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BIOGRAPHIE: "LONG, CHRISTOPHER Born-1746, Culpeper Co., Virginia Service-Private at Great Bridge, Norfolk, Vir., Dec. 1775, Dunsmore's War; Col. Wm. Woodford, Lt. John Marshall. Pri. in N.J., 1776. At Valley Forge 1777-1778, Guildford Court House, Color Sergeant Yorktown, 1781; Name appears in list of 6 Long Brothers of Culpeper Co., Vir, who served throughout the war. Proof--Genealogy of Ware Long of Culpeper Co. Vir., Vol. E.; Chicago Hist. Society, pp. 5, 9, 10, 13-15. Died--Aug. 14, 1829. Buried near Devon School, Liberty Twp. Stone. Married--Sarah Turner, ch. Reuben, m. Martha Witt; Ellis, m. Margaret Cherry; Ellen, m. Henry Fee; Dicy, m. Morris Humphries; Gabriel, m. Sarah Humphries; Benjamin, m. Rebecca Jenkins; Elisha, m. Malinda Hale; Joel, m. Jane Sharp Boggs. Collected by Mrs. Florence Burgess Grosvenor, Richmond, Indiana" Internet download: http://www.genealogy.com/cgi-bion/ifa_load.cgi?img+/ifa/data/508/imiages/S oldiers-200f-20the-20Revolution-20 .../01883.240.gi. 6/10/01. "Christopher Long (No. 2) the first child born into this branch of the family in America, opened his eyes to the light of day for the first time, in the month of May 1746, in Culpepper County, Virginia. His boyhood was that peculiar to the youth of Virginia, little opportunity for education, but abundant time for work. He learned the stonemason's trade of his father and it was in that pursuit his early manhood was spent. Very early in life he also became proficient in the use of that commonest of all playthings known to the American boy of that time, the rifle.He married Sarah Turner, the daughter of James and Elsie Turner, in the early part of the year 1773, she being of English parentage, and a native of Culpepper County, Virginia. The result of this union was eight children, six boys and two girls, named respectively: Reuben, Ellis, Ellen, Dicy, Gabriel, Benjamin, Elisha and Joel. It is to Joel that we are indebted for this family history. Very soon after Christopher's marriage, the peace of the Virginia western frontier was disturbed by the breaking out of an Indian war, afterwards known in the state of Virginia as Dunmore's War. In the autumn of 1774, when Lord Dunmore, the Governor of Virginia, was raising troops for the chastising of the Indians, Christopher enlisted under colonel John Field, of Culpepper, who had a small command in the Second Division of the little army, that division being commanded by General Andrew Lewis. This division was recruited mostly in the Upper Shenandoah Valley and rendezvoused at Fort Savannah (now Lewisburg), in the Greenbriar County, early in September 1774. It consisted of two regiments, numbering in all, one thousand one hundred men. On Sunday the 11th of September, everything being in readiness, they struck tents and began the line of march through an unknown, unbroken wilderness, to the mouth of the great Kenosha River, where they had been ordered to meet the First Division, commanded by Lord Dunmore on the 2nd of October. The First Division had assembled in the lower Shenandoah Valley during the late summer and had marched through Northwestern Virginia, towards the Ohio River. Though this is not a history of Dunmore's War, it is not out of place to give an account of the campaign, inasmuch as the subject under consideration was an active participant. The advance of Lewis' Division was a most difficult undertaking. Much more so than that of the First Division, which had the old trail made by Braddock's army in its campaign against the French to travel. The country was an expanse of rugged mountains and dense forest that defined the passage of wheeled vehicles. For that reason the ammunition and equipment necessary to a military expedition had to be carried on packhorses. However, by constant hewing and cutting, the division made its way through the trackless wilderness to its destination on the Ohio River, at the mouth of the great Kenosha, (where Point Pleasant now stands), on Friday, September 30th, two days in advance of the time limit. Astonishment and disappointment awaited the Second Division here, for Lord Dunmore, with the First Division, was not in sight, nor was there anything to indicate his whereabouts. Many began to express the belief that he was advancing toward the Shawnee towns (the present Chillicothe, Ohio, which was expected to be their final destination) alone. Messenger from Lord Dunmore ended the uncertainty however, on The 9th of October, with orders for Lewis to cross the Ohio and join him.While preparing to obey these orders the next morning (Monday, October 10th) they were surprised by an attack from the Indians, and had to fight. Two men, who had gone up the Ohio to hunt, were fired upon and one of them was killed. The other came running into camp declaring that the "woods were full of Indians". Consternation ruled the camp of the Virginians for a few minutes, but when the man saw General Lewis deliberately light his pipe before he gave an order to prepare for action, their presence of mind returned. The position of the Virginians was a good one for defense, so very unfavorable for retreat. They were in what might be called a pocket. Behind them was the Kenosha River. On their left was the Ohio and on their right was Crooked Run. Their flanks being well protected, the enemy could only attack from the front. It was a certainty that there they must fight, and if they were defeated, there was little hope of retreat, as the river at that point was wide and deep. To improve their chances for defense, should the battle take an unfavorable turn, General Lewis ordered a breastwork constructed, from the