Raven - Wronged or Wrong or all #!!@#@?
Raven, a Cherokee leading warrior, held some scalps. He cut two scalps in half to get 4 out of two. That way he could get a bounty paid for each one.
He presents two of those quarter pounders to Colonel George Washington at Fort Loudoun Winchester VA.
This happens at Fort Loudoun Winchester VA around 11 May 1758.
Other Cherokees, who risk life and limb in any skirmish know such duplicity casts doubt upon any conquest, upon any bravery, don't like this.
Besides, those scalps weren't even enemy scalps.
They rat out the Raven.
Colonel George Washington finds out. He denies the Raven the bounty money he requested.
Raven leaves in a huff.
General Forbes gets wind of this and orders that the Virginia Regiment do anything it can to unruffle the Raven's feathers.
Colonel George Washington rides out to get them to return.
No luck.
He sends out Christopher Gist, deputy to the Superintendent of Indian Affairs Edmond Atkin.
Gist rides out to Raven and his band to present them some gifts to at least quiet down bad talk that would influence other Cherokees to turn away.
And what happens to Raven's band of warriors on their way back home? They are attacked. Many are killed. By Virginia local militias. This militia tells their members to tell no one that those Indians were Cherokees, their allies to Virginia in the war effort.
And this picture? Well, we believe that's Johnny Depp with a Crow on his head, not a Raven. That story of the crow on his head, while made farcical, had a serious reason behind it in this never ending story of morality and immorality of the human race to some unknown end.
BTW -- we always have to include a By The Way.
BTW, that Christopher Gist?
One of his sons, Nathaniel Gist is in the Virginia Regiment too.
In fact this month he was with a band of Cherokees who came right on the other river side of Fort Duquesne to spy on it, maybe capture a prisoner, take a scalp or too in this month of May 1758.
That son, is alleged to have sired George Guest who grew up to create a written language for the Cherokee.
George Guest whose last name had various spellings perhaps corruptions of the name Gist to Guess to Guest.
He was also known as Sequoyah.
More specifically he created a Syllabary, not an alphabet, that was used to created written words for the Cherokee language.
That's the short story.
More detail below.
Skip around.
Read bits and pieces.
Compiled and Authored by Jim Moyer, researched April 2022, updated 5/10/2022, 5/13/22, 5/15/22
So, was Raven - Wronged or Wrong or all #!!@#@?
You picked the right answer. Here's the Train of Events. Raven presents Colonel George Washington a scalp to collect the bounty. The Cherokee know that one scalp is a quarter of a scalp. They also know it is not an enemy scalp. Those scalps were taken from some white guys in South Carolina as revenge.
So for Raven to present this to Colonel George Washington for payment at Fort Loudoun Winchester VA is dishonest, and has no honor.
Will other warriors feel honored and righteously paid when they present their scalps?
For that, they ratted out the Raven.
But maybe Raven had a different rationale. He figures he deserves payment because who can ever trust these English not to turn bad on the Cherokee?
For example, consider the Edisto River incident, which is where those scalps were taken.
"In December [1757] on Edisto River well within South Carolina, four Edisto tribesmen had been killed and scalped.
Lyttelton [Gov of SC] , apprehensive, blamed enemy Indians and sent Keowee white beads of peace.
But rumor in Estatoe [Cherokees town of Estatoe] attributed the murders to Carolinians;
for the atrocity had been committed far from the reach of enemy Indians, and the hunters' deerskins had been stolen.
That the episode did not occasion an immediate clash may have been caused by the fact that the victims were Natchez Indians which Estatoe [Cherokees town of Estatoe] had adopted. "
Revenge:
"Virginia bound Estatoes [Cherokees from the town of Estatoe] killed two isolated white hunters in North Carolina and cut their scalps into four on which they intended to collect the Virginia scalp bounty.
The vengeance frightened some of the Estatoes, who turned back and dissuaded other war parties from setting out. "
See page 142 to 143 of The Cherokee Frontier, Conflict and Survival 1740-1762, by David H Corkran, published by the University of Oklahoma Press 1962.
None of the above mentions the Raven.
Nor is this picture of the Raven.
We believe it is Johnny Depp with a Crow on his head, not a Raven.
But did the Raven take those scalps in the incident described above, and were those scalps the ones Raven presented to Colonel George Washington for payment?
