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Braddock's Road: Mapping the British Expedition from Alexandria to the Monongahela
In 1755, Major General Edward Braddock and two army regiments set out from Alexandria with the objective of capturing Fort Duquesne, near present-day Pittsburgh. To transport their sizable train of artillery and wagons, they first had to build a road across the rugged Appalachian Mountains. It was almost 289 treacherous miles from Alexandria, Virginia, by way of Fort Cumberland in Maryland and on to the French fort; the road they built was one of the most impressive military engineering accomplishments of the eighteenth century. Historian Norman L. Baker chronicles the construction of the road and creates the definitive mapping of even those sections once thought lost. Join Baker as he charts the history of Braddock's Road until the ultimate catastrophic collision with the combined French and Indian forces.
194 pages, Hardcover
First published August 13, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 5, 2019
We travel Braddock's route several times each year, and in the past I have attempted to use the WPA Maryland road guide to provide some "Improbable History" to the drive from Baltimore to Cumberland, and on to Friendsville in Maryland. I am so delighted to have Norman Baker's guide now kept in my I-pad. In the 1950's living along the old National Road and driving to Pittsburgh, we had the markers speaking to Braddock's Road. My wife grew up in Cumberland and we were sure we had all of the story. Well, We did not. Norman Baker has done yeoman service taking original material and recreating the road from north of Winchester,Va to Cumberland then onto Braddock, Pennsylvania. You can use this as a step by step and truly appreciate the construction of a military road through the wilderness.
This year we will be stopping to walk the dog on those bits that remain, and are open for public access. Starting at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Cumberland and the site of the fort, we will head up the mountain through my wife's old neighborhood to reach Lavale. Then backtrack through the narrows and take the shorter route, The rest is the call of the historical road.
Thank you Norman Baker for doing all the hard work, spending the time in research, and plodding the route. It is greatly appreciated
What Baker also does very well is approach the topic of building a road, supplying an army, and the overall horror of providing logistics to the Braddock expedition. Benjamin Franklin and the Pennsylvania government are the best of the colonials, Horatio Sharpe of Maryland and Dinwiddie of Virginia are less than stellar in their support.
Highly recommend to any and all with an interest, and most importantly to those who live along the road.
This year we will be stopping to walk the dog on those bits that remain, and are open for public access. Starting at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Cumberland and the site of the fort, we will head up the mountain through my wife's old neighborhood to reach Lavale. Then backtrack through the narrows and take the shorter route, The rest is the call of the historical road.
Thank you Norman Baker for doing all the hard work, spending the time in research, and plodding the route. It is greatly appreciated
What Baker also does very well is approach the topic of building a road, supplying an army, and the overall horror of providing logistics to the Braddock expedition. Benjamin Franklin and the Pennsylvania government are the best of the colonials, Horatio Sharpe of Maryland and Dinwiddie of Virginia are less than stellar in their support.
Highly recommend to any and all with an interest, and most importantly to those who live along the road.
March 21, 2021
Baker uses empirical evidence and primary source documents to give impressive details in discovering the trace of General Braddock’s road. No where else have I found a better single-source that serves not only as a fine historical work, but a detailed guide to finding the remaining traces of the road built in 1755.
I’ve spent several hours in woodlines using this book and my professional experiences in terrain analysis. The rewards have been exceptional. I’ve even found traces missed, or not recorded, by the author. All to Baker’s credit, however.
If you are looking for details and a guide to see pieces of Colonial American history, which no one else notices, this book is for you.
I’ve spent several hours in woodlines using this book and my professional experiences in terrain analysis. The rewards have been exceptional. I’ve even found traces missed, or not recorded, by the author. All to Baker’s credit, however.
If you are looking for details and a guide to see pieces of Colonial American history, which no one else notices, this book is for you.
December 14, 2024
Excellent
November 16, 2013
Americans today have a tendency to remember General Edward Braddock as the British soldier who commanded an expedition that ended in disaster early in the French and Indian War in Pennsylvania.
What is less often recalled is the impressive engineering accomplishment that preceded the fatal battle.
