The only major expedition by Pennsylvania provincial forces in the French and Indian War, destroying a key Lenape raiding base at Kittanning.
Key Facts
- Date
- September 8, 1756
- Commander
- Lt. Colonel John Armstrong Sr.
- Conflict
- French and Indian War
- Target
- Lenape village of Kittanning
- Conducting Force
- Pennsylvania provincial troops
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Lenape Indian village of Kittanning in western Pennsylvania served as a primary staging point for raids against British colonial settlements in Pennsylvania. These attacks caused significant suffering among frontier colonists and demanded a military response from provincial authorities.
On September 8, 1756, Lieutenant Colonel John Armstrong Sr. led Pennsylvania provincial troops in a surprise dawn raid deep into hostile territory. The force attacked the Lenape village of Kittanning, destroying it in what became the only major offensive expedition mounted by Pennsylvania troops during the French and Indian War.
The destruction of Kittanning eliminated a key base of operations for Lenape raids against Pennsylvania settlements, temporarily reducing the threat to frontier colonists. The raid stands as the sole significant offensive action undertaken by Pennsylvania's provincial military forces throughout the brutal backcountry conflict.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
John Armstrong Sr..
Side B
1 belligerent