The letters below indicate those scalps were "two white Men’s Scalps from his Nation, and wanted to pass them for the Enemy’s."
And back when that Edisto River incident happened, the other Cherokees did not like such inaccurate vengeance and duplicity and turned back home then.
It was a bad omen. And they were right.
By the way, Virginia got rid of the bounty for enemy scalps after a number of these abuses and lies occurred.
Why did Raven leave Winchester and go home?
The reason looks obvious, but here's what the Colonel George Washington at Fort Loudoun in Winchester VA though of it.
Colonel George Washington explains on 11 May 1758 to Francis Halkett
why Raven left Winchester VA for his home 500 some miles south.:
"The Raven warrior was on a scout,
in which he was unsuccessful;
on his return hither
he produced two white-men’s scalps,
which he brought from his ow[n] nation,
and wanted to pass them for the Enemy’s,
taken in his unsuccessful scout:
In this villainy he was detected by the other warriors,
who were highly offended at so base a deceit,
and threatned to kill him for it.
A consciousness of his guilt, and a dread of being called to a severe account by his own country men, were the reasons which many of them assigned for his going away in so abrupt (but by no means, dissatisfactory a manner) to the English. "
GW also informs on 11 May 1758 of Raven's deception to Sir John St Clair:
You yet seem to be unacquainted
with the Villainy of the Raven Warrior
and his Party,
I shall therefore inform you,
that he brought
two white Men’s Scalps
from his Nation,
[ "from his Nation," means not from any skirmish or battle. It mean those scalps were taken from down south where he came from. But really it was 2 white men scalps from a revenge attack in South Carolina. Raven "left in shame. British authorities and warriors from a rival village alleged that he had attempted to collect two bounties on one scalp." page 49 Blue text from Carolina in Crisis: Cherokees. Colonists and Slaves in the American Southeast 1756 - 1763 by Daniel J Tortora, published by University of North Carolina Press in 2015. ]
[And there were 2 scalps taken off 2 white in South Carolina on the Edisto River mentioned above.]
and after making a small excursion
from Fort Frederick in Maryland
endeavourd to impose them
upon Us for some of the Enemy’s,
but being detected in the deception
by the rest of the Warriors, &
fearing the effects of their Resentment
(being conscious of his own guilt)
thought proper to March off,
but not before the Deputy Agent,
[Christopher Gist who is
the Winchester deputy agent
to Edmond Atkin,
Superintendent of Indian Affairs
for all Indians south of the Potomac]
who woud not seem to credit the Acct,
gave him some presents
to prevent bad talk
(as they term evil reports)
when he got to the Nation.
So the Raven and his group received some presents to take home.
Colonel George Washington was acting on orders from General Forbes in a letter from Francis Halkett 4 May 1758:
The General [Forbes]
is very much allarmd
with a letter
which he has
this moment Receiv’d,
with an Account
that the Raven (a Cherokee Captain)
and 30 of his Men—
haveing returnd to their own Country,
much displeas’d with the English,
he therefore must press it
in the warmest manner
that the utmost attention
be paid by every body
under your Command,
towards keeping the Indians
in a good disposition,
and that all meens be used,
in bringing back the Raven,
& those Indians who have Return home.4
4. The Raven of Settico arrived at Winchester on 26 Mar. with twenty-nine Cherokee and went with twenty-one of these to Fort Frederick, Md., on 1 April. For an account of his subsequent activities and how he departed in bad odor from Winchester for Carolina on 24 or 25 April, see GW to Halkett, and GW to St. Clair, both 11 May.
.
That's it.
That's our Lead Story.
