Logan's War

Colonial Response

During the unrest, British military forces in North America were occupied with disturbances in Massachusetts, while the area around Fort Pitt was embroiled in a border dispute between the Colony of Virginia and the Province of Pennsylvania. Many Native Americans and Pennsylvanians blamed the Virginians for the outbreak of violence. Arthur St. Clair, Pennsylvania's representative at Fort Pitt, downplayed the danger to Pennsylvanians and pledged his colony's support for peace with local nations, also directing Pennsylvania rangers to avoid disputes with Virginians. In contrast, John Connolly, Virginia's commandant at Fort Pitt, impressed settlers into militia service and ordered repairs to Fort Pitt, seizing rifles from local traders to arm the militia.

Logan's party remained along the Monongahela River attacking Virginia settlers, prompting Connolly to dispatch a hundred militia members from Fort Pitt to find them. Although Logan evaded capture, the militia recovered several captives, horses, and stolen property. On 25 May 1774, Lenape chief White Eyes arrived at Fort Pitt from a diplomatic mission to the Ohio nations; the Lenape had pledged to remain peaceful.

However, Shawnee leader Cornstalk insisted that revenge against Virginia was required, stating that if the Virginians expected the Shawnee to ignore the act at Yellow Creek, then Virginia should similarly ignore what Shawnee young men were doing against their people. Various nations, including Cornstalk's Shawnee, provided safe housing and escorts to white traders so they could pass safely. A company of 40 soldiers under Captain Francis McClure, en route to join Virginian forces assembling at Wheeling, was ambushed by a group of Native Americans on 11 June 1774 near Tenmile Creek.

McClure was killed and his lieutenant wounded; the soldiers reported possibly wounding one of the attackers. Over the course of months, Logan and his party killed 13 white settlers and captured at least one 10-year-old boy and two slaves. On 24 September 1774, Logan attacked and killed the family of John Roberts, leaving a note attached to a war club addressed to Captain Cresap, whom Logan blamed for the Yellow Creek massacre. In the note, Logan took full responsibility for the attacks, since the local tribes were considered at peace.

Lord Dunmore's War

John Connolly informed Governor John Murray, the 4th Earl of Dunmore, that the Shawnee and Mingo had started open warfare against settlers. In response, Dunmore gathered Virginian troops and moved into the Ohio country, which resulted in the 10 October 1774 Battle of Point Pleasant. Logan took no part in that battle or the peace talks afterward.

Lord Dunmore sent John Gibson, a Pennsylvanian who had been Logan's brother-in-law after marrying Logan's sister—the pregnant woman killed at the Yellow Creek massacre—to locate him. Upon finding Logan, the man broke down weeping and asked Gibson to write down a speech, later called Logan's Lament. This message appeared in The Virginia Gazette in 1775 under that title and was also referenced in Thomas Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia.