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Where can I find more information on the Battle of Point Pleasant?
I am interested in the Indians’ role on the British side (specifically William Riddle and Micager Bunch). I have found that a George Riddle (Ruddle) fought there as well, but he appears to have been associated with the British/colonists, so he may have been white.
Rockhound,
This summary from the LVA is a bit slanted and leaves out the build up to the conflict, which involves land jobbing and the murder of Logan’s relations – the card doesn’t say why raids increased!- , but you can access the pay roll lists for men who served. It’s interesting to see who served together and from what possible area. Here’s the Bunch card. Looks like he served under David Looney.
Brenda
“Title Bunch, Micajah.
Gen. note County: Fincastle County.
Note Company commander: Capt. David Looney.
Note Recorded on: p. 271.
Note Listed in index: p. xvii.
Other Format Available on microfilm (Miscellaneous Reel 78, last item).
Photostat copy also available.
Biog./Hist. Note Dunmore’ War was a conflict between the Colony of Virginia and the Native Americans of the Ohio Valley. Following increased raids and attacks on frontiersmen in this region, the Royal Governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore, organized a large force of militia and marched to Fort Pitt arriving at the end of August 1774. Dunmore also ordered Colonel Andrew Lewis, commander of the southwestern Virginia militia, to raise an army in the south and meet Dunmore’s force along the Ohio River. Lewis formed militia companies from Augusta, Bedford, Botetourt, Culpeper, Dunmore, Fincastle, and Kentucky counties. After Colonel Lewis’ victory at the Battle of Point Pleasant, Dunmore successfully negotiated a peace treaty with the Delaware, Mingo, and Shawnee chiefs that prevented them from settling or hunting south of the Ohio River.
Related Work Part of the index to the names of Virginia citizens or soldiers from the counties of Augusta, Bedford, Botetourt, Culpeper, and Fincastle who were compensated in 1775 for supplies and service during Dunmore’s Expedition in 1774. This index covers individuals from the counties of Augusta, Bedford, Botetourt, and Fincastle only. These records are now part of the Virginia Colonial Government records group (RG#1) and are housed in the Archives at the Library of Virginia.
Subject – Personal Bunch, Micajah.
Looney, David, Capt.
Subject – Topical Dunmore’s Expedition, 1774 — Registers.
Subject -Geographic Virginia — History — Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 — Registers.
Virginia. — History — Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 — Claims.
Genre/Form Payrolls — Virginia — Fincastle County.
Claims — Virginia — Fincastle County.
Added Entry Virginia (Colony). Augusta, Bedford, Botetourt, Culpeper, and Fincastle payrolls and public service claims, 1775.
Library of Virginia.
Added Title Dunmore’s War. “
I forgot to note that I really don’t think Bunch & Riddle, Indian or not, would have been fighting with the Shawnee against the British and American frontiersmen. They would have no doubt been part of their community efforts in 1774. Although many argue that the Battle of Point Pleasant was the first battle of the Revolutionary War, that argument is a stretch. At the time of Lord Dunmore’s War Virginia was still a colony and Dunmore was the British governor. The frontiersmen were unhappy with him, though, and war broke out between the colonies and Britian very shortly after Dunmore’s War.
Brenda
There are a lot of “retellings” out there in the early histories. Here is a link to just one:
“…The Indian army was composed principally of Delawares, Mingos, Iroquois, Wyandotts and Shawanese. It was commanded by Cornstalk, the celebrated and noble-minded Shawanese chief, whose melancholy end at the same place on a subsequent occasion and under circumstances of the most revolting nature, cannot be dwelt upon, even at this late day, without feelings of melancholy regret. Logan assisted in the command, and burned to revenge the past wrongs which he had received at the hands of the “Long-knives.” ……..”
http://www.rootsweb.com/~wvmason/pointp.htm
I have the impression that there were those among the settlers who resented and were disgusted by the actions of those who murdred Logan’s relations, etc., but once its war had to do what they thought they had to do to protect their own families.
Here are some old notes I made from my reading. Among my questions, I wondered if some of these men were associated with Fort Blackmore, which was supposedly built by “friendly Indians” who may be the same folks later on called Melungeon in TN…… All these men may not have been actually at Pt. Pleasant as they were guarding/fighting/present on the far frontier.
Brenda
From Warren Skidmore & Donna Kaminsky’s LORD DUNMORE’S LITTLE WAR OF 1774
(2002), a transcription of ledgers in the Library of Virginia marked
“RECORDS- Dunsmores War”.
Fincastle Public Service Claims, part one [228] Daniel Boone is paid for 59 days as a scout
Fincastle County Militia, part two:
unnumbered roll [ledger page 268] Skidmore lists Daniel Boone as a Lieutenant under Capt. David Looney (Looney was paid for 58 days).
Among a whole page of privates I find listed:
Joseph Blackmore
Edward Blackmore
Matthias Mount [Mounts- I am interested in him]
John Mounts [I am interested in him]
[ledger page 269]
James Bunch
Richard Cennaday [Kennedy]
[ledger page 270]
John Collins
[ledger page 271]
Micajah Bunch
These ledgers are a bit confusing since there are no dates, Some of the men on Looney’s list seem to also appear on William Russell’s list, paid for 70 days.
Skidmore sees these ledgers as augmenting Thwaites & Kellogg and Howard McKnight Wilson’s more recent addition to what we know about Dunmore’s War. He states that neither of the previous two books notes these ledgers.
Here are some abstracts a friend sent me that may give you an idea of some of the events on the frontier during Dunmore’s War: From abstracts in Preston and Virginia Papers of the DRAPER COLLECTION….
“The William Preston and Virginia Papers,” Draper Manuscript.