Compiled and Authored by Jim Moyer, researched April 2022, updated 5/10/2022, 5/13/22
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RESEARCH NOTES:
To George Washington
from Francis Halkett,
4 May 1758
From Francis Halkett Philadelphia 4th May 1758 Dear Sir
General Forbes haveing information, that a party of our Cataubas are just return’d to Winchester, from a Scout to the Ohio, and have brought in with them several Prisoners, and Scalps—as the General is extreamly desirous of knowing the condition of Fort Duquesne, & the situation of the Enemys strength in these parts, he has order’d me to acquaint you, that if the Intilligence the Prisoners give is so distink, and of such consiquence, as to be of service to the General, that you will take the first opportunity to send them to Philadelphia—and to facilitate their convayence, you will send an open letter to the Commanding Officers at the different Posts upon their Route, that they are to forward them with an Escort, from post, to Post—You will at the same time be pleas’d to send the General, any information that you have taken from the Prisoners.1
Thier is a Treaty on foot just now between the Shawanes, the Delawares, and the people of this province, and he is very sorry to learn, that several of the Cherokees have taken into their heads to ramble this way, that several of them are come to Carlisle, and he is just now informed, that some of them are comeing into this Town, the General therefore desires, that you will be at particular pains, to prevent any more of them comeing this way, and that they may be employ’d as much as possible in Scouting parties, to cover our Posts, and Magazines, & keep the Frontiers of the country quiet,2 &
as the most effectual Route for that purpose, he would recommend to you, the sending of them out by Rays Town, & Franks Town, to long Island in the West branch of the Susquehana, and examine all the Paths leading towards the Ohio.3
The General is very much allarmd with a letter which he has this moment Receiv’d, with an Account that the Raven (a Cherokee Captain) and 30 of his Men—haveing returnd to their own Country, much displeas’d with the English, he therefore must press it in the warmest manner that the utmost attention be paid by every body under your Command, towards keeping the Indians in a good disposition, and that all meens be used, in bringing back the Raven, & those Indians who have Return home.4
The general is just now employd, in buying all the Strouds, and goods that will be necessary to make in presents to the Indians, and has laid an Embago upon every thing in this Town that will be of service in that way.
Provided that the Catawbas are not dispos’d to part with their Prisoners, you are not to send them, but if they can be procur’d without giveing umbrage, the General will be very desirous of seeing them. I am with great regard Dear Washington your most obedient & most humble Servant Francis Halkett
P.S. You will please for the future, to send all your Returns to me at Philadelphia, that I may make up a general State of the Whole to be laid before general Forbes at the different times as they shall offer.
ALS, DLC:GW.
Founders Online Footnotes:
1. When he got Halkett’s letter on 11 May, GW at once wrote that he had no knowledge of the Catawba’s having brought in any scalps and suggested that the report concerned Ucahula (Ocayula) and the Cherokee instead. For GW’s accounts of the activities of the Cherokee with Ucahula and Lt. Nathaniel Gist, see his letters to John Blair 4–10 May, and to John St. Clair, 4 May.
2. Forbes wrote to James Abercromby on this date: “By Letters from Carlisle there are 70 or 80 Cherokees arrived in that neighborhood, with a design I suppose of falling upon the Delawares &c who are now here solliciting a peace. I have therefore sent to stop and divert their process untill wee see how matters turn out. with Tediuscung and the settlement that this province promised to make these tribes at Wioming” (James, Writings of Forbes, 84–85). The Delaware chief Teedyuscung was in Philadelphia at this time. The step Forbes took “to stop and divert” the Cherokee was to have this letter written to GW. See GW to Halkett, 11 May.
3. Perhaps Forbes by this time already had decided to have the army rendezvous at Raystown rather than at Conococheague. See GW to John Stanwix, 10 April, n.4.
4. The Raven of Settico arrived at Winchester on 26 Mar. with twenty-nine Cherokee and went with twenty-one of these to Fort Frederick, Md., on 1 April. For an account of his subsequent activities and how he departed in bad odor from Winchester for Carolina on 24 or 25 April, see GW to Halkett, and GW to St. Clair, both 11 May.
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From George Washington
to John St. Clair,
11 May 1758
To John St. Clair Fort Loudoun 11th May 1758.
Dear Sir Your favour from York of the 7th Instant I had the pleasure of receiving last Night. The Raven Warrior with 30 others (some of whom afterwards returnd) left this place for their Nation about the 24th or 5th of last Month. I took no notice of it in my Letters because Captn Bosomworth was here a Superintendant of Indian Affairs (by order of the Commander in Chief) when that Party came in. He was in consequence made acquainted with the motives of their returning home, and set out the next day for Philadelphia to report distinctly to the General, the Situation of Indian Affairs in this district and proposed seeing you in his way.1
You yet seem to be unacquainted with the Villainy of the Raven Warrior and his Party, I shall therefore inform you, that he brought two white Men’s Scalps from his Nation, and after making a small excursion from Fort Frederick in Maryland endeavourd to impose them upon Us for some of the Enemy’s, but being detected in the deception by the rest of the Warriors, & fearing the effects of their Resentment (being conscious of his own guilt) thought proper to March of, but not before the Deputy Agent, who woud not seem to credit the Acct, gave him some presents to prevent bad talk (as they term evil reports) when he got to the Nation.
