Siege of Fort Henry (1782)

The Siege of Fort Henry (September 11–13, 1782) was an assault on the American Fort Henry, a frontier fort on the western reaches of Virginia that is now the site of Wheeling, West Virginia. The attackers were a band of about 300 Native Americans, probably led by Simon Girty's brother George, and accompanied by a company of British provincial troops, and under the overall leadership of British Captain Pratt. Their demand to surrender the fort was rejected by Ebenezer Zane's garrison, and a small cannon at the fort was sufficient to repulse repeated assaults.

Betty Zane performed a notable act of courage during the siege. During a pause in the action she proposed to fetch a keg of gunpowder from her brother's cabin, pointing out that their enemies might not fire on her because she was a woman. As she calmly walked to the cabin which was situated 60 yd from the fort, the astounded attackers simply gaped at her. But when she dashed out of the place with the powder keg, the native Americans began firing. She managed to race back to the fort safely with the precious gunpowder.