USA > Virginia > A history of the valley of Virginia, 3rd ed > Part 14
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It has already been remarked that this Indian war was but the precursor to our revolutionary war of 1775-that Dunmore the then governor of Virginia, was one of the most inveterate and determined enemies to the revolution-that he was a man of high talents, es- pecially for intrigue and diplomatic skill-that occupying the sta- tion of commander-in-chief of the large and respectable State of Virginia, he possessed means and power to do much to serve the views of Great Britain. And we have seen, from the preceding pages, how effectually he played his part among the inhabitants of the western country. I was present myself when a Pennsylvinia magistrate, of the name of Scott, was taken into custody, and brought before Dunmore, at Prestone old Fort ; he was severely threatened and dismissed, perhaps on bail, but I do not recollect how ; another Pennsylvania magistrate was sent to Staunton jail. And I have already shown in the preceding pages, that there was a sufficient preparation of materials for this war in the predisposition and hostile attitude of our affairs with the Indians; that it was con- sequently no difficult matter with a Virginia governor to direct the incipient state of things to any point most conclusive to the grand end he had in view, namely, in weakening our national strength in some of the best and most efficient parts. If, then, a war with the Indians might have a tendeny to produce this result, it appears per- fectly natural and reasonable to suppose that Dunmore would make use of the power and influence to promote it, and although the war of 1774 was brought to a conclusion before the year was out, yet we know that this fire was scarcely extinguished before it burst into a flame with tenfold fury, and two or three armies of the whites were sacrificed before we could get the Indians subdued ; and this unhappy state of our affairs with the Indians happening during the severe conflict of our revolutionary war, had the very effect, I sup- pose, Dunmore had in view namely, dividing our forces and enfeebling our aggregate strength; and that the seeds of these subsequent wars with the Indians were sown in 1774 and 1775, ap- pears almost certain.
Yet still, however, we admit that we are not in possession of materials to substantiate this charge against the Earl ; and all we can do is produce some facts and circumstances that deserve no- tice, and have a strong bearing on the case.
And the first we shall mention * is a circular sent by Maj.
* The remark, as it should seem incidently made, in Dunmore's procla- mation, as to the Indian war (see page 121), deserve notice, as it has no con- nection with the subject of that proclamation.
JACOB'S ACCOUNT I25
Connoly, his proxy, early in the spring of the year 1774, warning the inhabitants to be on their guard-the Indians were very angry, and manifested so much hostility, that he was apprehensive they would strike somewhere as soon as the season would permit, and en- joining the inhabitants to prepare and retire into Forts, &c. It might be useful to collate and compare this letter with one he wrote to Capt. Cresap on the 14th of July following ; see hereafter. In this letter he declares there is a war or danger of war, before the war is properly begun ; in that to Capt. Cresap he says the Indians deport themselves peaceably, when Dunmore and Lewis and Corn- stalk are all out on their march for battle.
This letter was sent by express in every section of the country. Unhappily we have lost or mislaid it, and consequently are deficient in a most material point in this date. But from one expression in the letter, namely, that the Indians will strike when the season per- mits, and this season is generally understood to mean when the leaves are out, we may fix it in the month of May. We find from a subsequent letter from Pentecost and Connoly to Capt. Reece, that this assumed fact is proved ; see hereafter.
Therefore this letter cannot be of a later date than sometime in the month of April ; and if so, before Butler's men were killed on Little Beaver ; and before Logan's family were killed on Yellow Creek, and was in fact the fiery red-cross and harbinger of war, as in days of yore among the Scottish clans. That was the fact I think, abso- lutely certain, because no mention is made in Connoly's letter of this affair, which certainly would not have been omitted, if precedent to this letter.
