y of his officers,
that the conduct of the former, during the campaign of 1774, was [135]
dictated by any thing else than the interest and well being of the
colony of Virginia.

This suspicion was farther strengthened by the readiness with
which Lord Dunmore embraced the overtures of peace, and the terms on
which a treaty was concluded with them; while the encamping of his
army, without entrenchments, in the heart of the Indian country, and
in the immediate adjacency of the combined forces of the Indian
nations of Ohio, would indicate, that there must have been a
friendly understanding between him and them. To have relied solely
on the bravery and good conduct of his troops, would have been the
height of imprudence. His army was less than that, which had been
scarcely delivered from the fury of a body of savages inferior in
number, to the one with which he would have had to contend; and it
would have been folly in him to suppose, that he could achieve with
a smaller force, what required the utmost exertions of General
Lewis and his brave officers, to effect with a greater one.[27]

When the Northern division of the army resumed its march for
Chilicothe, it left the greater part of its provisions in a block
house which had been erected during its stay at the mouth of the
Hockhocking, under the care of Captain Froman with a small party
of troops to garrison it. On the third day after it left Fort Gore
(the block house at the mouth of Hockhocking) a white man by the name
of Elliott came to Governor Dunmore, with a request from the
Indians that he would withdraw the army from their country, and
appoint commissioners to meet their chiefs at Pittsburg to confer
about the terms of a treaty. To this request a reply was given, that
the Governor was well inclined to make peace, and was willing that
hostilities should cease; but as he was then so near their towns,
and all the chiefs of the different nations were at that time with the
army, it would be more convenient to negotiate then, than at a
future period. He then named a place at which he would encamp, and
listen to their proposals; and immediately despatched a courier to
General Lewis with orders for his return.[28]

The Indian spies reporting that General Lewis had disregarded these
orders, and was still marching rapidly towards their towns, the
Indians became apprehensive of the result; and one of their chiefs
(the White Eyes) waited on Lord Dunmore in person, and comp