I confess my knowledge of history is a little spotty, but my husband makes a hobby of it, so while on vacation we visited some spots where significantly important things happened during the creation of our country. One of those spots was where General Braddock is buried. Braddock was in the process of eking out Braddock’s Road, which would become National Road 40, when he was killed in battle in 1755, which, to those of you are historically challenged like myself, was before this was even a country. His assistant, Lieutenant Colonel George Washington, had him buried right where he died under the road so that his remains would be undisturbed.
We visited the glen where, with the aid of some Indians, Washington ambushed (though this is highly debated) a French scouting party, in the process killing a French guy named Joseph Coulon de Jumonville. This is said to have been the event that started the French and Indian war.
We also visited Fort Necessity (wouldn’t that be a great name for a home goods store? I digress.), which Washington, as a British officer, had built with some flaws. On a beautiful plain for grazing cattle and horses, it was too close to the forest which left them exposed when the French retaliated. Washington suffered great losses that rainy day 255 years ago. He would later buy land in this area, in hopes of seeing a tavern built on the national road to refresh pioneers moving west. Though he would not live to see its construction, Mount Washington Tavern stands as a monument to his wishes. Washington went on to become the first president of something or other, as well as a popular sitter for very large paintings.
Have a lovely weekend!
2 comments:
I love your vacation postings -- and the photos are wonderful. Perhaps you should add "travel" to your blog's niche.
I'm afraid I don't take enough of them at this point.
You are very much in my thoughts, Jane.
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