The next stop on our trip was a couple of Frank Lloyd Wright properties and then off to our next battlefield. Specifically, the battle of Bushy Run, which was the last major fight of Pontiac’s War. This is a seldom known about conflict that took place between the French and Indian War and Revolutionary War.
“The British victory at Bushy Run was the critical turning point in Pontiac’s War. It also prevented the capture of Fort Pitt (Pittsburgh) and restored lines of communication between the frontier and eastern settlements. The British victory helped to keep the “gateway to western expansion” open.”
https://bushyrunbattlefield.com
The site is on a a large parkland that contains the battlefield, some monuments and a museum. There are also large walking trails and a picnic pavilion for the less historically concerned visitors. One of the interesting things about this battlefield, is you can get a tour guide that drives you around the battlefield on an extended golf cart! Well, nothing is better than getting a tour, so we opted for that option!
Our guide took us up the hill to the location of the battlefield monument. This area is where the native American tribes attacked the head of the British column. From this spot, you can see the high ground and back to where the British fell back.
From there, we drive down to where the British forces established their defensive position. It was a bit of a distance, so you can imagine the difficulty the British had in falling back and forming their cordon in an open area. At this location, there are a few more placards, another monument and some markers describing the defense and later counter attack that won the battle for the British. From there we took a scenic ride back to the museum for the next part of our visit!
- Manteuffel