The FReeper Foxhole Remembers Gen. John Forbes & Fort Duquesne (1758) - May 26th, 2005

Military History Magazine. | December 2001 | James P. Myers

[Professional Engineer]

I have my house 98% packed up and now just need the rain to stop for a few days so I can haul it south!

Yer gonna move the WHOLE HOUSE? Vey cool!

[Professional Engineer]

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!

[PhilDragoo]

The Fort Pitt Museum

The Fort Pitt Museum is located in a re-created eighteenth century bastion of the famous British fort on the forks of the Ohio River in Point State Park, Pittsburgh. On this point the British and French erected the fortifications that protected their claims to the early West and the Indian trade. The exhibits recount the struggle that exploded into the French and Indian War and develop the story to the founding of Pittsburgh.

The area known today as Point State Park was extremely valuable in the mid-1700s. For the French, the Ohio River represented the only way to connect their colonies in New France (present day Canada) to their colonies in Louisiana. By controlling the Ohio River, the English would be able to expand their Colonial power beyond the Appalachian Mountains. During the French and Indian War, both colonial powers were willing to sacrifice human lives and enormous amounts of money for the control of this valuable piece of land. Caught in the middle between the two of Europe’s most powerful nations, Native Americans strove to preserve the culture and the lands they knew.

In April of 1754, a force of 500 French troops and Native Americans overwhelmed a small Colonial garrison at Fort Prince George, taking the Point without a single shot being fired. Afterwards, the French began construction of Fort Duquesne. On May 28th 1754, a small group of Colonial troops led by Major George Washington fired on a group of French soldiers in an event known as the Jumonville Affair. In retaliation, 900 French and Indian soldiers attacked Fort Necessity, forcing Washington to surrender on July 4th 1754. General Edward Braddock led the first direct attack on Fort Duquesne; the attack ended at the Battle of the Monongahela where two thirds of Braddock’s 1,500 troops were killed or wounded in a devastating defeat. Finally, an army of over 6,000 British and Colonial soldiers led by General John Forbes reclaimed the Point once and for all for the British Empire on November 25, 1758.

Once General Forbes secured the Point, he renamed Fort Duquesne, Pittsborough in honor of the Prime Minister of England, William Pitt. Fort Pitt, as it was named, became one of the largest English strongholds in North America. Though never attacked by the French, Native American forces from May 27 to August 9, 1763 besieged Fort Pitt. Only Fort Pitt, Fort Ligonier, and a handful of other outposts on the frontier successfully withstood the Native American attacks during the conflict known as Pontiac’s War. Colonel Henry Bouquet led British troops in a victory over Native American forces in the Battle of Bushy Run, thereby lifting the siege on Fort Pitt.

By 1772, the British military presence on the frontier was downsized and Fort Pitt was evacuated. The fort was sold to William Thompson and Alexander Ross for £50 New York currency. It remained vacant until 1774 when Virginia began to actively enforce its claim to the region “west of Laurel Hill.” John Connolly acted on behalf of the Virginia government, claiming the fort, rebuilding it, and renaming it Fort Dunmore, in honor of Lord Dunmore, governor of Virginia (however, the name did not catch on). Pennsylvania authorities clashed with Connolly and the Virginia supporters through May 1775.

When word of the battles of Lexington and Concord reached Pittsburgh in May 1775, both Pennsylvania and Virginia supporters were able to work together in support of the American Revolution. Conferences with Native Americans were held at Fort Pitt, establishing neutrality with the regional native American nations. Fort Pitt was maintained by the revolutionary government of Virginia until 1777. In that year regional attacks from British allied Native Americans and American Loyalists increased to a level which prompted the Continental Congress to appoint General Edward Hand to take control of Fort Pitt, making it the headquarters of the Continental Army in the Western District.

Troops and supplies were gathered at Fort Pitt for the defense of the frontier. A series of campaigns would be led west from Fort Pitt. negotiations with regional Native American nations continued to be held at Fort Pitt. The first peace treaty ever signed by the United States occurred at Fort Pitt on September 17, 1778.

At the end of the American Revolution Fort Pitt and West Point were the only military fortifications maintained by the United States Army. Fort Pitt would continue to serve as a supply depot and base of operations until 1792. Its condition was so poor that Fort Fayette was built in that year to replace it. The fort was finally dismantled and salvaged. The ruins of Fort Pitt were used to build more permanent housing for the residents of Pittsburgh.

