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Name:
Forbes Road (The Clear Fields)
Region:
Laurel Highlands/Southern Alleghenies
County:
Somerset
Marker Location:
US 30 West of Jennerstown
Dedication Date:
January 30, 1952
Behind the Marker
Moving an eighteenth-century army required not only a large number of soldiers, laborers, and camp followers, but also a herd of livestock. The cattle, horses, and pigs that helped transport and feed an army needed food of their own, so access to forage was an important part of any route. Occasionally, the dense forest of western Pennsylvania gave way to open meadows that could serve this purpose.
The Clear Fields was one such spot along the
Forbes Road between Fort Bedford and Fort Ligonier. Located in modern Jenner Township, Somerset County, it became an encampment for troops (Tomahawk Camp) in the Forbes expedition in October 1758. A small fortification built on the site was known as Fort Dudgeon, but the remnants of that structure were later destroyed by strip mining.
The Clear Fields was one such spot along the
Forbes Road between Fort Bedford and Fort Ligonier. Located in modern Jenner Township, Somerset County, it became an encampment for troops (Tomahawk Camp) in the Forbes expedition in October 1758. A small fortification built on the site was known as Fort Dudgeon, but the remnants of that structure were later destroyed by strip mining.