This letter produced its natural result. The people fled into Forts, and put themselves into a posture of defense, and the tocsin of war resounded from Laurel Hill to the banks of the Ohio River. Capt. Cresap who was peacebly at this time employed in building houses and improving lands, on the Ohio River, received this letter, accompanied, it is believed, with a confirmatory message from Col. Croghan and Maj. McGee, Indian agents and interpreters ; * and he thereupon immediately broke up his camp, and ascended the River to Wheeling Fort, the nearest place of safelty from whence it is be- lieved he intended speedily to return home; but during his stay at this place, a report was brought in the Fort that two Indians were coming down the River. Capt. Cresap, supposing from every circum- stance, and the general aspect of affairs, that war was inevitable, and in fact already begun, went up the River with his party ; and two of his men, of the name of Chenoweth and Brothers, killed these two Indians. Beyond controversy this is the only. circumstance in the history of this Indian war, in which his name can in the remot- est degree be identified with any measure tending to produce this war ; and it is certain that the guilt or innocence of this affair will
* I had this from Capt. Cresap himself, a short time after it occurred.
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appear from this date. It is notorious, then, that those Indians were killed not only after Capt. Cresap had received Connoly's let- ter, and after Butler's men were killed in the canoe, but also after the affair at Yellow Creek, and after the people had fled into the Forts. But more of this after, when we take up Mr. Doddridge and his book ; simply, however, remarking here, that is affair of killing those two Indians has the same aspect and relation to Dunmore's war that the battle of Lexington has to the war of the revolution.
But to proceed. Permit us to remark, that it is very difficult at this late period to form a correct idea of these times unless we can bring distinctly into view the real state of our frontier. The inhabi- tants of the western country were at this time thinly scattered from the Alleghany Mountain to the eastern banks of the Ohio River, and most thinly near that River. In this state of things, it was natural to suppose that the few settlers in the vicinity of Wheeling, who had collected into the Fort, would feel extremely solicitious to detain Capt. Cresap and his men as long as possible, especially until they could see on what point the storm would fall. Capt. Cresap, the son of a hero, and a hero himself, felt for their situation ; and getting together a few more men, in addition to his own, and not relishing the limits of a little Fort, nor a life of inactivity, set out on what was called a scouting party, that is, to reconnoiter and scour the frontier border ; and while out and engaged in this business, fell in with and had a running fight with a party of Indians, nearly about his equal in numbers, when one Indian was killed, and Cresap had one man wounded. This affair took place somewhere on the banks of the Ohio. Doddridge says it was at the mouth of Captina ; be it so-it inatters not ; but he adds, it was on the same day the Indians were killed in the canoe. In this the doctor is most egregiously mistaken, as I shall prove hereafter.
But may we not ask, what were these Indians doing here at this time, on the banks of the Ohio? They had no town near this place, nor was it their hunting season, it was about the 8th or 10th of May. Is it not then probable, nay, almost certain, that the struggling banditti were prepared and ready to fall on some parts of our exposed frontier, and that their dispersion saved the lives of many helpless women and children?
But the old proverb, cry mad dog and kill him ! is, I suppose, equally as applicable to heroes as to dogs.
Capt. Cresap soon after this returned to his family in Maryland ; but feeling most sensibly for the inhabitants on the frontier in their perilous situation, immediately raised a company of volunteers, and marched back to their assistance; and having advanced as far as Catfish Camp, the place where Washington, Pa., now stands, he was arrested in his progress by a peremptory and insulting order from Connoly, commanding him to dismiss his men and to re- turn home.
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This order, couched in offensive and insulting language, it may be well supposed, was not very grateful to a man of Capt. Cresap's high sense of honor and peculiar sensibility, especially conscious as he was of the purity of his motives, and the laudable end he had in view. He nevertheless obeyed, returned home and dismissed his men, and with the determination, I well know from what he said after his return, never again to take any part in the present Indian war, but to leave Mr. Commandant at Pittsburg to fight it out as he could. This hasty resolution was, however, of short duration. For however strange, contradictory, and irreconcilable the conduct of the Earl of Dunmore and his Vice-governor at Pittsburg, &c. may appear, yet it is a fact, that on the Ioth of June, the Earl of Dunmore, unsolicited, and to Capt. Cresap, certainly unexpected, sent him a Captain's commission of the militia of Hampshire county, Virginia, notwithstanding his residence was in Maryland. This commission reached Capt. Cresap a few days after his return from the expedition to Catfish Camp, just above mentioned ; and inas- much as this commission, coming to him the way it did, carried with it a tacit expression of the Governor's approbation of his conduct-add to which, that about the same time his feelings were daily assailed by petition after petition, from almost every section of the western country, praying, begging, and beseeching him to come of to their assistance-it is not surprising that his resolution should be changed. Several of these petitions and Dun- more's commission have escaped the wreck of time and are now in my possession.