After years of only being a garrison town, the city of Pittsburgh began to develop by 1790. With frontier expansion booming, Pittsburgh became the gateway to the west during the eighteenth century. Because of the discovery of valuable natural resources in the area and reliable river passages, Pittsburgh’s industry and commerce exploded in the nineteenth century. Gristmills, printing shops, glassworks, and the iron industry flourished in the Pittsburgh area. Since Pittsburgh was and is an ideal location for river travel on the forks of the Ohio, millions of people heading west traveled through the area. With heavy river traffic, accessible natural resources, and diverse commerce and industry, Pittsburgh truly was the “Workshop of the World.” Twentieth century Pittsburgh continues to innovate and experiment with urban redevelopment. By creating clean, scenic areas such as Point State Park, Pittsburgh has become a worldwide example of a new age “renaissance” city.

Per this 231-year-old pay sheet my great-to-the-fifth grandfather was a supporter of the revolution, not a member of any cabal of quisling castrati compromisers.

As fate would arrange it our oldest brother the retired FoMoCo v.p. is ensconced with wife in the Pittsburg area.

1927 Ford Motor Company manufactures its 15 millionth Model T automobile

[Peanut Gallery]

It looked like rain this mornin, but we did not get anything substantive like yesterday's deluge.

check out http://www.calvarychapel.com/children/site/curriculum.htm
This is what I plan to use for Elfboy's Bible lessons this fall.

[snippy_about_it]

LOL.

[Valin]

I think I just hurt myself.

[Wneighbor]

Yer gonna move the WHOLE HOUSE? Vey cool!

Wellllll.....this house is larger and newer than the old farmhouse down by The Ranch.......

[Wneighbor]

I think we got your deluge today. Had company and didn't hear the weather report tonight so I don't know how much rain - but it was more than I saw the entire first 2 years I lived here.

I like the look of that curriculum. You'll have to keep us updated about how it goes!

BTW - one job I interviewed for in Alabama last week is one I think I would really like. Could you send up a little prayer for favor for me?

[Peanut Gallery]

consider it done :-)

[Wneighbor]

Thank you ma'am. That particular job would be at Redstone. I would be working on things that I know the Foxhole would love. Defense things like my son-in-law works on. My gosh, I could be making a CONTRIBUTION!!! I would love it. It would be providing a service and safety to soldiers in my own small way. Nothing spectacular, but finally doing a part for the country myself in a small way!

I would love this job. I think I would do an excellent job. I definitely know that I have the skills they are asking for and would be a benefit to the company. It's a civilian contractor. I'm just not sure they realized I'm up to it. I know I am. Seemed like they thought the field work might be more than I could handle. They were talking about being in the field some and dealing with inclement weather. I told 'em I'd ridden my Harley at 70 MPH in the kind of conditions they described. I don't know if that sounded good or bad. But, it's true. You know, us elves don't *appear* as though we can handle those kind of things - you don't know how tough we are till you see us do it.

Heh, it also makes me laugh when they ask about ability to multi-task. I always just want to say, "you just don't know what it's like being a single mom do you?" I don't say that. I give more "professional" answers. Heh, I've never had a professional situation that required as much juggling of tasks as single-working-mom. LOL

[Peanut Gallery]

The job sounds like something really good for you as well... A good match. Of course, we would rather you be around here, but I know how important it is to you that you are near to your babies.

Just have 6 more lessons to print and I will have done the Genesis lessons for next year. There are 33 of them. I may just make next year only on Genesis. I don't exactly want to start Exodus and have school end three weeks later. I really plan on letting him work at his own pace, but I figure one lesson per week is gonna do it.

[Wneighbor]

Well, I was lookin' at those lessons and I thought they might be a bit aggressive for a whole year at elfboy's age. But, I know also that Myranda enjoyed reading Exodus at age 8 and her public school teacher told me I shouldn't have her reading KJV. But, realisitically, he's way ahead just to have that study of Genesis in one year. Very good.

