403:, a group of white settlers, suspecting that this war party planned to raid Virginia settlements, surrounded them and tried to confiscate their guns. When one of the warriors took out a knife and threatened to stab them, the settlers let them go. Two days later, the warriors were confronted by ten settlers, armed with pitchforks, who accompanied them to a "big House" full of white people. The warriors were invited to enter, but only a few of the oldest dared to do so. A white man with a sword, identified by the warriors as a captain, tried to persuade the other warriors to come inside, but they refused. The warriors produced a written pass from the Pennsylvania authorities (a Justice Hogg, according to McKee) giving them permission to travel, but the settlers told them that that they could not continue, at which point the warriors left the house. The "captain" then brandished his sword, commanding them not to leave, and the warriors prepared to fight, but were told by Jonnhaty "to be quiet till they were hurt."
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with the war party became frightened and ran away, at which point some of the white men fired at them and missed. Jonnhaty cautioned his men not to return fire because "a white Colour was always a token of Peace among the white Men." The horsemen then dismounted and fired again, killing two warriors, one of whom was
Shikellamy's cousin. The warriors returned fire and then attacked with hatchets. The white men fled, and Jonnhaty ordered his men not to follow them, saying that they had come to Virginia to fight Catawbas, not white men. They found eight white men killed and took several horses. Five warriors were wounded, but the number of dead was not reported. Ten warriors accompanied the wounded back to Great Island, (present-day
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340:. Local settlers reported to Captain McDowell that the Indians had killed at least one hog belonging to them, and "went to Peoples houses, Scared the women and Children took what they wanted, and in some instances shot some of the people's horses." On 15 December, Captain McDowell contacted his commanding officer, Colonel Patton, and Patton ordered McDowell and his 33-man militia company (which included Lieutenant James McDowell, one of McDowell's eight brothers, and their father Ephraim) to escort the war party out of Augusta County. The militia encountered the war party on 17 December near the homestead of
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fighting had ended. On 23 December, Patton wrote an amended account of the battle in a second letter to
Governor Gooch, stating that the number of warriors had been thirty-six and that on 19 December, two men had been sent forward with a white flag "desiring Peace and Friendship." Patton notes that, before opening fire, the Indians had called out, "O friends are you there, have we found you?" He says eight militiamen were killed but does not give the number of wounded. According to Patton, the Indians fled into the forest and were pursued for "several hundred yards" by
445:. Patton wrote to Governor Gooch that he had received reports from the militia that they had seen "white men supposed to be French among the Indians," and that he had responded by ordering "patrowlers on all our frontiers, well equipp'd, and drafted out a certain number of young men out of each company to be in readiness to reinforce any Party or Place that needs help." Patton added "we have certain news of one Hundred and fifty Indians seen seventy miles above me, and about the same number lately crost Patowmack on their way up here."
232:. The battle was the first armed conflict between settlers in Western Virginia and Native Americans. Several distinct accounts of the battle exist, with contradictory details. The Iroquois regarded the battle as an unprovoked act of aggression, while the Virginia colonists claimed that the Iroquois had raided Virginia settlements and killed livestock. The battle was one factor that led colonial authorities to negotiate with Native American leaders for the
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348:, possibly to relieve himself, at which point a militiaman fired at him. He let out a war-cry, and the other Indians then opened fire and killed two mounted soldiers and Captain John McDowell, who had ridden to the head of the Indian war party and was conversing with Jonnhaty. In the battle that followed, three or four of the Indian warriors (Samuel McDowell says seventeen) were killed. Three militiamen were wounded and seven killed besides McDowell.
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to meet with the
Iroquois leaders who, according to Gooch, "have given me the strongest assurances that no fresh Hostilities shall be exercised against ." While there, Weiser and the Iroquois leaders heard Jonnhaty's version of events, and Weiser describes him as "a very thoughtful and honest Man,"
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dated 18 December, stated that a man bearing a white flag had been killed by the
Indians and that eight or ten warriors had been killed and eleven militiamen, including Captain McDowell. Patton reports that he rode to the scene with twenty-three reinforcements, arriving two or three hours after the
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The war party traveled for three days and were camped, when a white man, evidently a scout, arrived and counted them. He told the
Indians he was a hunter and left. The Indians were on the road when "a Great number of white Men on horseback" bearing a white flag, confronted them. Two boys who were
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stated that, if compensation was not received, "we are able to do ourselves
Justice," which alarmed the Pennsylvania legislature. Gifts distributed to the Iroquois representatives, intended to pacify them, included five hundred pounds of gunpowder, six hundred pounds of lead, and forty-five guns.
