Siege and destruction

Later the same day, at "about ten in the morning," Fort Vause was attacked by 25 French soldiers together with 205 Miami, Ottawa and Shawnee warriors^{[3]: 43 [8]: 13} under the command of François-Marie Picoté de Belestre.^[3]: 43 John and Matthew Ingles, younger brothers of William, chose to remain at the fort after William decided to leave with Mary. John is credited with shooting a scout from a tree, and then sounding the alarm that the fort was about to be attacked. He was killed and his wife Mary and their children were taken prisoner.^[9]: 401 Matthew was out hunting at the time and was attacked on his way home. He fought hand-to-hand until his rifle broke, then with a frying pan handle, killing two of his attackers. He was taken prisoner by the Shawnee, but several years later was released or escaped. He died at Ingles Ferry, "a few months after his return."^{[2]: 115 [10]: 443–447 [7]: 93–94}

George Washington wrote that a lack of vigilance by the sentries may have allowed the attackers to launch a surprise assault: "Indolent and careless, and always unguarded, [the sentries] are liable to be surprized. By this means Vass’s Fort was taken (and the Garrison destroyed)."^[11] However, the fort's commander, Captain John Smith, after being warned by the escaped settler, had been able to send a message on 22 June to Captain William Preston requesting help.^{[5]: 27 [12]: 49–51} One source says the 17 defenders held off the attackers for three days,^[13] whereas another source says the siege lasted only 8 hours, during which 32 of the attackers were killed.^[14]: 12 The French commander Belestre, who was also wounded during the siege,^[15] later reported that he had lost "near 40 Men."^[16] Eventually only three of the fort's defenders were still able to fight,^{[5]: 28, 32 [17]: 396} and their ammunition gave out,^[5]: 28 at which point the garrison surrendered on condition that they be permitted to leave.^[9]: 398

Aftermath

At least 3 settlers were killed, and 22 were taken prisoner, including Ephraim Vause's wife, his three daughters, a slave he owned and two of his servants (Ephraim was away on the day of the attack).^{[2]: 155–56} The fort was burned^[18] and Shawnee warriors tortured and burned one of the fort's soldiers, a man named Cole.^{[19]: 95–96 [17]: 193, 201} Two other prisoners were killed, a badly wounded soldier and an elderly man.^[14]: 12 The other prisoners were taken down the Mississippi River to New Orleans, after which several of them were then sent to Detroit and eventually transported to France. The fort's commander, Captain John Smith, was sent to England in an exchange of prisoners and returned to Virginia in early 1758.^[9]: 399 On 3 April, 1758 Smith submitted a proposal to the Virginia House of Burgesses offering to lead an expedition against the Shawnee, but no action was taken.^[5]: 32

A relief expedition of 47 men sent by Major Andrew Lewis and led by Captain William Preston arrived on 26 June,^[18] and found the fort abandoned. Preston's men followed the Indians into Kentucky but were unable to reach them.^[5]: 29

On 10 July, 1756, the French commander Belestre addressed a gathering of Shawnees allied with the French. His speech was recorded by a British prisoner, John Wotton, whose account was published in newspapers in Boston, New York and Philadelphia. Belestre was quoted, in part, as saying:

"I am now returned from war against the English, and have not compleated my Design so far as I intended. When I went away I thought to have gone down so far as the...James River [modern-day Richmond]. My spies gave me great encouragement and told me that I could go down to that place undiscovered, and plunder their Store, for there is no Men down there, but some Tobacco-Carriers. [This was prevented] by a small Company of Men, ten or eleven, which kept me the best Part of a Day very hot engaged, and killed near 40 Men...You told me Virginia Men could not fight, but I did not find it so; for these few Men that I found, fought more like Devils than Men; if all Virginia is like them, we cannot get that Country."^[16]

On 5 June, 1757, Cherokee warriors defending Fort Cumberland on the Maryland-Virginia border captured Belestre, who had been leading raids against other English settlements.^{[20][3]: 46}

In late 1757, Ephraim Vause attempted to organize a military expedition to rescue the prisoners, which included his wife and daughters. A number of men known as "The Associators" volunteered for this proposed expedition, and a total of 300 troops were expected to join. John Madison and the Augusta County Militia offered their support, and food and other supplies were obtained. Early in 1758, however, plans for the expedition were abandoned due to constant disputes among the commanding officers.^[5]: 31 Vause left the Shenandoah Valley soon afterwards, moved to Kentucky, and sold his land to John Madison in 1760.^{[21][22]: 361} Vause's daughter Elizabeth Levicee Vause was held prisoner until she was released by agreement with Colonel Henry Bouquet in 1763.^{[12]: 49–51}

Peter Looney

One prisoner, a 23-year-old sergeant named Peter Looney (or Lewney), was taken by Shawnees to Lower Shawneetown in Ohio.^[17]: 201 He was then sent to Detroit, where he was adopted by a Native American family.^[23] He became a respected warrior and attended important diplomatic meetings with the French.^[24]: 172 He later escaped from his captors at Niagara, New York and reached Albany on 12 July, 1757.^{[14]: 12–13} He traveled to Philadelphia and then returned to Virginia, reporting on the fate of Captain Smith.^[19][18]