the whites. Now he
became almost insane in his natural anger, and went about among the
various tribes calling on them to avenge his wrongs.

Had those border ruffians desired to bring on an Indian war they could
not have so quickly done it in any other way. Soon, tales of pioneer
families murdered by the Indians were brought over the mountains into
Virginia. Logan's friends were seeking vengeance.

Undoubtedly the war would have broken out later had not Logan's family
been murdered. The Indians believed they must fight or be overrun by
the white immigrants pouring into the western country.

The royal governor appointed by the king over the colony of Virginia
was, at this time, Lord Dunmore. He was an ardent loyalist, but he
also is said to have been interested financially in some of the land
ventures, concerning which there was much interest in the colony, also
much speculation. Though Governor Dunmore knew that the policy of the
English ministry at the time was conciliatory, he did not hesitate to
prepare for a war which should bring the savages to submission.

Just why the English ministry tried to discourage immigration into the
western country is not definitely known. Doubtless there were various
reasons. England wanted peace with the savages. Only a few years
before, her representative, Sir William Johnson, had made a treaty at
Fort Stanwix with them and given them many presents. They had been
told they should have, as their own, the country north of the Ohio.
The laws which governed the province of Quebec, recently captured from
the French, were to be applied to the western country, a plan which
did not meet with the approval of the colonists who wanted laws of an
English character.

There were influential men in England who were interested in the fur
trade with the Indians, which would be seriously injured if the
country were opened up to settlers. Besides, the colonies of Virginia
and Pennsylvania made conflicting claims to the new land and each had
friends in England.

Many of the colonists declared that England feared to have the
powerful colonies increase in power with new territory, and wished to
confine them to the seaboard. Be that as it may, Dunmore resolved on
establishing Virginia's claims by prompt and effectual warfare.
Perhaps he thought to divert the colonists' minds from the increasing
hostility to England. Instead he was to take the first step toward
securing that rich land to the United St