Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History
Benson Lossing, Ed.

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Point Pleasant, battle of.

Col. Andrew Lewis led the left wing of the Virginia forces in Dunmore's War in the summer and autumn of 1774. He had about 1,200 men, and, crossing the mountain-ranges, struck the Great Kanawha and followed it to the Ohio, and there encamped, Oct. 6. Expecting Dunmore with the right wing, he did not cast up intrenchments, and in this exposed situation was attacked (Oct. 10) by 1,000 chosen warriors of the Western Confederacy, led by the giant chief Cornstalk, who came from Pickaway Plains, and Logan, the Mingo chief. So stealthily did the Indians approach that within an hour after they were discovered a bloody battle was raging. It continued several hours, the Indians slowly retreating from tree to tree, while Cornstalk encouraged them with the words, “Be strong!” A desultory fire was kept up until sunset; and during the night the Indians retreated, having lost, in killed and wounded, about 150 men. The Virginians lost about one-half their commissioned officers. Their entire loss was about seventy killed and a large number wounded.