Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-11-14

Battle OF Point Pleasant.

Warm Springs in 1887 by Mr.. George
Mayse to Maj. J. M. .McCue, and
published recently In the Bath
County Ne,cs, we take the following
interesting account of the famous
battle of Point Pleasant fought with
the Indians, Oct. 10th, 1774.-ED1-
TOR.
My father was battling with the
Indians from the time he was able
to handle a gun till the great battle
at Point Pleasant, which was the
oloodiest battle ever fought with the
lnuians in Virginia, which took
place In Dunmore's war, October 10th
IVA. The army placed under the
command of Gen. Andrew Lewis
rendevouzed at Camp Union, now
Lewisburg. They constructed the
first road ever made from here to
the Ohio Point Pleasant on the Ohio.
Distant about 160 miles. The pro.
visions and ammunition TRANSPORTED
on packhorses and the beeves in
droves, arrived soon after. Perhaps
1t would not be out of place To re-.
late some of the incidents of that
battle, communicated to me by nv
rather, who was in that memorable
battle as private soldier and from
the memoirs of Col. John Stuart of
Greenbrier, man of note and dis
JUNCTION, commanded a company i'm
that battle. He relates as follows:
In the morning of the 10th of
October l774, two soldiers left the
camp and proceeded up the Ob;o
river In quest Of deer. When they
mad progressed about two miles thew
came unexpectedly in sight of a
large number of Indians rising from
thelr encanpment, and who, discoy-
erlng the two hunters, fired upon
them and killed one. The other es-
caped unhurt, and running briskIy
10 the camp, communicated the in
teillgence that he had seen BODY of
the enemy covering four acres of
ground as closely as they could stand
Dy the side of each other. The
main part OF the army was immedi-
ateiy ordered out under Col. Charles
Lewis and VIM. Flemming, and hav-
Ing formed into two lines thew pro-
ceeded about four hundred wards.
when they met the Indians and the
action com menced.
AT the first onset, Col. Charles
Lewis having fallen and Col. Flem-
ming being wounded, both lines gave
way, and retreating briskly towards
the camp where they were met by
a reinforcement under Col. Field,
and rallied. The engagement then
became general and was sustained
with the most obstinate fury on both
sides. The Indians, seeing the "tug
OF war" had come, and determined
on affOrding the colonial army no
chance of escape If victory should
declare for them, formed line ex-
tending across the point from the
Ohio to the Kanawha, protected in
front by logs and fallen timber. In
this situation they maintained the
contest with unabated vigor from
sunrise Till towards the close of even
ing, bravely and successfully resist
Ing every charge which was made on
them and withstanding the impetu-
osity OF every onset with invincible
nrmness, until a fortunate movement
on the part of the Virginia troops
decided the day. Some short dis
tance above the entrance of the Ka-
nawha river into the Ohio, there ia
stream called the crooked creek.
emptying into the former of these
from the northeast, whose banks are
tolerably high and were then covered
with a thick and luxuriant growth
of weeds. Seeing the impractica-
bility of dislodgiug the Indians by
the most vigorous attacks, and sensi-
BILE of the great danger which must
arise to his army If the contest was
not decided before night, Gen. Lewis
detached the companies which were
commanded by Captain Isaac
Shelby, George Matthews and John
stuart, with orders to proceed up
the Kanawha river and Crooked
creek under cover of the banks and
weeds till they should pass some dis
tance beyond the enemy, when they
were to emerge from their cover,
march down towards the point and
attack the Indians in their rear.
The maneuvre thus planned, was
promptly executed and gave a de-
cided victory to the colonial army.
The Indians, finding themselves sud-
denly and unexpected encom passed
between two armies and doubling
but that In their rear was the looked
for reinfOrcements under Col. Chris
tian, soon gave way and about sum