the battle of Minden, but whose military talents were watched with a jealous eye by the colonists. They were afraid he was designed as an instrument to enforce the measures of government, and their suspicions were increased by the enlargement of his salary by the governor, without the cognizance of the assembly, and contrary to the established laws and customs of the country. The assembly did not neglect to lay before the governor the sense of the house on the subject. The mildness of his answer was calculated to silence their murmurs, but could not secure their confidence. His advent seemed the precursor of war and all its train of horrors.

During the following session of the assembly a committee of correspondence was appointed, for the purpose of obtaining the earliest information, both of the measures of the British government, and the proceedings of the sister colonies. This committee consisted of the following persons: Peyton Randolph, Robert Carter Nicholas, Richard Bland, Richard Henry Lee, Benjamin Harrison, Edmund Pendleton,

Patrick Henry, Dudley Digges, Dabney Carr, Archibald Carey, and Thomas Jefferson.

The colony of Virginia, next to that of Massachusetts, was most active in her opposition to the arbitrary measures of government. When intelligence was received of the shutting up of Boston port, the assembly entered an animated protest on their journals, against that and other measures, which they said "were the result of a determination to enslave the colonies." While engaged in these proceedings they received a summons to the council chamber, and were immediately dissolved. On the succeeding day the members met at the Raleigh tavern, where they formally agreed among themselves, and recommended the same to others, not to purchase any tea or East India commodity, except saltpetre and spices, until the duties should be taken off. They also recommended to their committee of correspondence, to communicate with the other colonial committees of correspondence on the expediency of calling a general congress.

While the assembly of Virginia were en

N

gaged in these momentous deliberations, our frontiers became the theatre of Indian depredation and cruelty. The sad tidings from the borders at length arrested the attention of the governor, who issued orders to the back counties to furnish their respective quotas of militia.

The Indian name was no longer terrible to the Virginians, whose dexterity in the use of the rifle had taught the enemy to dread the dangerous contest. An army of three thousand was soon raised, chiefly from the counties of Bedford, Augusta, and Botetourt. Fifteen hundred men, under the command of colonel Andrew Lewis, were ordered to proceed towards the mouth of the Great Kenhaway, while the remainder, with Dunmore at their head, marched to a point farther up the Ohio, with a design to reach the Indian towns in the absence of their warriors.

The division under Lewis having arrived at Point Pleasant, received intelligence that a large body of Indians were approaching within a mile of their camp. The news was soon confirmed by the arrival of several scouts, some of whom

bore fatal marks of the proximity of the foe. A detachment of three hundred men, under the command of colonels Charles Lewis and Fleming, advanced to the attack, assisted by captains Dickinson, Harrison, Wilson, Lockridge, J. Lewis, Burford, Love, Shelby and Russell. Lewis, at the head of the first division, proceeded to the right at some distance from the Ohio, while Fleming with the other division marched on the left towards the bank of the river. About sunrise a firing was opened against the right wing by a body of about fif teen hundred Indians. The commencement of the attack, which among savages is always impetuous, proved very destructive to the militia. Colonel Lewis, the commander of the right division, fell early in the engagement, and a number of his men were either killed or wounded. At length the whole division was compelled to fall back, while the left, under Fleming, was equally hard pressed. This brave officer, having received a wound on his wrist, still continued to animate his men, who seemed willing to dispute every inch of ground with

the enemy. The superior numbers of the latter enabled them to outflank the Virginians, while the party that had defeated Lewis were preparing to attack Fleming in the rear. At this critical moment, the advance divisions were relieved by the arrival of a reinforcement under colonel Field, whose assistance turned the scale of victory, and decided the fate of the day. The retreat of the enemy was however slow, and their firing, which continued under cover of the woods, was not silenced till dark.

In this engagement, which lasted the whole day, upwards of fifty Virginians, including colonels Lewis and Field, were killed, and about ninety wounded.

After the battle, colonel Andrew Lewis, anxious to revenge the death of his brother, proceeded towards the Shawanese towns for the purpose of destroying them. On his way he was met by an express from Dunmore, informing him that his lordship had concluded a peace with the Indians, who had agreed to give up their lands on this side of the Ohio, and set at liberty their prisoners.