University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XVI

THE LAST EVENTFUL YEARS OF LORD DUNMORE'S ADMINISTRATION

Lord Dunmore's War. — While the colonies were on the
eve of war with Great Britain, Virginia was called upon
once more to defend her western frontier from the savages,
who rose in arms to drive the settlers out of the territory
south of the Ohio River. The struggle which followed was
called Dunmore's war, because the governor was charged
with having brought it on through his agent, Dr. Conolly,
who made statements which the backwoodsmen understood
to be equivalent to a declaration of hostilities. The trouble
began with the killing of some friendly Shawnees by a
party of whites. This unprovoked act was followed by the
murder of the entire family of a friendly chief named
Logan. These and other outrages committed by the
whites, caused a number of western tribes to unite under
the leadership of a famous chief called Cornstalk, and begin
a war of extermination on the settlers west of the mountains.
Lord Dunmore hastily collected an army to meet
the impending danger, and proceeded to the seat of war.

Battle of Point Pleasant. — As one wing of Dunmore's
army, which was commanded by General Andrew Lewis,[19]

was about to cross the Ohio River, it was suddenly attacked
by the savages in great numbers. A hard-fought battle
then took place, which lasted from sunrise till nearly sunset;
but in the end the Virginians won a complete victory,
though at the loss of a number of brave men. The Indians
then made a treaty with Lord Dunmore, promising that
they would no more hunt south of the Ohio nor disturb
voyagers on the river. This battle was important, because
it opened the way for the settlement of Kentucky, and
enabled Virginia a few years later to conquer her western
territory, and thus make good her title to it.

The Prophetic Words of Patrick Henry. — The Indian
war being over, the contest with Great Britain occupied
the attention of the public to a greater extent than ever.
The situation had now become alarming, and the people
began to arm themselves. On the 20th of March, 1775,
a convention for the consideration of public affairs
met at Richmond in St. John's Church. Patrick Henry
promptly introduced a measure for arming and drilling a
body of militia; and, in advocating its adoption, he made his
famous speech, the closing words of which were: "If we
wish to be free, we must fight. It is too late to retire from
the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and
slavery. The war is inevitable, and let it come. The next
gale that sweeps from the North will bring to our ears the
clash of resounding arms. I know not what course others
will take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death."

The First Clash of Arms. — His words seemed almost
prophetic; for on April 18, 1775, a detachment of British
troops was ordered by General Gage, the British commander
at Boston, to proceed to Concord and destroy some
military stores which the Americans had collected. When
the soldiers reached Lexington, they encountered a body

St. John's Church, Richmond

of Massachusetts minutemen, and a collision occurred in
which the first blood of the Revolution was shed. This was
followed by a second engagement at Concord; and, with
these skirmishes, the struggle that had so long been impending
commenced.

The Gunpowder. — The day after the battle of Lexington,
Lord Dunmore had a quantity of gunpowder removed from
the old powder magazine at Williamsburg, and put on
board a British man-of-war lying off Yorktown. When
this became known in Williamsburg, the people flew to
arms and were with difficulty restrained from attacking the
governor's palace. In other parts of Virginia also, the
incident caused the greatest excitement. In Fredericksburg,
more than six hundred minutemen assembled to
march against the governor; but George Washington and

Edmund Pendleton induced them to disband. This they
did after signing a paper in which they pledged themselves
to defend "Virginia or any sister colony." The paper
closed with the words: "God save the liberties of America,"
which now took the place of "God save the King." But
Patrick Henry thought the time for action had come. He
put himself at the head of a Hanover company, and set

Removing Powder from the Magazine at Williamsburg

out for Williamsburg.
As he drew
near, he was met by
a messenger from
Lord Dunmore with
an offer to pay for
the powder, and he
accepted this settlement
of the matter.

Flight of Lord Dunmore.
— About two
months later, Lord
Dunmore, not deeming
it safe for him to
remain in Williamsburg
longer, took
refuge on the Fowey,
a man-of-war, which
was anchored near Yorktown. Before taking his departure,
he addressed a communication to the Burgesses, stating
that he deemed it advisable for the safety of himself
and family to leave Williamsburg. In reply, the Council
and the House of Burgesses jointly invited him to return to
the head of affairs, assuring him that they would unite in
carrying out any plan that might be deemed necessary for
his personal safety. But he declined to leave his place of

refuge, though he offered to continue to discharge his
functions as governor on board the man-of-war. After
this, the Burgesses had no further communications with
him; and thus the royal government in Virginia came to
an end, after it had existed for more than a hundred and
fifty years.

Flight of Lord Dunmore

Provisional Government organized. — The Burgesses now
saw that it was necessary to provide an executive for Virginia,
and so a convention was called, which met in Richmond
on July 17, and committed the supreme authority
not to one person, but to the famous Committee of Safety.[20]
This body was endowed with absolute power, being responsible
only to the convention. It was fortunate that this

provisional government was organized so promptly, for the
people had soon to protect themselves from the governor
they had renounced.

Dunmore's Ravages. — Lord Dunmore, incensed at his
expulsion from his government, decided to make war on
Virginia with such forces as he could collect. He had at
his command a fleet of several ships and two companies of
regulars. With these he commenced a series of predatory
incursions along the shores of the Chesapeake. He made
his headquarters in Norfolk. From there, he proclaimed
martial law and offered freedom to all slaves who would
join him and fight against their masters. By such means
as these, he collected a mixed force sufficient to enable
him to do much damage. But, in December, he was defeated
at Great Bridge near Norfolk by a company of Virginians
under Colonel William Woodford, and forced to
embark on his ships. On the 1st of January, 1776, he
bombarded Norfolk, and under cover of the cannonade,
a body of marines landed and at his command set fire to
the town. After this exploit Dunmore carried on for
some months along the shores of the various rivers of
eastern Virginia, hostilities that bore more resemblance to
the incursions of pirates than to open, honorable war, affording
the melancholy spectacle of a governor plundering
the people whom he had come to rule over and protect.
Finally, he fortified himself at Gwynn's Island at the head
of the Piankatank River in Mathews County. From this
retreat he was driven by General Andrew Lewis, of Point
Pleasant fame, and this was the last of Dunmore in Virginia.
He retired first to New York, and then in a short
time went back to England, where he entertained royalists
who fled from Virginia, and continued to manifest the bitterest
hostility to the American cause.

QUESTIONS

• 1. While the colonies were on the eve of war, what was Virginia
  called to do?

• 2. How did the trouble begin, and by what was it known?

• 3. What did the Indians now do?

• 4. Who was General Andrew Lewis?

• 5. Tell of the battle of Point Pleasant.

• 6. What treaty did Lord Dunmore make with the Indians?

• 7. Why was this battle so important?

• 8. What contest now occupied the people?

• 9. When and where was a convention held?

• 10. What measure was introduced by Patrick Henry?

• 11. Give his prophetic words.

• 12. When and where was the first clash of arms?

• 13. What act of Governor Dunmore's enraged the people?

• 14. What did they attempt to do?

• 15. Who induced them to disband?

• 16. What was the nature of the paper signed?

• 17. What action did Patrick Henry take, and with what result?

• 18. Give an account of the flight of Lord Dunmore.

• 19. What action did the Burgesses take, and with what result?

• 20. How long had the royal government lasted in Virginia?

• 21. Tell of the provisional government organized.

• 22. What did Lord Dunmore now decide to do?

• 23. Where did he make his headquarters, and what did he proclaim?

• 24. What occurred at Great Bridge?

• 25. How and where did he continue his depredations?

• 26. What was the last of Dunmore in Virginia?