The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-10-11

SSIit'tNC VI tutG NllllCh NY cOitntl
William Christian, who commanded bat
TALON Of men from the Uoston settlement,
! will be found of interest. IL has never
bee published until now. 1t was picked
, up on the field, and has ever since been
carefully preserved by some old families in
Virginia. A portion of Colonel Chris
tian's battalion took part in tho engage
, mcnt'
CANT AT POINT PLEASANT, At TnE)
MOUTH OF YE GREAT kANHAwA.
10Th October, 1I14. }
Dear Sir,-T have been cnqulrlng for
some days Tor an opp'yt to send some letters
to Grecnbryer, rs | wanted to write to you
and some other friends. can find no GER
tain one, but | have some thought that
some person will be going off Tomorrow or
next day, as several talk Of it. About an
| hour ago Colonel Lewis asked me II | had
written YOU. | told him | had not, but
would this evening. He desired me TO tell
you TINT he was hurrycd, and that my let
ter you would please to accept OF from
both, Us | was to inclose you state OF the
battle fought here on Monday, the 10th ln-
slant; which will do.
| have q copy ready, as drawn up by
Colonel Lewis himself. from which you can
have an idea of it. / will also enclose you
| state of the killed and wounded. made
| il to-day from what scattering accounts L
could gather. have been through all the
camps, and believe that many more men
will die. There are many shot in two
places one in particular, observed with
| four bulltS some in three. They are
really in Il deplorable situation bad doc
| tors, luw medicines nothing to eat or dress
with proper for them, makes it still worse.
| | Intended being here on Tuesday, but en-
Monday evening, about II or ID iulicS oil, !
heard they were lighting, pushed on, and
| reached here about midnight. The cries
OF the wounded prevented our resting any
that night. We are building hrcastwork.
The Fincastle men have just finished their
proportion, and hope all will be done to-
morrow. We should have crossed the Ohio
for the Towns ere now, but we must secure
our wounded. His Lordship was to march
with l 200 men lust Thursd1y morning for
the Towns, and wrote to Colonel Lewis to
meet him about twenty-cight miles OH this
side of Chilicollee, at a larae ridge. Chit
licotlLe lies about twenty miles farther than
the towns we intended for. and is of course
ninety from here our pilot says one mum
dred. His orders were to meet next Tues
day ut noon. This VIC can't do, rs Wc don't
propose crossing Ohio before Monday-pcr-
haps some may Sunday in the night.
James Fowler, james McAnarc, and sam.
HUFF started on Monday morning from here
with an account OF the battle, begging h'm
to fall down In bis vessels, On Thursday
morning. by day, Il little Billy Mann and
sOmeorhcrs who had been sent up by land
came down in canoe with the Governors 5
orders l mentioned. We were then embsr-
raSsed. not knowing what his Lord>hip
would do on hearing how we wero situ-
ated. l have hopes We shall hear
from him Monday night. Colonel Lewis
thinks Sunday night. If no accident hap
pened him he would hc gone two DAYS,
before our scouts got TO his camp, which
was ut Hockpocking, fifteen miles on this
side of Little Kanhawa. His Lordship has
about 10 becycs ans 10000 pounds of
| -four for 300 mcn-about 100 OF which
Would remain nj camp. Ills SAID he lad
about 80 pack-hGrSCS To take, anu that ne
| would drive with bin 100 bccyeS. Perhaps
humanity will induce him to return ard
| come to lis, if he is found but little way
off, rs Colonel Levi: earnestly begged he
would du 80 by Fowler. But should he
not, our wounded must bC done with the
best we can and il we uoI't hear more
from him before. we shall march OH Tues
day morning with about - days provl-
sous. Ills said The cnemys whole
forces and families arc assembled ut Chill
li:otl.c, where they have Good houses,
plenty or provisions, anu nni'n""it:"H u,
The greatest plenty. They have cleared The
weeds anu brush 10 great d'stantc around
them, Some here think the Governors
army will be for pushing on before MS
some thai they will join Us here, and send
in h lSte TO tell lis so; some, that they VIII
stand fast until we are ~ far forward Is
them. We shall cross with some more tllan
l 900 mcn-to wit About 400 Augusta, "2o
Botetouit. and about $40 Flncastle men,
and leave between 200 and 600 here. All
that do return home, | think, will do it in
November. Mum says that he had per-
suaded the Governor to come here, but
Major Connolly prevented it.
From what I can gather here, cannot
describe the bravery of the enemy in the
battle. 1t exceeded every mans cXpccta-
ton. They had men planted over each
river to kill our men rs they would
swim over, making no doubt, | think, OF
cainin. complete victory those over inc
Ohio in the time OF the battle called TO their
men TO drive the white dogs III. ihclr
chiefs ran continually along the Inc eXhoft,
ing their men to I've close and shoot well
and ii Int and be strong" st first our men
retreated good ways, and until new forces
were sent out, on which the enemy bcat
back slowly and killed and wounded our
men ut cycly advance. Our people at iasC
formed 4 line, 50 did the enemy. They
made many attempts to break our lines at
length orr men made q stand, on which the
enemy challenged them to come up ana
learn to shoot. | conclude few OF their
braves did that, rs in their rear it was sup
posed several hundred tomahawks were
employed in cutting sappllngs TO lake oil
their wounded. cur men could have tofccu
them away prccipitately, but not Without
great loss, and so concluded TO maintain
their ground all along the line; which they
did until near sund0Wn, when The enemy
were supposed TO be all gone. Our people
then moved backwards. sculping the enemy
and bringing In the dead and wounded.
| The enemy came over on RATS about SIN
miles M Ohio, and returned at tue same
place. They encamped within two miles
of this the night before the batt.e. aud
killed some OF our beeycS. Their loss. l
think, is very great.
Late In the evening they called to our
men that tomorrow they would have 2,ooo
men for them; to fight on, for that they
had I,lO0' men as we'll as them. They
damned our people often tors-Ioi h-S
- Why don't you whistle now" (derldInS
the titc) and made very merry about u
treaty. ,,,
| rs he had not taken tree, speaking TO ms
mon to come on. He TUNED ard handed
his pun to Il man, and retired TO camp. tell
ing the men as ho passed along, =" am
Wounded, but 90 you md be brave
Colonel Field was killed behind great
tree looking for an Indian that was talking
n amuse him, whilst some others were
above him on his right hand, among some
logs, who shot him dead. -, ,.,
Colonel Fleming was shot with three
halls-two in his left arm and one Ill MS
LETT brcast--in n piece OF clear ground.
speaking to his division WIN saen, nd ,ov,l ovI