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John Forbes was born around 1707 and commanded the Scots Greys from 1750 to 1757. He gained fame after that date when he was promoted to Brigadier-General and made Adjutant General in America during the Seven Years War. He fought against the French and led the force that captured Fort Duquesne on the Ohio River despite being so ill that he had to be carried in a litter. He re-named the fort Pitts-Bourgh, and stated that in his report to London. So the city of Pittsburg owes it's name to John Forbes of the Scots Greys.
The historian John Oliphant has written a biography of him titled John Forbes: Scotland, Flanders and the Seven Years' War 1707-1758 in which he says 'Research in London, Edinburgh and California has revealed a complex personality, a man of great intelligence, outstanding courage and powerful affections, with a love of words and a taste for irony.' The painting is owned by the regiment and was painted by T Robertson Aikman.
1735 Cornet 5 July |
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