Edward Braddock (1695-1755) was been born in Perthshire. He signed up for the Coldstream Guards in 1710, became a Major-General in 1754 and by 1755 was given command against the French in America. He had previously served in France with Admiral Lesstocks’ expedition to L’Orient (1746) and in the Netherlands under the Prince of Orange (1746-48).
On 8 July 1755 General Braddock and a force of 1,373 soldiers and 86 officers set off and reached Monongahela. The next day the column set off for Fort Duquesne (current day Pittsburgh). Before they reached the fort they were ambushed by 900 French and Indian soldiers who were well-hidden and in very strong defensive positions. Braddock lost four horses from under him before taking a wound that later proved to be fatal.
Only the intervention of George Washington, the only functioning officer, allowed some troops to make a safe withdrawal from combat. General Braddock made it as far as Great Meadows, 60 miles from the ambush, before succumbing to his wounds. Of the column under Braddock’s command 63 officers and 914 soldiers were either killed or wounded. The French forces suffered insignificant casualties.