USA > Virginia > Augusta County > Augusta County > History of Augusta County, Virginia > Part 23
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" There is a great God and Power, which hath made the world and all things therein, to whom you, and I, and all people, owe their being and well-being, and to whom you and I must one day give an account for all that we have done in the world.
" This great God has written his law in our hearts ; by which we are taught and commanded to love, and to help, and to do good to one an- other. Now this great God hath been pleased to make me concerned in your part of the world; and the king of the country where I live hath given me a great province* therein ; but I desire to enjoy it with your love and consent, that we may always live together as neighbours and friends ; else what would the great God do to us, who hath made us (not to devour and destroy one another,) but to live soberly and kindly together in the world ? Now, I would have you well observe, that I am very sensible of the unkindness and injustice which have been too much exercised towards you by the people of these parts of the world, who have sought them- selves to make great advantages by you, rather than to be examples of goodness and patience unto you. This I hear hath been a matter of trou- ble to you, and caused great grudging and animosities, sometimes to the shedding of blood ; which hath made the great God angry. But I am not such a man, as is well known in my own country. I have great love and regard towards you, and desire to win and gain your love and friend- ship by a kind, just and peaceable life; and the people I send are of the same mind, and shall in all things behave themselves accordingly ; and if in any thing any shall offend you or your people, you shall have a full and speedy satisfaction for the same, by an equal number of just men on both sides, that by no means you may have just occasion of being offended against them.
" I shall shortly come to see you myself, at which time we may more largely and freely concur and discourse of these matters. In the mean time I have sent my commissioners to treat with you about land and a firm
*Penn, on receiving his charter from Charles II, in 1681, intended to call the country New Wales, but the Under Secretary of State at the time was a Welshman, and thought that this was using too much liberty with the ancient principality, and objected to it. He then suggested Sylvania, and the King insisted on adding Penn to it. After some struggles of modesty, Penn submitted to the King's desire, and hence the name of Pennsylvania.
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league of peace. Let me desire you to be kind to them and to the peo- ple, and receive the presents and tokens which I have sent you as a tes- timony of my good will to you, and of my resolution to live justly, peaceably and friendly with you.
" I am your loving friend,
"WILLIAM PENN."
Turning from the inviting field of general history, we shall now briefly glance at some of the bolder acts in the bloody drama performed on the frontier of Virginia, or of that ancient County of Angusta, from which we emerged, in 1790, with our present confines.
One of the first acts of the scalping parties on our borders was to seize and carry into captivity Mrs. Grisly and her two children. Mr. G. was absent at the time, but, returning soon after, and missing his family, sus- pected the true cause. Rallying some of his neighbors, pursuit was given. Keeping the Indian trail for six miles, the horror-stricken husband came suddenly upon the ghastly form of his murdered wife and child. The savages, finding Mrs. G. unable to travel on account of her delicate situa- tion, most inhumanly tomahawked her, together with her younger child.
SIEGE OF FORT HENRY, IN NORTHWEST VIRGINIA, BY SIMON GIRTY.
The autumn of 1777 was memorable in the annals of the West for the united and determined attack by British and Indian troops against the stockade fort, Henry, near Wheeling. Early in August, flying reports reached the settlers that the Indians were gathering in great numbers, with a view to attacking the settlement. Every precaution was taken to guard against an insidious foe. Scouting parties were kept out, who, with sleepless vigilance watched all the movements of the enemy. Information had been conveyed to Gen. Hand, commanding at Fort Pitt, by some friendly Moravian Indians, that a large party of Indians, composed of war- riors from the Northwestern Confederacy, were making extensive prepara- tions to strike a terrible blow upon the settlements on the Ohio. It was fur- ther stated that this chosen body of savages would be under command of Simon Girty, a man whose known relentless ferocity toward his foresworn countrymen could not but add to the fearful prospect before them. Gen. Hand lost no time in widely disseminating the information thus obtained. . As it was uncertain where the expected blow would fall, all was activity, fear and alarm at the several little half-finished stockades stretching at dis- tances from one to two hundred miles, between Fort Pitt and the Great Kanawha. But it soon became manifest at what point the enemy in- tended to strike. The settlers at Wheeling, about thirty families, betook themselves to their fort, to await the issue.
