The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-01-10
Gen. Brntldock's Grave.

within n few yards of a small stream, the
banks of which abruptly sloped down to the
water, and distant about two milcs--west
wardly-fiom Fort Necessity. The grave
wasmade Immediately in the road, about a
stones throw from the present National
rOad. When the march was resumed the
horscs, wagons and troops passed over the
grave, the purpose being to prevent its dis
covcry and dcsccration by the enemy.
About 1924, n party Of workmcn engaged
in repairing the old road qamc upon the re-
mains Of a human skeleton which was sup
posed 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 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 by corrosion. Some of the party
oven went SO far in the qualification of their
passion for relics as 10 make way with sew
cral Of the small bones of the hands. Mr.
James Matthews, O blacksmith who lived
Mt Mount Washington, as Fort Necessity
has since ocen callcd, was present on the
occasion referred to aud witnessed tho dis
intcrnmenr of these remains. They were
carried to Il 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 Stewart had prepared n board
on which was inscribed the fact that this
was the last resting place of Major 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 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
coaches arrived ut and left Cumberland over
this 81 cat highway Bra(dock's grave was
one OF ,hc great points of attraction on the
road, and every day tho stages were stopped
in order that the passengers might discm-
bark for Il few minutes to inspect the place.
The old oak tree ten years since fell Y
victim 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
shiycrded 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 i, they
ihtoscd it with fence Of boards, securely
built, and thus it remains to-day. a foot
note in Do Hass' '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 sleepcrs of Westminster
Abbey" Whence this information was
derived has not transpire&. 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 desecr' ting curiosity seekers were after
ward gathered together by Mr.. Stewart and
arc supposed 10 have been deposit in Pcale's
Museum, Philadelphia 1t was Washing
toms intention when he buried Bradtlock
TO return at some future day and erect
monument to his memory, but his time
was 80 occupied by the events OF the years
following that it was not until after tho
close of the Revolutionary War that he was
able to undertake the self-imposcd task In
1874 he visited the place for tho purpose
Indicated, and ''madc diligcnt search for
the grave, but tho road had been so much
turned and the cleared land go extended
that it could not DO found" The British
Government is not wont to neglect her sold
iers, but she never took the slightest notice
of the resting place Of Braddock, and il was
left for strangers hand to mark the spot
whore he lay more than half acentury after
lie fell. , ...i, .,n- .-i..It