Piqua Shawnee

In the year 1720, a Shawnee leader named Hokolesqua (who the Anglo-Americans called Cornstalk) was born. The meaning of his name is ‘blade of corn’ and he is believed to have been born in Pennsylvania and said to have relocated to Ohio in 1730. The Shawnees led by Hokolesqua took side with the French during the war between the Indian and French. Hokolesqua spare-headed the raid of western Virginia with the main aim of driving the English farther away so they will not settle in Ohio. He also participated in the 1763 Pontiac Rebellion.In 1764, however, Hokolesqua and other Shawnees were taken hostage by Colonel Henry Bouquet who conquered the Shawnees and the Shawnees were forced to sign a peace treaty to end the rebellion. Hokolesqua was able to maintain peace between the Indians and British in Ohio country for 10 years after this period. Violence broke out again when some English colonists murdered 11 Seneca-Cayuga settlers in Ohio in May 1774. This resulted in a retaliatory attack led by Logan who was one of the Seneca-Cayuga leaders. This was, however, not supported by some people like Hokolesqua who preferred conciliation to retribution. As revenge, 13 English settlers were killed by Logan and his 24 warriors in western Pennsylvania.On hearing this, the commander of Fort Pitt, Captain John Conolly planned retaliation on the American Indians in Ohio Country. This he did with the help of John Murray and Lord Dunmore who was the royal governor of Virginia. Lord Dunmore’s aim was to use the Virginia militiamen placed in various regions to stop Pennsylvania from expanding into where is now known as Kentucky and West Virginia.The Pennsylvania militia invaded Ohio Country in August 1774 and demolished 7 abandoned Ohio Seneca-Cayuga villages. In a similar development, 1000 men were sent by Dunmore to attack the Shawnees near the Kanawha River. These men, however, met a resistance force (about 1000 men) dispatched by Hokolesqua. The battle of these two forces on October 10, 1774, is now known as the Battle of Point Pleasant. The English finally pursued the followers of Hokolesqua northwards of Ohio River after a 7 hours battle. Meanwhile, a separate force led by Dunmore pursued the Shawnees into the Ohio Country and Dunmore demanded that the Shawnees should sign a peace treaty just near the villages on the Pickaway Plains. This peace treaty was quickly signed by the Shawnees as they agreed to the terms for fear of Dunmore destroying them.The treaty the Sh