Fort Ligonier
Ligonier, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Built here 1758 as a base of Forbes expedition. Under Col. James Burd withstood French and Indian attack, Oct. 22, 1758. Only small fort in West not taken in Pontiac's War, 1763, it made possible Bouquet's rescue of Fort Pitt.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
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.
Why it matters
Fort Ligonier was a linchpin of the British conquest of the Ohio country, the sturdy anchor from which the contest for the American West was won and held.
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Related people
- · James Burd
- · Henry Bouquet
Related events
- · Forbes Expedition
- · Battle of Fort Ligonier
- · Pontiac's 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.
Bullet's Defeat
Ligonier Township, PA · est. 2003
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.
Twelve Mile Camp
Unity Township, PA · est. 1946
In 1758, as British and colonial forces cut Forbes Road through the wilderness toward the French stronghold at the Forks of the Ohio, a young George Washington helped set up an encampment near this spot. The rough military road was a decisive artery of the French and Indian War, opening the western country to armies and, later, settlers. A generation on, in 1774, Fort Shippen rose on the same ground as the frontier remained contested.
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.