Early in the evening of August 31st, Capt. Ogle, who had been sent out some days before at the head of ten or fifteen men to scout along the dif- ferent routes usually followed by the barbarians, returned and reported no
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immediate cause of danger. The barbarians, with their usual sagacity, suspecting that their movements might be watched, abandoned all the trails commonly trodden, and, dividing, as they approached the river, into small parties, struck out for Wheeling along new lines. Without dis- covery, they reached Bogg's Island, two miles below Fort Henry, and there, consolidating their force, crossed the river and proceeded directly, under cover of night, to the vicinity of the Fort, and made their final dis- positions for an attack next morning.
The Indian army consisted of 350 well-armed Mingos, Shawanese and Wyandottes, commanded by the renegade, Girty. Girty disposed his men in two lines across the bottom, opposite the Fort, and concealed them in the high weeds and maize. Posted near the centre of these lines, and close to a path leading from the Fort (which they supposed some of the whites would pass along in the morning), were six Indians. Shortly after daybreak of the Ist of September, Dr. McMechon, who was about to re- turn east of the mountains, sent out a white man named Boyd and a negro to catch the horses. The two men had not proceeded far before they dis- covered the six Indians already referred to. They turned to fly, but Boyd was killed. The negro was permitted to return, doubtless to mislead the whites as to the number of their foe. The commandant immediately or- dered Capt. Mason to dislodge the enemy. With fourteen men he sallied forth, and discovering the six Indians, fired upon them. Almost simulta- neously with this discharge, the whole barbarian army arose, and, with horrid yells, rushed upon the little band of whites. Mason ordered a re- treat, and in person commenced cutting his way through the Indian line which surrounded them. This he succeeded in doing, but twelve out of his little band perished.
Soon as the disaster to Mason was known at the Fort, Capt. Ogle, with his twelve scouts, advanced to his relief, guided by the yells of the savages and the shrieks of the whites. The barbarians, seeing Ogle's approach, rushed upon him with the fury of demons, and all but three,-Ogle, his sergeant, and Wetzel,-shared the fate of Mason's party. The loss of so many brave men at such a time was a sad blow to that part of the coun- try. Those who fell were the pride of the little fortress. They were heroes in every sense of the word; men of iron nerve, indomitable cour- age, and devoted patriotism. Scarcely had the shrieks of the wounded and dying been quieted, than the barbarian army presented themselves in front of the Fort and demanded a surrender. The appearance of the enemy, as they advanced, was most formidable. They advanced in two lines with drum, fife, and British colors, many of the savages holding up the reeking scalps just torn from the heads of Mason's and Ogle's ill-fated parties. The morning was calm and bright. As the savages advanced, a few shots were fired at them from the Fort, without, however, doing much
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execution. Girty, having brought up his forces, disposed of them as fol- lows: The right flank was brought around the base of the hill, and dis- tributed among the several cabins convenient to the Fort ; the left defiled beneath the river bank, close under the Fort, but well sheltered. Thus disposed, Girty presented himself at the window of a hut, holding forth a white flag and offering terms of peace. He read the proclamation of Hamilton, Governor of Canada, and in a stentorian voice demanded the surrender of the Fort, offering, in case they complied, protection, but if they refused, immediate and indiscriminate massacre. He referred, in a boastful manner, to the great force at his command, and called upon them, as loyal subjects of George III, to give up, in obedience to the demand of His Majesty's agent. Although there were only twelve men in the Fort, they refused to surrender, and defied the renegade and all the power of King George. The commandant of the Fort, Col. Shepherd, thus respond- ed to Girty: "Sir, we have consulted our wives and children, and all have resolved, men, women and children, to perish at their posts, rather than place themselves under the protection of a savage army, with you at its head, or abjure the cause of liberty and the American colonies." The outlaw attempted to reply, but a shot from the Fort put a stop to any further harangue.
A darker hour had scarcely ever obscured the hopes of the West. Death was all round the little fort, and hopeless despair seemed to press upon its inmates ; but still they preferred death to surrender. Unable to intimidate them, and finding the besieged proof against his vile promises, Girty disappeared from the hut window, and was seen in a few minutes advancing with a large force of savages, who made a dash at the fort. They attempted to force the gates, and test the strength of the pickets by muscular effort. Failing to make any impression, Girty drew off his men a few yards and commenced a general fire upon the port-holes. Thus continued the attack during most of the day and part of the night, but without any sensible effect. About noon, a temporary withdrawal of the enemy took place. During the cessation, active preparations were carried on within the fort to resist further attack. Each person was assigned some particular duty. Of the women, some were required to run bullets, while others were to cool the guns, load and hand them to the men, &c. Some of them, indeed, insisted upon doing duty by the side of the men, and two actually took their position at the port-holes, dealing death to many a dusky warrior.
