Robert Griffing

He Befriended Me Greatly

In the fall of 1758, General John Forbes led a British army to the Forks of the Ohio in an attempt to take Fort Duquesne, where General Braddock had been so disastrously defeated three years earlier. Major James Grant was sent ahead with some 800 regulars and provincials to attempt to take prisoners and gain as much information about the French defenses as possible. Underestimating his opponent’s strength, Grant divided his force into several sections, and they were soundly defeated, suffering 273 killed, wounded, and captured. Among the captured was Highland soldier Robert Kirkwood of the 77th Regiment, who later wrote, “I was pursued by four Indians, who fired at me several times, and their shot went though my cloaths, one of them however made sure, and wounded me in the leg with a buck-shot . . . I was immediately taken, but the Indian who laid hold of me would not allow the rest to scalp me, tho’ they proposed to do so: in short he befriended me greatly.” ⁴² Spared the horrible death by torture that befell most of his captured comrades, Kirkwood was adopted as a brother by the Indian who saved him. Kirkwood then lived with the Shawnee for some nine months before making his escape. He later wrote a colorful journal of his incredible adventures. This painting was done for cover of the 2004 reprint of that journal.

Availability

Canvas Giclee
Size 24 x 36
Edition Size 225

$875

Signed and Numbered
Open Edition Prints
Size 23 3/8 x 19

$195

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