Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-09-19

paper, containing crcumstantial account of the I'M
psliant campaign of the Virginia Militia To Point
Pleasant in 1874, under the command of Gen. An
drew Lewis aud ofthe decisive victory in which it
resulted, written BY the late Col. John Stuart of
Grcenbrier, who officer III that campaign,
which paper enclose for your uses
EXTRACT.
= About the year 1850 or go. some families came
TO Greennricr aud made settlements, believing
that the Indians had ceased from war after
Braddocks Battle. But a party of about GO Indians
came upon them, killed all the men, and took Off
men and children to great number, in the year
lFb5.N The var terminated III 1854, by n treaty
held with the Indians under Col Boquette, British
officer who commanded an army marching from Fort
Pitt to destroy the Shawnee towns. Previous to
the conclusion of the Indian in 1864, they had
long harassed the people ON the frontiers oiPennsyl
vania and Virginia, and had been supported in the
predatory war by the French from Canada and on
the Ohio at Fort PItts NOW Fort Duquesne) aud
were the chief instruments with the French who cut
off the army OF Gen. Braddock, iii 1870. From the
year 1868 till 60, Greenbrier was quite uninfabited
when young man of the name of M' Clenahen and
myself, with few other young men, began some set
"ln the year i773, Gen. Andrew Lewis and his
brother Col. Charles Lewis, were representatives.
Audrew tor Botetourt, and Charles for Augusta
county, IN the General Assembly, held then in Will
hansourg under the government OF the Earl of Dun
more when an express arrived with information tina
The Shawnee Indians had killed all the white traders
III the nation and were making preparations to in
vaoe the frontiers, which then very thinly set
tied On this intelligence, they sent express to
me, to give notice 10 the people settled in Greenbr-
or TO be on their guard. Very utter, they came
ZIP the Kenawna, and killed Walter Kelly, WHO with
Col. John Fields from Cupeper county, were about
to make asettlement. Kelys family had Just set off
or Gscen6rer as they got notice of the hostile dis
position of the Indians, but heard the gus fire that
killed Kelly. The Indians came on to Grecnbrer
about two weeks afterwards, and killed his brother
VIM Kelly, and took his daughter prisoner on Mud
dy Creek. Ii was generally believed that British
agents had excited the Indians to make war on the
frontier people when the Indians killed the traders
as the plan Tor laying taxes the Americans was
then in agitation the British Parliament When
Gen. Lewis and his brother got the intelligence of
the Indians killing the traders, and their apparently
hostile disposition, plan OF expedition was con
certed between the Earl of Dunmore and the Lewises
TO prevent their depredations the frontier nhabi-
tants Their army was to be composed of volunteer
lita those under the Earl of Dunmore to be raised
10 tho county of Frederick, &c, those under Gen
Lewis IN Botetourt and the adjacent counties, and
those under Col. Charles Lewis in Augusta. The
northerR divisiou under his lordshp, was to take it's
route by Fort Pitt, and down the Ohiosto meet Gen
LEWIS party at the mouth of the Great Kena wba-
The southern division, under Gen. Lewis WIS IN n g
semble IN Greenbrier where Lewisburp now stands
then called Fort Savannah, and thence through tho
mountains and down the Kenawhn to its mouth
where the whole army to be embodied to proceed
thence tn the Shawnee towns. Gen. Lewis's army |
including his brothers troops, amounted to eleven
hundred men, who marched from Lewisbug on the
llth day September, 1874, and arrived at the mouth
OF tho keuawha about the 1st of October. On the
10th day of the month, while encamped there waiting
blie oIrlNaI Oh MS loruShlps troops, men
went out very early IN the morning to hunt deer and
discovered number of Indians who were Just risinr
Ia Their encampment and preparing to attack our
troops The Indians discovered these men, fired on
them, and killed one of them named Hickman and
the other escaped and got into camp lust before
sunrise He (named Mooney stopped before nv tent
door, ana discovered number of men collecting
around hlIn and heard him declare that he had seen
above five acres of ground covered with Indians as
slick as one could stand beside the other.
Gen Lewis ordered his brother to march out i'm
nlediately and attack the Indians. Two lines were
instantly formed of The companies commanded by the
oldest captains, one line ofhe Augusta troops under
Col Charles Lewis the other line with the eldest cap
Ials under Col. Wm Fleming ofthe Botetourt troops
Ihey met the Indians marching in the same order |
ABOUT one quuTter of mile from our camp where
Inc engagement commenced Col Lewis was soon |
Eiied and Col Fleming wounded; their troops were
GIVING way, but were soon aided by those running
Out OF the camp, at the lad of whom were Eiott's
Mooney and Ankles companies, and the Indians in
turn retIeated until they formed line from the bank
Oh Inc ONO to the hank Of the Kenawha, enclosinn
our army IN the point. The engagement lasted until
shutdown, IN winch we had seventy-five men killed
ana one hundred and forty wounded which was every
lfth man IN our army. The Indians rc-crossed tho
Ohio that night, after drappinr the mnst of their
siam out OF the field of battle. Our
men Scalped seventeen of the enemy the next morn
ing lhat were found on the field, and twelve men
were afterwards found covered with logs; some Of
their dead were seen floating down the river during
the time of the battle, which had been thrown into
Inc river TO conceal then-a disposition very preva-
tent among the Indians.
On the day before the battle, / commanded the
guard, and some scouts came down the river from
ms lordshps camp, express to Gen. Lewis, with or
ders TO cross the river and march his troops on 10
inc Shawnee towns, where he would meet us with
ms army. Among these men one lately n trader
81 with the Indians, of the name Of McCuoch with
whom, in cor pany with Capt Alexander bIcCana.
han, nal made some acquaintance in PHILADELPHIA
ABOUT two years before. On meeting Capt. MCLEAN,
anen IN our own camp. he enquired for me- and was
tolh that was on guard, where he came to sec me
In conversation asked him If the Indians would ven
tnre 70 hght us Yes, said he, you will get grinders
ana that before long, and repeating it, sWore that we
W9uld get grinders very soOn IL was afterwards
rtPnrcd that these scouts, who were all traders and
attached to the Indians, had seen them on their vnv
down the river, and had spoke with them. They re-
turned up the rVer tho evening before the battle and
the next day heard that one of the Indians had boi
lowed out that The whites had eleven hundred mon
nnd two thousand coming this being exactly our