Samuel Crowley – First Casualty of the Revolutionary War

SAMUEL CROWLEY

Samuel Crowley is believed, by some historians, to be the first casualty of the American Revolution.

Samuel is my sixth great-grandfather, through the Munkers/Munkirs line.

Important note from the author, Hart — There are significant objections to the claim that Samuel Crowley should be identified as the first to die at the Battle of Point Pleasant.  For a well-researched, detailed critique of this claim, along with additional information about Samuel and the battle, itself, please read the detailed comment by Ken Green, posted October 24, 2023, in the comments section below.  Thanks to Ken, a Crowley descendant, for his contributions to this subject.

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I suspect we all — at least all of us who have studied American history in school — are familiar with the phrase, “The Shot Heard Round the World.”

We learned about it as school children:  April 19, 1775, the day the Minutemen confronted the British Redcoats at Lexington and Concord.  Historians debate some of the details…but Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Concord Hymn” etched the phrase into our American historical narrative, connecting it permanently with the beginning of the American Revolution.

Have you, however, ever heard of, “The Battle of Point Pleasant”?  I doubt you have.

Monument at the site of the Battle of Point Pleasant, believed by many to be the first battle of the Revolutionary War

Well, neither had I.  Until I researched the line of my maternal grandmother, Cecil Munkirs.  I traced back generation-by-generation, person-by-person, over a period of several months, until I came to my 4x great-grandmother, Agnes Crowley (1793-1884).  Agnes seems to have been quite a character in her own right (more about her on another occasion). Her father was John Crowley, and John’s father is the subject of today’s post:  Samuel Crowley (1741-1774) – my 6x great-grandfather.

Samuel was a Virginian — a “longhunter.”  Longhunters (sometimes written ‘long hunters’ — two separate words) were a unique and sturdy group of 18th century frontiersmen of whom Daniel Boone is the most famous.  They went on long hunting trips (hence the title, “longhunters”) – often six months or more at a time – into the unexplored regions beyond western Virginia, into what is now Kentucky and Tennessee.  They rarely went out in groups of more than two or three. (Wikipedia article on Longhunters).

In October, 1774, Samuel Crowley and his brother Benjamin were scouts for Virginia militia Commander Andrew Lewis in what has traditionally been known as Lord Dunmore’s War.  On October 10 the forces commanded by Commander Lewis confronted a large force of American Indians led Chief Cornstalk in what is known as The Battle of Point Pleasant.

This is where the interesting part — and the controversy — begins.  For nearly two centuries a group of dedicated folks have been arguing that The Battle of Point Pleasant has not been fully recognized as what they believe it actually was:  the first engagement of the American Revolution.

Of course a somewhat larger group insists that while the Battle of Point Pleasant was indeed a very important battle, even a critical turning point in the movement toward Revolution, it was actually the final battle of the Indian wars.

Who’s right?  So far as I’m concerned that’s a debate for others to carry on.  If you want more background there is additional information at the end of this post.   Plus, entering “Battle of Point Pleasant” into your search engine will lead to lots of information on both sides of the debate.

Battle of Point Pleasant Historical Marker – indicating it is known as the “first battle of the Revolution.”

I do think it’s significant that both the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Sons of the American Revolution — who have a vested interest and a lot of experience in this area — recognize colonial combatants who fought and died at Point Pleasant as Patriots of the American Revolution.  Not only that, there was literally “an act of Congress” which recognized The Battle of Point Pleasant as a battle of the Revolutionary War (see the excerpt from the Congressional Record below).

So what does all this have to do with our Virginia longhunter ancestor, my 6x great grandfather, Samuel Crowley?  Let’s return to October, 1774.

Lord Dunmore was the colonial governor of Virginia.  He was in fact the last Royal Governor of Virginia. He took a number of actions designed to stifle the growing revolutionary restlessness in the Virginia Colony, including disbanding the Virginia Assembly which was dominated by Patriots like Thomas Jefferson.

Dunmore called out the Virginia militia to do battle with the Shawnee in the western part of the Virginia Colony.  My great grandfather, Samuel, was assigned to the command of Commander Lewis as a scout and Indian spy. It was in that capacity he was serving when Commander Lewis’ army reach Point Pleasant.

This is where the plot thickens.  Ostensibly, the plan was for Lord Dunmore, leading an army of British regulars (Redcoats) to meet Lewis and the militia at Port Pleasant and, using their combined force, subdue Cornstalks warriors.

However, according to some historians, Lord Dunmore had actually reached a secret agreement with Chief Cornstalk:  Dunmore would hold back the regulars, allowing Cornstalk to attack the militia and destroy them. This was to serve the dual purpose of allowing Cornstalk to eliminate the threat to the Indians presented by the spread of the settlers into Indian lands, while at the same time eliminating the threat of the militia as a force in any upcoming rebellion (that is, the American Revolution which officially began only months later).

