The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-07-14
Trying to rally the Troops
Destroying the Stores
Death of Braddock = His
Bitter Reflections-His Bur
ial-Was he Shot by his
Own Men?-The Losses in
the Battle.
Written for the CITIZEN by CHAs. l.
SIMPLIFY, Pikesville, Md.
ARTICLE FOURTH.

StlIl enQeaVOFeu 10 procure al |
orderly and soldier like retreat.
but the demoralized condition of !
the army now rendered this i'm
possible
With great difficulty, hundred
me-, after running about mile,
we're persuaded TO stop at a IA
vorable spot where BraddOck pro-
posed to remain until Dunbar
should arrive. TO whose camp
Washington had been sent with
suitable orders. By his direc-
tons Colonel Burton posted SEN
tries here and endeavored to form
"a neucleS around which to gather
the remains of the shatter
ed troops, and where the wound
ed might be treated. But all was
in vain. In an hours time,
almost every soldier had stolen
away. leaving their officers de
serted. These making the best
of tn if way off, were joined be-
yond the other ford by Lieu
ten rant Colonel Gage, who had
rallied some eighty men; and
this was all that remained of
that gallant army whicn scarce
six hours before was by friend
and foe deemed invincible. With
little interruption the march
was resumed through that night
aud the ensuing day, until 10
p. H., on the night of July 10th,
they came' to Gist's plantation,
where early on the 18th some
wagons and hospital stores ar
rived from Dunbar for their re.
lief.
Despite the intensity Of his
agonies, Braddock still persisted
in the exercise of his authority
and the fulltiilment of his duties.
From GiSt's plantation he de-
tailed party to return towards
the Monongahe.a with a supply
of provisions to be left on the
road for the benefit of stragglers
yet behind, and Dunbar was
commanded to send to him the
only two remaining old compan-
les of the Forty Fourth and
Forty Eighth with more wagons
to bring off the wounded; and on
Friday, the 11th, he arrived at
Dunbar's camp Through this
and the proceeding day, men
half ff.mlShed and without arms
and bewildered with terror; had
been joining Dunbar, his camp
was in the utmost confusion, and
his troops were deserving with
out ceremony Bra d doc k Is
strength was now fast ebbing
away. Informed of the diSorgan-
lied condition of his remaining
! troops, he abandoned all hope of
a successful termination for the
expedition. He saw that not only
death but utter defeat was inevi
Eftable. But conscious of the
odium the latter would excite, he
molly resolved that the sole re.
sponsibility of the measure should
rest on himself, and he consulted
with no one upon the course he
| pursued.
DESTROYING THE STORES.
He merely issued his orders,
and insisted that they should be
Obeyed. Thus after destroying
the stores to prevent their falling
into the hands of the enemy (of
whose pursuit he did not doubt, J
the march was resumed Saturday.
the 18th of July, towards WILLIS
Greek. Ill judged SIS were these
orders, they met with but too
ready execution at the hands of
Dunbar, whose advice was neither
asked nor given on this occasion.
Thus, the great mass of stores
which had been brought hither
were destroyed. OF the artillery
but two six Founders were saved
the cohorns were broken or
buried, and the shells bursted.
One hundred and fifty wagons
were burned; the powder casks
were STAYED in, and their con
tents to the amount of $4,000
pounds were. cast into a large
spring, and the provisions were
scattered upon the ground or
thrown into the water Nothing
was saved beyond the actual ne
cessities for flying march, aud
when a party of the enemy some
time after appeared on the scene,
they completed the work of de-
struction 1t was not until Sun
day, July 18th, that all of this
was finished, and the army again
commenced its retreat.
Ever since the fight began,
Braddock had preserved stead
fast silence, unbroken save when
he issued the necessary com
MAIDS. That his wound was
mortal be knew, but he knew that
his fame had received a not less
l,.tai STAB, tddt his military repa
tatlon, dearer than his own life q