Conestoga Wagons in Braddock's Campaign, 1755

The essay examines how Pennsylvania farm wagons, later identified with the Conestoga type, were gathered and employed to transport provisions for General Braddock's 1755 expedition, highlighting recruitment difficulties, payment disputes, and local resistance. It documents administrative responses, including advertisements, warrants, and supplemental payments by townships, and the strain these placed on farmers and teamsters. The study analyzes physical evidence and construction details such as strakes, wheel diameter, and tire methods to distinguish these lighter farm wagons from later heavy freighters. It also describes associated logistical problems—ferriage charges, empty return trips, and the need to protect road builders—situating the wagons within colonial transport and military supply practices.