This commission coming at the time it did, and in the way and under the circumstances above recited, aided and strengthened as it was by the numberless petitioners aforesaid, broke down and so far extinguished all Capt. Cresap's personal resentment against Connoly that he once more determined to exert all the power and in- fluence in assisting the distressed inhabitants of the western frontier, and accordingly immediately raised a company, placed himself under the command of Maj. Angus McDonald, and marched with him to attack the Indians, at their town of Wappatomachie, on the Musk- ingum. His popularity, at this time, was such, and so many men flocked to his standard, that he could not consistently with the rules of an army, retain them in his company, but obliged to transfer them, much against their wills, to other captains, and the result was, that after retaining in his own company as many men as he could consistently, he filled completely the company of his nephew, Capt. Michael Cresap, and also partly the company of Capt. Han- cock Lee. This little army of about four hundred men, under Maj. McDonald, penetrated the Indian country as far as the Muskingum ; near which they skirmished with a party of Indians under Captain Snake, in which McDonald lost six men, and killed the Indian chief Snake.
A little anecdote here will go to show what expert and close
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shooters we had in those days among our riflemen. When McDon- ald's little army arrived on the bank of the Muskingum River, and while lying there, an Indian on the opposite shore got behind a log or old tree, and was lifting up his head occasionally to view the white men's army. One of Capt. Cresap's men, of the name of John Harness, seeing this, loaded his rifle with two balls, and placing himself on the bank of the River, watched the oppor- tunity when the Indian raised his head, and firing at the same in- stant, put both balls through the Indian's neck, and laid him dead ; * which circumstance no doubt had great influence in intimidating the Indians.
McDonald after this had another running fight with the Indians, drove them from their towns, burnt them, destroyed their provisions, and, returned to the settlement and discharged his men.
But this affair at Wappatomachie and expedition of McDonald were only the prelude to more important and efficient measures. It was well understood that the Indians were far from being subdued, and that they would now certainly collect all their forces, and to the utmost of their power return the compliment of our visit to their territories.
The Governor of Virginia, whatever might have been his views as to the ulterior measures, lost no time in preparing to meet this storm. He sent orders immediately to Col. Andrew Lewis, of Augusta county, to raise an army of about one thousand men, and to march with all expedition to the mouth of the Great Kanawha, on the Ohio River, where, or at some other point, he would join him, after he had got together another army, which he intended to raise in the northwestern counties, and command in person. Lewis lost no time, but collected the number of men re- quired, and inarched without delay to the appointed place of ren- dezvous.
But the Earl was not quite so rapid in his movements, which circumstance the eagle eye of old Cornstalk, the general of the In- dian army, saw, and was determined to avail himself of, foreseeing that it would be much easier to destroy two separate columns of an invading army before than after their junction and consolidation. With this view he marched with all expedition to attack Lewis before he was joined by the Earl's army from the north, calculating, con- fidently no doubt, that if he could destroy Lewis, he would be able to give a good account of the army of the Earl.
The plan of Cornstalk appear to have been those of a consum- ate and skillful general, and the prompt and rapid execution of them displayed the energy of a warrior. He, therefore, without loss of time, attacked Lewis at his post. The attack was sudden, vio- lent, and I believe unexpected. It was nevertheless well fought, very obstinate, and of long continuance ; and as both parties fought
* The Muskingum at this place is said to be about 200 yards wide.
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with rifles, the conflict was dreadful ; many were killed on both sides, and the contest was only finished with the approach of night. The Virginians, however, kept the field, but lost many valuable officers and men, and among the rest, Col. Charles Lewis, brother to the commander-in-chief.
Cornstalk and Blue Jacket, the two Indian captains, it is said, performed prodigies of valor ; but finding at length all their efforts unavailing, drew off their men in good order, and with the deter- mination to fight no more, if peace could be obtained on reasonable terms.