June 22 1774, “Connolly’s letter about the Shawnee; suggests sending Crabtree in search of the surveyors; the militia anxious for war; plans for fort at mouth of New River.”
1774 June 26 “–scouts sent out, fears the Cherokee will combine with northern Indians; Daniel Boone and Michael Stoner sent to warn surveyors; Captain Floyd in danger; asks that a second lieutenant be appointed.—“
1774 July 8 “—Indian alarms; flight of the inhabitants; scouting;
recommends that Thomas Maxwell be court-martial, and that a company of men be stationed on the river; encloses his map of Clinch river.
1774 July 9 “—News from William Falling as to the disposition of the Cherokee. his efforts to patrol the frontier: alarm on Sandy Creek; Boone gone in search of the surveyors; —“
1774 July 12 “Captain Russell’s Fort. Letter to William Preston. Proposing an expedition to the Ohio towns; route followed by Boone and Stoner in search of surveyors; erection of forts on the Clinch River.”
1774 July 13 “–Showing the military situation on Clinch River; mentioning the erection of forts Preston, Christian, and Byrd, and Boone’s trip in search of the surveyors.—“
1774 July 16 (3QQ142)
“Oconastota. Town House in Chota. Letter to Colonels (Andrew) Lewis and (William) Preston. Expressing satisfaction with their letters; his desire to maintain peaceful relations with the Virginians and to observe their respective boundary rights, and exhorting against any trespasses upon their lands during the winter. Certified by William Kennedy to be a true cop. 1 p”
1774 Aug 16 “—Captain Thompson to command at Blackmore’s.” from Capt Russell’s Letter.
1774 Aug. 28 —“Boone requested to raise men to join Captain Floyd’s company–“
1774 Sept. 22 (3QQ106,107) Campbell, Arthur. Royal Oak. Letter to Col. William Preston. General consternation occasioned by late alarms: fear of a Cherokee war; offer of aid from Carolina; fifty Catawba Indians desirous of being employed against the Shawnee; departure of Captain Cocke for
Carolina; proposed measures for defense; Boone very diligent at Castle’s Woods; in need of powder and flour. A.L.S. 3pp. Endorsed: Campbell’s Letter Sept 29th 1774. Printed: Thwaites and Kellogg, Dunmore’s War, pp. 216-219.
1774 Oct 1 “Indians attack Moore’s Fort on Clinch; Captain Looney unable to go in pursuit—-Boone attributes attacts to Cherokee; he himself thinks Major Donald’s fugitives are responsible—“
1774 12 Oct. “Attack on Blackmore’s Fort, Captain Smith and Boone with twenty six men in pursuit. “
1774 Oct 13 (3QQ119) “—His and Boone’s unsuccessful scout after Indians who attacked Blackmore’s; inhabitants of lower settlement petition that Boone be appointed Captain;—“
1774 Oct 13 (3QQ125) “—return of Captain Thompson; Lieutenant Cox at Blackmore’s; Eaton said King’s stations should be strong; Blackmore’s the most convenient place to oppose the enemy; Captain Cocke desires to serve; asks if he can not substitute for Captain Thompson.—“
Rockhound,
Have fun! Here is another excellent site featuring Bunch and others. It is probably worth a long, slow read. Features Blevins family, too, among others.
http://www.ls.net/~newriver/va/swift/herbertbio.htm
“Biographies of the Men in William Herbert’s Company in Lord Dunmore’s War (1774)
Web page maintained by James A. Quinn who would appreciate comments, corrections and additions…
Bunch, Micajah
1. – Born 1733, son of Gideon Bunch b. abt 1715 (Gideon son of John b. abt 1695, son of Paul Bunch b. abt 1670 d. 1720s Chowan Co., NC)
2. – 1749: Tax list, Lunenburg Co., VA on William Howard’s list are Gedion Bunch and tithe Cager Bunch.
1750’s: Lived in the the Flat River community, then Granville and then 1753 Orange Co., NC: Wm Bolling 1 tithe, James Bowling 1 tithe, Gideon Bunch 2 tithes, Thomas Collins Sr. 1 tithe, Samuel Collins 1 tithe, John Collins 1 tithe, Thomas Gibson with tithes Charles Gibson and George Gibson.
1755 Orange Co. tax list: Gidean Bunch 1 tithe (mulatto); Moses Ridley 1 tithe and wife Mary (mulattoes); Thomas Collins 3 tithes (mulatto); Samuel Collins 3 tithes (mulattoes); John Collins 1 tithe (mulatto); Thomas Gibson 3 tithes (mulatto); Charles Gibson 1 tithe (mulatto); George Gibson 1 tithe (mulatto); Mager Gibson 1 tithe(mulatto)
1771 – Almost all of the men named above are on the New River area, Botetourt Co., VA (now Grayson Co., VA and Ashe Co., NC). Jack Goins includes Charles and James Sexton as among their number.? Micajah Bunch is listed as living on Indian lands.? His land was on Elk Creek in current day Ashe Co., NC.? He is in William Herbert’s company in 1771.
1774 (Lord Dunmore’s War): Micajah was among those diverted to Capt. Looney’s company on the Clinch and did not fight at Point Pleasant.? Instead he was with Capt Looney, Lieut. Daniel Boone and Lieut. John Cox guarding the Clinch frontier.
About 1804: He died
Before 1792 he moved to the Kyles Ford area of what is now Hancock Co., TN, although he was taxed as if he lived in Lee Co., VA
About 1798 he moved to Cumberland Co., KY with Roberts’s and Blevins and Rogers and later the Riddells.
In an article on William Riddell, Micajah Bunch is described as a leader among the Melungeon people.
Source: Micajer “Cager” Bunch by Jack Goins; Virginia DeMarce Research…. “
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