Charge after charge was made upon this strong place by the Virginia army; General Lewis saw his men falling all about him and realized after a little time that some other method must be pursued if he was to save his force from annihilation.
“Try and get a body of troops in their rear,” was a suggestion which he instantly grasped. As it happened, the bank of the Kanawha River favored such a movement; three picked companies under three dare-devil leaders were sent to make the attempt.
There was a small stream called Crooked Creek which flowed into the Kanawha. The three companies managed to cross this; its banks were covered with a rank growth of tall weeds; and through this crept the whites upon the unsuspecting savages.
At a word a deadly volley swept into the dense body of Indians; taken utterly by surprise, they were thrown into complete confusion. No foe had been expected from that quarter, and, from the fury of the onset, they thought it must be a heavy body of reinforcements. Completely disheartened they gave way; as the sun went down they were retreating across the Ohio River; and at the fall of night were pressing on through the forest toward their distant villages.
CHAPTER XII
THE FORT AT BOONESBOROUGH
After the battle of Point Pleasant, which was the most severe engagement with Indians in the history of Virginia, the tribes sent messengers to make peace with the governor. In this treaty the Shawnees gave up all claim to the country beyond the ridge.
As the time for the settlement of this great region was completely ripe, Colonel Henderson rode to Boone’s place on the Clinch River.
“The Chickasaws we can’t reach,” said he. “But we can the Cherokees. I want you to visit the chief of that nation and purchase, for my company, all their rights in the new country.”
Promptly Boone started off on this mission. Penetrating to the Cherokee country he opened negotiations with the chiefs and head men of that tribe. Success met him on every hand; the result was that Colonel Henderson later met the Indians in solemn council at Fort Wataga; the price was paid and the deed was signed; and thereafter Kentucky was, of right, free of all Indian claims.
“And now,” said Boone to the colonel, “the next thing to do is to take possession. And I calculate that the least delay in that, the better for us.”