Lessons from the Braddock's Defeat- July 9

On July 9th 1755, British General Edward Braddock led a column of British regular troops and militia from the American colonies totaling 1300 men on an expedition to capture French held Fort Duquesne (Located where Pittsburgh now is) during the beginning of the French and Indian war.

Soon Braddock’s main column came under fire from French and Indian forces totaling 300 hiding in the woods. Braddock’s men were marching in a column on a narrow road and the officers found it difficult to form the men in firing lines due to the withering fire coming out of the woods. When the column’s advance troops fell back into the main column, confusion ensued. Officers tried to reform the units into regular lines on the narrow road only to make for easy targets. French and Indian forces continued to attack the British flanks until Gen. Braddock was shot off his horse (and later died). The subornate officers failed to give clear command and the resistance weakened. Virginia militia Colonel George Washington, then only 23 years old and an aide to Gen. Braddock formed a read guard with the colonial militia that allowed the British to withdraw from the field.

The British suffered 456 killed and 422 wounded, while French and Indian causalities were 23 killed and 16 wounded.

What spiritual lessons can we learn from Braddock’s defeat?

1) Victory is not assured until the end – Braddock was ten miles from Fort Duquesne when the battle began. Most historians agree that the French would have had to surrender the post if the British arrived there. Paul compared the Christian journey as a marathon, and only finishing the race matters. “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Matt 24:13)

2) Changing situations require changing tactics – The British were used to massing men and fighting in the open fields of Europe. North America presented dense forests and the French learned to fight “Indian style”, i.e. fighting from the woods using the element of surprise. It has been written Braddock’s dying words were “We shall better know how to deal with them another time”. As Christians, we find comfort in “tried and true” methods, but we must be open and adapt to the changing landscape we encounter. Paul wrote “To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some” (I Cor. 9:22)

3) It is easy to lose your way in the heat of battle – When the chaos of battle started, men broke ranks and started to collide with each other. Junior officers failed to instill calm in their panicking men so they could follow instruction. As Christians, we tend to panic and try to reason things out when we are under duress. We must learn to pause and listen to the Holy Spirit for direction. We must remain calm on the battlefields of life.

4) Today’s defeat can be a stepping-stone to tomorrow’s victories – Many famous men were part of Braddock’s beaten column. George Washington was deemed not worthy of a commission in the regular British army, so he accepted a commission in the Virginia militia. A year earlier, he had surrendered Fort Necessity to the French. Though not in the official chain of command, he took charge once Braddock was killed and his actions kept the column from complete annihilation. The frontiersman Daniel Boone (who became a folk hero) and Revolutionary war hero Daniel Morgan were also attached to the column. As Christians, we tend to take setbacks hard. We want to quit trying anymore and our gifts and talents lie dormant. We must learn the lessons from our failures and setbacks so they become reference points for future victories over the forces that battle our souls.