ke settlement in the spring of 1757, by a
party of Shawanees, gave rise to the campaign, which was called by the
old settlers the "Sandy creek voyage." To avenge this outrage,
Governor Dinwiddie ordered out a company of regulars (taken chiefly
from the garrison at Fort Dinwiddie, on Jackson's river) under the
command of Capt. Audley Paul; a company of minute-men from Boutetourt,
under the command of Capt. William Preston; and two companies from
Augusta, under Captains John Alexander[1] and William Hogg. In Capt.
Alexander's company, John M'Nutt, afterwards governor of Nova Scotia,
was a subaltern. The whole were placed under the command of Andrew
Lewis.[2]

Beside the chastisement of the Indians, the expedition had for its
object, the establishment of a military post at the mouth of the Great
Sandy. This would have enabled them, not only to maintain a constant
watch over marauding parties of Indians from that quarter; but to
check the communication between them and the post at Galliopolis; and
thus counteract the influence which the French there had obtained over
them.[3]

The different companies detailed upon the Shawanee expedition, were
required to rendezvous on the Roanoke, near to the present town of
Salem in Bottetourt, where Col. Lewis was then posted. The company
commanded by Capt. Hogg failed to attend at the appointed time; and
Col. Lewis after delaying a week for its arrival, marched forward,
expecting to be speedily overtaken by it.

To avoid an early discovery by the Indians, which would have been the
consequence of their taking the more public route by the Great
Kenhawa; and that they might fall upon the Indians towns in the valley
of the Scioto, without being interrupted or seen by the French at
Galliopolis, they took the route by the way of New river and Sandy.
Crossing New river below the Horse-shoe, they descended it to the
mouth of Wolf creek; and ascending this to its source, passed over to
the head of Bluestone river; where they delayed another week awaiting
the arrival of Capt. Hogg and his company.[4]--They then marched to
the head of the north fork of Sandy, and continued down it to the
great Burning Spring, where they also remained a day. Here the salt
and provisions, which had been conveyed [63] on pack horses, were
entirely exhausted. Two buffaloes, killed just above the spring, were
also eaten while the army continued here; and their hides were hung
upon a beech tree. After this their sub