General Forbes’ deputy Colonel Henry Bouquet oversaw the ongoing roadwork, construction of forts, and command of the troops. Bouquet commanded one of the four battalions - mixed with British regulars and colonial soldiers - making up Forbes’ 7,000-strong army. On August 2, 1758, Forbes ordered Bouquet and Washngton to open a road across the Allegheny Mountains to the Loyal Hanna Creek, extending his campaign road from Philadelphia across western Pennsylvania. The mountains were crossed with switch-backs - zig-zagging paths up the steep slopes. This gave the ox-drawn wagons and horse-drawn carriages a somewhat easier ascent with heavy supplies in tow. \
On August 15th, Forbes’ engineer, Ensign Charles Rohr, selected the future site of the next base - about halfway between Raestown and Fort Duquesne, at the Loyal Hanna Creek. Bouquet then sent Colonel James Burd’s detachment of 1,500 men to construct the store houses, palisade defenses, and prepare the road.
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