DUNMORE'S WAR
PRIMARY DOCUMENTS
Fleming's Orderly Book
From Documentary History of Dunmore's War, edited by Reuben Gold Thwaites and Louise Phelps Kellogg (Madison: Wisconsin Historical Society, 1905), p. 341-47
Monday Octobr the 10th
This morning before sunrise two men came running into Camp & gave information That a considerable body of Indians were incampt about 2 miles up the Ohio a small distance from it, who made a very formidable appearance. This important intelligence was very quickly confirm'd by two or three more. The drums by order immediately beat to Arms & 150 men were ordered to be paraded out of each line & march against the enemy in two Columns. The right Column headed by Colo. Chas. Lewis with Captains Dickerson, Harrison & Skidmore. The left Column commanded by Colo. Fleming with Captains Shelby, Russell Love & Buford. Thus disposed they marched pretty briskly about 150 or 200 yards apart up the river about half a mile when on a Sudden the Enemy lurking behind Bushes & Trees gave the Augusta Line a heavy fire which was briskly followed by a second & third & returned again by our men with much bravery & Courage. This attack was attended with the death of some of our bravest officers & men also with the deaths of a great number of the Enemy. Nor were the Enemy less tardy in their attack upon the left Column; for immediately after the fire upon the right line succeeded a heavy one on the left & a return from us with spirit & resolution. As the disposition in which the men were first placed would never promise success against an Indian Enemy the men were forced to quit their ranks & fly to trees in doing this the Enemy made a small advance & forced our men of both lines to retreat the distance of perhaps one or two hundred yards under heavy fires attended with dismal Yells & Screams from the Enemy. About this time we were succoured with a detachmt from the Camp commanded by Captains Mathews McDowell & others of the Augusta line & some time afterwards by all the Captains of each line except Capt McClenahan of Augusta who was upon guard & Captain Lewis of Botetourt who was ordered to form a line round the Camp for its defence. With the reinforcement from the Camp our men found their strength much increased & making a fierce onset forced the Enemy from their Stations & caused them to retreat by degrees about a mile giving them many brisk fires & hitting many of the leading men as was imagined. We at last with difficulty dislodged them from a fine long ridge leading from a Small slash near the river towards the hills & being discontinued by a small wet bottom again rose & was continued to the hills half a mile or more from the river. This advantageous post being gained about 1 o'Clock all the efforts of the enemy to regain it proved fruitless. Tho they would summon all the force they could raise & make many pushes to break the line; the advantage of the place & the steadiness of the men defined their most furious Essays. About 3 or 4 o'Clock the Enemy growing quite dispirited & all the attempts of their Warriours to rally them proving vain they carried off their dead & wounded, giving us now & then a shot to prevent a pursuit; so that about an hour by sun we were in full possession on the field of Battle. Victory having now declared in our favour. We had orders to return in slow pace to our Camp carefully searching for the dead & wounded & to bring them in, as also the Scalps of the Enemy. The day being by this time far advanced with[out] any written orders double Guards were ordered to be mounted.
Killd of the Augusta Line in the Action on the 10th, of Octr. 1774 Colo. Chas. Lewis, Capt. Saml. Willson and Lieut. Hugh Allen, & 18 Privates, 2 Capts, 2 Lieuts & 51 Private wounded. The above Acct. of the Action was drawn by J. Todd.
Killed of the Botetourt Line Captains Murray, McClenachan & Ward the two last of which died one on the night & the other a day or two after the battle, Subalterns Ensign Bracken & Cundiff. Wounded Colo. Fleming Capt. Buford, Lieut. Goldman, Lieut. Robison 17 Private kild & 35 Wounded. the whole of the kild 46 Sergts & privates & 90 wounded.