Indian Raids in Pocahontas County

 

 

Indian Raids in Pocahontas County

The sources, primarily excerpts from G. Douglas McNeill, offer glimpses into the history of Indian raids in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, highlighting their impact on early settlers and the defensive measures taken for protection. The sources focus on a limited number of specific incidents and provide a narrative of the events surrounding them, offering insights into the dangers faced by pioneers.

• Location and Severity of Raids: The sources note that due to its geographical location, Pocahontas County did not experience Indian raids as severe as those in neighboring counties like Greenbrier, Randolph, and Pendleton. The region's mountainous terrain and relative isolation likely contributed to this difference in raid intensity.

• Historical Context and Causes: The sources link the occurrence of raids in Pocahontas County to broader historical events and tensions between Native Americans and European settlers. The French and Indian War (1754-1763) played a role in escalating these tensions, as the French actively sought alliances with Native American tribes against the British colonists. The sources specifically mention the Shawnee tribe, originally residing in Pendleton County, who harbored resentment towards settlers and participated in raids after being displaced from their lands.

• Notable Raids in Pocahontas County: The sources recount two specific raids in detail: the attack on the Warwick home at Clover Lick and the Drinnen Raid near present-day Marlinton. These accounts illustrate the methods and impact of these raids.

  • The Warwick Raid: While the exact date of the attack on the Warwick home remains unclear, the sources describe how Native Americans looted and burned the property while the Warwick family was away. The incident underscores the constant vulnerability of early settlers and the unpredictable nature of these attacks.
  • The Drinnen Raid: The Drinnen Raid, believed to have occurred around 1780, targeted the homestead of Lawrence Drinnen near the present-day Pocahontas County Fairgrounds. The sources provide a detailed account of the events, describing how a group of settlers, including the Drinnen family, were besieged in their cabin by Native Americans. The raid resulted in the death of at least one settler, Henry Baker, and prompted a response from settlers at Fort Keckley (present-day Mill Point).

• The Bridger Boys and the Aftermath: As settlers from surrounding areas fled towards Fort Keckley for safety following the Drinnen Raid, two brothers, John and Jim Bridger, decided to take a shortcut through a mountain pass, now known as "Bridgers' Notch". The brothers were ambushed and killed by Native Americans. This tragic incident, recounted through the narrative of Nathan, a slave who witnessed the attack, highlights the ongoing dangers faced by settlers even as they sought refuge in fortified locations. The deaths of the Bridger boys and the subsequent discovery of another victim, Hugh McKeever, on Stamping Creek, demonstrate the brutal reality of frontier life and the constant threat of violence.

• Defensive Measures and Forts: The sources emphasize the importance of forts as defensive structures in protecting settlers from Indian raids.

  • Fort Construction and Purpose: The sources describe how early settlers, recognizing the need for protection, constructed forts for communal defense. These forts typically consisted of fortified homes or stockades built around a central area where settlers could gather for safety during an attack.
  • Notable Forts in Pocahontas County: The sources identify several significant forts in the region, including Fort Greenbrier (built near present-day Marlinton), the fortified Warwick residence at Clover Lick, Fort Keckley (later Fort Day and Fort Price) near Mill Point, and Fort Warwick near the forks of Deer Creek. Each of these forts played a role in providing refuge and protection for settlers during times of conflict.

• The Fading Threat and Legacy of Raids: While the sources primarily focus on a specific period of heightened conflict, they suggest that as more settlers arrived in Pocahontas County, and with the decline of Native American resistance in the region, the threat of large-scale raids eventually subsided. The legacy of these raids, however, remained etched in the landscape, local folklore, and the collective memory of the region. Place names like "Bridgers' Notch" and "Hughy Field" serve as reminders of the human cost of westward expansion and the conflicts that shaped the early history of Pocahontas County.

The sources, focused on specific incidents and individuals, provide a limited but valuable perspective on Indian raids in Pocahontas County. These accounts, while not offering a comprehensive analysis of Native American-settler relations, reveal the challenges, dangers, and resilience that characterized life on the early American frontier. They underscore the importance of understanding this history to appreciate the complex and often fraught relationship between Native Americans and European settlers as they navigated the process of westward expansion.