DUNMORE'S WAR
PRIMARY DOCUMENTS
Capt.
William Ingles to Col. William Preston.
POINT PLESENT at the MOUTH of GREATE KANAWAY, October 14th
1774
From Documentary History of Dunmore's War, edited by Reuben Gold Thwaites and Louise Phelps Kellogg (Madison: Wisconsin Historical Society, 1905), p. 257-59
SIR - I have taken this first Opportunity of Informing you of the Particulars of Our March from the Levels to this Post we Marched from the levels the 12th of Septemr. & arrived at the mouth of Elk the 24 of sd Month where we Built several Canoes which we Loded with flower and swam our horses and Bullocks over the River on the 2d of Octobr & Continued our march to this Post without aney Molistation from the Enemy where we arrived on the 6th. and Encamped in the forks of the river where we looked on ourselves in Safe Possision of a fine Encampment and thought our Selves a terror to all the Indian Tribes on the Ohio & thus Luld in saftey till Sunday the 9th & after hearring a Good Sarman Preached by the Revd. Mr. Terrey went to Repose [wit] h Our Gards Properly Posted at a Distance from the camp as usual little Expecting to be Attackd. by any Party of Enemy as we looked upon them to be so much inferiour to us in Number, but they takeing the Advantage of the Night the[y] Crossed the Ohio on Rafts & Poisted themselves Within one mile of our Camp where the[y] lay till morning with an intent as we Suppose to force our Camp had not Providence in a Partickular manner Interposed in our behalf the[y] ware discovered by Some of our hunting Partys that hapned to turn out that Morning Verry Early and one of Our men was fird upon by them & Kild and one of them Was Kild in his Place that fireing Alarmd. the Whole Camp and two Detachments was Sent out of a hundred & fifty each the one Commanded by Colo. Charles Lewis of Agustia the Other by Colo. William Fleming the[y] soon fell in with the Enemy & a hot Engagement Ensued which Lasted three hours Very doubtfull the Enemy being much Suppirour in Number to the first Detachments Disputed the Ground with the Greatest Obstinacey often Runing up to the Very Muzels of our Gunes where the[y] as often fell Victims to thire Rage Several more Detachments being Sent from the Camp they were obligd to Give Ground which the[y] Disputed inch by inch till at Lenth the[y] Posted themselves on an Advantagus peese of Ground Where the[y] Continued at Shooting now & then untill night putt an End to that Tragical Seen & left many a brave fellow Waltirring in his Gore we had the Sattisfaction of Carr[y]ing of[f] all our wounded & Kild with Very litle Lose of Sculps we Sculped 20 of them on the Field several the[y] have sculped thimselves thire wounded the[y] Carryed of[f] in the Night after the Battle and several of them the [y] Dragd into the River [Our] Loss of Men is very Considerable & it is the General oppionon of All the Officeours and men that thire Loss is Equle if not Suppirour to Ours I have been Partickular in Collecting A Catallogue of the Kild & Wounded Which I have sent you a List of I am Dr Sir Your Humble Servt W: INGLES.
To Col. William Preston. Fincastle These
Write to Jo McMurtory to Send in Green & not to Insist on the Jobb My Sister wants him to put in wheat.