Ohio to the Kenosha, making what might be called a fortified camp. This was done during the progress of the battle. To General Lewis the Indians seemed to greatly outnumber his own forces. He knew the best fighting men of the Delaware, Mingoes, Cayugas and Wiandots were opposed to him and that they were commanded by "Cornstalk", one of the oldest and ablest warriors of the tribes north of the Ohio. The battle that ensued was perhaps the most fiercely contested engagement between White men and Indians that was ever fought on the American Continent. General Lewis at first ordered out but one regiment, that under Colonel Charles Lewis (his brother). This small detachment had scarcely passed beyond the outer line when the Indians attacked them, in overwhelming force. General Lewis was alert, however, and immediately ordered Colonel Fleming to reinforce Colonel Lewis, and the battle that was soon raging was of that type of ferocity known only to border warfare. "The sun had just risen, and was gliding with bright autumn tints, on the tops of the hills when the battle commenced and not until it had sunk in the Western horizon, did the sanguinary conflict materially abate." Colonel Lewis was mortally wounded early in the engagement but concealed the character of his wound until the line of battle was formed, and the forces in action. He then sank exhausted and was carried to his tent, where he soon expired. On the fall of Colonel Lewis the right wing of his line resting on Crooked Run momentarily fell back, but Colonel Fleming rallied them and held the enemy at bay until he too fell mortally wounded. Then the Virginians began to waver and a rout seemed imminent, but General Lewis ordered up Colonel Field with the Culpepper men (Christopher Long's company), who met and rallied the retreating troops to a contest more desperate, if possible, than ever. Both sides with consummate skill, energy and valor maintained the battle. The Indians who had felt assured of success when they saw the ranks of the Whites give way, after the fall of two commanders "became frantic with rage when they saw the reinforcements under Colonel Field." In mad rushes they charged the Whites but their efforts were unavailing, for the steady and withering fire of the expert Virginia riflemen had "the double effect of thinning their ranks and cooling their rage". It was Colonel Field with his Culpepper men who turned the tide and saved the day for the Virginians. About twelve o'clock the Indian fire began to slacken and they appeared to be slowly retiring, but it soon proved to be a mere ruse, for several times during the afternoon as the Virginians pushed hotly upon the seemingly retreating foe, they were ambuscade, with great fatality. General Lewis, noticing these maneuvers of the enemy, detached the companies commanded by Captains Mathews and Shelby, with orders to move stealthily under cover of the banks of the Kanasha and Crooked Run, gained the enemy's rear and delivered an attack from that quarter. This maneuver was so well executed that the savages became alarmed and practically gave up the fight late in the afternoon and during the night they recrossed the Ohio and disappeared. "The victory of the Virginians was complete," though it was dearly bought. The exact losses of the Indians was never fully ascertained, for with the Indians, dread of having their remains fall into the hands of the enemy, great numbers were thrown in the Ohio River and disappeared unseen. Of the Whites, about two hundred were dead and they were of the flower of the young manhood of Virginia. The gradual retreat of the Indians, after they had given up the fight, was considered a masterly military maneuver on the part of the Indian Chief, Cornstalk, and such as none but a military genius could execute. Alternately he lead his warriors on and then fell back, in such a manner as to leave the Whites in check, and uncertain as to what he would do next. This gave the Indians a chance to carry off their dead and wounded. After this unexpected battle was over, there arose a clamorous inquiry from Lewis' men, as to the whereabouts of Dunmore. The attacking party had come from the direction of Chillicothe, where it was now rumored that Dunmore had gone, and concluded a treaty of peace with the Indians. If so, was the bloody drama just enacted at the south of the Kanawha the result of it? All suspected it, and the men loudly denounced the Governor, but Lewis was silent. After burying his dead, General Lewis erected a stockade fort and leaving a small force to garrison it and care for the wounded; he set out for Chillicothe on the Scioto. He had not proceeded far before a messenger met him with orders to return to Point Pleasant. Utterly disregarding the orders, however, he continued to advance; nor did he halt until within three miles of Dunmore'' camp, where he was met by the governor himself, accompanied by a noted Indian chief. A furious scene followed the meeting of the two commanders. The Governor demanded the cause of Lewis' disobedience to orders. Lewis's reply was most violent; and it was with difficulty that he restrained his men from putting Dunmore to death. What it all meant can be explained in few words. It was the firm belief of all of Lewis' command that Dunmore was privy to the attack on Lewis at Point Pleasant and intended that the whole command under Lewis be sacrificed. He was charged with having a private understanding with the savages in which they were to attack the frontier and by diverting the attention of the military strength of Virginia, so disable the colony, that it could offer but feeble resistance to England, in the prospective struggle for