to be denied.

From along the line would come cries of:

"Remember Tygart's Valley!"

"Remember Carr's Creek!"

"Remember the Clendennins!"

And always Cornstalk's voice answered:

"Be strong! Be brave! Fight hard!"

So we struggled up the slope, gaining a yard at a time and counting it a
triumph if we passed a pile of dead timber and gained another a few feet
beyond.

When we were most encouraged the Indians began mocking us and shouting
exultingly and informing us that the warriors across the Kanawha and Ohio
had attacked our camp and were massacring the small force retained there.
This statement, repeatedly hurled at us with every semblance of savage
gloating, tended to weaken the men's one purpose. We could capture the
ridge--but! Behind our determination crawled the fear that we might be
assailed in the rear at any moment.

Captain Shelby was quick to realize the depressing influence of this kind
of talk, and shouted for the word to be passed that it was an Indian
trick, that our troops were guarding the Kanawha for half a mile up the
stream and that the warriors on the Indian shore could not cross over
without the column on our left discovering the move.

This prompted our common sense to return to us, and we remembered that
Andrew Lewis was too cool and shrewd to be caught napping. The Point was
sprinkled with huge trees and it would take a big force to clear it of our
reserves; and the bulk of the enemy was before us on the ridge.

With renewed vigor we made greater exertions and at last reached the top
of the ridge and cleared it. But even then the Indians were not defeated.
They charged up with ferocious energy time after time, and the best we
could do was to cling to our position and let them bring the fighting to
us. So different was their behavior from any we had been familiar with in
previous engagements we began to wonder if they would violate other Indian
precedents and continue the battle into the night.

It was not until three or four o'clock that we noticed any lessening in
their efforts to retake the ridge. At the best this afforded us only a
short breathing-spell. There were many warriors still hidden along the
slopes drained by Crooked Creek. Our line was so long there was always
danger of the Indians concentrating and breaking it.

So long as we stuck to the ridge on the defensive the enemy had the
advantage of the initiative. A runner brought up word from Colonel Lewis
to learn t