On this day 250 years ago in the Revolution — November 4, 1774

On this day 250 years ago in Staunton, Virginia, a member of the militia returning from the battle wrote this account of the Battle of Point Pleasant:


On the tenth of October, our Army being encamped in the Fork of the Great Kenhawa, two men went out early to hunt, but were fired upon by a number of Indians, when one of them was killed; the other made his escape, and brought the intelligence to the Camp. Colonel Lewis immediately ordered out three hundred men, who, after marching about three quarters of a mile before sun-rise, were attacked by a number (supposed to be from eight hundred to one thousand,) of desperate savages. They soon made our men retreat about one quarter of a mile, when a reinforcement coming up, they continued fighting till noon, and were never above twenty yards apart, often within six, and sometimes close together tomahawking one another. The Indians then began to fall back, but continued fighting at a distance till night came on and parted them. Such a battle with Indians, it is imagined, was never heard of before. We had upwards of fifty men killed, and ninety wounded. Amongst the slain were many brave men, both officers and privates; and a Magistrate of this place, Mr. Frog, a very worthy gentleman, was also killed. So eager were the Indians for his scalp, that one man shot three of them over him, endeavouring by turns to scalp him. The number of Indians killed cannot be ascertained, as they were continually carrying them off and throwing them into the River; but from the tracks of blood, the number must have been great.

Source: https://archive.wvculture.org/history/dunmore/ppstauntonletter.html


Leave a comment