To reach his target—the French fortification Duquesne at the forks of the Ohio River—Braddock needed to construct a road through nearly 300 miles of wilderness, much of it unfamiliar to his army. The road was necessary in order to move the troops, artillery and supplies required for the engagement.
The young George Washington was among his officers, and Braddock also had the assistance of Indian traders like Christopher Gist, other loyal frontiersmen and even some friendly Indians who knew the territory. Still, the engineering of the route was largely Braddock’s responsibility. And, as they progressed north and west, they never knew what obstacles lay ahead. More than once they were attacked by bands of French-allied Indians.
The final battle has been chronicled in articles and a number of books.
In this book historian Norman L. Baker has given his attention to the actual construction of the road and the definitive mapping of its route. Baker did hours of archival research. He also actually walked many miles on remnants of the road in his quest to determine its route.
Baker, a veteran of World War 2 and Korea, aerospace engineer and journalist/publisher, has compiled a volume that will be of interest to military buffs and historians and of value to future generations.
What is less often recalled is the impressive engineering accomplishment that preceded the fatal battle.
To reach his target—the French fortification Duquesne at the forks of the Ohio River—Braddock needed to construct a road through nearly 300 miles of wilderness, much of it unfamiliar to his army. The road was necessary in order to move the troops, artillery and supplies required for the engagement.
The young George Washington was among his officers, and Braddock also had the assistance of Indian traders like Christopher Gist, other loyal frontiersmen and even some friendly Indians who knew the territory. Still, the engineering of the route was largely Braddock’s responsibility. And, as they progressed north and west, they never knew what obstacles lay ahead. More than once they were attacked by bands of French-allied Indians.
The final battle has been chronicled in articles and a number of books.
In this book historian Norman L. Baker has given his attention to the actual construction of the road and the definitive mapping of its route. Baker did hours of archival research. He also actually walked many miles on remnants of the road in his quest to determine its route.
Baker, a veteran of World War 2 and Korea, aerospace engineer and journalist/publisher, has compiled a volume that will be of interest to military buffs and historians and of value to future generations.
April 23, 2016
I read this book since it was recommended by the author of "Braddock's Defeat," which I recently read and enjoyed. Being a bit of a map geek in addition to a history buff, I found the detailed descriptions of the army's route to be fairly interesting, although it was hard to follow without at least having Google Maps open beside me on my tablet.
The only really disappointing aspect was the quality of the included maps, which I'm sure was due to the low-volume, low-cost nature of this publication. The author originally had the route well mapped on large-scale topographical maps, but when you shrink portions of these maps to fit a small page in low-res grayscale, it's hard to discern any detail. There are contour lines, rivers and streams, modern roads, towns, etc. that are hard to tell apart from each other. Names of towns and other features are fuzzy and difficult to read, and in many cases I couldn't even tell which line actually marked the route of the army.
It will still be a useful book to take with me on my next trip to the area so that I can possibly see a section or two that still exist.
The only really disappointing aspect was the quality of the included maps, which I'm sure was due to the low-volume, low-cost nature of this publication. The author originally had the route well mapped on large-scale topographical maps, but when you shrink portions of these maps to fit a small page in low-res grayscale, it's hard to discern any detail. There are contour lines, rivers and streams, modern roads, towns, etc. that are hard to tell apart from each other. Names of towns and other features are fuzzy and difficult to read, and in many cases I couldn't even tell which line actually marked the route of the army.
It will still be a useful book to take with me on my next trip to the area so that I can possibly see a section or two that still exist.
February 1, 2016
Baker does a great job meticulously chronicling every inch practically of Braddock's famous and infamous road. He includes good maps and photos of the modern day look of the areas through the road passed.
It's really interesting to actually follow his study and find the traces of the road yourself.
The only problem I have is that the photos are black and white.
It's really interesting to actually follow his study and find the traces of the road yourself.
The only problem I have is that the photos are black and white.
July 5, 2016
This book is good if you are familiar with the land. Otherwise it's really hard to follow. The author corrected or confirmed the old traces of the British March toward Fort DuQuesne
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews