The SAR MAGAZINE is the official quarterly publication of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution published quarterly.
Issue link: http://sar.epubxp.com/i/258013
16 SAR MAGAZINE By Robert L. "Bob" Bowen, Past Historian General B attle Days is celebrated annually the first weekend in October at the confluence of the Ohio and Kanawha rivers in West Virginia. The weekend celebration commemorates the Battle of Point Pleasant, fought there on Oct. 10, 1774. This past Oct. 4-6, eight state societies joined with President General Joe Dooley and Vice President General Lance Carter to help celebrate the 239th anniversary of the battle, in which more than 70 Virginia militiamen of the Augusta County Regiment were killed while fighting a force of Indians led by Shawnee Chief Cornstalk. The Indians lost 33 fighters in the day-long battle. The three-day celebration began on Friday with nearly 450 fourth-graders from surrounding county schools gathering at Tu-Endie-Wei State Park for Education Day. That night, visitors attended a Candlelight Ceremony featuring re-enactors who told of their involvement in the battle. Saturday was devoted to a parade, Governor's Reception and Colonial Ball at the town's American Legion Hall. Sunday featured a Colonial Church Service, followed by lunch and the Memorial Service. More than 50 wreaths were presented during the Memorial Service. Societies represented included California, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. The DAR and SAR were represented, as were a few other patriotic organizations. President General Dooley served as grand marshal of the Saturday parade down Point Pleasant's Main Street, and he delivered the keynote address during the Memorial Service on Sunday. "All of us here today would likely regard the Battle of Point Pleasant as the first battle of the American Revolution," Dooley said. "But I suppose most of you know that not everyone would agree with us. Many historians look upon Point Pleasant, which is also sometimes called the Battle of Kanawha, as a battle in Lord Dunmore's War. "But I'm not sure this distinction matters. Let's put this battle into some historical context and consider what are the issues associated with the Battle of Point Pleasant. "This conflict can be confusing. There are many 'moving parts,' so to speak, and it can be difficult to keep them straight. You might think this battle was just the British and the Americans on one side, and the Indians on the other. But when you examine this conflict closer, you discover that the relationship between the British and the Americans was already strained, and that while the Anglo- Americans were fighting some Indians, other Indians just sat on the sidelines, either passively supporting the British, or remaining neutral. "The Battle of Point Pleasant was fought on Oct. 10, 1774. Let's consider what else had been going on. "Eleven years earlier, King George III had issued the Royal Proclamation of 1763, forbidding American settlement and acquisition of land beyond the Appalachian Mountains. The proclamation probably contributed to the growing divide between the Colonies and Great Britain. Even though the boundary of where Americans could migrate and claim land was pushed westward in subsequent treaties, the British government refused to permit many new Colonial settlements for fear of instigating a war with Native Americans, and this angered Colonial land speculators. "So what culminated here was the result of Britain's effort to lay claim to the Ohio Valley and extend its influence into Ohio and Kentucky. Britain sought to manage— really to control—Native Americans and to limit the migration of Anglo-Americans. "But did Britain seek to gain a firmer grasp on this land for the use and benefit of its American subjects? Did Britain seek to manage the Indians so as to protect its American subjects? Or was the king more concerned about securing this land and clearing it of any inconveniences that might get in the way of his bestowing large grants of land to his favorites? "Long before men took up arms to claim Battle of Point Pleasant Color Guardsmen and Camp followers from eight states assembled at the Point Pleasant Monument at Tu-Endi-Wei State Park following the annual Battle Days Parade; top right, President General Joe Dooley delivered the keynote address during Sunday's Memorial Service. Commemorating the WINTER_14_sar5-17 copy.indd 16 2/4/14 11:08 AM