About three o'clock the Indians returned to the attack with redoubled fury. They distributed themselves among the cabins, behind fallen trees, &c. The number thus disposed of amounted to perhaps one-half of the actual force of the enemy. The remainder advanced along the base of the hill south of the fort, and commenced a vigorous fire upon that part of
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the stockade. This was a cunningly devised scheme, as it drew most of the inmates to that quarter. Immediately a rush was made for the cabins, led on by Girty in person, and a most determined effort made to force the entrance. The attempt was made with heavy timber, but failed, with the loss of many of their boldest warriors.
Several similar attempts were made during the afternoon, but all alike failed. Maddened and chagrined by repeated disappointment and ill- success, the savages withdrew to their covert until night-fall. Day at length closed, darkness deepened over the waters, and almost the stillness of death reigned around. About nine o'clock the savages reappeared, making night hideous with their yells, and the heavens lurid with their discharge of musketry. The lights in the fort having been extinguished, the inmates had the advantage of those without, and many a stalwart savage fell before the steady aim of experienced frontiersmen. Repeated attempts were made during the night to storm the fort and to fire it, but all failed, through the vigilance and activity of those within.
At length that night of horror passed, and day dawned upon the scene but to bring a renewal of the attack. This, however, did not last long, and despairing of success, the savages prepared to leave. They fired most of the buildings, killed the cattle, and were about departing, when a relief party of fourteen men, under Col. Andrew Swearengen, from Holli- day's Fort, twenty-four miles above, landed in a pirogue, and, undiscov- ered by the Indians, gained entrance to the fort. Shortly afterwards, Maj. Samuel McColloch, at the head of forty mounted men, from Short Creek, made his appearance in front of the fort, the gates of which were joy- fully thrown open. Simultaneously with the appearance of McColloch's men, reappeared the enemy, and a rush was made to cut off the entrance of some of the party. All, however, succeeded in getting in, except the gallant Major, who, anxious for the safety of his men, held back until his own chance was entirely cut off. Finding himself surrounded by savages, he rode at full speed in the direction of the hill. The enemy, with exult- ing yells, followed close in pursuit, not doubting they would capture one whom, of all other men, they preferred to wreak their vengeance upon. Greatly disappointed at the escape of the gallant Major, and knowing the hopelessness of attempting to maintain a siege against such increased numbers, the Indians fired a few additional shots at the fort, and then moved rapidly off in a body for their own country. It has been conjec- tured that the enemy lost on this occasion from forty to fifty in killed and wounded. The loss of the whites has been already stated. Not a single person was killed within the fort, and but one slightly wounded.
GRAVE CREEK AMBUSCADE.
In 1777, Capt. W. Foreman organized a volunteer company in Hamp- shire county and marched to the frontier, at Wheeling, to aid in defence
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of the settlements. He was a gallant soldier, but unfamiliar with Indian warfare. The Indians had left Wheeling, and nothing had been seen or heard of them for some time. On September 26th, 1777, a smoke was no- ticed at Wheeling, in the direction of Grave creek, which caused appre- hensions that the savages might be burning the stockade and house of Mr. Tomlinson. Col., Shepherd despatched Capt Foreman's company and a few scouts to ascertain the cause. The party reached Grave creek and found all safe. They camped there for the night, and on the follow- ing morning started on their return. When they reached the lower end of Grave creek narrows, some of the scouts suggested the expediency of leaving the river bottom, and returning by way of the ridge. The captain hooted at the idea of so much caution, and continued on. Some declined to follow, among them a man named Lynn, of great experience as a scout and spy. During the interchange of views between the captain and Lynn, a man named Harkness said that the controvery ran high at times. Foreman, who prided himself on being a thoroughly disciplined officer, was not dis- posed to yield to the suggestions of a rough backwoodsman. Lynn, on the other hand, convinced of the fatal error which the other seemed deter- mined to commit, could not but remonstrate, with all the powers of persua- sion at his command. Finally, when the order to march was given, Lynn, with some six or eight others, struck up the hill-side, while Foreman, with his company, pursued the path along the base. Nothing of importance occurred until the party reached the extreme upper end of the narrows. Just where the bottom begins to widen, those in front