Local History Comes Alive

Over a two-day period in August 1763, the fate of the future of Pittsburgh, and of the United States, was determined. The Battle of Bushy Run took place ten miles east of present-day Monroeville, near what is now Harrison City. The battle was a pivotal moment in the French and Indian War (1754-1763), which was actually fought between the French and the British for control of North America. (In Europe and Canada, it is called The Seven Years' war.)

The North American conflict began in 1754 with the battle for Fort Duquesne, where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers meet to form the Ohio River. The French, along with their Native American allies, controlled this important waterway, but the British felt they had the right to these lands and rivers. The first attempts by British troops to take control failed, but by 1758, the French would abandon the fort with the approach of General John Forbes's army. A new fort was soon built and named Fort Pitt, in honor of William Pitt, Britain's Minister of War.

In August 1763, Colonel Henry Bouquet was on his way to bring relief to Fort Pitt, which had been held under siege for two months by Indians. Bouquet and his troops set off from Fort Ligonier on August 4th. They camped along the trail that night and headed towards Bushy Run Station the following day.  After traveling seventeen miles, and only being about a mile away from Bushy Run, they were attacked by Indians.

Bushy Run Mounument

By nightfall, 60 of Bouquet's soldiers would be dead. The Colonel was unsure whether they would survive another day. He felt the only way they could defeat the Indians was by making them believe that the British were retreating. The idea was to get the enemy into the open where Bouquet's men could fight them. The next morning, August 6th, Bouquet met with his officers to inform them of his plan.

The plan worked. The Indians sustained a high number of casualties, but that didn't stop them from making one more attempt at attacking the British. However, the Indians were not successful. Despite suffering great losses, the British troops marched on towards Fort Pitt, where they were able to provide supplies and relief to the civilians and troops trapped in the fort.

To commemorate the 250th anniversary of this historical battle, the Bushy Run Battlefield Historical Site is hosting a three-day event (August 2-4), filled with activities, lectures, and a reenactment. Don't miss out on this educational and fun event.

To learn more about the Battle of Bushy Run, and other events during the French and Indian War, check out some of the books, DVDs, and websites below:


-- "Broken Promises, Broken Dreams: North America's Forgotten Conflict at Bushy Run Battlefield" (Pennsylvania Heritage Magazine)

-- "Events mark Bushy Run battle's 250th" (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)


-- Bushy Run Battlefield by David Dixon

-- The Battle of Bushy Run by Niles Anderson

-- War For Empire in Western Pennsylvania Edited by J. Martin West

-- War That Made America (DVD)


-- Post by Tracy