Lantern convoy retraces steps to Battle of Point Pleasant

POINT PLEASANT, WV (WOWK) – In honor of the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Point Pleasant, a lantern convoy retraced the steps Colonial troops took to the battlegrounds.

The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History and the West Virginia America 250th Commission started the convoy at the Greenbrier County courthouse first thing Wednesday morning. They arrived at the State Capitol Building Wednesday afternoon.

Along with the State Capitol Building, the convoy stopped at the Summers County courthouse in Hinton, the Raleigh County courthouse in Beckley, the Fayette County courthouse in Fayetteville and the Putnam County courthouse in Winfield. The convoy presented a ceremonial lantern at each stop and read a proclamation from West Virginia Governor Jim Justice and the West Virginia 250th Commission.

Their journey ended at Tu-Endie-Wei State Park in Point Pleasant, which is part of the battle site.

“I say it always goes back to the proclamation of 1763 when King George said we could not come across the mountains when we did anyway,” said Randall Reid-Smith, secretary of the WV Dept. of Culture, art and History. “And the bravery and the courage of these colonists, Americans. They built it. They started the building of our country.”

On Thursday, Oct. 10, which is the anniversary of the 1774 Battle of Point Pleasant, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear will participate in the annual observance of Battle Days in Point Pleasant.

To learn more about the history of the Battle, check out WOWK’s three-part web series. Click here for Part 1 , here for Part 2 , and here for Part 3 .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOWK 13 News.