University of Virginia Library

1779.

The surrender to Clark of the British "hair-buyer," as
Hamilton was very appropriately called, put it out of that
functionary's power to purge the west of the "Long-knives,"
as he had so bravely threatened to do. It also had the effect
to restrain the activity of the savages on the Virginia frontier,

especially as the trade in scalps had become dull since
the bounty patron had gone to Williamsburg, loaded with
irons. But the savages were not long quiet; they had injuries
of their own which they burned to avenge; and although
more prisoners were made and fewer scalps taken, than when
Hamilton was abroad, still their depredations were as great,
and the terror which their presence inspired just as all-pervading,
as during the previous years. In Virginia, they did
not appear by a month so early as usual, but when commenced
their operations were quite as extensive. Anticipating increased
danger, the settlers on Hacker's creek all removed
with their families to the neighboring forts, and placed themselves
in proper condition for meeting and resisting the
enemy in any number that might come. Several new forts
had, in the meantime, arisen; and therefore, when the campaign
fairly opened, the settlers were better prepared to
encounter their fierce adversaries than ever before. The
extreme frontier people had also been busy. Many new stockades
were erected, and the old ones repaired. Tomlinson's,
at Grave creek, which had been abandoned in 1777, was
re-fitted and occupied; Shepherd's, at the forks of Wheeling,
which the Indians had burned, was re-built, with many others
along the populated vallies in the neighborhood of Wheeling.