had their attention drawn to a display of Indian trinkets, beads, bands, &c., strewn in profu- sion along the path. With a natural curiosity, but a great lack of percep- tion, the entire party gathered about those who picked up the articles of decoy, and whilst thus standing in a compact group, looking at the beads, &c., two lines of Indians stretched across the path, one above, the other below, and a large body of them simultaneously arose from beneath the bank, and opened upon the devoted party a destructive fire. The river hill rises at this point with great boldness, presenting an almost insur- mountable barrier. Still, those of the party who escaped the first dis- charge, attempted to rush up the acclivity, and some with success. But the savages pursued and killed several. At the first fire, Foreman and his two sons fell dead, and about twenty others. When Lynn and his party heard the firing, they rushed down the hill, hallooing. This had the effect of restraining the Indians in pursuit, and doubtless saved the lives of many. Among those who escaped were Harkness and Collins. The for- mer, pulling himself up by a sapling, had the bark driven into his face by a ball from an Indian's gun. Collins was disabled by a ball through his thigh, but recovered and lived many years. Those who escaped this ter- rible affair made their way to Wheeling. On the second day, a party went down and buried the dead in a common grave.
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In 1835, a few gentlemen caused a stone to be erected on the spot of their interment, with this inscription :
" This humble stone is erected to the memory of Captain Foreman and twenty-one of his men, who were slain by a band of ruthless savages,-the allies of a civilized nation of Europe-on the 26th of September, 1777.
" So sleep the brave, who sink to rest, By all their country's wishes blest."
The inhabitants continued to observe their usual watchfulness until to- wards the close of November, when a fall of snow occurring, they relaxed their vigilance. As a rule, the savages withdrew on the commencement of Winter, and did not reappear until the coming Spring. Instances were very rare in which they disturbed the settlements during Winter. The readiness by which they could be tracked, together with the severity of the weather, compelled them to such a course.
This snow to which we have referred, lulled the inhabitants into false security. About twenty Indians had penetrated the settlement in Tygart Valley, and were waiting to make an attack, when the snow fell. Not liking to return without some trophy of their valor, the savages concealed themselves until the snow disappeared. On the 15th day of December, they came to the house of Darby Connoly, at the upper extremity of the Valley, and killed his wife, himself, and several of their children, taking three other prisoners. Proceeding to the next house, they killed Jno. Stewart, his wife and child, and took Miss Hamilton, his wife's sister, cap- tive. They then set out for home with their captives and plunder. Dur- ing the afternoon of the day on which these outrages occurred, John Had- den, passing by the house of Connoly, saw an elk which the family brought up, lying dead in the yard, and suspecting all was not right, entered the house and saw the corpses. He alarmed the neighborhood, and Capt. Wilson, on the next day, with thirty volunteers, went in pursuit. For five days they followed the trail through cold, rain and snow, often wading and swimming streams, and then traveling miles before they could make a fire to thaw off the icicles. Still they could not overtake the savages, and at length the men refused to go further, and so the Indians escaped with their prisoners and booty.
In view of the defenceless condition of the frontier and the sufferings of the people, Congress lost no time in despatching a force across the Alle- ghanies, in 1778, under Gen. McIntosh; but before an invasion of the In- dian territory was made, it was thought advisable to convene the Delaware Indians, at Fort Pitt, and obtain their consent to march through their country. The United States Government therefore dispatched two Com- missioners, namely, Gen. Andrew Lewis, and his brother, Hon. Thos. Lewis, to treat with the Indians. They negotiated a treaty on September 17th, 1778, which was signed by the U. S. Commissioners and the Indian
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chiefs in presence of Cols. L. McIntosh, D. Broadhead, Wm. Crawford, John Gibson, and others.
Gen. McIntosh now advanced into the enemy's country, and erected a fort called Laurens, in honor of the President of Congress. The demand for men in the East and North, to meet the British army, interfered with these operations, and McIntosh, likely to be overpowered, retreated. Fort Laurens was subsequently invested by Indians, and the garrison reduced almost to starvation. A second advance of McIntosh relieved them, and the fort was then abandoned, thus bringing McIntosh's operations to an end without any good result, and after great sufferings endured by the whites.
