Near Kerrs Creek in Rockbridge County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Kerr’s Creek
Photographed By J. J. Prats, June 11, 2017
1. Kerr’s Creek Marker
Inscription.
Kerr’s Creek. . A series of armed conflicts between Native Americans and settlers of European descent occurred along the western frontier of the British colonies during the 1750s and 1760s. In Oct. 1759, during the Seven Years’ War, Shawnee Indians from the Ohio Country attacked settlers here at Kerr’s Creek. Pontiac’s War (1763-1766), during which a confederation of Indian tribes sought to expel the British from the Great Lakes region, also reverberated here. On 17 July 1763, Shawnee, possibly led by Cornstalk, conducted another surprise attack on Kerr’s Creek. A number of inhabitants were killed, while others were captured and taken to Ohio.
A series of armed conflicts between Native
Americans and settlers of European descent
occurred along the western frontier of the British
colonies during the 1750s and 1760s. In Oct. 1759,
during the Seven Years’ War, Shawnee Indians
from the Ohio Country attacked settlers here at
Kerr’s Creek. Pontiac’s War (1763-1766), during
which a confederation of Indian tribes sought to
expel the British from the Great Lakes region,
also reverberated here. On 17 July 1763, Shawnee,
possibly led by Cornstalk, conducted another
surprise attack on Kerr’s Creek. A number of
inhabitants were killed, while others were
captured and taken to Ohio.
Erected 2015 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number L-14.)
Location. 37° 50.933′ N, 79° 29.092′ W. Marker is near Kerrs Creek, Virginia, in Rockbridge County. Marker is at the intersection of West Midland Trail (U.S. 60) and West Midland Trail (County Route 850) on West Midland Trail. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Lexington VA 24450, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Also see . . . The Kerr's Creek Massacres (1759-1763). “Scarcely had the treaty (Treaty of Paris) ink dried before a powerful Ottawa chief named Pontiac began uniting the tribes throughout the Ohio. Said to have been instrumental in Braddock’s defeat near the opening of the French and Indian War, Pontiac had become a brilliant strategist who realized that without a united front the Native Americans were doomed. In a short time, he’d recruited from all the tribes from Lake Superior to Mexico. Each tribe in the confederation was to choose its best warriors. In May, 1763, the warriors were to attack 14 British garrisons along the frontier. Of those 14, all but four were captured. One of the four was Detroit, Pontiac’s personal goal. That summer,
Photographed By J. J. Prats, June 11, 2017
2. Kerr’s Creek Marker
war raged up and down the frontier. Once again, the Shawnee Chief Cornstalk was assigned the area he knew well, the eastern Alleghanies, the Cowpasture and Jackson rivers, Botetourt, Kerrs Creek, Augusta. Small forts dotted the frontier from the French and Indian War. A confident Cornstalk knew he could take them all.” (Submitted on July 5, 2017.)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 5, 2017. It was originally submitted on July 5, 2017, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 2,012 times since then and 204 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on July 5, 2017, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