Every kind of business I have had to do with the Indian’s since June last, has been transacted thrô the Agent or his Deputy; because first, I had Governer Dinwiddie’s express orders (which has never since been Countermanded) not to interfere in any Shape with matters relative to Indians: and Secondly, because I thought it might be attended with bad consequences for more than one to confer with them on Publick Affairs; but upon receiving the Generals Orders to use every endeavour to prevent their return, & keep them usefully employd, I sent for Captn Gist to communicate this to him, when I was informd that another Party of 25 had suddenly taken it in their heads to go home, & were actually set out. I immediately followd them with an Interpreter & after using some pains got them back again. but I am notwithstanding under fearful apprehension’s that no exertions in my power will prevent some Parties of the Cherokees from returning home, unless the Troops Assemble sooner than there seems to be a probability of their doing.
I have had for a considerable time past an Armourer employd in repairing Our Arms, and those you send will be greatly assisting, I hope.2
I have engagd Lodgings for you at Mr P. Bush’s, by much the best House in Winchester.3
The Gentlemen of this Garrison Join with me in offering our Compliments, and wishes to see you here. I am with great Respect Dr Sir Yr most Obedt & most Hble Servt4
Go: Washington
ALS, CSH; LB, DLC:GW.
For the differences between these copies, see the letter-book printing in Fitzpatrick, Writings of Washington, 2:201–2, in which, for instance, “P. Bush’s” name is given as “P. Buchby.”
2. GW wrote Robert Dinwiddie, 10 July 1757: “It was not ’till lately, I have been able to procure an Armourer.” The armorer, Joshua Baker, seems to have been working from that time fairly steadily on the arms of the Virginia Regiment. GW records payment to him of £11.10 for his work in April and May 1758.
3. Philip Bush (1733–1812), a successful merchant in Winchester, operated an ordinary there.
4. St. Clair wrote and signed the following note (on 13 May) to Forbes below Washington’s signature: Great pipe Creek 17 Miles from Fredk Town, Saty Morn. “Dr Genl The above I receiv’d this minute by the Winchester Post, which will be carried by him to Lancaster, I have enclosed it to Mr [Adam] Hoops to be forwarded you by Express. I am in pain for fear of the Cherokees returning, so shall get on to Winchester as fast as I can.”
Source:
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From George Washington
to Francis Halkett,
11 May 1758
To Francis Halkett To Major Halkett. Dear Sir.[Fort Loudoun] May 11th 1758.
I am this day favoured with yours of the 4th instant1—
And wou’d have thought myself extremely culpable and deficient in my Duty, had I delayed one moment in transmitting to the General any Intelligence I cou’d procure, much less, such a material one as that he has had information of—Must therefore beg that you will, from me, assure the General, the Catawba’s have not this year brought in one Prisoner or scalp to this place, or indeed to any other, that I ever heard of. There hath been no prisoner taken by any of our friendly Indians this season; and no scalps, except the 2 taken near Fort du Quesne, by Ucahula, of which, and all the intelligence of the Enemy in that Quarter which that young warrior was able to give I, by last Post, sent the General a full and circumstantial account.2
Nor would I have failed to have kept him duly informed of every interesting occurrence, even had it not been recommended to me.