independence. For the drift of politics even at that time indicated that the war of the revolution was in the near future. Though this charge was not proven then, it became known to a certainty in the following spring, that he plotted to produce an Indian outbreak in the west for that purpose. Lewis finally obeyed the Governor's orders and marched back with his men. The Battle of Point Pleasant was only Christopher's baptism of fire. He was yet to see long and active service, in a grander conflict, then near at hand. At the beginning of the War for American independence, when every able-bodied man, whether willing or not, was obliged to choose sides between the combatants, he with five of his brothers cast their lot with the Colonies; and enlisted in the ranks of the different military organizations then forming in Virginia. The troops of Virginia, who served in the Revolutionary War, were of three different lines, and known as: the Continental Line, or troops for the common service in all of the Colonies; the State Line, who were more for the service within the state but went anywhere when they were urgently needed: and the State Militia, who furnished their own arms and equipment and were required to hold themselves in readiness to "fall in" and march to the front on a minutes notice. Hence the name "Minute Men". Though they were not supposed to go out of the state, except in very urgent cases, the Virginia Militia managed to play an important part in almost every colony where there was fighting to do. If there are any students of History who are curious to know what an important part the Militia of Virginia played in the struggle of the republic, let them but take a glance at the maps of the battlefields of the Revolutionary War, to be found in most histories of the United States. Of these three lines, Christopher joined the last. The particular command of which he formed a unit was popularly know as the "Culpepper Minute Men". He was with the Virginia Militia through the entire war and participated in their many and varied marches and engagements, sometimes receiving pay but most often not. Though he served so many terms of enlistment that his service was almost continuous, he never entered the army as a conscript, but always as a volunteer in the ranks of the Culpepper County Militia, so said his biographer, Joel Long (No. 19). Ware Long Jr. (No. 5) and James Long (No. 7) also belonged to the Virginia Militia. Daniel Long (No. 4) and Reuben (No. 6) belong to the Continental Line. It is uncertain which, but John Long (No. 3) belonged to either the Continental or the State Line. At this early day the infant republic had no national flag. As some distinguishing mark was necessary, many bodies of troops marched under banners of their own devising. The Culpepper Militia had theirs. It consisted of a white field, with the name "Culpepper Minute Men" at the top, and the words "Liberty or Death" in bold letter immediately below. A coiled rattlesnake prepared to spring occupied the center, which was underlined with the ominous warning: "DON'T TREAD ON ME". This flag known even today as the "Rattlesnake flag", was one of at least eleven or twelve flags that were employed in the American Army, before the Stars and Stripes were finally adopted. Unfortunately for those who risked their lives in the ranks of the Virginia Militia, and whose deeds were worthy of commemoration, it is impossible to obtain anything in the form of official records concerning them individually. While the Northern Colonies, especially the New England Colonies, kept very accurate records of the movements of their Militia organizations, it is a matter of record that but few lists of the men composing the Virginia Militia were preserved. Still more unfortunate, even those few were destroyed by fire in Richmond, Virginia during the Civil War. A search of the Archives of the United States War Department and the records of the State of Virginia, fail to reveal anything concerning them. The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, published by the Virginia Historical Society of Richmond, Virginia, in enumerating (on page 242 of Volume 2,1884 and 1885) the different records and papers pertaining to the Revolutionary War on file in the Virginia State Land Office and Library, with others, mentions the following: "Militia returns, 1777 to 1784 (this is only a settlement of accounts by a portion of the Militia officers of the State; but such as it is, it is the only Militia list extant)." Also further on it says; "It should also be remembered that with the exception given above, there are no Militia lists preserved." Only those who served in the Continental or State Line are on record. For the above reasons, it is impossible to get any State papers bearing on the service of Christopher Long or any other Virginia Militiaman. Of the particular engagements of the Revolution in which Christopher Long participated, the exact number is not known. The first mention in History of an engagement of the Culpepper Minute Men with the British was at Great Bridge on the 9th of December 1775 under Colonel William Woodford. When driving Lord Dunmore out of Virginia, where it is said that "Among the troops who drove the enemy into their works were the Culpepper Minute Men, whose flag exhibited a coiled rattlesnake, with the motto "Do not tread on me." One of the Lieutenants of the company was young John Marshall, afterwards Chief Justice of the United States. We do know that Christopher was with George Washington during his memorable campaign through the Jerseys, and around Philadelphia, and that he spent the dreadful winter of 1777 and 1778 with the