Battle of Fort Duquesne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Fort Duquesne |
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| Part of the French and Indian War | |||||||
 This engraving by Alfred R. Waud shows the British taking over Fort Duquesne on November 25. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Natives | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| François-Marie Le Marchand de Lignery | James Grant (POW) John Forbes | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 500 natives and militia | 400 regulars 350 militia |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 8 killed; 8 wounded |
104 killed; 220 wounded; 18 captured |
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The Battle of Fort Duquesne was a fight during the French and Indian War. It happened on September 14, 1758. British forces attacked a French fort called Fort Duquesne. This fort was located where the city of Pittsburgh is today. The British attack failed, and they lost many soldiers.
The British wanted to take control of the Ohio Country. This area was important for trade and settlement. General John Forbes led a large British army of about 6,000 soldiers. Their goal was to push the French out of the Ohio River Valley. They also wanted to open a path to invade Canada.
General Forbes sent Major James Grant ahead with 850 men. Their job was to scout the area around Fort Duquesne. Major Grant decided to attack the fort on his own. He used old-fashioned European battle methods. But the French and their Native American allies were ready. They were led by François-Marie Le Marchand de Lignery. Grant's soldiers were surrounded and defeated. Major Grant was captured. The remaining British soldiers went back to Fort Ligonier.
Even though the French won this battle, they knew a much larger British army was coming. Many of their Native American allies left them. So, the French decided to leave Fort Duquesne. They blew up their gunpowder storage and burned the fort. This happened in November 1758. The French then left the Ohio Valley. British colonists later built Fort Pitt on the same spot.
Planning the Attack
General Forbes had between 5,000 and 7,000 soldiers. This included soldiers from Virginia led by George Washington. General Forbes was very sick during this time. He put his second-in-command, Lt. Col. Henry Bouquet, in charge of the army's advance. Bouquet was a Swiss officer. He agreed to let Major James Grant scout Fort Duquesne.
The Battle Begins
On September 11, 1758, Major Grant led over 800 men. They went to scout the area around Fort Duquesne. This was ahead of Forbes' main army. Bouquet thought the fort had 500 French soldiers and 300 Native Americans. He believed this force was too strong for Grant's small group to attack.
Grant arrived near the fort on September 13. He thought there were only 200 enemy soldiers inside. He sent 50 men to scout closer. These scouts saw no enemies outside the fort. They burned a storage building and returned to Grant's main position. This spot was about two miles (3 km) from the fort.
The next morning, Grant split his soldiers into several groups. One group, led by Captain McDonald, marched towards the fort. They played drums and bagpipes loudly. This was meant to trick the French into thinking it was the main attack. Another group of 400 men waited to ambush the French. They hoped the French would come out to fight McDonald's group. More soldiers, led by Virginian Major Andrew Lewis, hid near the army's supplies. They hoped to surprise any enemy attacking there.
A Surprise Attack
The French and Native American forces were much larger than Grant expected. They moved very quickly. They easily defeated Captain McDonald's decoy group. Then, they quickly attacked and defeated the group waiting to ambush them. Major Lewis's soldiers left their hiding spots to help. But the French and Native Americans had already taken higher ground. They forced Lewis's men to retreat.
The Native Americans used the forest to their advantage. They hid behind trees and thick bushes. Their heavy gunfire was very effective. The British and American soldiers could not shoot back well. In this one-sided battle, the British and American forces suffered many losses. They had 342 casualties. This included 232 soldiers from the 77th Regiment. Major Grant himself was captured. Five of the eight officers in Major Lewis's group were killed. One was wounded, and Lewis was also captured.
Despite the heavy losses, most of Grant's soldiers managed to escape. They rejoined the main British army under Forbes and Bouquet. The French and Native American forces had only 8 killed and 8 wounded.
James Smith, a frontiersman, wrote about the battle. He said Grant's Highlanders took a hill near the fort at night. The French and Native Americans did not know they were there. They found out when the British played drums and bagpipes at dawn. The French and Native Americans quickly surrounded Grant's soldiers. They hid behind trees while the Highlanders stood in close ranks. The French and Native Americans won with very few losses.
Today, a plaque on the Allegheny County Courthouse remembers the battle. The hill where the battle was fought is now called Grant Street in Pittsburgh.
French Leave Fort Duquesne
Even though the French won the battle, their commander, Lignery, knew his force was small. He had about 600 soldiers. He knew they could not hold Fort Duquesne against Forbes' main army. The British army was more than ten times larger.
The French stayed at Fort Duquesne until November 26. Then, the soldiers set fire to the fort. They left under the cover of darkness. The British and Americans rebuilt the fort. They named it Fort Pitt. They named it after William Pitt. He was the British prime minister who ordered the fort's capture. This location was very important for controlling the area.
