Editing Braddock Expedition (section)

==Background==
Braddock's expedition was part of a massive British offensive against the French in North America that summer. As [[commander-in-chief]] of the [[British Army]] in America, General [[Edward Braddock]] led the main thrust against the [[Ohio Country]] with a column some 2,100 strong. His command consisted of two regular line regiments, the [[44th (East Essex) Regiment of Foot|44th]] and [[48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot|48th]], in all 1,400 regular soldiers and 700 provincial troops from several of the [[Thirteen Colonies]], and artillery and other support troops. With these men, Braddock expected to seize [[Fort Duquesne]] easily, and then push on to capture a series of French forts, eventually reaching [[Fort Niagara]]. [[George Washington]], promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel of the [[Virginia Regiment]] on June 4, 1754, by Governor [[Robert Dinwiddie]],<ref>Longmore, ''The Invention of George Washington,'' University of Virginia Press, 1999, p. 20</ref> was then just 23, knew the territory and served as a volunteer [[aide-de-camp]] to General Braddock.<ref>Some accounts state that Washington commanded the regiment on the Braddock Expedition, but this is incorrect. Washington did command the Virginia Regiment before and after the expedition. As a volunteer aide-de-camp, Washington essentially served as an unpaid and unranked gentleman consultant, with little real authority, but much inside access.</ref> Braddock's Chief of [[Reconnaissance|Scouts]] was Lieutenant [[John Fraser (frontiersman)|John Fraser]] of the Virginia Regiment. Fraser owned land at [[Turtle Creek (Monongahela River)|Turtle Creek]], had been at [[Fort Necessity]], and had served as Second-in-Command at [[Fort Prince George]] (replaced by Fort Duquesne by the French), at the confluence of the [[Allegheny River|Allegheny]] and [[Monongahela River]]s.

Braddock mostly failed in his attempts to recruit Native American allies from those tribes not yet allied with the French; he had but eight [[Mingo Indians]] with him led by George Croghan, serving as scouts. A number of Native Americans in the area, notably [[Lenape|Delaware]] leader [[Shingas]], remained neutral. Caught between two powerful European empires at war, the local Native Americans could not afford to be on the side of the loser. They would decide based on Braddock's success or failure.

===Expedition strength===
According to returns given June 8, 1755, at the encampment at [[Fort Cumberland (Maryland)|Will's Creek]].

;His Majesty's Troops
{| class="wikitable"
! align="left" width="400" | Regiment
! align="left" width="55" | Officers present
! align="left" width="55" | Staff present
! align="left" width="55"| Sergeants present
! align="left" width="55"| Drummers and effectives present
! align="left" width="55"| Wanting to complete the establishment
|-
| [[44th Foot]] || 33 ||5 || 30|| 790 || 280
|-
|[[48th Foot]] || 34|| 5|| 30|| 704|| 366
|-
|Capt. John Rutherford's Independent Company, New York || 4 || 1 || 3 || 93 || –
|-
|Capt. [[Horatio Gates]]'s Independent Company, New York || 4 || 1 || 3 || 93 || –
|-
|[[British Army Independent Companies in South Carolina|Detachment from South Carolina]], commanded by Capt. Paul Demeré || 4 || 0 || 4 || 102 || –
|-
|Source:<ref name=Pargellis/>
|-
|}

;[[Royal Regiment of Artillery]]
Detachement under Capt. Robert Hind

{| class="wikitable"
! colspan=8|Military branch present
|-
! align="left" width="55" | Officers
! align="left" width="55" | Surgeon
! align="left" width="55"| Sergeants
! align="left" width="55"| Corporals and [[Bombardier (rank)|Bombardier]]s
! align="left" width="55"|[[Gunner (artillery)|Gunner]]s
! align="left" width="55"|[[Matross]]es
! align="left" width="55"|Drummer
! align="left" width="55"|Total
|-
| 7||1|| 2|| 10|| 18 || 32 || 1 || 70
|-
! colspan=8|Civil branch present
|-
! align="left" width="55" | [[Wagon master]]
! align="left" width="55" | [[Master of Horse]]
! align="left" width="55"| [[Commissary]]
! align="left" width="55"| Assistant Commissary
! align="left" width="55"|[[Conductor (military appointment)|Conductor]]s
! align="left" width="55"|[[Armed-forces artificer|Artificer]]s
! align="left" width="55"|N/A
! align="left" width="55"|Total
|-
| 1||1|| 1 ||1 || 6|| 12 ||n/a || 22
|-
|Source:<ref name=Pargellis>Pargellis, Stanley (1936). ''Military Affairs in North America 1748–1765.'' The American Historical Association, pp. 86–91.</ref>
|-
|}

;[[Provincial troops in the French and Indian Wars|Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina Troops]]
{| class="wikitable"
! align="left" width="400" | Troop or Company
! align="left" width="55" | Officers present
! align="left" width="55" | Staff present
! align="left" width="55"| Sergeants present
! align="left" width="55"| Drummers and effectives present
! align="left" width="55"| Wanting to complete the establishment
|-
|Capt. Robert Stewart's Virginia Light Horse || 3 ||0|| 2|| 33|| –
|-
|Capt. [[George Mercer (military officer)|George Mercer]]'s Virginia Artificers || 3 ||0|| 3|| 42|| 11
|-
|Capt. William Polson's Virginia Artificers || 3 ||0|| 3|| 50|| 3
|-
|Capt. Adam Stevens's Virginia Rangers || 3 ||3|| 3|| 53|| –
|-
|Capt. Peter Hogg's Virginia Rangers || 3 ||0|| 3|| 42|| 11
|-
|Capt. Thomas Waggoner's Virginia Rangers || 3 ||0|| 3|| 53|| –
|-
|Capt. Thomas Cocke's Virginia Rangers || 3 ||0|| 3|| 47|| 6
|-
|Capt. William Perronée's Virginia Rangers || 3 ||0|| 3|| 52|| 1
|-
|Capt. John Dagworthy's Maryland Rangers || 3 ||0|| 3|| 53|| –
|-
|Capt. Edward Brice Dobb's North Carolina Company || 3 ||0|| 3|| 72|| 28
|-
|Source:<ref name=Pargellis/>
|-
|}