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repeatedly stated that they did not feel they had been fairly compensated for traditional homelands appropriated by
European settlers. This led to fears, on the part of authorities in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, of violent retribution. Native Americans traveling through the region often
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wrote to Gooch that "the
Indians own that they kill'd some Hoggs to asswage their hunger, which, join'd to their threats last year in case they were not paid for their lands, seems to me to have been the fatal cause of the Skirmish." Thomas did not think the Indians had planned any aggression on
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that
Captain McDowell approached the warriors (whom James McDowell identified as Shawnee) saying, "Gentlemen, we are upon peaceable terms, lay down your arms and no man shall molest you." He reported that the Indians immediately opened fire, and that Captain McDowell was shot three times: in the
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Lieutenant James McDowell reported that
Colonel Patton and his men reached the battlefield early the following morning and retrieved the militia dead, placing the "bloody corpses on horseback and laid them side by side near McDowell's dwelling, while they prepared their graves in overwhelming
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to an area known as "Borden's Tract" in Augusta County and on 1 December, they stopped for a day at John McDowell's home, where they were given food and "treated with whiskey." Captain McDowell "directed them to a convenient hunting ground...a few miles off." The Indians then traveled to the
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head, chest and abdomen, and that "eight men of each side were killed." Samuel McDowell states that the militia opened fire first, but places the blame for the battle on the warriors' refusal to respect the property rights of Virginia settlers, by killing their livestock.
414:) arriving on 12 or 13 January. They gave an account of the battle which was heard by community leaders and a trader named Thomas McKee, who reported what he had heard in a deposition to Conrad Weiser on 26 January. A summary of McKee's deposition was published in the
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asking Clarke to "inquire what Indian nation dared to treat His Majesties subjects in so insolent and outrageous manner," and "what part of this Government it is they dispute." After hearing McKee's report of the Indians' account of the battle, Pennsylvania
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McCleskey, Nathaniel Turk, "Across the first divide: Frontiers of settlement and culture in Augusta County, Virginia, 1738-1770". Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539623794, College of William and Mary,
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Borden's Tract, where the Iroquois war party paused to visit John McDowell's home. It lies just north of the site of the Battle of Galudoghson, and was owned by land speculator Benjamin Borden. The home of
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Action at the Galudoghson December 14, 1742; Colonel James Patton, Captain John McDowell and the First Battle with the Indians in the Valley of Virginia; with an Appendix Containing Early Accounts of the
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Action at the Galudoghson, December 14, 1742. Colonel James Patton, Captain John McDowell and the First Battle with the Indians in the Valley of Virginia with an Appendix Containing Early Accounts of the
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warriors entered Virginia in December 1742 and began harassing settlers and killing livestock, many people believed that this was a sign that an attack was imminent, however the local militia commander,
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Virginia settlers, saying that "Had they design'd hostilities, it is not probable they would have trust'd themselves in any of the white Inhabitants' houses, as some of them did upon their invitation."
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McKee, in his deposition, reports that the Indians admitted to having entered a settler's home uninvited, and engaged in a struggle with the owner, who let them go after being threatened with a knife.
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Settlers who witnessed the battle reported that the Indians had killed several hogs, horses and cattle, and that Captain McDowell had approached the war party with a white flag "in order to
536:, son of Captain John McDowell, who was killed in the battle. Samuel McDowell, who was seven years old when his father was killed, reports family traditions that he grew up with.
273:, was told not to "offer any Violence to any of the said Indians passing quietly through their plantations...unless the said Indians do first Commit Hostilities."
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Samuel McDowell to Arthur Campbell, 27 July 1808, in Draper Mss. 4ZZ 4 (microfilm edition, 1980, reel 121), State Historical Society of Wisconsin; cited in
228:. These warriors had traveled to Virginia from Pennsylvania under the command of an Iroquois chief named Jonnhaty, to participate in a campaign against the
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Charles E. Kemper, "The Early Westward Movement of Virginia, 1722-1734, As Shown by the Proceedings of the Colonial Council," Virginia Historical Society,
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with them, but they fir'd and kill'd him & some of his Men before one Shot was fir'd by his party." Lieutenant James McDowell, who was present, told
302:, attempted to prevent bloodshed by sending a militia company, under the command of Captain John McDowell, to escort the warriors out of Augusta County.
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In 1742, rumors spread through Maryland that "several nations of our own Indians rise and cut off the English...assisted by 500 of the Shawan (
395:'s grandson in February, 1743. The grandson, who was among the warriors who took part in the battle, stated that, after they had crossed the
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on 27 January, 2 February and 31 March, 1743, the last of which cites James McDowell (John McDowell's brother), an eyewitness, as a source.
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460:. In early 1743, Shikellamy traveled to Williamsburg to make a statement to the council. Gooch also wrote to New York governor
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344:, and followed them at a distance for two days, until one of the Indians fell behind, then made a detour into the forest near
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The battle was one of the motivating factors that led colonial authorities to negotiate with Native American leaders for the
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There are scattered references to the battle in the correspondence of Governor Thomas, Governor Clarke, and Governor Gooch.
