Irene Stewart

Letters of General John Forbes relating to the Expedition Against Fort Duquesne Irene Stewart

General John Forbes (1707-1759) was a British Army officer most known for serving during the French and Indian War. The letters contained in this volume are from the Forbes Expedition he led, which was ultimately successful in capturing the French-held Fort Duquesne. The fort was established in 1754, located in what is Pittsburgh today. Ultimately, Fort Du Quesne (as it was originally known) would be destroyed by the British and replaced by Fort Pitt. The site was a highly trafficked trading post and in a strategic location, which resulted in it being constantly under attack. The Forbes Expedition took place in 1758, with the goal of capturing the fort. Forbes led somewhere between 6,000-8,000 soldiers, but had difficulty as he was quite ill with dysentery, so he relied on Lt. Col. Henry Boquet, his second in command. It was a very slow moving process, since the army had to construct roads and traverse the Allegheny Front. This inclusive collection of letters highlights military, medical and other facets of an important episode in American history. The new edition is dedicated to James Denton, enthusiast for American history and publisher of note.