
came upon the remains of human skeleton
which was supposed to be that of Braddock.
Numerous insignia Of rank were found with
it, and there was no knowledge of the burial
of any other officer in that vicinity. Those
who were present on the occasion, carried away
with them as souvenirs, the buttons and
other metal articles which had not been
destroyed by corrosion. Some of the party
even went so far in the qualification Of their
passion for relics, as to make way with several
of the small bones of the hands. Mr.. James
Matthews, blacksmith, who lived at Mount
Washington, as Fort Necessity has since been
called, was present on the occasion referred
to and witnessed the disinterment of these
remains. They were carried to point
about one hundred and fifty yards eastward
and buried in a field at the foot of large
oak tree, some twenty-five yards from the
National Road. In order to mark the spot
more clearly to strangers, Hon. Andrew Stew
art had prepared board on which was in
scribed the fact that this was the last resting
place ofMajor. General Edward Braddock, and
this board was nailed to the tree. For twenty.
five years the National Road was the great
highway between the. East and West, and
thousands of persons passed over it. The
writer can we'll remember how, when boy,
each morning and evening, long trains of
stage coaches arrived at and left Cumberland
over this great highway. Braddock's grave
was one Of the great points of attraction on
the road, and every day the stages were
stopped in order that the passengers might
disembark for few minutes to inspect the
place.
The old oak tree, ten years since, fell vic
tim to the imperious hand of time, and during
the prevalence of storm was blown down,
the trunk breaking off some feet from the
ground, leaving only stripped and shivered
trunk to mark the sacred spot The stump
has now entirely disappeared and no mark Of
the old tree remains. In 1871. a party Of
gentlemen from England visited the place
and before leaving it they inclosed it, with a
fence of boards, securely built, and thus it
remains to-day. A foot note in De Hass
"History of the Indian Wars in West Virgin
ia," states that "many years since the remains
of General Braddock were removed to Eng
land aud now rest with the quiet sleepers
in Westminster Abbey" Whence this infor-
nation was derived has not transpired. How
ever, it is certainly erroneous. Those re-
mains still undoubtedly 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 desecratiug curiosity seekers,
were afterwards gathered together by Mr.
Stewart and are supposed to have '>een depos-
tied in Peale's Museum, Philadelphia. 1t
was Washington's intention, when he buried
Braddock, to return at some future day and
erect monument to his memory, but his