Lord Dunmore's War: Major Robertson's Company

Lord Dunmore's War was a confrontation between colonial Virginia and the Indians of the Ohio Country in 1774.  The war consisted of small skirmishes in present-day Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky culminating with the Battle of Point Pleasant on October 10, 1774 near modern-day Point Pleasant, West Virginia.  You can read more about Lord Dunmore's War here.  Major James Robertson led a company of men from Fincastle County, Virginia consisting of several persons of interest for Skaggs researchers.
Major Robertson, as field officers did in the 18th century, commanded a company of men on the expedition to Point Pleasant.  His company is listed in a return dated 19 October for the Fincastle regiment of Col. William Christian.  A pay ledger lists the men in James Robertson's company with Robertson's rank listed erroneously as Captain.  Col. William Christian wrote to Col. William Preston on 12 September stating that Maj. Robertson had not yet arrived.  This creates some question whether Robertson's company was actually at the Battle of Point Pleasant or arrived a few hours later with the main body of Col. William Christian's force.  Anyway, the pay ledger shows the following men were part of Robertson's company:
  • Aaron Scaggs - He was likely the Aaron Scaggs who was in the 1755 tax list for Orange County, North Carolina who later lived in the New River Valley of Virginia.  The 94 days of service indicates he participated in the march to Point Pleasant.
  • John Scaggs - Likely John "Gourdhead" Skaggs, one of the Long Hunter brothers.  The 94 days of service indicates he also participated in the march to Point Pleasant.
  • Other interesting persons show up on this ledger, including William Ingles, John Plick(enstarvor) and Frederick O'Daniel.

Other Skaggs show up in pay ledgers for shorter durations, indicating they did not march to Point Pleasant but patrolled locally for Indians or went on much shorter missions.  For example, Maj. Robertson's company also performed these local patrols prior to the march to Point Pleasant according to the pay ledgers:
  • Charles Skeggs - Likely Charles from the Long Hunter family, brother to John "Gourdhead" Skaggs above.  He was a sergeant under Maj. Robertson for 10 days service.
  • An interesting person, Owen O'Daniel, shows up on this ledger.  Was he the Owen O'Daniel who later married Darky Gothrin, daughter of Ruth Skaggs Bishop?  He seems a generation too old, but who knows?


  • John Skeggs - Likely John "Gourdhead" Skaggs.  It appears he performed 28 days of service under Maj. Robertson prior to the march to Point Pleasant.
  • Other interesting persons show up on this ledger, including John Lester, John Draper and Frederick O'Daniel.

James Robertson also built Fort Culbertson south on New River at Crump's Bottom at the outbreak of the war.  It's likely that these short tours of duty were at Fort Culbertson prior to the march to Point Pleasant.

In summary, from these pay ledgers it looks like Aaron and John Skaggs marched to Point Pleasant under Maj. Robertson and Charles and John Skaggs also participated in local patrols under Maj. Robertson's command.


1 comment:

  1. Interesting! Although I don't see them listed on the above pay ledger, I thought there was a Zachariah and Reuben Skaggs as well that fought at Point Pleasant under the command of Major James Robertson?

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