Rally the Boys

The Battle of Point Pleasant

In July of 1774 the Royal Governor of the Colony of Virginia, Lord Dunmore, finalized a plan to put an end to raids into the Virginia settlements by marauding Indians. The plan was to strike deeply into enemy territory and wipe out their homes and food stores before winter arrived. Lord Dunmore led one wing of the invading forces of about twelve hundred troops overland to Fort Pitt (then known as Fort Dunmore). This force was then divided, with Dunmore and seven hundred men proceeding down the Ohio River by boat, followed overland by Major Wm. Crawford and five hundred men with most of the supplies and cattle. The other division of about eleven hundred men, under the command of Colonel Andrew Lewis, was made up of some of the most memorable frontiersmen of the time. Many had fought at, and survived the battles at Fort Necessity and Braddock's Defeat and had gone on the Sandy Creek Campaign with the Cherokees in 1756. They served as militiamen, Virginia regimental soldiers, frontier rangers and fort scouts throughout the French and Indian War. Some of them, at the explicit instructions of George Washington, had served as special forces who learned Indian war tactics from their Cherokee allies during that conflict. In this "Indian warrior" role, these Virginians served alongside Cherokees and Catawbas in the Forbes Campaign in 1758. It was this service that made these men especially suited for the encounter against enemy Indians at Point Pleasant, where the Great Kanawha River empties into the Ohio River. Dunmore changed his plans and didn't meet Lewis as scheduled. A message from Dunmore was found in a tree, directing Lewis to a new meeting place. Lewis remained at Point Pleasant for an additional three days and before dawn on October tenth, two of Lewis' men who were away from the camp encountered a large force of Delaware, Wyandot and Shawnee warriors led by the noted chief, Cornstalk, creeping towards the Virginians. One of them was killed, but the other ran to camp and a call to arms was immediately sounded. Lewis was a thorough commander who had not let his guard down by failing to post guards and send out scouts. The posting of these men prevented Cornstalk from gaining the high ground just northwest of the Point, and thus foiled his plan to cut off Lewis' reinforcements which were driving the cattle down the Kanawha River Valley.

The battle began at first light with both sides attacking and counter attacking. The Virginians were on a triangular spit of land with rivers on two sides and a battle line of Indians extending nearly a mile in front. When dusk finally arrived, neither side could claim victory. The Virginians had suffered approximately seventy-five dead and one hundred forty wounded and the Indian losses were said to be slightly less. The Indians withdrew. Realizing the strength of the Virginians and knowing that Dunmore was on his way with additional re-enforcements, Cornstalk and his chiefs sent word to Dunmore that they were ready to negotiate for peace. Lewis was one of the ablest field commanders during the French and Indian War, and he was hand-picked by Washington to learn the Indian manner of fighting from the Cherokees, and to teach it to his troops. This knowledge combined with European techniques gave him the edge necessary to successfully repel a larger Indian force, even when pinned between two rivers.

This painting depicts Colonel Andrew Lewis rallying his men after the initial Indian attack on October 10, 1774. Among the first to fall was Charles Lewis, Andrew's brother. Colonel Andrew Lewis survived the battle and eventually supported the colonials in their struggle for independence from England. He drove Lord Dunmore out of the Colony and became one of George Washington's most beloved generals.

The highly detailed painting entitled "Rally the Boys" has been reproduced as a very limited edition, archival quality, giclee canvas print of only ten individually signed and numbered reproductions.

The giclee process, especially in small quantities, is an extremely costly endeavor, however, it allows the collector to obtain a superior quality, lasting work of art which can be displayed without the need of protective matting or glass.