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WVHS Quarterly October 2004the West Liberty area. In the earlyspring of 1782 Simon Girty captained awar party of Wyandots from the UpperSandusky who crossed the Ohio River atMingo Bottom and fanned out in twoseparate groups to kill or capture anysettlers they found. One group, led bythe chief Scotosh, captured ThomasEdgerton who was on his way to borrowa log chain from a neighbor not far fromWellsburg, West Virginia. The otherwar party, led by Girty himself, invadedthe home of Zachariah Spriggs, nearWest Liberty, and captured JohnStevenson of the militia and a black slavewho later escaped. Girty and his Indiansescaped across “Girty’s Point,” aprominence rising above the mouth ofShort Creek, arriving back to theirvillages with the unfortunate Stevensonon April 8, 1782. (7)In June, 1782, Colonel WilliamCrawford led a frontier army,comprising numerous militiamen fromthe upper Ohio Valley, to an ignominiousdefeat by the Indians in northwest Ohio,resulting in the torture and death ofCrawford. (8) The capture of Edgertonand Spriggs, so close to Fort Van Meter,and the defeat of Crawford’s army,caused the people on the frontier toremain vigilant throughout the summerof 1782. It was during this period ofheightened tension that Sam McCollochand his brother left the security of FortVan Meter to scout for signs of Indians.After the McCollochs left Fort VanMeter on their scout, their neighborsventured out to work the surroundingfarms in teams, guarded by armedmilitia. (9)It is not clear where theMcCollochs began their mission.Major Sam commanded Fort VanMeter, but two forts on the tributariesof Short Creek were variously calledVan Meter, one at West Liberty andone at Clinton. (10) From either fort,the McCollochs could scout for signsof impending Indian attack.All the stories conclude that thebrothers headed in an easterlydirection toward the Ohio River, afavorite crossing point for war partiesinvading the frontier. However,historical accounts differ regardingthe route taken by the McCollochsonce they reached the river. Onewriter sends the brothers south,toward Wheeling, (11) and anothernorth in the direction of the fort atBeech Bottom. (12) One authorasserts that the McCollochs traveledas far north as Holliday’s Cove Fort,spent the night, and returned to ShortCreek. (13) Most sources have theMcCollochs ascending the hill risingnear the mouth of Short Creek to itsapex at Girty’s Point. (14)The accounts of the ambush thattook the life of Samuel McCollochdiffer somewhat. All agree that heand John were ambushed by a part ofunknown Indians while following thetrail near Girty’s Point, and MajorSam fell dead from his horse. It’sunclear whether Major Sam was shotby a horde of warriors lying inambush (15), a few scouts hiding intrees (16), or advanced scouts hidingin the underbrush along the trail. (17)All accounts agree that John rode3

WVHS Quarterly October 20047. Consul Wilshire Butterfield,HISTORY OF THE GIRTY'S(Cincinnati: Robert Clarke andCompany, 1890), 141.8. Charles McKnight, OUR WESTERNBORDER (Philadelphia: J.C.McCurdy and Company, 1876),454-467.9. Doddridge, EARLY SETTLEMENTAND INDIAN WARS, 276.10. Richard Klein, "The Two VanMetre's Forts," UPPER OHIOVALLEY HISTORICAL REVIEW4, No.1 (Winter, 1975) in McColloch,MCCOLLOCHFAMILY, 3911. DeHaas, HISTORY OF THEEARLY SETTLEMENT, 342.12. Doddridge, EARLY SETTLEMENTAND INDIAN WARS, 276.13. Allan W. Eckert, THAT DARK ANDBLOODY RIVER (New York:Bantam Books, 1995), 412.14. Doddridge, EARLY SETTLEMENTAND INDIAN WARS, 276; DeHaas,HISTORY OF THE EARLYSETTLEMENT, 342; Lyman C.Draper, DRAPER MANUSCRIPTSCOLLECTION (Microfilm edition)State Historical Society of Wisconsin,2S275-276. Hereafter cited asDRAPER MSS, with relevantinternal citation (s).15. Doddridge, EARLY SETTLEMENTAND INDIAN WARS, 277; J.H.Newton,ed., HISTORY OF THEPAN-HANDLE (Wheeling: J.A.Caldwell, 1879), 124.16. John Gabriel Jacob, BROOKECOUNTY, BEING A RECORD OFPROMINENT EVENTSOCCURRING IN BROOKECOUNTY, WESTVIRGINIA FROM THESETTLEMENT OF THECOUNTY UNTIL JANUARY1,1882 (Wellsburg: WELLSBURGHERALD, 1882),19; S.S. Jacob, AHISTORY OF THE CLINTONCOMMUNITY (Bethany College:Upper Ohio Valley Collection) inMcColloch, MCCOLLOCHFAMILY, 32.17. DRAPER MSS, 2S275-276.18. DeHaas, HISTORY OF THEEARLY SETTLEMENT, 342.19. Doddridge, EARLYSETTLEMENT AND INDIANWARS, 277.20. Ibid.21. Jacob, BROOKE COUNTY,BEING A RECORD OFPROMINENT EVENTS, 19;Eckert, THAT DARK ANDBLOODY RIVER, 413.22. De Haas, HISTORY OF THEEARLY SETTLEMENT, 342-343.It is interesting to note thatSamuel Sprigg Jacob who wrotethe manuscript A HISTORY OFTHE CLINTON COMMUNITYsaid that Vincent Vanmeter toldhim the story of the Indians' eatingMajor Sam's heart. Mr. Vanmetersaid that after the Indian warsended, some warriors came backto West Liberty and told peoplethey ate the Major's heart to makethem brave like McColloch. Jacobclaimed that Vincent Vanmeterwas his neighbor and a truthfuland responsible citizen.23. DeHaas, HISTORY OF THEEARLY SETTLEMENT, 342.24. Doddridge, EARL YSETTLEMENT AND INDIANWARS, 274.8