American Army at Valley Forge. When shivering together in their huts, "they spent the night in trying to get warm rather than to sleep." There many a ragged soldier made it possible to follow his trail by the blood stains his naked feet left in the snow. That would mean that he shared in the Battles of Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine and Germantown. It was in the Southern campaign of General Greene around Camden and Guilford that Christopher formed his opinion of the man he considered one of the very ablest of the American generals. His admiration of General Greene was such that in after years, he was pleased to introduce the name Greene into the family at a christening. Then, one of his grandsons became Jackson Green Long (No. 74). Christopher's service in the army came to an end in the last act of the great drama, when he carried the colors at the siege of Yorktown. It was not until the after part of the war that he rose above the rank of a private, when he was promoted to Color-Sergeant. Later in life, when relating the events of each day of the siege, he took especial delight in telling that he "stood thirty steps from General Washington and saw Cornwallis' sword surrendered." About the year 1790, after the greater number of his children were born, Christopher moved with his family to Henry County, in the southwestern part of Virginia, where he bought a farm and changed the course of his business life by becoming a tiller of the soil. He resided there until after the birth of his son Elisha (No. 18). Some time afterwards, he moved to Patrick County, Virginia, the adjoining county on the west. After the birth of his son Joel (No. 19) rumors of fertile fields in the tan far west awakened his "Arab instincts", and in 1807 another move was made, this time to Galia County, Ohio. This county was afterwards divided and that part in which he lived was renamed Jackson County. At the end of fourteen years from the time of coming to Ohio, like many other aged parents have done, Christopher and Sarah Long found themselves alone, after all their children had married and left the parental roof. Not wishing to be alone in their declining years, they made still another move, which took them to Henry County, Indiana. To that place their sons Elisha and Joel had preceded them the year before.They were contented to spend their evening of life with their two sons, but had scarcely become acquainted with their new home when Sarah was summoned to make her last earthly move. She died on Wednesday, September 11, 1822 in the sixty-sixth year of her life, at the residence of their son Joel. Christopher survived the death of his wife seven years, dying on Friday, August 14, 1829, at the residence of his son Joel at the goodly age of eighty-eight years and about three months. The place of his interment was by the side of his wife, on a spot selected by themselves for their resting-place. The ground at that time was owned by Anthony Boggs (a relative by marriage). Their graves were the beginning of the first cemetery for white people in that part of the country. They are situated a little south of a line due east of and five miles from New Castle, Henry County, Indiana. In the year 1846, when the public spirit of the pioneers begin asserting itself by opening up highways, it was found that the graves were directly in line of one of the roads. Had it not been for the intercession of old friends, the two little mounds of earth would have been obliterated. However popular opinion prevailed and a curve was made in the highway, leaving the unmolested. Their son, Joel, who at the time was living near Leesburg, Indiana, through the agency of Mr. William L. Boyd (an old friend who owned the adjoining farm) enclosed the graves with a strong high iron fence, made by a country blacksmith by the name of Milliken. It was made before the days of artistic ironwork and though it lacks the lines of beauty, it has the staying qualities. It is not unlikely that many generations hence the passerby's on the highway can still gaze through the massive bars at the monument of a Revolutionary soldier. This monument was also a provision of their son Joel, before his death in the year 1869, though it was not erected until the summer of 1877. One Robert B. Long (No.60) of Leesburg, Indiana, a son of Joel, devolved the duty of completing the work, he being the administrator of his father's estate. The monument is a neat plain shaft on a pedestal and base, all of marble and ten to twelve feet in height. The two corners of the fence exposed to the road are protected from passing vehicles by huge boulders, such as are to be found on the adjoining farms. The inscription on the monument informs the passerby that: ----Christopher Long--- A soldier of the Revolution Died August 14,1829 Aged 83 years and 3 months _____________________ ---Sarah--- His wife Died September 11, 1822 in her 66th year This lettering is underlined with the appeal to the patriotism of future generations: "Posterity preserve these graves." Down to the present time the greatest respect has been shown the graves. They receive due attention from the residents in the vicinity and each return of declaration day brings fresh flowers and bright flags. These graves are maintained with special care by the local Grand Army post. What tribute could be more fitting than that the grave of the "Minute Man" should be draped with the Stars and Stripes he fought to establish the colors he planted on the works at Yorktown." Source: James Turner Long, Genealogy of the Descendants of Ware Long of Culpeper County, Virginia (1908).
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