Washington’s Western Department

Though much has been written about the American Revolution, much less has been written on its western front. The war effort west of the Appalachians consisted of fewer than 1,000 Continental troops trying to wrest control of 250,000 square miles of forest from a small number of British troops and their Indian allies fighting to keep the land. The garrison at Fort Pitt in Western Pennsylvania comprised the bulk of federal forces in the west, paltry armies serving under abysmal conditions, and with little success. Despite this, a colorful collection of heroes and leaders emerged who endured long enough to establish a presence that facilitated future westward expansion for the United States. This book presents this underreported and unique conflict in full historical detail, with an emphasis on Washington’s personal experience in the west and his relationship with Continental Army officers he selected to command his Western Department.

Gary S. Williams is a retired librarian who often writes about early frontier history. He lives in Wintersville, Ohio.

Gary S. Williams
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 195
Bibliographic Info: 13 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2024
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9301-9
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5417-1
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments  v
Preface  1
Introduction: 1753–1774  5
One. Lord Dunmore 1774  21
Two. Connolly 1775  34
Three. Morgan 1776  47
Four. Hand 1777  58
Five. McIntosh 1778  74
Six. Brodhead I 1779  91
Seven. Brodhead II 1780  104
Eight. Gibson 1781  119
Nine. Irvine 1782  132
Conclusion: 1783–1794  147
Chapter Notes  165
Bibliography  173
Index  179