Point Pleasant 1774: Prelude to the American Revolution

The only major conflict of Lord Dunmore's War, the battle of Point Pleasant was fought between Virginian militia and American Indians from the Shawnee and Mingo tribes. Following increased tensions and a series of incidents between the American settlers and the natives, Dunmore, the last colonial governor of Virginia, and Colonel Andrew Lewis led two armies against the tribes. On October 10, 1774 Lewis and his men resisted a fierce attack, led by Shawnee chief Keigh-tugh-qua, or Cornstalk, at Point Pleasant, near the mouth of the Kanawha river. Despite significant losses on both sides, Lewis succeeded in forcing the Shawnee to retreat back to their settlements in the Scioto Valley. In the aftermath of the battle the Treaty of Camp Charlotte was signed in attempt to secure peace in the region and ultimately opened up Kentucky for American settlement. Illustrated with photographs, detailed maps and bird's-eye-views, this title brings to life one of the most significant pre-Revolutionary conflicts between American settlers and the native tribes.