Fort Necessity National Battlefield - General Braddock's Grave

General Braddock's Grave

In a separate unit of the park, lying about one mile (1.6 km) northwest of the battlefield, is the grave of General Edward Braddock. The legendary British commander led a major expedition to the area in 1755 which included the construction of Braddock's Road, a useful but inadequate wilderness road through western Pennsylvania. Braddock was severely wounded in the Battle of the Monongahela as the British advanced toward Fort Duquesne. He and his forces fled along the wilderness road to a site near Great Meadows. Braddock died on July 13, 1755, and was buried in an elaborate ceremony officiated by George Washington. His grave was hidden by the British, hoping to keep the site's location out of the hands of the enemy. In 1804 Braddock's remains were discovered by men making repairs to the wilderness road. A fitting marker was erected in 1913.