Forbes Road - Fort Dewart
Allegheny Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
"The fort on the top of Allegheny Hill" was erected in 1758 during the Gen. Forbes expedition against Fort Duquesne. The site is marked half a mile northeast of here, near the head of Breastwork Run.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Perched atop Allegheny Hill, this fortification was thrown up in 1758 as part of General Forbes's methodical advance against the French at Fort Duquesne. Small forts and redoubts like this one secured the army's long supply line as it pushed west through the mountains, each a link in a chain of defended camps. The site of the works lies near the head of Breastwork Run.
Why it matters
Way-stations of the Forbes campaign, forts like this made possible the British capture of the Ohio forks, a turning point in the French and Indian War and in the opening of the trans-Allegheny frontier.
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Related people
- · General John Forbes
Related events
- · Forbes Expedition of 1758
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Forbes Road, 1758, Fort Bedford to Fort Duquesne - Fort Dewart McLeans' Encampment (PLAQUE)
Juniata Township, PA · est. 1930
This plaque marks Fort Dewart, one of the small fortifications built along the Forbes Road during the French and Indian War and garrisoned for several years. Constructed under Colonel Henry Bouquet, it guarded the army's line of march as it pressed westward toward Edmond's Swamp and, beyond, Fort Duquesne. Such posts protected supply trains crossing the rugged Allegheny highlands.
Forbes Road - Edmunds Swamp
Shade Township, PA · est. 1952
In 1758, during the French and Indian War, General John Forbes cut a new military road west toward the French stronghold at Fort Duquesne. This spot along the old Raystown Path — named for Indian trader Edmund Cartlidge — offered good grass to feed the army's horses, a vital consideration for a force hauling supplies through the Alleghenies. A nearby redoubt guarded the encampment.
Forbes Road, 1758, Fort Bedford to Fort Duquesne - Edmond's Swamp (PLAQUE)
Shade Township, PA · est. 1930
During the French and Indian War in 1758, British General John Forbes cut a road westward across the Pennsylvania mountains to strike the French at Fort Duquesne. This marker records the chain of encampments and supply forts strung along that route, positioning Edmond's Swamp relative to Stony Creek and Fort Bedford. The Forbes Road became a lifeline for one of the war's decisive campaigns.
Forbes Camp
Schellsburg, PA · est. 1947
In 1758 General John Forbes cut a new military road across the Pennsylvania mountains to strike the French at Fort Duquesne, where Pittsburgh now stands. His army halted at the Shawnee Cabins camp near this spot, one link in the chain of fortified camps that made the slow, methodical advance possible. The campaign ended with the French abandoning and burning the fort, opening the Ohio country to British control.