This battle of Lewis' opened an easy and unmolested passage for Dunmore through the Indian country ; * but it is proper to re- mark here, however, that when Dunmore arrived with his wing of the army at the mouth of the Hockhocking River, he sent Capt. White-eyes, a Delaware chief, to invite the Indians to a treaty, and he remained stationary at that place until White-eyes returned, who reported that the Indians would not treat about peace. I presume, in order of time, this must have been just before Lewis' battle ; be- cause it will appear in the sequal of this story, that a great revolu- tion took place in the minds of the Indians after the battle.
Dunmore, immediately upon the report of White-eyes that the Indians were not disposed for peace, sent an express to Col. Lewis to move on and meet him near Chillicothe, on the Scioto River, and both wings of the army were put in motion. But as Dunmore ap- proached the Indian town, he was met by flags from the Indians, demanding peace, to which he acceded, halted his army, and run- ners were sent to invite the Indian chiefs, who cheerfully obeyed the summons, and came to the treaty-save only Logan, the great ora- tor, who refused to come. It seems, however, that neither Dunmore nor the Indian chiefs considered his presence of much importance, for they went to work and finished the treaty without him-refer- ring, I believe, some unsettled points for future discussion, at a treaty to be held the ensuing summer or fall at Pittsburg. This treaty, the articles of which I never saw, nor do I know that they were ever recorded, concluded Dunmore's war, in September or October, 1774. After the treaty was over, old Cornstalk, the Shaw- nee chief, accompanied Dunmore's army until they reached the mouth of the Hockhocking, on the Ohio River ; and what was more singu- lar, rather made his home in Capt. Cresap's tent, with whom he continued on terms of the most friendly familiarity. I consider this
* A little anecdote will prove that Dunmore was a General, and also the high estimation in which he held Capt. Cresap. While the army was marching through the Indian country, Dunmore ordered Capt. Cresap with his company and some more of his best troops in the rear. This displeased Cresap, and he expostulated with the Earl, who replied, that the reason of this arrangement was, because he knew that if he was attacked in front, all those men would soon rush forward into the engagement. The reason, which was by the by a handsome compliment, satisfied Cresap, and all the rear guard.
17
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circumstance as positive proof that the Indians themselves neither considered Capt. Cresap the murderer of Logan's family, nor the cause of the war. It appears, also, that at this place the Earl of Dunmore received dispatches from England. Doddridge says he re- ceived these on his march out.
But we ought to have mentioned in its proper place, that after the treaty between Dunmore and the Indians commenced near Chil- licothe, Lewis arrived with his army, and encamped two or three miles from Dunmore, which greatly alarmed the Indians, as they thought he was so much irritated at losing so many men in the late battle that he would not easily be pacified ; nor would they be satis- fied until Dunmore and old Cornstalk went into Lewis' camp to converse with him.
Dr. Doddridge represents this affair in different shades of light from this statement. I can only say I had my information from an officer who was present at the time.
But it is time to remind the reader, that, although I have wan- dered into such a minute detail of the various occurrences, facts and circumstances of Dunmore's war ; and all of which as a history may be interesting to the present and especially to the rising generation ; yet it is proper to remark that I have two leading objects chiefly in view-first, to convince the world, that whoever and whatever might · be the cause of the Indian war in 1774, it was not Capt. Cresap ; secondly, that from the aspect of our political affairs, at that period, and from the known hostility of Dunmore to the American Revolu- tion, and withal to the subsequent conduct of Dunmore, and the dreadful Indian war that commenced soon after the beginning of our war with Great Britain-I say, from all these circumstances, we have infinitely stronger reasons to suspect Dunmore than Cresap; and I may say that the dispatches above mentioned that were re- ceived by Dunmore at Hockhocking, although after the treaty, were yet calculated to create suspicion.
But if, as we suppose, Dunmore was secretly at the bottom of this Indian war, it is evident that he could not with propriety ap- pear personally in a business of this kind ; and we have seen and shall see, how effectually his sub-governor played his part be- tween the Virginians and Pennsylvanians ; and it now remains for us to examine how far the conduct of this man (Connoly) will bear us out in the supposition that there was also some foul play, some dark intriguing work to embroil the western country in an In- · dian war.