It gave me no small uneasiness when I was informed of the resolution which some of the Cherokees had made of wandering towards the Indian Settlements in maryland and Pennsylvania; clearly foreseeing the bad consequences such a peregrination would produce: I therefore represented the matter to Captn Gist in the strongest manner, and must do him the justice to say, that nothing in his power was left unessayed to prevent it; but our efforts proved ineffectual, as those two Provinces last year very impolitically [(]I humbly conceive) made those Indians presents, & encouraged their returning thither this Spring and such is the nature of Indians, that nothing will prevent their going where they have any reason to expect presents and their cravings are insatiable, when there is any farther prospect of getting a benefit.3
I and my officers constantly have and always will pay the strictest regard to every circumstance that may contribute to put, and keep the Indians in a good humour. But, as Governor Dinwiddie ordered me not to meddle or interfere with Indian affairs on any pretence whatever, the sole management of them being left to Mr Atkin, and his Deputy, Mr Gist—and those orders having never been countermanded—neither I nor my officers have adventured to do any thing relative to them, but in a secondary manner, thro’ Mr Gist.4
The Raven warrior was on a scout, in which he was unsuccessful; on his return hither he produced two white-men’s scalps, which he brought from his ow[n] nation, and wanted to pass them for the Enemy’s, taken in his unsuccessful scout: In this villainy he was detected by the other warriors, who were highly offended at so base a deceit, and threatned to kill him for it. A consciousness of his guilt, and a dread of being called to a severe account by his own country men, were the reasons which many of them assigned for his going away in so abrupt (but by no means, dissatisfactory a manner) to the English. As Captn Bosomworth was here transacting indian Affairs under the immediate Orders of the Commander in Chief when the Raven warrior returned and was detected; I only wrote in mine to Genl Forbes, superficially on the subject, referring to Captn Bosomworth for particulars, imagining it more properly belonged to him to do so.5
It gives me infinite pleasure, that the General seems (by the great pains he takes) to be so well satisfied of the importance their Services will be of: But can not help being under some uneasiness that it will be almost impracticable to keep them until they will be wanted. They say, that they did not leave home with an intention of staying any considerable time; that they can see no appearance of ou[r] being soon able to take the Field; that staying any time for our assembling, and afterwards for our slow motions, would detain them too long from their own nation; but that they would go home and be back again by the time they are wanted: These and many things to the same purpose are used by most of the parties that come in from war, as reasons for going off. And altho’ we have (here) done every thing in our power to remove these objections and to prevent their going; yet a party of 25 Cherokees went off this morning; but on receipt of your letter, I followed them, told them it was from the General, and by its assistance, at last prevail’d on them to return; Yet I dread that, unless they see the Troops assemble soon, it will be very difficult, if not impossible to retain any number of the Cherokees, altho’ nothing in my power will be wanting to prevent their leaving us, which might be of the most fatal consequence to this part of the Continent.
Enclosed is my Return for April; but you will please to observe, that Captn Woodward’s is made out from his last, as his great distance from hence puts it out of his power to send it in due time.6
I beg that you will inform the General, I shall with great alacrity, punctually obey what Orders he now has, or may hereafter honor me with. In the mean time, I am, with unfeigned Regard, dear Halkett, Your &c.
G:W. Capt. Stewart offers his compliments, and hopes you will not forget him.
LB, DLC:GW.
1. St. Clair wrote Forbes on 6 May: “I have got Major Halketts Letter with one inclos’d for Colll Washington which I shall carry with me this Day to York County and forward it from thence as I loose no time by it & may have something to say to Colll Washington” (ViU: Forbes Papers).
2. No such letter from GW to Forbes has been found, but see GW to St. Clair, 4 May, and note 1 in St. Clair to GW, 7 May.
3. For the comings and goings of the Cherokee at Winchester up to 21 April, see GW to St. Clair, 12 April, n.3.
4. Loudoun made Edmond Atkin superintendent of Indian affairs in the southern colonies in the spring of 1757.
5. For a description of Abraham Bosomworth’s mission to Virginia, see GW to Forbes, 23 April, n.2. The Raven left Winchester on 24 or 25 April, and Bosomworth was back in Philadelphia by 2 May.
6. The April 1758 return of the Virginia Regiment has not been found.
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From George Washington
to John St. Clair,
4 May 1758
To John St. Clair Fort Loudoun May 4th 1758.
Dear Sir I have now had an oppertunity of Examining Ucahula, an Indian Warrior that brought in the Scalps mentiond in my last. His acct is nearly the following.