284:) and about the same time the French with the Assistance of other Indians." During a July conference in Philadelphia, chief
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794:; Dec. 18-22. Accession 21603. Archives and manuscripts: Personal papers collection. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA
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helped themselves to food from settler's homes or took livestock, which led to tension. In 1737, a local militia captain,
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who "took a deal of Time in telling the Story." The governor sent £100 worth of goods with Weiser as a peace offering.
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was assembled after Draper's death from his unpublished papers and contains complete transcripts of all sources.
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A historical marker commemorates the battle at John McDowell's gravesite in the McDowell family burial plot in
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319:(written John Petter Salley) can be seen at the bottom left. Depicted on a 1757 map of Virginia and Maryland.
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on 26 January 1743, in which McKee relates the description of the battle provided by the Iroquois survivors.
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Documents Relative to the Colonial History of the State of New-York,' vol 6. Weed, Parsons, printers, 1855
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reported that, after entering Virginia, Jonnhaty's war party of warriors traveled south along the
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1) Two letters from Colonel James Patton, written 18 and 23 December 1742, to Governor Gooch.
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J. J. Prats, "Indian and Settler Conflict," Historical Marker Database, November 25, 2011
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3) An account of the battle given to Weiser by Shikellamy's grandson in February, 1743.
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The Planting of New Virginia: Settlement and Landscape in the Shenandoah Valley.
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Richard Osborn, "William Preston: Origins of a Backcountry Political Career,"
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Detail from Gilles Robert de Vaugondy, "Carte de la Virginie et du Maryland."
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336:(known to them as the Galudoghson), and camped near its confluence with the
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sorrow." Captain McDowell was buried in the McDowell family burial plot in
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In an 1808 letter to Colonel Arthur Campbell, Captain John McDowell's son
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At a series of conferences in Pennsylvania during the 1730s, the
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The altercation remained without any formal title until the 1995
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Virginia Historical Society, Staunton VA: C. R. Caldwell, 1902.
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A historical marker commemorating the event is located beside
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Conrad Weiser and the Indian policy of colonial Pennsylvania,
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of a collection of papers and analysis compiled by historian
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took place in December 1742, at a site near present-day
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Within days of the battle, Governor Gooch convened the
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John Romeyn Brodhead, Edmund Bailey O'Callaghan, eds.
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Annals of Augusta County, Virginia, from 1726 to 1871.
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Jared C. Lobdell, ed. Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 1995
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1742 skirmish between Indians and Virginia settlers
821:Minutes of the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania,
602:A. Walker, "Captain John 'Indian Wars' McDowell,"
473:In June 1743, Conrad Weiser was sent by Gooch to
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702:Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005.
845:The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography,
823:vol IV, 1735-1745, Theo. Fenn, Harrisburg, 1851
668:The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography,
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893:Philadelphia: George Jacobs & Co., 1900
433:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography
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518:4) Three articles published in
220:militia engaged in combat with
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973:1742 in the Colony of Virginia
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792:James Patton Letters, 1742
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889:Walton, Joseph Solomon,
521:The Pennsylvania Gazette
483:1744 Treaty of Lancaster
430:Shikellamy, portrait in
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358:The Pennsylvania Gazette
234:1744 Treaty of Lancaster
587:McDowell Family History
532:is an 1808 letter from
189:29-36 Iroquois warriors
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379:and eight militiamen.
372:Governor William Gooch
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246:posthumous publication
134:Commanders and leaders
534:Judge Samuel McDowell
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377:Captain John Buchanan
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210:Battle of Galudoghson
194:Casualties and losses
152:Captain John Buchanan
73:37.63306°N 79.45167°W
22:Battle of Galudoghson
416:Pennsylvania Gazette
329:Great Indian Warpath
300:Colonel James Patton
202:3-17 dead, 5 wounded
140:Colonel James Patton
968:Battles in Virginia
698:Hofstra, Warren R.
92:Both sides withdrew
78:37.63306; -79.45167
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933:Colony of Virginia
717:Vol 2, No. 2, 2007
560:Virginia Route 130
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342:John Peter Salling
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176:Iroquois war party
953:Conflicts in 1742
650:Draper, Lyman C.
606:December 11, 2016
568:Glasgow, Virginia
485:, one of several
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393:Shikellamy
293:and seven
286:Canasatego
271:John Lewis
260:Background
61:37°37′59″N
38:1742-12-18
422:Aftermath
240:Etymology
169:militia (
125:Indians (
64:79°27′6″W
948:Onondaga
765:, p. 250
475:Onondaga
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282:Iroquois
222:Onondaga
181:Strength
156:Jonnhaty
127:Iroquois
119:Onondaga
114:Virginia
46:Location
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548:Battle,
493:Sources
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230:Catawba
146:†
36: (
943:Oneida
454:Orange
353:parley
123:Oneida
89:Result
776:1990.
456:and
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853:^
829:^
800:^
782:^
754:^
734:^
676:^
620:^
577:.
570:.
501::
256:.
236:.
150:,
121:,
436:.
173:)
129:)
40:)
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