Chronicles of border warfare : $b or, A history of the settlement by the whites, of north-western Virginia, and of the Indian wars and massacres, in that section of the stateWithers, Alexander Scott
History
Chronicles of border warfare : $b or, A history of the settlement by the whites, of north-western Virginia, and of the Indian wars and massacres, in that section of the state
Withers, Alexander Scott
Indians of North America -- Wars -- 1750-1815; Ohio River Valley -- History -- To 1795; West Virginia -- History -- To 1950
[13] An active, enterprising and meritorious officer, who had
been in service in Braddock's war, and profited by his
experience of the Indian mode of fighting. His death checked
for a time the ardor of his troops, and spread a gloom over the
countenances of those, who had accompanied him on this
campaign.
[14] A half-mile up the Big Kanawha.--R. G. T.
[15] From MS. journals and letters in possession of the
Wisconsin Historical Society, it appears that the conduct of
the battle was as follows: Andrew Lewis, who as yet thought the
enemy to be but a scouting party, and not an army equal in size
to his own, had the drums beat to arms, for many of his men
were asleep in their tents; and while still smoking his pipe,
ordered a detachment from each of the Augusta companies, to
form 150 strong under Col. Charles Lewis, with John Dickinson,
Benjamin Harrison, and John Skidmore as the captains. Another
party of like size was formed under Col. Fleming, with Captains
Shelby, Russell, Buford, and Philip Love. Lewis's party marched
to the right, near the foot of the hills skirting the east side
of Crooked Creek. Fleming's party marched to the left, 200
yards apart from the other. A quarter of a mile from camp, and
half a mile from the point of the cape, the right-going party
met the enemy lurking behind trees and fallen logs at the base
of the hill, and there Charles Lewis was mortally wounded.
Fleming marched to a pond three-quarters of a mile from camp,
and fifty rods inland from the Ohio--this pond being one of the
sources of Crooked Creek. The hostile line was found to extend
from this pond along Crooked Creek, half way to its mouth. The
Indians, under Cornstalk, thought by rushes to drive the whites
into the two rivers, "like so many bullocks," as the chief
later explained; and indeed both lines had frequently to fall
back, but they were skillfully reinforced each time, and by
dusk the savages placed Old Town Creek between them and the
whites. This movement was hastened, a half hour before sunset,
by a movement which Withers confounds with the main tactics.
Captains Matthews, Arbuckle, Shelby, and Stuart were sent with
a detachment up Crooked creek under cover of the bank, with a
view to securing a ridge in the rear of the enemy, from which
their line could be enfiladed. They were discovered in the act,
but Cornstalk supposed that this party was Christian's advance,
and in alarm hurried his people to the other side of Old Town
Creek. The battle was, by dark, really a drawn game; but
Cornstalk had had enough, and fled during the night.--R. G. T.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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