Bushy Run Battlefield Park is a historical park that is operated by the

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) is the governmental agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania responsible for the collection, conservation and interpretation of Pennsylvania's historic heritage. The commission cares fo ...

(PHMC) and th
Bushy Run Battlefield Heritage Society
on in Penn Township, Westmoreland County,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

in the United States. It was the site of the

Battle of Bushy Run The Battle of Bushy Run was fought on August 5–6, 1763, in western Pennsylvania, between a British column under the command of Colonel Henry Bouquet and a combined force of Delaware, Shawnee, Mingo, and Huron warriors. This action occurred du ...

fought on August 5–6, 1763 during the

Pontiac's Rebellion Pontiac's War (also known as Pontiac's Conspiracy or Pontiac's Rebellion) was launched in 1763 by a loose confederation of Native Americans dissatisfied with British rule in the Great Lakes region following the French and Indian War (1754–176 ...

. The battle was a major victory for the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

and enabled them to secure their control of the

Ohio River Valley The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illinoi ...

and what was to become the Northwest Territory. Bushy Run Battlefield Park was established as a Pennsylvania State Park in the 1920s and became a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 1960. The Visitor Center is open Wednesday through Saturday from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm, and Sunday from noon to 5:00 pm, during the months of May–October. The Visitor Center hosts a museum exhibit entitled, "The March to Bushy Run", a theater, a gift shop and battlefield tours. Bushy Run Battlefield Park is the only historic site or museum that deals exclusively with Pontiac's Rebellion. Battle reenactments are held annually on the first full weekend of August. The park is on

Pennsylvania Route 993 Pennsylvania Route 993 (PA 993) is a state highway located in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 130, PA 130 in Trafford, Pennsylvania, Trafford. The eastern termin ...

near Harrison City and Jeannette.

Battle history

The Battle of Bushy Run was fought between a British relief column under the command of Colonel

Henry Bouquet Henry Bouquet (born Henri Louis Bouquet; 1719 – 2 September 1765) was a Swiss mercenary who rose to prominence in British service during the French and Indian War and Pontiac's War. He is best known for his victory over a Native American ...

and a combined force of

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

Shawnee The Shawnee are an Algonquian-speaking indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands. In the 17th century they lived in Pennsylvania, and in the 18th century they were in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, with some bands in Kentucky a ...

, Mingo, and Huron warriors. In July 1763, a British relief column consisting of 500 British soldiers was sent to relieve Fort Pitt, then under

siege A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characteriz ...

. Under the command of Bouquet, the column left Carlisle, Pennsylvania. On August 5, while passing through present-day

Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Westmoreland County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 364,663. The county seat is Greensburg. Formed from, successively, Lancaster, Northumberland, and later Bedford co ...

, the column was

ambush An ambush is a long-established military tactic in which a combatant uses an advantage of concealment or the element of surprise to attack unsuspecting enemy combatants from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind mo ...

ed by a large force of Delaware, Shawnee, Mingo, and Huron east of Fort Pitt. The British managed to hold their ground and, after the natives withdrew after sunset, Bouquet ordered a

redoubt A redoubt (historically redout) is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, although some are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldi ...

, made of sacks of flour, constructed on Edge Hill placing their wounded and livestock in the center of the redoubt. The following morning, after the evening sentries were being relieved, the allied tribes attacked only to be ambushed themselves by the relieved sentries. As the tribal forces were flanked, the warriors fled in a disorganized retreat. With troops under Bouquet, the column dispersed the attackers before heading to Bushy Run, where there was badly needed water. The battle has since been attributed to Bushy Run despite the main fighting taking place in Edge Hill. Bouquet then marched to the relief of Fort Pitt. The battle was costly with 50 British soldiers killed. The confederacy of the Delaware, Shawnee, Mingo, and Huron also suffered an unknown number of casualties including two prominent Delaware chieftains.

Park history

The battlefield was acquired by the state and established as a state park in the 1920s. In August 2009, the state closed several PHMC museums indefinitely due to a lack of funding as part of an ongoing budget crisis. Bushy Run Battlefield was one of the sites set to be closed. With the help of the Bushy Run Battlefield Heritage Society, the site's volunteer organization, the museum has stayed open despite budget cuts. On May 5, 2010 the Bushy Run Battlefield Heritage Society came to an agreement with the PHMC to allow the volunteers to staff and operate the museum.Barcousky, Len
Tours to continue at Bushy Run Battlefield
. ''

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the Alle ...

'' (06 May 2010).

References

External links

Bushy Run Battlefield official site
{{Authority control National Register of Historic Places in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Parks in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Open-air museums in Pennsylvania National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania Pontiac's War Museums in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Military and war museums in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania state historical marker significations Conflict sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania

Battle history

Park history

See also

References

External links