WVHS Quarterly October 200425. DeHaas, HISTORY OF THEEARLY SETTLEMENT, 339.26. Ibid.27. DRAPER MSS, 2S275-276.28. DRAPER MSS, 9ZZ52.29. Doddridge, EARLY SETTLEMENTAND INDIAN WARS, 278; Jacob,BROOKE COUNTY, BEING ARECORD OF PROMINENTEVENTS, 19.30. Other versions of the ambush ofMajor McColloch have beenreported. Isaac Leffler, a descendantof the Leffler family, early settlers onBuffalo Creek, told Lyman Draper astory that differs in several details.Leffler said McColloch was killed onGirty's Point by "a band of Indiansunder Simon Girty," and thebrothers left "Gibson's Fort" onShort Creek to begin their scout.Leffler said the ambush took placeduring the middle of the day, and thepeople at the fort cooked a turkeydinner, saving a part of the meal forthe scouts. Leffler said the Indianstook out Major Sam's heart andimpaled it on a pole. (DRAPER MSS,6E85; DRAPER MSS, 6EI6-17). Alocal historian reported that SamuelMcColloch was murdered "... whiledoing picket duty near 'Court HouseFort' in 1782..." (Charles A.Winegerter, HISTORY OFGREATER WHEELING Vol 1(Chicago and New York: The LewisPublishing Company, 1912),316.Another story of the ambush reportsthat the incident took place in theautumn of 1782, along a well knownroad, and the brothers were shot atfrom both sides, killing the Majorand John's horse. John then made hisescape on Sam's horse after killingone of the attackers(FRONTIERSMEN, PIONEERS,AND SCOUTS, N.D., N.P., 133-34).31.Newton, ed., HISTORY OF THEPAN-HANDLE, 135.32.Jacob, BROOKE COUNTY,BEING A RECORD OFPROMINENT EVENTS, 19.33. DRAPER MSS, 2S275-276.34. Mahala Rebecca JacobMcColloch, MCCOLLOCHFAMILY TREE, in McColloch,MCCOLLOCH FAMILY, 265.35. S.S. Jacob, "Unmarked Graves ofEarly Pioneers of Ohio County"(WHEELING NEWS REGISTER:21 May, 1916) in McColloch,MCCOLLOCH FAMILY, 139.36. Ibid., 140.37. McColloch, MCCOLLOCHFAMILY, 150.38. Ibid.39. WHEELING SUNDAY NEWS, 19October, 193040. McColloch, MCCOLLOCHFAMILY, 148.41. "National GeodeticSurvey"(PIDKY3204(June 4, 2003).42. This corresponds almost exactly toJacob's estimate: "The placewhere he (Samuel McColloch) waskilled is, as near as can beidentified, about two miles fromthe river, on lands owned byJames Ridgely (1881)." (Jacob,BROOKE COUNTY, BEING ARECORD OF PROMINENTEVENTS, 19). Newton pinpointsthe spot as "two miles from themouth of Short Creek..." )9

WVHS Quarterly October 2004Newton,ed., HISTORY OF THEPAN-HANDLE, 135.43. Jacob, BROOKE COUNTY,BEING A RECORD OFPROMINENT EVENTS,19.ANNUAL MEETINGPLANNED FOR EARLRAY TOMBLINCONVENTIONC E N T E RCANCELLED DUETO HURRICANEIVANThe WVHS Annual Meetingwhich had been scheduled forSeptember 18, 2004 at the Earl RayTomblin Convention Center at theChief Logan State Park nearChapmanville, WV. was cancelledbecause of heavy rains in SouthernWest Virginia caused by theremnants of Hurricane Ivan.been elected President and JoeGeiger had been elected First VicePresident. Other officers areFrederick Armstrong, Secretary;William McNeel, Treasurer;Rodney Pyles, Scott Williamson,Kenneth Bailey, Bill Dean, LarryLegge, Bob Conte and MargaretBrennan as regional VicePresidents. This group, alongwith Cheryl Withrow, pastpresident, constitute the executiveboard of the Society.COMING IN JANUARY‘Honest, I couldn’t makeup this stuff.”Quarterly editor, KennethBailey has put together an issuemade up of actual stories from theCharleston Daily Mail and TheCharleston Gazette from the earlypart of the 1900s which provide alook at what West Virginians werereading in their newspapers.Though the meeting wascancelled, new officers were electedby the executive board. Out-goingPresident Cheryl Withrowannounced that Michael Shock had10

WVHS Quarterly October 2004TIME TO RENEWIf the date on your label is earlier than October 1, 2004, it is time for you to renewyour membership in the West Virginia Historical Society.(For international mail, please add $5.00)Individual $10.00 Library $15.00Contributing Member $25.00Name______________________________________Address_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________Remit to West Virginia Historical Society, Box5220, Charleston WV 2536111