From Frontier Retreat on the Upper Ohio, 1779-1781, edited by Louise Phelps Kellogg (Madison: Wisconsin Historical Society, 1917), pp. 106-107 (6ZZ9)
To his Excy. General Hand.
Early yesterday a Party of 46 Men under the Comd. of Capts. Foreman & Ogle set out on a scouting Party. they Purpose reconnoitering as far as Capeteening & making their retn. in 3 or 4 Days on their Arrival at Grave Creek they found the Place burned down & all the Canoes or Crafts destroyed or carried off. this brought them to a resolution of returning as they could not convenientyly cross the river. By 5 Men returned of whom Col. Linn is one, we learn that about 11 oClock [this] forenoon they were fired on a little above McMahan's Narrows by a large body of Indians who lay concealed between them & the river & put our Men to flight such as did not fall before they had Time to discharge their Guns we have reason to believe by the reports that few are escaped the Number of the Enemy being So Vastly superior one of the men returned has recd two wounds with one Ball or shot, not Mortal. Our Situation calls for immediate assistance as we expect to have the Enemy in a few Hours at farthest we wholly depend on you for flour as we are not able to go to Mills as a Party would only fall into the Enemys Hand's 4 Men are come in but can give no further Account I am Sir with great respect
David Sheperd
There are wounded Men who lie in the Woods, particularly one with a broken Leg & some others.
I am as before D. S.