Fort Sur La Rivière Aux Boeufs

Fort Sur La Rivière Aux Boeufs. Gateway to Ohio Country. Fort le Boeuf Timeline , 1759 , French abandon and burn the fort. , 1759 , Fort Niagara falls to the British, leaving Fort le Boeuf vulnerable. , 1758 , Fort Duquesne falls to the British , 1756 , Completion of Fort Machault takes some pressure off Fort le Beouf. , 1755 , Support from Fort le Boeuf helps in repelling Braddock's threat against Fort Duquesne. , 1753 , December 11, George Washington visits the fort to demand French withdrawal. , 1753 , Fort construction begins in summer and is completed in fall , 1749 , Céloron conducts expedition into the Ohio River Basin., A Critical Link , The construction of Fort sur la Rivière aux Boeufs (Fort le Boeuf) was the second in a chain of four forts intended to connect Lake Erie to the Ohio River. Men and materials portaged to French Creek, where bateaux were used to transport them to French settlements in Louisiana., George Washington states that the bastions contained "... a Guard-House, Chapel, Doctor's lodging, and Commander's private store, 'round which are laid platforms for the cannon and men to stand on.", In December of 1753, George Washington paid a visit to the fort to inform the French commandant, Captain Jacques Legardeur de St. Pierre, that the British considered the French occupation of the territory to be an encroachment on British soil, and he demanded that the French leave. St. Pierre's refusal to withdraw led to armed hostilities between the parties the following spring.