APPENDIX No. VI. BRADDOCK'S LAST NIGHT IN LONDON. SINCE the preceding pages were in press, the editor has been referred to a passage in the "Apology for the Life of George Anne Bellamy" of too interesting a character to be entirely omitted; though, unfortunately, it is now impossible to introduce it in its proper connection. It seems that from her earliest youth Braddock had been the constant friend of this beautiful and accomplished, although sometimes frail, actress. He had, at her request, given the agency of his regiment to her putative husband, Mr. Calcraft; and on the eve of his departure he came, with Colonel Burton and Captain Orme, to take a last farewell. Miss Bellamy was at this time living, under a contract of marriage, with Mr. John Calcraft, as his "domesticated wife," and the mistress of an establishment in Brewer Street. "Before we parted," continues she, "the General told me he should never see me more; for he was going with a handful of men to conquer whole nations; and to do this they must cut their way through unknown woods. He produced a map of the country, saying, at the same time, 'Dear Pop, we are sent like sacrifices to the altar.' The event of the expedition too fatally verified the General's expectations. On going away, he put into my hands a paper, which proved to be his will. As he did not doubt my being married to Mr. Calcraft * he made him his sole executor; received as the usual perquisite (Vol. I. p. 194, Vol. V., p. 155.) * leaving me only the plate which he had from government on his nomination." This plate, which had, "besides the royal arms, a greyhound for the crest," the Treasury officers were so mean as to endeavor afterwards to recover, but were cast in the courts. What were the grounds of their demand is (417) 27 not known. The value of Braddock's estate was £7000 (Vol. V., p. 192). Certainly, the fate of "her second father" would appear to have brought no common shock to the mind of the fair Apologist; and we are indebted to her memoirs for a further anecdote: "This great man having been often reproached with brutality, I am induced to recite the following little anecdote, which evidently shows the contrary. As we were walking in the Park one day, we heard a poor fellow was to be chastised; when I requested the General to beg off the offender. Upon his application to the general officer, whose name was Dury, he asked Braddock, How long since he had divested himself of brutality and the insolence of his manners? To which the other replied, 'You never knew me insolent to my inferiors. It is only to such rude men as yourself that I behave with the spirit which I think they deserve.'" (Vol. III., p. 55.) In the same work (Vol. II., p. 129, Vol. III., pp. 116, 153), may be found some notices of Colonel Burton's first wife (Miss St. Leger, of Ireland) and her family. After her death, and while yet in this country, he became enamored of an Indian beauty; but he seems to have subsequently married an American lady. INDEX. Abandonment of Fort Du Quesne, Adams, Daniel, 251. Amherst, Sir Jeffrey, 260. Barrington, Hon. Samuel, 139. Battle-ground described, 219. Beckwith, Capt. John, 361. Bouquet attempts Du Quesne, 270. his instructions, 394; sails for, Camps, 331, 333, 335, 338, 340, | Duquesne, M. de, 29, 33, 35, 192. 341, 343, 344, 345, 346, 349, Canada, its resources, 37. Cholmondeley, Capt., 247. Cocke, Thomas, 329. Du Quesne, Fort; founded, 42; con- Edmestone, Lieut. William, 362. Coldstream Guards, 122; prices of Ettwein, Rev. John, 97. commissions, 124. Congress of Alexandria, 300. Contrecœur, M. de, 41, 221. Courts-martial, 358. Croghan, George, 309; his state- Cruelties of French, 260, 272. Expedition to Virginia determined on, 103; parliamentary supplies, Falconer, Lieut. Thomas, 361. Fausett, Joseph, 247. Fausett, Thomas, said to have killed Forbes, Brig. John, reduces Fort Fort Du Quesne, founded, 42; suf- Fort Necessity, capture of, 51, 57; Fort Pitt, 274. Franklin; his services to Braddock, 262. |