University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER III.

THE WAR OF 1774—ITS COMMENCEMENT.

The Mingoes, Shawanese and other powerful western tribes,
feeling that they had been slighted in the Stanwix treaty—
their rights disregarded, their homes invaded, and their hunting
grounds wrested from them,—showed symptoms of great
dissatisfaction, which the more observing of the settlers were
not long in detecting. A deep and bitter feeling was evidently
setting in against the whites; but still, the Indians
remembered the war of 1763, and the terrible power of
Britain. The older and wiser of the sufferers seemed rather
disposed to submit to what seemed inevitable, than throw
themselves away in a vain effort to withstand the power and
influence which was exerted against them. Hopeless hatred,
it will thus be perceived, filled the breasts of the natives at
the period immediately preceding the war of 1774; a hatred
needing only a few acts of violence to kindle it into rage
and thirst for human blood. And such acts were not wanting;
in addition to the murder of several single Indians by
the frontier men, in 1772, five families of the natives on the
Little Kanawha, were killed, in revenge for the death of a
white family on Gauley river, although no evidence existed
to prove who had committed the last-named outrage. And
when 1774 came, a series of events, of which we can present
but a faint outline, led to excessive exasperation on both sides.
Pennsylvania and Virginia laid equal claim to Pittsburgh and
the adjoining country. In the war of 1754, doubt had existed
as to which colony the fork of the Ohio was situated in, and
the Old Dominion having been forward in the defence of the
contested territory, while her northern neighbor had been
very backward in doing anything in its favor, the Virginians

felt a certain claim upon the "Key of the West." This feeling
showed itself before 1763, and by 1773 appears to have
attained a very decided character.[22] Early in 1774, Lord
Dunmore, prompted very probably by Colonel Croghan, and
his nephew, Dr. John Conolly,[23] who had lived at Fort Pitt,
and was an intriguing and ambitious man, determined, by
strong measures, to assert the claims of Virginia upon Pittsburgh
and its vicinity, and despatched Connolly, with a
captain's commission, and with power to take possession of
the country upon the Monongahela, in the name of the king.
He issued his proclamation to the people, in the neighborhood
of Redstone and Pittsburgh, calling upon them to meet
upon the 24th and 25th of January, 1774, in order to be
embodied as Virginia militia. Arthur St. Clair, who then
represented the proprietors of Pennsylvania in the west, was
at Pittsburgh at the time, and arrested Connolly before the
meeting took place.

Connolly, soon after, was for a short time released by the
sheriff, upon the promise to return to the law's custody, which
promise he broke however; and having collected a band of
followers, on the 28th of March came again to Pittsburgh,
still asserting the claim of Virginia to the government. Then
commenced a series of contests, outrages and complaints,
which were too extensive and complicated to be described
within our limited space. The upshot of the matter was this,

that Connolly, in Lord Dunmore's name, and by his authority,
took and kept possession of Fort Pitt; and as it had been dismantled
and nearly destroyed by royal orders, rebuilt it, and
named it Fort Dunmore.[24]

At the time of issuing his proclamation, he wrote to the
settlers along the Ohio, that the Shawanese were not to be
trusted; that they had declared open hostility to the whites;
and he (Connolly) desired all to be in readiness to redress any
grievances that would occur. One of these circulars was addressed
to Captain Michael Cresap, then at or near Wheeling.

A few days previous to the date of Connolly's letter (April
21,) a canoe loaded with goods for the Shawanese

towns, the property of a Pittsburgh merchant
named Butler, had been attacked by three Cherokee Indians,
about sixty miles above, and one of the whites killed. This of
course caused considerable sensation in the neighborhood of
Wheeling. The people, too, aroused by the false cry of Connolly,
became greatly excited; and when, a few days after, it
was reported that a boat containing Indians was coming down
the river, a resolution was at once taken to attack them.

Several men, one of whom it is alleged was Captain Cresap,
started up the river, and firing upon the canoe, killed two
Indians, whom they scalped. On the following day[26] several
canoes containing Indians[27] were discovered a short distance

above the island. Pursuit was immediately given; and that
night, while the Indians were encamped near the mouth of
Captina creek, twenty miles below Wheeling, the whites
attacked them, killing one and wounding several of the
company.

