Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-01-29


view. He nevertheless obeyed, re-
tnrned home and dismissed his
men. and with the determination,
| well know from what he said
after his return, never again to take
any part in the present Indian war,
but TO leave Mr.. COmmandant at
Pittsburgh to fight it ont as he
could. This hasty resolution was
however of short duration. For
however strange contradictory, and
irreconcilable the conduct of the
earl of DunmOre and his vice
governor of Pittsburgh, &c, may
appear, yet it is fact, that on the
10th of June, the earl of Dunmore,
unsolicited, and to Capt. Cresap
certainly unexpected, sent him a
CAPTAINS commission Of the militia
of Hampshire county, Virginia,
notwithstanding his residence was
in Maryland. This commission
reached Capt. c. few days after
his return from the expedition to
Catfish camp, just above mention
ed; and inasmuch as this com
mission, coming to him in the
way it did, carried with it a taclt
expression of the governors ap-
probation of his cOnduct-add to
which, that about the same time
his feelings were daily assailed by
petition after petition, from almost
every section of the western coun-
try, praying, begging, and beseech-
ing him to come over to their as
sistance--it is not surprising that
his resolution should be changed.
Several of these petitions and Dun
mOre's commission have escaped
the wreck of time and are in my
possession.
This commission coming at the
time it did, and in the way and un'
der the circumstances above re.
cited, aided and strengthened as it
was by the numberless petitioners
aforesaid, broke down and so far
extinguished all Capt. Cresap's
personal resentment against Con-
molly that he once more determined
TO exert all his power and influence
in assisting the distressed nhabl-
tants of the western frontier, and
accordingly immediately raised a
company, placed himsely under
the command Of Maj. Angus
M'DOnald, and marched with him
to attack the Indians, at their
town Of Wappatomachie, on the
tue Muskingum. His popularity,
at this time, was such, and so many
men flocked to his standard, that
he could not, consistently with the
rules of an army, retain them IN
his company, but was obliged to
transfer them, much against their
wills, to other captains, and the
result was, that after retaining in
his own company as many men rs
he could consistently, he filled
compleately the company OF his
nephew Capt. Michael Cresap, and
also partly the company of Capt.
Hancock Lee. This little army of
about four hundred men, under
Mai. M'Donald, penetrated the ln'
dian country as far as the Musk.
ingum near which they had a
skirmish with a party of Indians un-
der Capt. Snake,in which M'Donald
lost six men, and killed the Indian
oI,o, oI;oC Spolya
4 little anecdOte here will 60 to
show what expert and close shoot
ors we had in those days among
our riflemen. When M'DOnalds
little army arrived on the near
bank of the Muskingnm, and while
lying there, an Indian on the Op-
posite shore got behind a log or
old tree, and was lifting up his
head occasionally to view the white
mems army. One Of Capt. CreSap's
men. of the name of John Harness,
seeing this, loaded his rifle with
two balls, and placing himself on
the bank of the river, watched the
opportunity when the Indian raised
his head, and firing at the same
instant, put both balls through the
Indians neck, and laid him dead
(al which circumstance no doubt
had great influence in intImidat-
ing the Indians.
MDonald after this had another
running fight with the Indians
drove them from their towns, burnt
them, destroyed their provisions,
and, returning to the settlement
discharged his men.
But this affair at Wappatomache
and expedition of M'Donald were
only the prelude to more important
and efficient measures. 1t was
well understood that the Indians
were far from being subdued, and
that they would now certainly col
lect all their force, and to the ut
most of power return the compli
ment of our visit to their terri
tories.
The governor of Virginia, what
ever might have been his views az
TO the ulterior measures, lost nc
time in preparing to meet this
storm. He sent orders immedI
ately to Col. Andrew Lewis, o.