to their disadvantage. At length night coming on, they found a safe retreat.

They had not the satisfaction of carrying off any of our men's scalps, save one or two stragglers, whom they killed before the engagement. Many of their dead they scalped, rather than we should have them; but our Troops scalped upwards of twenty of their men that were first killed. It is beyond doubt their loss in number far exceeds ours, which is considerable.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM STAUNTON, IN VIRGINIA, DATED NOVEMBER 4, 1774.

On the tenth of October, our Army being encamped in the Fork of the Great Kenhawa, two men went out early to hunt, but were fired upon by a number of Indians, when one of them was killed; the other made his escape, and brought the intelligence to the Camp. Colonel Lewis immediately ordered out three hundred men, who, after marching about three quarters of a mile before sun-rise, were attacked by a number (supposed to be from eight hundred to one thousand,) of desperate savages. They soon made our men retreat about one quarter of a mile, when a reinforcement coming up, they continued fighting till noon, and were never above twenty yards apart, often within six, and sometimes close together tomahawking one another. The Indians then began to fall back, but continued fighting at a distance till night came on and parted them. Such a battle with Indians, it is imagined, was never heard of before. We had upwards of fifty men killed, and ninety wounded. Amongst the slain were many brave men, both officers and privates; and a Magistrate of this place, Mr. Frog, a very worthy gentleman, was also killed. So eager were the Indians for his scalp, that one man shot three of them over him, endeavouring by turns to scalp him. The number of Indians killed cannot be ascertained, as they were continually carrying them off and throwing them into the River; but from the tracks of blood, the number must have been great. Our men got upwards of twenty scalps, eighty blankets, about forty guns, and a great many tomahawks; and intended in a few days to go over the River to meet the Governour, twenty or twenty-five miles from their Towns. The Indians the Governour lately concluded a peace with, it is assured, were in this battle. We suppose they have had the other struggle before this time, and are very impatient to know the issue.

EXTRACT OP A LETTER FROM AN OFFICER LATE UNDER THE COMMAND OF LORD DUNMORE, AGAINST THE INDIANS, DATED AT FORT AUGUSTA, NOVEMBER 21, 1774.

I returned from the Shawanese expedition to my own house, on the 11th instant, an account of which is as follows:

I left home with my Company the 25th of August, and arrived at the Levels of Greenbrier, (which was the place of general rendezvous,) on the first of September, and against the fifth, we had about eleven hundred men assembled; but the Fincastle men were not yet arrived. However, Colonel Charles Lewis, with the Augusta men, which were about six hundred, marched from that place the 8th of September, and arrived at the mouth of Elk River, (which empties into New River, about sixty miles from the mouth of New River,) the 21st of the same month, where we encamped, and got to making canoes to carry our flour down New River.

Colonel Andrew Lewis, with the Botetourt Troops, joined us at Elk, on the 23d or 24th. We made twenty-seven canoes, and, on the first of October, crossed Elk, loaded our canoes, and fell down into New River; and next day being very wet, we encamped on the other side of the mouth of Elk. The following day we proceeded down New River, and arrived at the mouth of it on the sixth of October. In all this march we were never disturbed by the enemy. Our pack-horse men said they saw Indians at times; and at Elk the Indians viewed us and stole some of our horses.

On our arrival at the mouth of New River, or Great Kenhawa, we sent out spies to search if Indians were in those parts, but they could not discover any. Our men went a hunting every day; and on Monday, the tenth of October, by break of day, a number of our men went out as before, two of whom were fired on by the Indians, about a mile and a half from the Camp; one was killed, the other came into the Camp, with the alarm that he had discovered about thirty Indians, and that his companion was killed; on which the drum beat to arms. Our men started up from their tents, (numbers being in bed, for the sun was not yet up.) Orders were immediately given, that one hundred and fifty men from each line should go in quest of the enemy; on which, Colonel Charles Lewis, with one hundred and fifty of the Augusta Troops, and Colonel Fleming, with one hundred and fifty Botetourt Troops, marched out; the men of each line were ordered to form their own ground. In a few minutes three guns went off within about one hundred and twenty poles of the Camp, which was immediately followed by several hundreds; on which two hundred men were ordered out, who, on their approach, found our men giving way before the enemy; but that reinforcement turned the matter.

The battle continued. Several Companies were again ordered out, among whom I was ordered out with fifty men to a certain place, to prevent the Indians getting round our Camp. I, with my men, run about half a mile, and came to some of our men by a hill; the Indians had retreated. We then pursued them from tree to tree, till rising a small ridge, they had placed themselves behind logs, fired on us, killed three men near me, and wounded ten or twelve more. We pushed up farther, there made a stand, which the whole line from the Ohio to us did at the same time. This happened about one o'clock. There we remained watching the Indians, and they us, till near night, now and then firing as opportunity offered, on both sides. The Indians, at the approach of night, skipped off and left us the field; but carried away all their wounded, and many of their slain. However, we got twenty-one of them dead on the ground; and we afterwards heard they had two hundred and thirty-three killed and wounded; but I cannot say that is true. We had forty men killed that night, and ninety-six wounded, twenty odd of whom are since dead.*

On the 17th, we crossed the river to go to the Towns, and marched on with about eleven hundred men, leaving three hundred at the Camp to take care of the wounded and provisions; (for know that the Fincastle Troops, three hundred in number, joined us the night after the battle;) but, on the 24th, we were stopped by express from the Governour, informing us that he had made peace.

Williamsburg, December 5, 1774.

To his Excellency the Right Honourable JOHN, Earl of DUNMORE, his Majesty's Lieutenant aad Governour-

* List of the Killed and Wounded Virginians.—KILLED.—Colonel Charles Lewis, Major John Field, Captains John Murray, Robert M'Clenachan, Samuel Wilson, James Ward, Lieutenant Hugh Allen, Ensigns Candiff and Baker; Privates, 44.

WOUNDED.—Captains W. Fleming, (since dead;) J. Dickenson, Thomas Blueford, John Stidman, Lieutenants Goodman, Robeson, Lard, Vanners; Privates, 79.

Boston, February 20, 1775.—On reading the account of the battle between the brave Virginians and their savage neighbours, it brought to my mind the keen resentments and mortifying reflections that must naturally kindle in the breasts of an experienced General, brave officers, and intrepid soldiers, to remember that the professed design of Britain, in maintaining Standing Armies in America, was the protection of the Colonies, and yet known at the very moment, the noble Virginians were bleeding, dying, and winning the laurels of victory, they were confined and basking in their tents, to execute one of the most inglorious designs that ever disgraced the name of a British Soldier, viz: enslaving a free Province that has supported itself more than one hundred and fifty years, against her savage foes. These resentments and reflections must still increase, when they feel and know the irresistible conviction this proceeding will give to every honest man in Britain or America, of these two facts: First. That the real design of keeping a Standing Army in America, was not protecting but enslaving the Colonies. The second thing thus demonstrated, is, that the Colonies do not need or desire protection from the Standing Armies, but are able and willing to defend themselves, and therefore they must view their stay in America as useless and burthensome. In this situation it is natural for Americans to imagine the honest, generous souls of the gentlemen of the Army will kindle to such a degree, when their inglorious and base employment is compared with that of the virtuous Virginians, gaining the art of war and glory of victory, that they would rather resign their commissions or lives, than suffer the eternal disgrace of having their names handed down to posterity, with these facts to sully some future page in British or American story. Can we expect less from these generous spirits, than that they let their corrupt employers know the just indignation they feel at this abuse and disgrace that is, and will be fixed eternally on their names, as the dupes of tyranny?