If, in fact, Dunmore made such an agreement with Chief Cornstalk, then the argument that this was the opening battle of the Revolution would be greatly strengthened.  It would have been a planned and calculated effort on the part of the British to collude with the Indians for the purpose of subduing the colonials. However that is a point of great contention!  Some historians believe Dunmore reached such an agreement…other historians do not accept that assertion.

Whatever Lord Dunmore’s motivations, he was late arriving at the appointed place.  That is documented fact.  The question is, of course, why was he late?  Did he actually make a secret agreement with Chief Cornstalk?

On the evening of October 9, 1774, two great armies were gathered in close proximity to one another.  About 1000 colonial militia combatants, under the leadership of Commander Lewis, waiting for Lord Dunmore…but knowing the Shawnee were close at hand.  And, not far away, about 1000 Shawnee and other Native American warriors, under the leadership of Chief Cornstalk.

Early on the morning of October 10 colonial scouts were deployed to gather information…in some of the written reports they were referred to as “spies.”  One of these was Samuel Crowley (often written, “Samuel Croley”). A second scout was with him.  Some accounts say the second scout was his brother, Benjamin Crowley; other accounts report Samuel’s partner that morning was a scout named Robertson.  In either event the scouts/spies were Virginia longhunters, recruited specifically for the unique skills they had acquired as frontiersmen.

Samuel Crowley and his partner encountered the Shawnee advancing for battle.  Seeing the scouts, the Shawnee quickly reacted to begin firing on the scouts. One of the scouts was shot and killed…the other managed to get away, return to his comrades in arms, and raise the alarm that the Shawnee were on the way.

Samuel is the scout who died.  And at that moment Samuel Crowley became, in the minds of many, the first casualty of the American Revolution.

Memorial honoring Virginians who died in the Battle of Point Pleasant. You will find the name of “Samuel Croley” as the last man listed under “PRIVATES.”   A larger, easier to read image of this memorial is below

There appears to be no doubt Samuel was the first man to die that day in the Battle of Point Pleasant.  Several reports attest to the fact.  A monument now stands to the battle and its combatants. Samuel Crowley is buried in a mass grave along with other soldiers who died in the battle.  His name is inscribed in various places on the grounds, including on the monument itself (though the engraver misspelled his name as “Samuel Corley”…in many of the documents related to the battle and his death his name is properly spelled “Croley”).  His wife applied for and received a modest pension from the Virginia House of Burgesses. She used it to help raise their seven children. These pension application documents have become very important historical documents of the Revolution.  Part of the testimony used to support Samuel’s pension application forms the basis for what we know about Samuel’s service and his death.

The reality is, “the shot heard round the world” will always be connected with the events at Lexington and Concord – never with shots fired at the two scouts which began the Battle of Point Pleasant.  But after extensive study and consideration, both the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Sons of the American Revolution recognize Samuel, and the others who died at The Battle of Point Pleasant on October 10, 1774, as true Revolutionary War Patriots…and Samuel was the first to die that day.  He was a true Patriot and, in the hearts and minds of many, he was the first to die in the American Revolution.

Below is a chart showing the relationships from Samuel Crowley to me.

After that you will find other documents, including an excerpt from the Congressional Record of 1908 in which the U.S. Senate recognized the Battle of Point Pleasant as a battle of the Revolutionary War.

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                             Samuel Crowley is the 6th great-grandfather of Hartford Cheney Inlow (* = Direct Line)

                                 * Samuel Crowley  (Abt 1741-1774) married * Elizabeth Strong (1744-1815)

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                                 * John Crowley (768-1847) married Elizabeth McClain (1766-1805)

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                                  James Munkres (1788-1854) married * Agnes C. Crowley (1794-1883)

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                               Wesley E. P. Moore (1820-1870) married * Jemima Evalina Munkres (1825-1895)

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                                  Henry A. Lynn (1847-1930) married * Paulina Elizabeth Moore (1845-1930)

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                              Solomon Lynch Munkirs (1861-1939) married * Maud Lynn (1869-1968)

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                                 Roy Victor Harp (1890-1972) married * Cecil Munkers (1889-1972)

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                           Rev. Hartford Cheney Inlow (1919-2001) married * Esther Louise Harp (1915-1986)

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                                        * Hartford Cheney Inlow

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Here is a link to an excerpt from the Congressional Record of February 21, 1908, in which the U.S. Senate passed bill No. 160, recognizing the Battle of Point Pleasant as a battle of the Revolution.  The bill did not pass the House of Representatives

Point Pleasant – US Senate Action on Point Pleasant Monument 1908

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