That about the first of last Month Lieutt Gist with 6 Soldiers and 30 Indians left the South Branch of Potomack River, and after a tedious March (occasiond by deep Snows on the Mountains) they got upon the Waters of Monongahela, where Mr Gist by a fall from a steep Bank got lamd & was renderd incapable of Marching. that the white Men and some Indians stayd with him and the remainder of the Indians divided into three small parties and proceeded whin He Ucahula with two others went down the Monongahela in a bark Canoe and landed on the No. Side not far from Fort Duquesne—That they lay there conceald two days to make discoveries and if possible to get a prisoner, but no favourable oppertunity offering to accomplish the latter they attack’d a Canoe in which two Frenchmen were Fishing, both of whom they killd & Scalpd in sight of some other Frenchmen also a fishing.1
This Indian’s Acct of Fort Du-quesne corrisponds with most others I have heard, vizt that it is strong on the Land side, but stockado’d only where it Faces the Ohio. It does not appear from his information, that there are many Men there; nor that they have thrown up any New Works. He saw a Party on the other side the River which he supposd to be newly come, because, there were several Canoes near them and they seemd to be busied in putting up bark Huts which however were not many & only two Tents pitch’d.
When he got about 15 Miles this side Fort Duquesne he came upon a large Indian Incampment, & Tracts steerg towards Virginia; and after the Parties had Joind & were Marching in Lieutt Gist came upon the Tract of another large Party pursuing the same course—these parties have since fallen upon the back Inhabitants of Augusta County and destroyd near 50 persons besides an Officer & 18 Men of Captn Hogs Rangg Company who we suppose (for I have no advice from him) we sent to the Country People’s Assistance.2
So soon as I got notice of this I orderd a Detachment from the Regimt and some Indians that were equipd for War to March & endeavour to intercept their retreat if they are not too numerous. I have also engagd Ucahula with a small party of brisk Men to go immediately to Fort Duquesne and try to get a Prisoner. He seems confident of Success; and promises to be back in 20 days at farthest.
The two Virga Companies from Carolina came to this place Yesterday. inclosd is a return of their Strength.3
I am Sir Yr most Obedt & Most Hble Servt Go: Washington
ALS, Scottish Record Office; LB, DLC:GW.
Founders Online Footnotes:
1. On this day GW wrote to Blair a little less detailed account of the exploits of Ucahula and Lt. Nathaniel Gist. See GW to Blair, 4–10 May, and notes. Robert Stewart’s account written for General Forbes on the same day is more detailed but told in much the same words (Stewart to Forbes, 4 May 1758, Scottish Record Office: Dalhousie Muniments).
2. See GW to Blair, 4–10 May, n.1. Peter Hog, former captain of the 1st company of the Virginia Regiment, was at this time captain of a company of rangers in Augusta County.
3. The returns of the two companies brought back from South Carolina by Adam Stephen have not been found.
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From Carolina in Crisis: Cherokees. Colonists and Slaves in the American Southeast 1756 - 1763 by Daniel J Tortora, published by University of North Carolina Press in 2015.
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The next, and most controversial, incident involved 30 Cherokees led by the by Raven of Settico. By some accounts he and his young warriors became disenchanted by the slow pace of the campaign and the lack of supplies (see footnote 30). By other reports, he left Winchester in shame. British authorities and warriors from a rival village alleged that he had attempted to collect two bounties on one scalp (see footnote 31). Jealous Cherokee rivals distanced themselves from him.
Frontiersmen, unaware of these allegations, killed 5 of the Raven's 30 warriors in Mid-May. The victims had just taken 7 scalps and 5 prisoners in a dangerous scouting mission; some had been wounded. But the frontiersmen "scalp'd them & left them on the Road" in Halifax County for the other Cherokee to see. When news of the atrocities reached Winchester. Quartermaster General Sir John St Clair feared that the Cherokees might "revenge themselves." With "great difficulty" the Virginian William Byrd III "prevented my men from going back to take immediate Revenge."
page 49
Attakullakulla was playing many cards at once -- keeping the British in his orbit, appeasing reluctant fighting men at home, and chastening the disgruntled warrior who had departed Forbes's army. He called them "Rogues who under the Pretense of Assisting their Brethren the English went in to Rob the Out Settlers and murder them." He offered to order the killing of the Raven of Toxaway, whom he accused of improprieties along the path. If he put off his march to Virginia by promising to raise more men, he might secure more compensation and trade goods. Thus he could buy time to gain the affection of his Cherokee followers."
page 51
Blue text from Carolina in Crisis: Cherokees. Colonists and Slaves in the American Southeast 1756 - 1763 by Daniel J Tortora, published by University of North Carolina Press in 2015.