These were clearly the exciting causes to the war of 1774.
It is true, however, as already stated, the magazine was
charged, and needed but the match to produce instantaneous
explosion. That match was fired by the murderer's torch
at Captina and Yellow creek, (presently to be noticed,) and
dreadful was the effect of that explosion.

A question of some importance now arises—one which we
would fain avoid, but which our duty compels us to meet—
and that is, what part did Captain Cresap take in the outset
of this war? Most unfortunately for the memory of a brave
and chivalrous soldier, his name has become so blended with
the principal events of this dark page in our history, that it
seems an almost hopeless task to controvert any of the points
made by previous writers upon the subject.

So intimately associated has been Captain Cresap's name
with these unfortunate and tragical occurrences, that this
bloody record in our history—the war of 1774, has been, and
by many still is, styled "Cresap's war."

Viewing the whole matter with a mind free from bias, or
if prejudiced at all, confessedly in favor of the arraigned,
we candidly acknowledge that the evidence before us bears
strongly against him in the affairs at Wheeling and Captina;
but wholly exculpates him from any participation in the diabolical
transaction at Yellow creek. This we think the extent
of his guilt, in the occurrences which led to the fierce and
sanguinary conflict between the natives and whites on our
western border, in the summer and fall of 1774.

Whilst upon this subject, we may take occasion to state,
that in our opinion one unfortunate error has been committed
by most, if not all, of Captain Cresap's friends, and that has
been, in not stating exactly what he did. It cannot but have

been known to Mr. Jacob and others, who have set up as the
special defenders of Captain Cresap, that he did make one of
the party who killed the two Indians near Wheeling, and also
that he was engaged in the affair at Captina. Concealment
of these facts has done irreparable injustice to the memory of
a brave and gallant soldier. Had they conceded this much,
but insisted upon his innocence of that other heinous charge,
most of the calumny now afloat would have been saved, and
the memory of Captain Cresap not been tarnished by that one
foul stain, from the mere contemplation of which, civilized
man turns with an involuntary shudder. This, we conceive,
has been the fatal error. A uniform denial, for Captain
Cresap, of all participation in the border outrages of 1774,
left no alternative with those who knew differently, but to
believe that he was connected with all.

Captain Cresap's known and avowed participation[28] in the
affairs at Wheeling and Captina, and the murder of Logan's
family at Baker's bottom so soon thereafter, very reasonably
caused many to believe that he did compose one of the latter
party.

Logan thought so himself; and so asserted, not only in his
celebrated speech at Camp Charlotte, but also in other oral
and written declarations.[29]

We come now to the last, and by far the most tragic part of
this drama. George Rogers Clark, one of the most distinguished
men of his day in the west, was at Wheeling at the
time of these occurrences. It is not likely that such a man
would be mistaken, and we therefore give his statement
almost entire. It is from a letter written in June, 1798, to a
friend of Mr. Jefferson, who sought information as to the
affairs to which it refers.

This country was explored in 1773. A resolution was
formed to make a settlement the spring following, and the
mouth of the Little Kanawha appointed the place of general
rendezvous, in order to descend the river from thence in a
body. Early in the spring the Indians had done some mischief.
Reports from their towns were alarming, which
deterred many. About eighty or ninety men only arrived
at the appointed rendezvous, where we lay some days.

A small party of hunters, that lay about ten miles below
us, were fired upon by the Indians, whom the hunters beat
back, and returned to camp. This and many other circumstances
led us to believe that the Indians were determined on
war. The whole party was enrolled and determined to execute
their project of forming a settlement in Kentucky, as we
had every necessary store that could be thought of. An
Indian town called the Horsehead Bottom, on the Scioto and
near its mouth, lay nearly in our way. The determination
was to cross the country and surprise it. Who was to command?
was the question. There were but few among us that
had experience in Indian warfare, and they were such that
we did not choose to be commanded by. We knew of Capt.
Cresap being on the river about fifteen miles above us, with
some hands, settling a plantation; and that he had concluded
to follow us to Kentucky as soon as he had fixed there his
people. We also knew that he had been experienced in a
former war. He was proposed; and it was unanimously
agreed to send for him to command the party. Messengers
were despatched, and in half an hour returned with Cresap.
He had heard of our resolution by some of his hunters, that
had fallen in with ours, and had set out to come to us.

