Dunmore's War - Dunmore's Expedition

Dunmore's Expedition

Early in May 1774, Governor Dunmore received word that fighting had begun at Yellow Creek and other points on the Ohio. He requested the legislature to authorize general militia forces and fund a volunteer expedition into the Ohio River valley. With the new forces, the Governor advanced toward the Ohio where he split his force into two groups: one would move down the Ohio from Fort Pitt, led by him, and another body of troops under Colonel Andrew Lewis would travel from Camp Union (now Lewisburg, West Virginia) to meet Dunmore at the mouth of the Great Kanawha River. Under this general plan, Governor Dunmore traveled to Fort Pitt and proceeded with his forces down the Ohio River. On September 30, he arrived at Fort Fincastle (later Fort Henry), recently built at Wheeling by his direction.

The force under Lewis, 1100 strong, proceeded from Camp Union to the headwaters of the Kanawha, and then downriver to the appointed rendezvous, reaching the river's mouth on October 6. Not finding Dunmore there, Lewis sent messengers up the Ohio to meet him and tell him of the arrival. On October 9 Dunmore sent a dispatch announcing his plans to proceed to the Shawnee towns on the Scioto. He ordered Lewis to cross the Ohio and meet him at the Shawnee towns.

On October 10, before Lewis began crossing the Ohio, he and his 1,100 men were surprised in attack by warriors under Chief Cornstalk. The Battle of Point Pleasant raged nearly all day and descended into hand-to-hand combat. Lewis's army suffered about 215 casualties, of whom 75 were killed, including Lewis's brother, and 140 wounded. His forces defeated the Ohio Confederacy warriors, who retreated across the Ohio, having lost about 40 warriors. Dunmore and Lewis advanced from their respective points into Ohio to within eight miles (13 km) of the Shawnee town on the Scioto. They erected the temporary Camp Charlotte on Sippo Creek.

Here they met with Cornstalk to begin peace negotiations. Although Chief Logan said he would cease fighting, he would not attend the formal peace talks. After the Mingo refused to accept the terms, Major William Crawford attacked their village of Seekunk (Salt Lick Town). His force of 240 men destroyed the village.

These operations, and the submission of the Shawnee and Mingo at Camp Charlotte, virtually closed the war. Governor Dunmore began his return, proceeding by Redstone and the Great Crossings of the Youghiogheny River to Fort Cumberland, and then to the Virginia capital.

The peace did not prevail for long following this treaty. In May 1776, as the American Revolution was heating up, the Shawnee joined renegade Cherokee chief Dragging Canoe in declaring war against the Virginia colonists. (See Chickamauga Wars (1776-1794)).