Noted Interpretive Historian Dave Robbins Explores a Pivotal Question About the American Revolution
The Battle of Point Pleasant (“Lord Dunmore’s War”)
Saturday, March 28, 10:30am – 12:00pm
Town of Floyd, 203 E Oxford St, Floyd, VA
In the new Town Hall (beside the Courthouse) Community Room
This event was video-recorded and can be viewed on our YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmGbdJxsH3o
In the autumn of 1774, the edge of the American frontier was a powder keg of ambition, fear, and clashing cultures. At the center of this storm stood the men of the Virginia militia and the warriors of the Ohio Valley, destined to meet at the confluence of the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers.
Dave Robbins brings this moment in history to life, moving beyond dry dates and maps to tell the visceral story of Lord Dunmore’s War. Drawing heavily from the vivid, firsthand accounts of Capt. John Stewart of Greenbrier County, Virginia, Robbins transports his audience to the rugged landscape of Greenbrier County and the bloody banks of Point Pleasant.
Robbins discusses figures like Andrew Lewis, William Fleming, and other area natives and their roles in the Battle of Point Pleasant on October 10, 1774. This single, decisive battle of Lord Dunmore’s War has been argued as the first battle of the Revolution and shaped how some Native Americans sided during the Revolution.
This battle presents a haunting question that still stirs debate among historians today: Was the Battle of Point Pleasant truly the opening salvo of the American Revolution?
About Dave Robbins
A veteran speaker for Virginia Humanities and the Revolutionary Roundtable Series, Robbins is known for his ability to weave complex military strategy with the intimate stories of the frontier families and soldiers who lived it. Join him for a journey back to a time when the fate of a continent hung in the balance of a single October day.
Quick Facts:
The Battle of Point Pleasant (Oct. 10, 1774)
- The Conflict: The decisive—and only—major battle of Lord Dunmore’s War, fought between the Virginia militia and the Shawnee and Mingo nations.
- The Commanders: Col. Andrew Lewis led approximately 1,100 Virginia frontiersmen against a force of roughly 300–500 warriors led by the Shawnee chief Cornstalk.
- The “First Battle” Debate: In 1908, the U.S. Senate recognized Point Pleasant as the “First Battle of the American Revolution,” though historians still debate its connection to the later war with Britain.
- The Location: Fought at the “Point”—the confluence of the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers in present-day Point Pleasant, West Virginia.
- Tactical Brutality: Known as a “soldier’s battle,” much of the fighting was hand-to-hand in dense woods, lasting from dawn until sunset.
- The Aftermath: The resulting Treaty of Camp Charlotte forced the Ohio tribes to vacate lands south of the Ohio River, clearing the way for further westward expansion.
- Legacy: Many officers who gained combat experience here, including William Fleming and Isaac Shelby, went on to become key leaders in the Revolutionary War.