Today in Wheeling History: September 11--The second siege of Fort Henry begins during the American Revolutionary War (1782).
From September 11-13, 1782, a force of about 300 Wyandot, Shawnee, Seneca and Lenape Indians, along with 50 Loyalist soldiers from Butler's Rangers, laid siege to Fort Henry, an American outpost at what is now Wheeling, West Virginia. The siege lasted for three days.
The defenders of the fort were outnumbered and outgunned, but they were able to hold out thanks to the bravery of the settlers and the leadership of Colonel David Shepherd. On the second day of the siege, the fort's supply of gunpowder was running low. Elizabeth "Betty" Zane, a young woman who was one of the defenders, volunteered to go to her brother's cabin and retrieve a store of gunpowder. She ran the 60 yards to the cabin under heavy fire, but she managed to get the gunpowder and return to the fort safely.
The arrival of the gunpowder allowed the defenders to hold out until help arrived. In the morning, a force of 70 men led by Captain John Boggs arrived and drove the Indians and Loyalists away.
The second siege of Fort Henry was a turning point in the American Revolutionary War. It showed that the American settlers were willing to fight to the death to defend their homes and families, and it helped to demoralize the British and their Indian allies.
From September 11-13, 1782, a force of about 300 Wyandot, Shawnee, Seneca and Lenape Indians, along with 50 Loyalist soldiers from Butler's Rangers, laid siege to Fort Henry, an American outpost at what is now Wheeling, West Virginia. The siege lasted for three days.
The defenders of the fort were outnumbered and outgunned, but they were able to hold out thanks to the bravery of the settlers and the leadership of Colonel David Shepherd. On the second day of the siege, the fort's supply of gunpowder was running low. Elizabeth "Betty" Zane, a young woman who was one of the defenders, volunteered to go to her brother's cabin and retrieve a store of gunpowder. She ran the 60 yards to the cabin under heavy fire, but she managed to get the gunpowder and return to the fort safely.
The arrival of the gunpowder allowed the defenders to hold out until help arrived. In the morning, a force of 70 men led by Captain John Boggs arrived and drove the Indians and Loyalists away.
The second siege of Fort Henry was a turning point in the American Revolutionary War. It showed that the American settlers were willing to fight to the death to defend their homes and families, and it helped to demoralize the British and their Indian allies.
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