Interception of Indian Raiding Parties
Item
Type
Document Signed
Title
Interception of Indian Raiding Parties
Description
Unsuccessful dispersal of Indians on Ohio river. Enclosed copy of report on Indian raid on river.
year created
1790
month created
06
day created
09
author
recipient
in image
notable person/group
Henry Knox
Josiah Harmar
Indians
Indian Nation
savages
hostiles
troops
horsemen
emigrants
General Scott
horsemen
2nd U.S. Regiment
notable location
Ohio River
river
Virginia
frontier
territory
Kentucky
Scioto River
Limestone
Virginia
notable item/thing
Indian attacks
raids
protection
murder
nest of vagabond Indians
plunder
murder
plan of operations
fell in with the savages
killed
convoy of boats
notable idea/issue
Indian attacks
raids
protection
murder
document number
1790060940001
page start
1
transcription
N
Brig General Harmar,
to the Secretary of War
June 9th 1790
"At the solicitation of the Inhabitants of Kentuckey (copies of which are enclosed) I was induced to endeavor to break up a mass of vagabond Indians, who had infested the river, and seemed to make it an object to establish themselves near the mouth of the Scioto, in order to interrupt the navigation of the Ohio, and to plunder and murder the emigrants -- I am sorry that my endeavors were unsuccessful, as the villains had retreated -- wolves might as well have been pursued- every caution in my power was made without effect."
"Having settled our plan of operations, which was to make a circuitous route and strike the Scioto pretty high, and from thence march down to its mouth in hopes to intercept some of their parties we took up our line of march on the same day (18 of April), and gained about twelve miles. On this first days' march four mockinson tracks were discovered; General Scott detached a small party of horsemen, who fell in with the savages, killed them and brought the four scalps into Limestone".
Ensign
Ensign Hartshorne's convoy of boats was attacked at midnight on the 12th (May) about nine miles above Limestone, from the Virginia side, and several of the emigrants killed. I have enclosed a copy of his report"
Fort Washington May 30th 1790.
Sir
I beg leave to report as follows. On the 12th: instant, as I was coming down the Ohio in company with five other boats, in the evening before we came to Limestone by the request of the company we put to shore in order to stay until 2 o'Clock so that we might land at Limestone in daylight. I landed nine miles above Limestone and the other boats landed about one hundred yards below me. About 12 o'Clock the Indians attacked the lowermost boat, after a number of shots they left it and fell on the other above them which they took, in this time my men fired five or six shot at the flash of their guns. I had much to do to keep the men in the boat from cutting her loose and leaving my men on shore. So I thought proper to
order
order my men on board, for by every circumstance I thought them too strong for me with so few men; and it being very dark, I ordered the boat of from the shore and fell down into their fire, where we received a number of shot, and when I found that not all the boats were not taken, I ordered them to go a head in case the indians did pursue us that I might check them. We arrived at Limestone at 3 o'clock in the morning, I immediately wrote to the county Lieutenant upon the matter - he with twenty men came down at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, myself with five men went up the place were we was attacked, we found one man, one woman and three children killed& scalped, which we put into the boat with their property to Limestone. There is eight missing; the whole killed and missing is thirteen souls - they took none of the property but one horse".
I am sir
your most hum. servt,
Asa Hartshorne
(Signed)
2nd US Regt
Brig General Harmar,
to the Secretary of War
June 9th 1790
"At the solicitation of the Inhabitants of Kentuckey (copies of which are enclosed) I was induced to endeavor to break up a mass of vagabond Indians, who had infested the river, and seemed to make it an object to establish themselves near the mouth of the Scioto, in order to interrupt the navigation of the Ohio, and to plunder and murder the emigrants -- I am sorry that my endeavors were unsuccessful, as the villains had retreated -- wolves might as well have been pursued- every caution in my power was made without effect."
"Having settled our plan of operations, which was to make a circuitous route and strike the Scioto pretty high, and from thence march down to its mouth in hopes to intercept some of their parties we took up our line of march on the same day (18 of April), and gained about twelve miles. On this first days' march four mockinson tracks were discovered; General Scott detached a small party of horsemen, who fell in with the savages, killed them and brought the four scalps into Limestone".
Ensign
Ensign Hartshorne's convoy of boats was attacked at midnight on the 12th (May) about nine miles above Limestone, from the Virginia side, and several of the emigrants killed. I have enclosed a copy of his report"
Fort Washington May 30th 1790.
Sir
I beg leave to report as follows. On the 12th: instant, as I was coming down the Ohio in company with five other boats, in the evening before we came to Limestone by the request of the company we put to shore in order to stay until 2 o'Clock so that we might land at Limestone in daylight. I landed nine miles above Limestone and the other boats landed about one hundred yards below me. About 12 o'Clock the Indians attacked the lowermost boat, after a number of shots they left it and fell on the other above them which they took, in this time my men fired five or six shot at the flash of their guns. I had much to do to keep the men in the boat from cutting her loose and leaving my men on shore. So I thought proper to
order
order my men on board, for by every circumstance I thought them too strong for me with so few men; and it being very dark, I ordered the boat of from the shore and fell down into their fire, where we received a number of shot, and when I found that not all the boats were not taken, I ordered them to go a head in case the indians did pursue us that I might check them. We arrived at Limestone at 3 o'clock in the morning, I immediately wrote to the county Lieutenant upon the matter - he with twenty men came down at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, myself with five men went up the place were we was attacked, we found one man, one woman and three children killed& scalped, which we put into the boat with their property to Limestone. There is eight missing; the whole killed and missing is thirteen souls - they took none of the property but one horse".
I am sir
your most hum. servt,
Asa Hartshorne
(Signed)
2nd US Regt
Item sets
Document instances
| In image | In source | Location in source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| [view document] (3 pages) | NKZ23 (3 pages) | Collection: First Congress: Reports and Communications Submitted to the House of Representatives by the Secretary of War [1A-D2] (RG 233) {reference microfilm} | P: 49-51 |
Document names
| Type | Name | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Josiah Harmar | [unknown] | [n/a] |
| Recipient | Henry Knox | [unknown] | [n/a] |