Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-03-11


Very truly, j. A. TRIMBLE
Hillsboro, Feb 10, '73
BATTLE OF POINT PLEASANT, VA, l774
Cur friend and fellow. citizen Ray Thomas,
ESQ, has Kindly furnished US the Richmond
(Vrglnla) Dispatch of October ii, 1871, which
contains the subjoined interesting letter con-
corning an occurrence which trauspired nearly
century ago, We deem it we'll worthy of a
place in our columns. Columbus Gazette.
THE BATTLE OF POINT PLEASANT
Yesterday was the anniversary of the battle
of Point Pleasant. The following letter, de-
scriptlve of that battle written by Colonel Will
liam Christian, who commanded battalion of
men from the Aoisten settlement, will be found
OF interest. Ii has never been published uati
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
Christians battalion took part in the engage
ment,
CAMP AT POINT PLEASANT, AT THEl
MOUTH OF YE GREAT kANAWA,
10Th October, l774.
DEAR SIR Il have been enquiring for some
days for an opportunity to send some letters to
Greenbryer, as | wanted to write TO you and
some other friends / can find no certain enc,
but have some thought that s3me one will bs
going of tomorrow or next day, as several talk
OF it. About an hour ago, Col. Lewis asked
me II ] had written you. | told him had not,
bat would this evening. He desired ne 90 tell
you that he vas hurried, and that ny letter
3ou would please 70 accept OF from both, rs
was to luclose you a state of the battle fought
here on Monday, the 10Th inst, which will
do.
| have copy ready, as drawn up by Colonel
Lewis himself from whiah you can have an
idea Of il. / made it to- dag from what scatter
ing accounts | could gather I have been
through all the camps, aud believe rnvnV more
men will die. TneEe are many shot 10 two
places: one IN particular, | observed with four
bullets; some 10 three. They are really in q
deplorable condition; bad doctors, few medi-
ctnes, nothing to eat or dress with, proper for
them, makes il still worse. [ intended being
here about Tuesday, but On Monday evening,
about ten or fifteen miles off, heard they were
fighting, pushed on, and reached here about
midnight. The cries Of the wounded prevent
ed our resting any that night. We are build
ing bre2st-gork. The Fioeastle men have
just haished their portion, and hope all will
be done to morrow. We should have crossed
the OHIO for the towns ere now, but we muet
secure our wounded. His Lordship vas to
march with 200 men last Thursday morning
| for the towns, and wrote to Col. Lewis to meet
him about twenty eight miles On thls side OF
| Chlllio0iFse, at large ridge. Chillicoffee lies
about twenty miles further than the towns, we
| intended for, and is of course ninety from here
our pilot says one hundred. His orders were
to meet next Tuesday at noon. This We cen
| do, as we don't propose crossing Ohio before
| Monday-perhaps some may Sunday in the
night.
| James Fowler, James McAnare, and Sam i
Huff started on Monday morning from here
with al account OF the battle, begging him to
| fall down with his vessels, On Tuesday morn
| ing by day, little Billy Mann, and some 9TH
ers, who had been sept up by land came down
| IN canoe with the Governors orders l men
toned. We were thus embarrassed, not know
ing what his Lordship would do on hearing
how We were situated. | have hopes we shall
hear from him Monday night. Col Lewis
| thinks Sunday night. If no accident happen
ed him he would be gone two days, before our
scouts got TO his camp, which was at Hook
pocking, fifteen miles on this side of Little
kanawa. His Lordship has about ITO beeves
and SO 600 pounds of -four for 1900 men-a
bout 100 Of which would remain at camp. 'Tis
said he hid about thirty pack horses to take
and that he would drive with him 100 beeves.
Perhaps humanity will induce him to return
and come to US if he is found but a little way
SO by Fowler. But should be not, our wound
ed must be done with the best we can aud if
we don't hear more from him before, We will
march on Tuesday morning with about-day' 8
provisions. lis SAID the enemy s whole forces
and families are assembled at Chilicoffee, where
they have good houses, plenty Of provisions,
and ammunition In the greatest plenty. They
have cleared the weeds and brush to great
distance around them. Some here think the
Governor S army will be for pushing on before
u.s. some, that they will join US here, and send
in haste to tell US so !; some, that they will
| stand fast until we are as far forward as them.
We shall cross with some more than |. ZOO men,
| to- wit: About 400 Augusta, 800 Botetourt,
and about 800 Ftneastle men, and leave be-
tween 200 and 800 here. All that do return
home, think, will do it 10 November Mann
says that he had persuaded the Governor to
come, but Major Connolly prevented it.
From what can gather here, cannot de-
scribe the bravery of the enemy in the battle.
Il exceeded every man s expectation. They bad
men planted over each river, TO kill our men as
they would swim over, making no doubt,
think, of gaining complete victory those
over the Ohio in the time Of the battle called
to their men to drive the white dogs in Their
chiefs ran continually along the line exhorting
their men to 'ie close and shoot well and hghl
ana De strong. AT urSl our men Fetreateu
good ways, and until new forces were sent out
on which the enemy beat oack very slowly, and
killed and wounded our men at every advance
Our people at last formed line, SO did the
enemy They made many attempts to break
our lines; at length cur men made stand, or
which the enemy challenged them to come ur
and learn to shoot. | conclude a few Of THEN
braves did that, as in their rear it was suppos-
ed several hundred tomahaWks were employed
in cutting sapplings to take off their wouoded
Our men could have forced them away precip.
itately, but not without great loss, aud SO con-
Guided to maintaia their ground along the line
which they did until near sundown, when the
enemy were supposed to be all gone. Oar peo
pie then moved back wards, scalping the enemy
and bringing in the dead and wounded. The
enemy cane over on RATS about six miles w
the Ohio, and returned at the same place.
They epcampsd within two miles of this tht