Yeah, that job sounds like a dream job to me. And the visit with the kids last week make me *really* want to live in Alabama. But, I think I'm fixing to head out to Arizona for a few weeks now... and looking at *gasp* a place in Mexico. Thought about Mexico for a while last year, am thinking about it again. In the mean time, I'm going to check out some places in Tucson, Phoenix and Flagstaff. Have relatives there. We'll see.

But, yeah, I really would take that particular job in Alabama in a heartbeat. Sending packages to troops is rewarding to me. But, working on systems to help troops sounds even better. LOL And with that job - I could be sending *more* packages to troops than I have been!

[Peanut Gallery]

Mexico? I don't speak Spanish anymore. don't plan to either. Wouldn't that be a turn of the tables... Mexico outsourcing to US.

I plan on using the Spalding Method for elfboy's writing/reading/spelling/grammar. I am just getting into the meat of it myself, but have been eager to use this with him for almost two years. He already reads very well (almost 2nd grade level in Kindergarten), but his handwriting and spelling are not what I would like them to be.

By the time he learns all of his phonograms (there are 70 of them ~ roughly take three weeks), he should be able to read at a 3rd grade level, which... is the level that the NKJV is written. These Bible lessons should be right on for his ability.

[Wneighbor]

By the time he learns all of his phonograms (there are 70 of them ~ roughly take three weeks), he should be able to read at a 3rd grade level, which... is the level that the NKJV is written. These Bible lessons should be right on for his ability.

That's interesting. It was Myranda's 3rd grade teacher who pitched to most horrible fit when I mentioned that she was reading Exodus in KJ. That ignorrant lady made it sound like I was abusing my child or something, but Myranda loved it. She liked the story and she felt a great sense of accomplishment at being able to read every other chapter herself (we took turns.)

I don't konw what the Spalding Method is. Guess that's what I get for not homeschooling. LOL. But, it sounds like it's excellent for you and elfboy considering the results you anticipate.

[Peanut Gallery]

The Spalding method is an intense phonics program, where in the beginning, the kids learn 4 phonograms (sound/spelling) a day, minimum. The ABC's are the first 26 (/a/ = map, lake, all) . When they learn 45 of them, they get to start their spelling words from the Extended Ayers list. elfboy will end up learning to spell 30,000 words instead of memorizing about 900 sight words by the third grade.

http://www.spalding.org/index.php?tname=method

[Iris7]

Well, Well. Looks like we are cousins. Maybe about 4rth when you add up the tiny slices, but maybe more.

[Iris7]

Howdy, Texas lady,

There was quite a spell when "progress" was worshipped and people were ashamed of their ancestors. My parents were deep into it. This point of view, call it "progressivism", call it the modern plague, call it Leftism, was not yet very fashionable (except back east) in 1880 when my mother's father was born. The attempt to trash the past is mostly a 20th Century thing. Anyway, most family history has been willfully forgotten. Quaint, don't you know, embarrassingly not modern. Likely the generation born after WWI disrespecting their parents, since their parents were so old fashioned.

The records were hazy, the best thing I found were a family bible and some letters from before the WBTS. This stuff does not go back very far, not even 18th Century. That old graveyard opened my eyes.

[Wneighbor]

The Spalding method is an intense phonics program, where in the beginning, the kids learn 4 phonograms (sound/spelling) a day, minimum.

Sounds great to me. I know Jill learned some good phonics method. Her babysitter started teaching her when she was about 3 or 4. By 4 she was reading her storybooks to me. She's always been one of those that excelled though.

I think Myranda didn't get it from school. I think she learned to read cause I had her sounding out words when we read together at night. Fortunately, Myranda LOVES to read. She was one of those kids who had to learn everything through sheer determination and still I was happy when we had no D's or F's on the report card. I always knew she'd do well in the workforce though because of that dogged determination.

[Wneighbor]

All that you've dug up and learned about your family makes for really interesting reading. I'm glad you share that with us.

I guess I was more fortunate in that I heard lots of stories as I grew up. Difference may have been that I was raised by grandparents. My grandparents lived near both their mothers who were still living so I also knew my great-grandmothers and loved to listen to their stories.

Those 2 great grandmothers were born in the same year 1889. One was 2nd generation immigrant from Scotland so there were interesting "exotic to me" stories there. The other great g'ma was born from the marriage of a Scots immigrant and a native American. Again - interesting stories there for a kid. Loved it all my life. :-)