Braddock Grave

Braddock's monument is seen in the background and his original grave site is a short walk away.

NPS

Quick Facts

Location:

One mile west of Fort Necessity, 3258 National Pike, Farmington, PA

Significance:

The burial places of General Edward Braddock

Designation:

National Register of Historic Places

Amenities

4 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information Kiosk/Bulletin Board, Parking - Auto, Parking - Bus/RV

British General Edward Braddock died from a wound he had received four days prior and was buried in the middle of the military road his army was retreating on. This location is open year round (with no winter maintenance) and includes a ¼ mile walking trail and interpretive signs.

The Battle on the Monongahela (July 9, 1755) did not go well for the British under General Braddock’s command. After a four-hour fight Braddock was shot in the lung and he called a retreat. The army had taken heavy casualties and limped back along the road they had just built. The demoralized general died on July 13, 1755.

Fearing that their enemies, the French and their American Indian allies, might desecrate Braddock’s body if they could find it, they buried him in the middle of the earthen road to hide his grave.

In the early 1800s, workers fixing the road found his remains and moved them a short distance to a new burial spot. The monument marking the new site was added in 1913.

Today visitors can see both the original burial location in a trace of Braddock's Road from 1755 and the location of his reinterment on the nearby hill. Follow the link to learn more about the Braddock campaign.

• Braddock's Grave

  
  

  An audio clip from the self guided tour that describes what you may see at Braddock's Grave
  Audio Transcript

  One year after George Washington surrendered at Fort Necessity, the British launched a three-pronged attack to remove the French from what they considered British territory in North America. General Edward Braddock, a veteran of the elite Coldstream Guard, was the overall commander of the operation. He personally led the force to Ft. Duquesne at the forks of the Ohio river. He commanded a large army, and had supplies and gunpowder necessary to besiege and destroy the fort. Aware of this, the French chose to leave the fort and meet the British in the open. On July 9th, 1755, the two forces collided along a wooded road about six miles from Fort Duquesne. Unprepared for battle, the British force fell into disarray and was routed. General Braddock was mortally wounded and died during the retreat.

  Washington, Braddock’s aide de camp, managed the retreat. He buried Braddock in the middle of the road and had the retreating army march over the grave to hide it from the pursuing warriors. Braddock’s remains were discovered some fifty years later and moved to the top of a nearby knoll where the monument now stands. As you cross the ravine on the way to the monument, you can find the original burial site about 25 yards down the ravine to your right.