Bradstreet, John

Bradstreet, John, c.1711–1774, British officer in the French and Indian Wars. A Nova Scotian, he was captured (1744) by the French and confined at Louisburg. After his exchange he described the weaknesses of the fortress, and in 1745 Sir William Pepperrell captured the stronghold. For his services in the expedition, Bradstreet was promoted to the rank of captain and made lieutenant governor of St. John's, Newfoundland, a post he held permanently. He led (1758) the successful expedition against Fort Frontenac, thereby cutting communications between the French forces in Canada and those on the Ohio River. Later he served (1759) under Lord Amherst at Ticonderoga and Crown Point. In Pontiac's Rebellion, Bradstreet commanded the forces that garrisoned (1764) Detroit and other Western posts.

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