We now thought our army, as we called it, complete, and
the destruction of the Indians sure. A council was called,
and, to our astonishment, our intended commander-in-chief

was the person who dissuaded us from the enterprise. He
said that appearances were very suspicious, but there was no
certainty of a war. That if we made the attempt proposed,
he had no doubt of our success; but a war would, at any rate,
be the result, and that we should be blamed for it, and perhaps
justly. But if we were determined to proceed, he would
lay aside all considerations, send to his camp for his people,
and share our fortunes.

He was then asked what he would advise. His answer
was, that we should return to Wheeling as a convenient post,
to hear what was going forward. That a few weeks would
determine. As it was early in the spring, if we found the
Indians were not disposed for war, we should have full time
to return and make our establishment in Kentucky. This was
adopted; and in two hours the whole were under way. As
we ascended the river, we met Kill-buck, an Indian chief,
with a small party. We had a long conference with him, but
received little satisfaction as to the disposition of the Indians.
It was observed that Cresap did not come to this conference,
but kept on the opposite side of the river. He said that he
was afraid to trust himself with the Indians. That Kill-buck
had frequently attempted to waylay his father, to kill him.
That if he crossed the river, perhaps his fortitude might fail
him, and that he might put Kill-buck to death. On our arrival
at Wheeling, (the country being pretty well settled thereabouts,)
the whole of the inhabitants appeared to be alarmed.
They flocked to our camp from every direction; and all that
we could say could not keep them from under our wings. We
offered to cover their neighborhood with scouts, until further
information, if they would return to their plantations; but
nothing would prevail. By this time we had got to be a formidable
party. All the hunters, men without families, etc.,
in that quarter, had joined our party.

Our arrival at Wheeling was soon known at Pittsburgh.
The whole of that country, at that time, being under the
jurisdiction of Virginia, Dr. Connolly had been appointed by
Dunmore, Captain Commandant of the District, which was
called Wagusta. He, learning of us, sent a message addressed
to the party, letting us know that war was to be apprehended,
and requesting that we would keep our position for a few
days; as messages had been sent to the Indians, and a few
days would determine the doubt. The answer he got, was,
that we had no inclination to quit our quarters for some time.

That during our stay we should be careful that the enemy did
not harass the neighborhood that we lay in. But before this
answer could reach Pittsburgh, he sent a second express,
addressed to Capt. Cresap, as the most influential man amongst
us, informing him that the messages had returned from the
Indians, that war was inevitable, and begging him to use his
influence with the party, to get them to cover the country by
scouts until the inhabitants could fortify themselves. The
reception of this letter was the epoch of open hostilities with
the Indians. A new post was planted, a council was called,
and the letter read by Cresap, all the Indian traders being
summoned on so important an occasion. Action was had,
and war declared in the most solemn manner; and the same
evening two scalps were brought into camp.[30]

The next day some canoes of Indians were discovered on
the river, keeping the advantage of an island to cover themselves
from our view. They were chased fifteen miles down
the river, and driven ashore. A battle ensued; a few were
wounded on both sides; one Indian only taken prisoner. On
examining their canoes, we[31] found a considerable quantity of
ammunition and other warlike stores. On our return to camp,
a resolution was adopted to march the next day, and attack
Logan's camp on the Ohio about thirty miles above us. We
did march about five miles, and then halted to take some refreshment.
Here the impropriety of executing the projected
enterprise was argued. The conversation was brought forward
by Cresap himself. It was generally agreed that those
Indians had no hostile intentions—as they were hunting, and
their party were composed of men, women, and children, with
all their stuff with them. This we knew; as I myself and
others present had been in their camp about four weeks past,
on our descending the river from Pittsburgh. In short, every
person seemed to detest the resolution we had set out with.
We returned in the evening, decamped, and took the road to
Redstone.

It was two days after this that Logan's family were killed.
And from the manner in which it was done, it was viewed as
a horrid murder. From Logan's hearing of Cresap being at
the head of this party on the river, it is no wonder that he
supposed he had a hand in the destruction of his family.