Col. Broadhead succeeded McIntosh, and conducted a campaign in 1781 against the Indians west of the Ohio, and took many prisoners, among them sixteen warriors, who were bound and then killed with toma- hawks and spears. During Broadhead's return march, twenty Indian prisoners were murdered.
WILLIAMSON'S CAMPAIGN,
in 1782, must not be passed over, though we would gladly do so. It re- sulted in the diabolical murder of the Christian or Moravian Indians, who consisted mainly of Delawares and a few Mohicans. They were con- verted to Christianity by Moravian missionaries, and had lived, from 1772 to 1782, in peace and quietness. They were suspected by both parties ; by the whites, they were thought to harbor hostile Indians, and by the In- dians, because they had abandoned the customs of their race. Their four towns were on the direct route from Sandusky to the Ohio, and they were compelled to furnish supplies to both parties as they passed. They were neutral during the Revolution, but were suspected by the border settlers. In the Spring of 1782, a party of Indians entered the white settlements and killed eight whites. It was thought that this party had wintered with the Moravians, and in March eighty-nine men set out for the Moravian villages to seek vengeance. They reached the peaceful settlements, pro- fessed friendship, telling the Indians they were to be taken for safety to Pittsburg. They thus secured whatever arms these dusky Christians pos- sessed, and then made them prisoners. A vote was then taken as to what course should be pursued, and it was decided to murder them, and they were told to prepare for their fate. After the first burst of horror was over, they patiently suffered themselves to be led into buildings, in one of which the men, and in the other the women and children were confined, like sheep for slaughter. They passed the night in praying, exhorting each other to remain faithful to our Saviour, asking pardon of each other for any offences they had committed, and singing hymns of praise to God. In the morning they were all scalped and murdered, namely, ninety-six, one-third of whom were women, and thirty-four children. The town was
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then plundered and burnt. We need not dwell upon the atrocity of this massacre-a stain upon the country and a stigma upon the memory of every man engaged in it.
CRAWFORD'S EXPEDITION.
We now come to Col. Crawford's unfortunate expedition and his tragic fate. It is easy to trace it back to the Moravian massacre.
During the Spring of 1782, efforts were made to fit out another expedi- tion against the Indian settlements at Sandusky. The success with which the Moravians had been destroyed induced many who had been with Wil- liamson to join it. Placards were posted at Wheeling, Catfish, and other places, stating that a new State was to be organized on the Muskingum, and inviting the people to enlist in the campaign. No effort was left un- tried that could excite either the cupidity or revenge of the frontier people. A force was soon raised in Pennsylvania and Virginia of 480 men, well mounted and armed. Each man furnished his own horse and equipments. The place of rendezvous was Mingo Bottom, where, on the 25th of May, 1782, nearly 500 men mustered and proceeded to elect their commander. The choice fell on Col. Wm. Crawford, an old friend and agent of Wash- ington. Col. C. was a native of Berkeley county, in the Valley of Vir- ginia, and was born in 1732, ever memorable for the births of Washington and Marion.
The army pursued " Williamson's trail" until they arrived at the Mora- vian ruins, where some Indians were lurking. From the time of the Mo- ravian massacre, the Indians, the savages, had kept out spies to guard against surprise. They therefore well knew of the organization and march of Col. Crawford's force, its size, &c. They visited every encampment im- mediately after the whites left it, on their march, and saw from writings on the trees and scraps of paper that "no quarter was to be given to any Indian, man, woman or child." Nothing of importance occurred until the 6th of June, when they reached the site of a Moravian settlement on the upper waters of the Sandusky from which the Moravians had been driven by the Wyandottes. The place was covered with grass, and there were neither Indians nor plunder, but only vestiges of desolation. Finding the Moravians, whom they had hoped to murder and plunder, gone, and see- ing indications that a hostile force was in their neighborhood, they held a council, and it was decided to march one day longer in the direction of the upper Sandusky, and if they should not reach a Moravian or Wyan- dotte town which they could plunder by "a dash," they would retreat. They hoped, by a rapid retreat, to reach a secure place before the savages could muster in formidable force. Accordingly, the march commenced on the morning of the 7th of June, and about two o'clock the advance guard was attacked and driven in by the Indians, who were soon discovered in large numbers in the high grass, lying by the side of a forest. The battle
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