And I think it best now, as we have introduced this man Con- noly again, to give the reader a short condensed history of his whole proceedings, that we may have him in full view at once. We have already presented the reader with his circular letter, and its natural result and consequences and also with his insulting letter and mandatory order to Capt. Cresap, at Catfish Camp, to dismiss his men and go home; and that the reader may now see a little of
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the character of this man, and understand him, if it is possible to understand him, I present him with a copy of a letter to Capt. Reece.
"As I have received intelligence that Logan, a Mingo Indian, with about twenty Shawnees and others, were set off for war, last Monday, and I have reason to believe they may come upon the in- habitants about Wheeling, I hereby order, require and command you, with all the men you can raise, immediately to march and join any of the companies already out and under the pay of the government, and upon joining your parties together, scour the frontier and be- come a barrier to our settlements, and endeavor to fall in with their tracks, and pursue them, using your utmost endeavours to chastise them as open and avowed enemies.
' I am, sir, your most humble servant,
"DORSEY PENTECOST, for
JOHN CONNOLY,
" To Capt. Joel Reece, use all expedition, May 27; 1774.
Now here is a fellow for you. A very short time before this, perhaps two or three days before the date of this letter, Capt. Cresap, who had a fine company of volunteers, is insulted, ordered to dismiss his men and go home; and indeed it appears from one expression in his letter, namely, "the companies who are already out," that these companies must have been actually out at the very time Cresap is ordered home.
Now if any man is skilled in the art of legerdemain, let him un- riddle this enigina if he can.
But as so many important facts crowd together at this eventful period, it may be satisfactory to the reader, and have a tendency more clearly to illustrate the various scenes interwoven in the thread of this history, to present to his view a chronological list of these facts ; and I think the first that deserves notice is Connoly's circu- lar letter, which we date the 25th day of April ; secondly, the two men killed in Butler's canoe we know was the first or second day of May ; thirdly, the affair at Yellow Creek, was on the third day of May ; fourthly, the Indians killed in the canoe above Wheeling, the fifth or sixth day of May ; fifth, the skirmish with the Indians on the Ohio River, about the eigth or tenth day of May ; after which, Capt. Cresap returned to Catfish Camp about the twenty-fifth day of May. Indeed, this first speaks for itself ; it could not be earlier, when it is considered he rode home from the Ohio River, a distance of about one hundred and forty miles, raised a company and inarched back as far as Catfish Camp, through bad roads, near one hundred and twenty miles ; and all, agreeably to my statement, in seventeen days; then it is evident that he was not at Catfish Camp sooner than the twenty-fifth day of May; and if so, he was ordered home at the very time when scouts were out, and the
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settlement threatened with an attack from the Indians. as is manifest from Connoly's own letter to Capt. Reece, dated May 27, 1774.
But the hostility of Connoly to Capt. Cresap was unremitting and without measure or decency ; for on the 14th day of July, of the same year, we find one of the most extraordinary, crooked, malignant, Grub Street epistles, that ever appeared on paper ; but let us see it.
"FORT DUNMORE, * July 14, 1774.
" Your whole proceedings, so far as relate to our disturbances with the Indians, have been of a nature so extraordinary, that I am much at a loss to account for the cause : but when I consider your late steps ; tending directly to ruin the service here, by inveigling away the militia of this garrison by your preposterous proposals, and causing them thereby to embezzle the arms of the government, purchased at an enormous expense, and at the same time to reflect infinite disgrace upon the honor of this colony, by attacking a set of people, which, notwithstanding the injury they have sustained by you in the loss of their people, yet continue to rely upon the profes- sions of friendship which I have made, and deport themselves accordingly ; I say, when I consider these matters, I inust conclude you are actuated by a spirit of discord, so prejudicial to the peace and good order of society, that the conduct calls for justice, and due execution thereof can only check. I must once again order you to desist from your pernicious designs, and require of you, if you are an officer of militia, to send the deserters from this place back with all expedition, that they may be dealt with as their crimes merit.
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