The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-01-23


knife. Several Of the white persons
We're then sacrificed to appease the
death Of Kishcpila; and a war dance
ensucd, accompanied with terrific
shouts and bitter denuaciations Of
revenge on the "Big Knife Warrior
This name was soon after spilled TO
The Virginia militia generally; and 70
this day they are known among the
northwestern Indians az the Long
Knives" or sBig Knife Nation"
These are believed to have been the
only attempts to effect a settlement Of
North Western Virginia, prior to the
close ofthe French war. The capture
Of Fort Du eucsne and the erection
and garrisoning Of Fort Pitt, al,houg'
they gave to,he English an asccndcncy
in that quarter, yet they did not SO
far check the hostile irruptious of the
Indians as to render residence in this
portion of Virginia By any means
secure. I. was Consequently not
attempted till some years after the
restoration OF peace in 1765.
The destruction of the Roanoke
settlement in the spring of 1857, by a
party Of Shawnnees, gave rise to the
campaign which was called by the old
settlers the "Sandy creek voyage"
To avrnge this outrage, Governor
Dinwiddie ordered out company of
regulars, taken chiefly from the gar
rison at Fort Dinwiddie. on Jackson =
riyer) under command CT Captain
Audley Paul; company of minuter
men from Botetourt, under command
of Captain William Preston, and. two
companies from Augusta, under
Captains John Alexander and William
Hogg. In Alexander's company.
John M'Nutt, afterwards Governor of
Nova Scrtia. was a sabaltcrn. The
whole we're PLACED under The command
Of Andrew Lewis.
Besides the chastisemcLt of the
Indians, the expedition had for its
objrc. the establishing of a military
post at the mouth Of the Great Sanity.
This would have enabled them. not only
10 maintain constant watch over
marauding parties of Indians from tina,
q uarter, but to check the conn unica
ton between them and the post at
Galipolis, and thus counterfeit the
influence which the French there had
obtained over them.
The different companies detailed
upon the Shawanee expedition, were
required to rendezvous on the Roam.
oke,near to the present town of Salem,
in Botetourt, where Colonel Lewis was
thenposted. The company commanded
by Captain Iiogg failed. tie attend at
the appointed time, and Colonel Lewis,
after delaying week for its arrival,
marched forward, expecting to be
speedily overtakcn BY it.
To avoid an early discovery by tile
Indians, which would have been the
consequence of thoir taking the more
public road BY the Great Kanawha, and
that they might fall upon the Indian
towns in the valley of the Scioto.
without being interrupted or seen by
the French at Gallipolis. they took the
rout by way ofNcw river and Sandy.
Crossing New river below the Horse
Shoe, they descended it to the mouth
OF Wolf creek, aud ascending this to
its source, passed ever to the head of
Bluestone river, where they delayed
another week awaiting tbs arrival of
Captain lIogg and his company.
They then marched to the head of the
north fork of Sandy, and continued
down it to the Burning Spring, where
they also remained a day. Here the
salt and provisions, which had been
conveyed on pack horses. were entirely
exhausted. Two bufaIoes, killed just
above the spring,werc also eaten while
the army continued here, and their
hides hung upon beech tree. After
this their subsistence was procured
exclusively by hunting.
The army then resumed their march;
.,J; rou &c.. :. l