Fort Cumberland (Cumberland, Maryland)

Cumberland · Maryland · French and Indian War

Quick BriefCompleted in fall 1754 at the confluence of Wills Creek and the Potomac River by Maryland militia troops, Fort Cumberland began as a crude palisade structure under Captain John Dagworthy's command. Initially named Fort Mount Pleasant, it was renamed Fort Cumberland in 1755. The fort became a rally point for British forces under General Braddock in 1755 and served as the jumping-off point for his disastrous expedition against Fort Duquesne in present-day Pittsburgh.

History & Significance

Fort Cumberland was an important military and economic center during the French and Indian War (1754–63) and figured significantly in the early career of George Washington. The crude frontier fort was constructed in fall 1754 by troops of the Maryland militia, under the command of Captain John Dagworthy, and under the overall command of Colonel James Innes, the commander-in-chief of colonial forces at that time.

The fort was 400 feet by 120 feet and served as the logistical headquarters for the army under General Edward Braddock. As such, it was the largest military installation in North America up to that time, with 5000 men, women and children living and working at Fort Cumberland at the height of its power in June and July of 1755.

At the fort, Washington, a major in the Virginia militia, clashed with Captain Dagworthy over military rank and who should command, as Dagworthy held a royal commission in the Provincial Troops. Braddock's expedition ended in complete disaster in the Battle of Monongahela.

Eventually Fort Cumberland evolved into an earthen fort with twenty-foot-thick earthworks. The wood palisade fort is now gone, and occupying the site is the existing Emmanuel Episcopal Church, but the old fort tunnels still remain underneath.