On Sept. 27, 28, and 29, students and the public can experience what it was like to be a frontiersman called up for militia duty in 1774. The Greenbrier Historical Society and a host of partners including the Greenbrier County Commission through their Arts and Recreation fund; the City of Lewisburg through their Arts and Humanities fund; the WV Humanities Council; Carnegie Hall; Montwell Commons; and the General Lewis Inn are sponsoring a commemorative event to mark the 250th anniversary of Camp Union. It was established by (then) Col. Andrew Lewis in late August 1774 as the rendezvous point and supply depot for the southern division of Virginia Governor Lord Dunmore’s militia army, as part of Lord Dunmore’s War. All events are free.
Col. Andrew Lewis chose to rendezvous around the Lewis Spring (behind the current Greenbrier County Courthouse) which he had known about since his surveying in the area in the 1750s. Camp Union eventually included over 1,300 militia troops from Augusta, Botetourt, and Fincastle Counties, plus a few companies from Culpeper and Bedford Counties, who Andrew Lewis would lead to the confluence of the Kanawha and Ohio rivers at Point Pleasant to meet a northern division led by Lord Dunmore. From here the united army was to proceed to attack Native American villages in what is now Ohio – all part of the conflict between Virginians and Native Americans, known as Lord Dunmore’s War.
While at camp, the troops were subjected to strict military discipline and training with the goal of turning ill-trained militia into a functioning army with unit cohesion and maneuver capabilities. Activities at camp included morning roll call and inspections, drill, guard duty, escorting packhorses, scouting for Native Americans, as well as cooking and sleeping, etc. While it is poorly documented, it is likely that some women and enslaved people, possibly acting as cooks, laundresses, etc. were in camp. Camp Union also became a major supply depot for food (especially flour and salt), cattle, packhorses, clothing, tents, tools, and ammunition. Most supplies were sent from Staunton via Warm Springs, but some had a local origin. Camp Union was likely an incredibly large “tent city” but records suggest it included some storage buildings. Militiamen worked with the quartermaster and commissary departments storing supplies, driving horses and cattle, butchering cattle, repairing tools and guns, and organizing their transportation.
Regiments marched out of Camp Union in a phased process, from Sept. 6 to Sept. 26, 1774, partly because of shortages of supplies. The lack of enough packhorses was a serious problem. The packhorses had to be driven to the mouth of Elk River, where supplies were loaded into canoes, and then driven back to Camp Union or even Staunton for re-use. There were no roads over which wagons could travel. Some troops remained at Camp Union until Oct. 16 and did not join the march to the Ohio towns.
The warring Native Americans, led by Shawnee war leader Cornstalk, learned of Dunmore’s plan and attacked Andrew Lewis’ southern army at Point Pleasant on Oct. 10, 1774, before it had united with the Dunmore’s northern wing. The Virginia militia was victorious, but not without many casualties on both sides, including, on the militia side, Charles Lewis, younger brother of Andrew Lewis. Victory at this battle led to the signing of the Treaty of Camp Charlotte, which brought peace and continued settlement south of the Ohio River and loss of land south of the Ohio for the Native Americans.
An exhibit about Lord Dunmore’s War will be available for viewing in the Barracks building while the reenactors are portraying an 18th century militia encampment on the Barracks property. Please visit www.greenbrierhistorical.org for an exact schedule. The weekend will culminate in a keynote lecture by Alan Gutchess, Director of the Fort Pitt Museum, on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 2 p.m. at Lewisburg’s Carnegie Hall. This lecture will provide insights on the settler-Native American conflicts that led to Lord Dunmore’s War, and Native American perspectives. Lecture attendees can then attend a reception at the North House Museum, where the Camp Union traveling exhibit will again be on view.
Dr. Kim McBride, event coordinator and GHS Board member, said, “We are so excited to bring all these elements together. The reenactors bring the personal approach while the exhibit carries more specific information. The lecture on Sunday will add the Native American perspective. I encourage anyone who is interested in history to attend all the events.”