Notes: are there 2 different Ravens? Or is the Raven of Settico the same as Raven of Toxaway?
Below mentions a Raven from Estatoe -- same one?
From The Cherokee Frontier, Conflict and Survival 1740-1762, by David H Corkran, published by University of Oklahoma Press 1962, paperback published 2016
page 149 to 152
Late in April manifestations of Cherokee discontent appeared. he "Raven" party -- probably of Estatoe -- arrived in Winchester from Fort Frederick bearing two scalps which the Raven presented to Washington with a demand for a reward. Other Cherokees at the base knew the scalps as spurious -- probably those of the Whites killed on the Catawba path to avenge the Edisto murders. Indignant, they alerted the young Colonel, who rejected the Raven's demand. The disappointed trickster departed southward from Winchester, perhaps, as Washington thought, in a consciousness of guilt and the dread of being called to severe account by his countrymen; but not before Christopher Gist, who feared the Indian would give bad talks on the path had sweetened him with presents.
About this time Cherokees approaching Winchester met some of their disgruntled countrymen coming away and turned with them, saying that the English were rogues and the French and Shawnees good people (footnote). And on April 13 the Augusta County Court had indicted on Hugh McNamara on the suspicion of attempting in the French interest to seduce Cherokees from the English cause [footnote]. With two large parties of unhappy Cherokees in Virginia, serious trouble was probable.
Nor was it long delayed. About May 1 marauding Cherokees returning from Winchester alarmed settlers on Otter Creek in southwestern Virginia. The Indians entered homes, threatened and carried off plunder on stolen horses. Settlers flocked from the region in panic. When sterner souls followed the thieves to retrieve their stolen goods, the Indians fired upon them [footnote]. The whites fled but, reinforced, soon returned, eleven in number, amongst them one William Verdiman. The official report of what followed states that when the pursuers came to Staunton River they:
". . . heard the Indians war hallo on the other side . . . when they got over . . . they found a small fire just kindled and at some small distance . . . the enemy. William Verdiman aged about 60 went foremost . . . when they came up to the enemy they found they had tied their horses . . . to the bushes, that most of the Indians were painted . . . other painting, some black, some red but mostly black . . . Old Verdiman pulled of his hat, bowed and accosted them . . . and said Gentlemen we came in brotherly fashion to ask you for our horses and other goods . . . the Indians gave a kid of grunt and determined for mischief, stripped themselves . . . struck their tomahawks into trees and demanded . . . if they would fight . . . whilst Verdiman was still . . . bowing and treating. . . the Indians attempted to environ them and actually got into a half circle before (the whites) were aware . . . [the whites] all retreated . . . with their faces toward the enemy and took to the trees . . The Indians threw tomahawks . . one of them would have hit old Verdiman but luckily he parried it with an elder stick . . . and the Indians pursuing and they retreating . . . they were nearly pushed to the river bank . . . a gun was fired upon which the engagement ensued . . . in which [one of the Whites] fell . . . mortally wounded . . . three Indians fells [footnote]."
Out of ammunition, the whites retired. Militiamen rallied and went after the Indians. On May 10, eight or nine miles from Bedford, 35 Virginians encountered a large party of Cherokees. As the Virginians reported it:
"A captain and a lieutenant . . . went up to talk with ye Indians . . . and desired to be in friendship with them. The Indians answered "no brothers, no Cherokees," they were Shawnees [who] took the cap off the Lt. . . . and stripped and beat them. They were glad to get off naked . . . on which the rest of the men pursued and got before the Indians and had a scrimmage with them. But ye . . . part of ye white men run beore a gun fired. Others broke soon after without being of any service. The Indians kept the ground. [footnote]"
Altogether 17 or 18 Cherokees, Middle Settlements and Lower Townsmen, were killed in the 2 encounters, a heavy toll to lose to an ally.
. . .
But no one could stay Wawhatchee. He had held his warriors at Carlisle all through May awaiting Forbes, but when he learned of the bloody encounters between his countrymen and the Virginians, he left for the Lower Towns in anger. [footnote]
Blue text from The Cherokee Frontier, Conflict and Survival 1740-1762, by David H Corkran, published by University of Oklahoma Press 1962, paperback published 2016
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