This book has a co-publisher in Main Street Point Pleasant (WV), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Due to contract restrictions, this book is ONLY AVAILABLE FROM THE CO-PUBLISHER. They can be reaced by phone at (304) 675-3844, or by writing Main Street Point Pleasant, 305 Main Street, Point Pleasant, WV 25550.
Known to history as "Dunmore's War," the 1774 campaign against a Shawnee-led Indian confederacy in the Ohio Country marked the final time an American colonial militia took to the field in His Majesty's service and under royal command. Led by John Murray, the fourth Earl of Dunmore and royal governor of Virginia, a force of colonials including George Rogers Clark, Daniel Morgan, Michael Cresap, Adam Stephen, and Andrew Lewis successfully drove the Indians from the territory south of the Ohio River in parts of present-day West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky. Although it proved to be the last Indian conflict of America's colonial era, it is often neglected in histories, despite its major influence on the conduct of the Revolutionary War that followed. In Dunmore's War: The Last Conflict of America's Colonial Era, award-winning historian Glenn F. Williams explains the course and importance of this fascinating event. Supported by primary source research, the author describes each military operation and illustrates the transition of the Virginia militia from a loyal instrument of the king to a weapon of revolution. In the process, he corrects much of the folklore concerning the war and frontier fighting in general, demonstrating that the Americans did not adopt Indian tactics for wilderness fighting as is popularly thought, but rather adapted European techniques to the woods.
It is owing to the indefatigable labors of William Armstrong Crozier that we have one of the most exhaustive lists of colonial soldiers ever published. "Virginia Colonial Militia" originally appeared as Volume II of Crozier's famous series "Virginia County Records" but has since earned a distinction that has set it apart. Certainly anyone looking for colonial Virginia origins would do well to look here first. The work is divided into several sections and includes (1) Land Bounty Certificates for Service in the French and Indian War; (2) Military Rosters in Hening's Statutes at Large; (3) Muster Rolls of Companies Defending the Frontier in Lord Dunmore's War; (4) Partial List of Officers Killed and Wounded at the Battle of Point Pleasant, Oct. 10, 1774; (5) Augusta County Militia in 1742; (6) Miscellaneous County Rosters of Militia Officers; (7) List of Officers and Soldiers of the Virginia Regiment Commanded by George Washington; and (8) List of the Officers of the Colonial Militia of Spotsylvania County, 1729-1780.
The Battle of Point Pleasant is considered to be the first battle of the American Revolution. It was part of Lord Dunmore's expedition (or war) in 1774, which was to subdue the Indians on the frontier. The battle was fought and won by men under the command of General Lewis against an Indian attack. The effect of this battle was that the Indians along Virginia's (or West Virginia's) borders kept the peace during the Revolution and gave experience to many men who joined the colonial forces.
Presents an authoritative register of Virginia's colonial soldiers, drawing on county court minutes, bounty land applications, records of courts martial, county militia rosters, and public records in England. Detailed information on soldiers' names, ranks, pay, places of birth, and appearance is divided into sections on different sources and different conflicts, including King George's War, the French and Indian War, and Dunmore's War. Useful for genealogists and historians. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
The Allegheny frontier, comprising the mountainous area of present-day West Virginia and bordering states, is studied here in a broad context of frontier history and national development. The region was significant in the great American westward movement, but Otis K. Rice seeks also to call attention to the impact of the frontier experience upon the later history of the Allegheny Highlands. He sees a relationship between its prolonged frontier experience and the problems of Appalachia in the twentieth century. Through an intensive study of the social, economic, and political developments in pioneer West Virginia, Rice shows that during the period 1730–1830 some of the most significant features of West Virginia life and thought were established. There also appeared evidences of arrested development, which contrasted sharply with the expansiveness, ebullience, and optimism commonly associated with the American frontier. In this period customs, manners, and folkways associated with the conquest of the wilderness to root and became characteristic of the mountainous region well into the twentieth century. During this pioneer period, problems also took root that continue to be associated with the region, such as poverty, poor infrastructure, lack of economic development, and problematic education. Since the West Virginia frontier played an important role in the westward thrust of migration through the Alleghenies, Rice also provides some account of the role of West Virginia in the French and Indian War, eighteenth-century land speculations, the Revolutionary War, and national events after the establishment of the federal government in 1789.
Excerpt from History of the Battle of Point Pleasant: Fought Between White Men and Indians at the Mouth of the Great Kanawha River, (New Point Pleasant, West Virginia), Monday, October 10th, 1774; The Chief Event of Lord Dunmore's War I was born within a few miles of the battle-field of Point Pleas ant, the chief event of Lord Dunmore's War, and reared largely among the descendants of the men who participated in that strug gle. It was therefore but natural that even in my early years there was awakened an interest in the history not only of the battle itself, but of all that related to the participants therein - to all that con cerned the gallantry and achievements of the men of 1774. In my research I have sought to collect material from trust-worthy sour ces, because I have desired to give to this work the interest which every reader must have in a work treating of history. For this reason the only material used has been drawn from original sources, documents, and writings which were contemporaneous with the oc currence of the events described. Much error has been incorporated into the later writings regarding Dunmore's War. This is the result of a carelessness on the part of those, who without making research and investigation necessary to arrive at truth, seized rumors, tradi tions, and vague recollections, as sufficient authority upon which to base an assertion, and who substituted their own inferences for authenticated facts. These errors of statement have sometimes been repeated by considerate writers whose distrust was not excited; and this has increased the difficulties of pains-taking historians. But now, the publication of Thwaites and Kellogg's Documentary History of Dunmore's War the Revolution on the Upper Ohio, by the same authors; the printing by Virginia of the J our nals of the House of Burgesses Ford's reprint of the Journals of the Continental Congress and other sources of recent appearance, added to that which was previously available, has almost given to Dunmore's War a literature of its own. It is therefore, to be hoped that, hence forth, writers who heretofore, indulged in what may be termed thegossip of history, may no longer accept myths, legends and tradi tions as authority, and that they will thus cease to perpetuate the sr rors of statements long current, regarding Lord Dunmore' s War and its chief event - the battle of Point Pleasant. V. A. L. Charleston, West Virginia, September 1, 1909. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.