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1774, Oct 10 - Letter: Battle of Great Kanawha or Point Pleasant

Edinburgh, Scotland

1774, Oct 17 - Letter from Camp of Point Pleasant to Williamsburgh, VA: Account of the Battle of Great Kanawha, at Point Pleasant, which occurred on 10 Oct 1774

Excerpt: James Boswell, The Scots Magazine, Volume 37, Edinburgh, Scotland, January 1775.

" Williamsburgh, Virginia, Nov. 10.
The following letter is just received here from the camp of Point Pleasant, at the mouth of the Great Kenhawa [Kanawha], dated Oct. 17. 1774. [xxxvi. 672.]

" The following is a true state of a battle fought at this place on the 10th instant.- On Monday morning, about half an hour before sun-rise, two of Capt. Russell's company discovered a large party of Indians about a mile from the camp: one of which men was shot down by the Indians; the other made his escape, and brought in the intelligence: in two or three minutes after, two of Capt. Shelvey's came in, and confirmed the account.

Col. Andrew Lewis being informed thereof, immediately ordered out Col. Charles Lewis to take the command of 150 of the Augusta troops, and with him went Capt. Dickenson, Capt. Harrison, Capt. Wilson, Capt. John Lewis of Augusta, and Capt. Lockridge, which made the first division; Col. Fleming was also ordered to take the command of 150 more of the Botetourt, Bedford, and Fincastle troops, viz. Capt. Thomas Blufford from Bedford, Capt. Love of Botetourt, Capt. Shelvey and Capt. Russell of Fincastle, which made the second division.

Col. Charles Lewis's division marched to the right, some distance from the Ohio; and Col. Fleming, with his division, on the bank of the Ohio, to the left.

Col. Charles Lewis's division had not marched quite half a mile from the camp, when, about sun-rise, an attack was made on the front of his division, in a most vigorous manner, by the united tribes of Indians, Shawanese, Delawares, Mingoes, Tawas, and of several other nations, in number not 'less than 800; and by many thought to be 1000.

In this heavy attack Col. Charles Lewis received a wound, which in a few hours caused his death, and several of his men fell on the spot: in fact, the Augusta division was obliged to give way to the heavy fire of the enemy. In about a second of a minute after the attac on Col. Lewis's division, the enemy engaged the front of Col. Fleming's division on the Ohio, and in a short time the Colonel received two balls through his left arm, and one through his breast; and after animating the officers and soldiers in a most calm manner to the pursuit of victory, retired to the camp.

The loss in the field was sensibly felt by the officers in particular; but the Augusta troops being shortly after reinforced from the camp by Col. Field with his company, together with Capt. McDowall, Capt. Matthews, and Capt. Stewart, from Augusta; Capt. John Lewis, Capt. Paulin, Capt. Arbuckle, and Capt. M'Clenachan, from Botetourt; the enemy, no longer able to maintain their ground, was forced to give way till they were in a line with the troops, Col. Fleming being left in action on the bank of the Ohio. In this precipitate retreat Col. Field was killed. During this time, which was till after twelve o'clock, the action continued extremely hot. The close underwood, many steep banks and logs, greatly favoured their retreat, and the bravest of their men made the best use of them, whilst others were throwing their dead into the Ohio, and carrying off their wounded.

After twelve, the action in a small degree abated; but continued, except at short intervals, sharp enough till after one o'clock. Their long retreat gave them a most advantageous spot of ground; from whence it appeared to the officers so difficult to dislodge them, that it was thought most advisable to stand, as the line was then formed, which was about a mile and a quarter in length, and had sustained till then a constant and equal weight of the action, from wing to wing. It was till about half an hour of sun set they continued firing on us scattering shots, which we returned to their disadvantage. At length, night coming on, they found a safe retreat.

They had not the satisfaction of carrying off any of our mens scalps, save one or two stragglers, whom they killed before the engagement. Many of their dead they scalped, rather than we should have them; but our troops scalped upwards of twenty of their men, that were first killed. It is beyond doubt their loss in number far exceeds ours, which is considerable.

The following is a return of the killed and wounded in the above battle.

Killed: Colonels Charles Lewis, John Field; Captains, John Murray, R. M'Clenachan, Samuel Wilson, James Ward; Lieutenant, Hugh Allen; Ensigns, Candiff, Bracken; forty-four privates. Total killed 53.

Wounded: Col. William Fleming; Captains, John Dickenson, Thomas Blufford, John Skidman; Lieutenants, Goldman, Robinson, Lard, Vance; seventy-nine privates. Total wounded 87. Total killed and wounded 140.

The account further says, that Col. Fleming and several others are since dead of their wounds.

"Williamsburgh, Dec. 1. The Governor is on his way to this capital, having concluded a peace with the several tribes of Indians that have been at war with us, and taken hostages of them for their faithful complying with the terms of it; the principal of which are, That they shall totally abandon the lands on this side of the Ohio, (which river is to be the boundary between them and the white people), and never more take up the hatchet against the English. Thus, in little more than the space of five months, an end is put to a war which portended much trouble and mischief to the inhabitants on the frontiers; owing to the zeal and good conduct of the officers and commanders who went out in their country's defence, and the bravery and perseverance of all the troops."

"Williamsburgh, Dec. 2. Four of the principal Shawanese warriors are expected here in a few days; twelve headmen and warriors of the Delaware and other tribes are left at Fort Dunmore as hostages. The Indians have delivered up all the white prisoners in their towns, with the horses and other plunder they took from the inhabitants, and even offered to give up their own horses."

Footnotes:

Sources:

James Boswell, The Scots magazine, Volume 37, Edinburgh, Scotland: Sands, Brymer, Murray and Cochran, January 1775. Original from the New York Public Library, Digitized Nov 27, 2007. Page 49 - 50, 1774, Oct 17 - Letter from Camp of Point Pleasant to Williamsburgh, VA: Account of the Battle of Great Kanawha [Point Pleasant], 10 Oct 1774. View @ Google Books

George Washington, Jared Sparks, The Writings of George Washington: Being His Correspondence, Addresses, Messages, and Other Papers, Official and Private, Selected and Published from the Original Manuscripts, Volume 2, Ferdinand Andrews, 1833. Original from Harvard University, Digitized Jan 14, 2009. Page 516, George Washington began a journey to the Ohio, in company with Dr. Craik. View @ Google Books

Hugh Cleland, George Washington, George Washington in the Ohio Valley [Western Pennsylvania series], University of Pittsburgh Pre, 1955. ISBN 0822983621, 9780822983620. Page 240, Dr. James Craik, a native of Scotland and graduate of the University of Edinburgh. View @ Google Books