The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1896-08-22

at all, as "Braddook's rock" and to this
day it is still intact and unmolested by
stone cipher or relic hunter. 1t is not
deemed Of any account in history,
thoughifBraddock's expedition against
Duquesne had been successful this un-
p~retentious bowlder might now be es-
teemed as another Plymouth Rock,
famous for the landing of the Pill
grims. Braddock would doubtless
have won for himself not only the fame
that fell to Gen. Forbes and to Gen.
Amherst for the capture of Grown
Point and Ticonderoga, but also that
which Gen. Wolfe secured in 1859 by his
success at Quebec, all resulting in the
REIMBURSEMENT of French authority on
the American continent. Braddock
would probably now be revered as one
Of the prime early heroes of this west
ern world and the course of his entire
progress would be accounted as paths
of glory. But the unfortunate acct
dent Of defeat has changed all of that.
Since success is the only standard Of
merit and achievement, the world de-
lights not to tread in the footsteps OF
failure.
After all is said the truth of the mat
ter seems to be that Braddock, indisput-
ably a brave soldier, was only too con-
scious Of the difficulty and doubtful re-
suit of his enterprise, but that, having
onc set upon it, he determined to CRIME
" discharge his task to the endwith the
most cheerful show possible. 1t is no
derogation to his generalship that he
should have been untitled by tempera.
ment and training to cope with treach-
0 savages and painted devils lurk-
ing in ambush. Instead of having been
a boastful and vainglorious cockney, as
the schoolboy of to-day is taught to CON
ceive him, he only appears to have been
too proud to show by look or sign his
own conviction of the hopelessness of
his undertaking. Even Irving admits
that he was a stranger to fear. Irving
then adds beautifully and most appro-
priately:
"Reproach spared him not, even in his
grave. The failure of the expedition
was attributed both in England and in
America to his obstinacy, his technical
pedantry and his military system. But
whatever may have been his faults and
errors, ne in a manner expiated them by
the hardest lot that can befall a brave
soldier ambitious of renown-an un-
honored grave. in a strange land, a mem
ory clouded by misfortune and a name
forever coupled with defeat"
Washington himself endeavored nm
successfully 10 disabuse the popular
mind in his own day of it's prejudice
against Braddock. In Niles Register
for May, 1918, we read an interesting
conversation held with Washington
while president, by the aged William
Findley, of Youngstown. in which
Washington said Braddock was unfor
tunate, but that his character was very
much too severely treated; that even il
his Of fighting he was no more
to blame than others. 1t is also a mat
ter of record, illustrating Washington.
regard for his old chief, that he favored
the erection Of a monument over Brad
docks grave, but had no o~pportunityo
doing SO until after the revolutionar,
war, and then the grave could not b,
identified. When identified a after
however, it was outrageously desc
Grated, and the fallen hero's bonci
were ruthlessly scattered no one knows
whittier. But perhaps Braddock'
greatest misfortune was that he wal
doomed to suffer, for more than a cen
fury. unjust misconception and misap
~prehension by the very people for WHOM
he labored in vain.
SMITH D. FRY.
Give what you have. To some i
NAV be better than you dara to thiul