This painting represents an officer of the Pennsylvania Regiment, a collection of militia drawn from British colonials, from the French and Indian War.  The Pennsylvania Regiment was active throughout the war, taking part in John Armstrong’s raid on the Delaware Indian settlements in Kittaning in the summer of 1756.  Delaware war parties were holding Pennsylvania settlers captive, and one of the objectives of the raid was to free them.  While only partially successful, the raid was a great morale boost to the Pennsylvanians and the Delaware war parties withdrew from the area.

In 1758, the British developed a grand strategy for reversing their setbacks in the French and Indian War.  One of the prongs of this offensive was to be a second drive on Fort Duquesne led by Brigadier General John Forbes.  Forbes convened a council of war at Fort Ligonier with such notables as George Washington to make plans for the expedition.  After cutting a new road through the western Pennsylvania wilderness and learning of the weakness of the French garrison at Fort Duquesne, Forbes sent the Pennsylvania regiment to attack the fort immediately, to be followed a few days later by his main army.  The French retreated, burning Fort Duquesne, and the British took possession of the area, renaming it Fort Pitt (the site of present day Pittsburgh).

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