Bushy Run (Jeanette)
N 40° 18.652 W 079° 37.135
17T E 617354 N 4463176
State Historical Marker placed on US Route 30 (westbound) in Jeanette, Pennsylvania, commemorating Col Henry Bouquet’s victory against the Indians in 1763 in the Battle of Bushy Run.
Waymark Code: WMMXX
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 08/20/2006
Views: 71
MARKER TEXT: Four miles to the north, at Bushy Run, an army under Col. Henry Bouquet defeated the Indians Aug. 5-6, 1763. This raised the siege of Fort Pitt and opened the gateway for settlement of the West. It is now a State Park.
This is a complementary sign to the historical marker located in Delmont [See Bushy Run, WMBJR Waymark below) with identical text other than the location reference. The battlefield is located about 1 mile east of Harrison City on PA route 993 (coordinates N40º 21.346’ W79º 37.536’) See the Bushy Run Battlefield WMMXV Waymark below for hours of operation and admission.
From what we have read, there may be somewhat of a historical inaccuracy in this sign. According to Robert Middlekauff in “The Glorious Cause, The American Revolution 1763-1789” Pontiac’s War closed the “gateway for settlement of the West”:
”Pontiac’s Rebellion…strengthened official resolve in Britain to clamp down on the American westward movement. For years warnings had issued from American and knowledgeable English officials that the colonies were going to blunder into an Indian war.... [On] October 7, 1763, Grenville’s ministry issued the proclamation closing the West between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River to white occupation.” (Pg. 56 paperback edition)
According to Middlekauff, the British act backed with a permanent British Army occupation to enforce the proclamation and the resulting taxation to pay for the troops were kindling for the American Revolution a decade later.
For more information on the Battlefield see the website below. For more information regarding the history of the battle, see Kordite’s excellent write up in the Bushy Run Waymark (in Delmont) in the links below. There are several other good accounts in the other links.
LINKS:
Related Waymarks:
Bushy Run, WMBJR (In Delmont), By Kordite. Excellent historical account.
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visit link)
Bushy Run Battlefield, WMMXV:
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visit link)
Other Links:
“Broken Promises, Broken Dreams: North America ’s Forgotten Conflict at Bushy Run Battlefield”. By Jane Ockershausen at the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Website:
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“The Battle of Bushy Run... A French & Indian War Epilogue”. Mohican Press.
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Middlekauff, Robert. “The Glorious Cause.” At Amazon.com
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visit link)