Bullet's Defeat
Ligonier Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
French and Indian troops defeated a party of 100 Virginians under the command of Captain Thomas Bullet near here on May 22, 1759. Bullet and his troops were taking provisions from Bedford to Fort Ligonier when they were attacked. They suffered over 40 casualties and lost many of their supplies.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
In the spring of 1759, during the French and Indian War, the frontier of western Pennsylvania was a contested and dangerous supply corridor. Captain Thomas Bullet's party of about 100 Virginians was hauling provisions from Bedford to Fort Ligonier when French and Indian troops ambushed them near here on May 22, inflicting more than 40 casualties and seizing many of their supplies. Such raids on supply lines were a defining feature of the war in the Ohio Country.
Why it matters
Skirmishes like Bullet's Defeat shaped the struggle for control of the forks of the Ohio, a contest that decided whether Britain or France would dominate North America.
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Related people
- · Captain Thomas Bullet
Related events
- · French and Indian War
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Forbes Road, 1758, Fort Bedford to Fort Duquesne - Fort Ligonier (PLAQUE)
Ligonier, PA · est. 1930
Fort Ligonier was raised in 1758 by order of General John Forbes as the last major stronghold on the road to Fort Duquesne during the French and Indian War. Officers including Colonel Henry Bouquet and Colonel John Armstrong distinguished themselves here, and young Colonel George Washington, Colonel James Burd, and Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Mercer all served in the campaign that passed this way. The fort anchored the British advance through the Pennsylvania wilderness.
Fort Ligonier
Ligonier, PA · est. 1946
Fort Ligonier rose here in 1758 as a forward base for the Forbes Expedition, the British campaign that drove the French from the forks of the Ohio during the French and Indian War. Under Colonel James Burd its garrison beat back a French and Indian attack that October, and in 1763 it stood as the only small western fort never taken during Pontiac's War. From its shelter, Colonel Bouquet launched the relief that saved Fort Pitt.
Forbes Road, 1758, Fort Bedford to Fort Duquesne - Tomahawk Encampment (PLAQUE)
Jenner Township, PA · est. 1930
Part of the 1758 Forbes Road built during the French and Indian War, this point at the foot of Laurel Hill marks the Tomahawk Encampment on the army's push toward Fort Duquesne. Each such camp was a measured stage in General John Forbes's methodical advance, guarded and provisioned as the troops climbed the Alleghenies. The marker fixes the spot along the road running toward Fort Ligonier.
Forbes Road - The Clear Fields
Jenner Township, PA · est. 1952
When General Forbes weighed how to reach Fort Duquesne in 1758, open meadows like the Clear Fields along the Raystown Path tipped the balance. Ample forage for cavalry and draft animals led him to favor this northern route over Braddock's older road to the south — a logistical choice that shaped the whole campaign. Fort Dudgeon, known as Tomahawk Camp, stood a short way to the north.