Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-11-28
From the Greenbrier CIV. Va.) independently
Interesting Relies.

Learning that the door to Old Fort
Donnally, built in RAIDERS Valley, in
this county, in 1771-2, was still in exis
tence, Judge A. N. Campbell succeed
ed in getting it from A. H. RAIDER. Esq,
and last week sent it to the West Vir-
ginia Historical and Antiquarian Soci-
ETY., at Charleston. MIR. RAIDER, at the
same time, donated to the Society the
kitchen door of the old Fort, and both
have been received by the Society, and
will be carefully preserved among its
relics There is no doubt that the
door gotten from Mr.. RAIDER is the
identical door that was barred against
the Indians by Col. Donnally and Dick
Pointer when the redskins attacked
the Fort in 1778. The Fort Donnally
or Raiders Valley property, including
several hundred acres of land, was
bought of Col. Andrew Donnally, by
Anthony RAIDER, ST., from whom it des
cended to his son, Anthony RAIDER, jr,
and from him to his children of whom
the present owner of the property, A.
H. RAIDER. was one. Anthony RAIDER.
ST., pulled down the old house, or fort,
as it was called, and converted it into
barn putting the door on the cutting
room where it remained until taken off
a short time ago to be sent to Charles
ton.
DIR. John P. Hale, President of the
Society, in making a note OF these
relics in the Kanawha Gazette last
week, gives the following account OF
the fight with the Indians at Fort
Donnally:
"In May 177S, this Fort was attacked
by party of Indians, over 200 strong.
from the Ohio Valley. The fort was
defended by twenty-One inmates at
first, but re- inforced during the day by
siXty-six volunteers from Fort Union,
now Lewisburg, in command of Capt.
John Stuart and Capt. Samuel Lewis,
when the Indians were repulsed with
loss of 20 or more; IS were left dead
on the ground; and they were seen to
carry off the field several of their dead
during the fight. The whites lost 4,
three outside and one killed through a
portfolio in the fort.
When the attack was made, about
daylight in the morning. only Phil.
Hammond, the noted scout, and Dick
| Pointer, colored servant of Col. Don
naily, were in the kitchen, on the low
err floor. They had the door barred by
q hogshead of water set against it.
Finding that the Indians were about
to break the door down, Hammond
and Dick pulled the hogshead back, so
that when the Indians threw them
selves against it, the door flew open
and they fell, and Hammond and Dick
despatched two or three of them with
there tomahawks. They then took to
their guns, to be ready fol- the next
corners. Just at that time, Col. Don
nally and others, who had been sleep
ing up stairs, came down. Dick Poin-
ter, with big musket in his hands,
loaded with slug shot ran to his master
excitedly saying, "What shall l do,
massa, what shall l do?" "Shoot,
d-n you, shoot % answered his master,
and shoot he did, and it was delivered
with greater effect than any other, as
he had the largest gun and that heavi-
ly loaded
DIR. Hale is anxious to get list of
the persons who took refuge in Old
Fort Donnally at the time of the In
dian attack. Among them was Judge
Campbell's greatgrandmother on the
mothers side.
The following letter from DR.. Hale
to Andrew Stuart, ESQ.,, of this county,
mentions another interesting relic, re,
Gently received by the Society:
1--WE have just received from you, as
donation to our Society, the old ink
stand so long used by your grandfa
ther, Col. John Stuart, as first Clerk
of Greenbrier county, and afterwards
by your father, Col. Lewis Stuart, in
the same office, for another long term
of years. This object, from its history
and associations, is a very interesting
and valuable relic, which we highly
appreciate. and for which we return
you our earnest thanks. We have de
posted it in our collection in your
name, under glass and under lock and
key for safe preservation"