The following is from the book History of the Battle of
Point Pleasant - Fought Between White Men and Indians - at the Mouth of the
Great Kanawha River (Now Point Pleasant, West Virginia) - Monday October 10th,
1774 - The Chief Event of Lord Dunmore's War by Virgil A. Lewis
(State Archivist and Historian). It was published in 1909 and is an
interesting book in that it gives a different viewpoint about whether or not
Lord Dunmore double crossed the people of Virginia.
"Battles have been in all ages a favorite theme for the
poets lay. That of Point Pleasant has been thus commemorated in verse as
well as prose. The first of these productions appears in the Journal of
Ensign James Newell, of Captain Will Herbert's Company. He was wounded
in the battle, but crossed the Ohio with the Army, October 17th - six days
thereafter. The following verses appearing in his Journal, we written on
the battlefield, or possibly on the opposite bank of the Ohio: -
The Camp Song at Point Pleasant
Bold Virginias all, each cheer up your heart.
We will see the Shawnees before that we depart,
We will never desert, nor will we retreat,.
Until that our Victory be quite complete.
Ye offspring of Britain! Come stain not your name.
Nor forfeit your right to your forefathers' fame,
If the Shawnees will fight, we never will fly,
We'll fight & we'll conquer or we will die.
Great Dunmore our General valiant & Bold
Excells the great Heroes - the Heroes of old;
When doth command we will always obey,
When he bids us fight, we sill not run away.
Good Lewis our Colonel, courageous and Brave,
We wish to command us - our wish let us have.
In camp he is pleasant, in War he is bold
Appeas like great Caesar - great Caesar of of old.
Our Colonels & Captains commands we'll obey,
If the Shawnees should run we will bid them to stay,
Our Arms, they are Rifles, our men Volunteers
We'll fight & we'll conquer you need have no fears.
Come Gentlemen all, come strive to excel,
Strive not to shoot often, but strive to shoot well.
Each man like a Hero can make the woods ring,
And extend the Dominion of George our Great Kink.
Then to it, let's go with might & with main,
Tho' some that set forward return not again;
Let us quite lay aside all cowardly fear
In hope of returning before the new year.
The land it is good, it is just to our mind,
Each will have his part if his Lordship be kind.
The Ohio once ours, we'll live at our ease,
With a Bottle & glas to drink when we please.
Here's a health to King George & Charlotte his mate
Wishing our Victory may soon be complete
And a kind female friend along by our Side
In riches & splendor till Death to abide.
Health to great Dunmore our general also,
Wishing he may conquer wherever he go.
Health to his Lady - may they long happy be
And a health, my good friends, to you & to me.
