POINT PLEASANT — The winners of the 2009 Battle Days Essay Contest have been announced.

The winning essay was was by Emily Keefer who wrote on Virgil A. Lewis. Keefer entered the contest with her fifth grade class at Leon Elementary.

Second place went to Randi Shirley, a sixth-grader at New Haven Elemenatary school, who wrote her essay on Leonard Cooper.

Lita Hooten won third place with her essay on Cornstalk. Hooten is in the fifth grade at Point Pleasant Intermediate School.

Candace Bonecutter, the organizer of the essay contest, has been an active participant in the Battle Days celebration for the past seven years. She is also an advocate for historical preservation and every year since 2003, she has portrayed and told the heroic story of Molly Pitcher to hundreds of fourth grade students as they are bused from throughout the county to the Mansion House at Tu-Endie-Wei State Park. She also made an appearance on the Lantern Tour, dramatically acting out the character of Mary Drapers Ingles.

• Virgil Anson Lewis by Emily Keefer

Virgil Anson Lewis was born on July 6, 1848, and died in 1912 on Ten Mile Creek near the village of Columbia, Virginia. The town was located in what is now known as Mason County West Virginia. He was a lawyer and educator and church official. Virgil Lewis was a member of the State Commission for the Monument commemorating the Battle of Point Pleasant which was fought on October 10, 1774.

The most important historical event in his immediate surroundings was the Battle of Point Pleasant. It was fought on October 10, 1774 in the county. If Virgil had only known, he had plenty of legitimate ancestors in that battle. He had at least one cousin on his great-grandpa’s side, Joseph Mayes. He is listed on the list of Virginia’s Wounded bronze at the base of the Battle Monument. Also he had at least two uncles from his great grandma’s side.

Virgil’s passion for history resulted in writing and publishing books of interest. One of his famous books included The Life and Times of Ann Bailey. His book, History of the Battle of Point Pleasant was inspired by his ancestors who fought in the battle. History of West Virginia was published in 1889 and today it remains an often quoted and cited book. He was known to take his work very seriously also included great research in his writings.

Virgil Lewis had many accomplishments during his lifetime. He didn’t have very much schooling as a child due to having to work to make money for his family. He worked for a local druggist, where he became interested in teaching and eventually became the county superintendent of schools. He was also interested in the law and passed the bar. He also wrote or co-authored at least a dozen books and was the founder and first director of the State of West Virginia Department of Archives and History.

Virgil Anson Lewis died in 1912. He is buried with some of his family in the Lone Oak Cemetery in Point Pleasant. His plot is marked a marker that greatly resembles the Point Pleasant battle Monument located at Tu-Endi- Wei Park in Point Pleasant, in which he was a help in creating.

His foot marker reads: Virgil A. Lewis — Historian 1845-1912. I believe that Virgil A. Lewis was a great historian and if it wasn’t for his writings the story of Point Pleasant might have not been written.

• Leonard Cooper: He was there at the beginning! by Randi Shirley

The person from Point Pleasant’s history that I chose to write about was Major Leonard Cooper. I chose him because he is an ancestor of mine. My great grandmother was Era Cooper Shirley and her great-great grandfather was Leonard Cooper. He was born in the year 1740. I didn’t find much information on him until prior to the American Revolution. He held a commission in the colonial army of Maryland. Learning of Dunmore’s War, he went to Staunton VA and entered the army of General Charles Lewis.

On October 10, 1774, Leonard fought in the Battle of Point Pleasant. That was the beginning of a long military career, spanning several years.

On October 18, 1784, Leonard received a land grant of 4,666 and 2/3 acres for his seven years of military service.

In 1789, Leonard moved with his family to Fort Randolph. Just two years later on Christmas Day, Leonard’s wife gave birth to their first born son. They named him Leonard Jr. He was the first white child born in “Point.” Leonard and Mary went on to have three more sons and three daughters.

Major Cooper worked at farming but he still kept ties with his military career. In 1791, Daniel Boone recommended Leonard to Governor Henry Lee of Virginia as a captain of border rangers. Under Leonard’s command, Fort Cooper was built on the north bank of the Kanawha River. This block house was the only settlement from Fort Randolph at Point Pleasant to Fort Lee at Charleston. These forts provided shelter and protection for the pioneers.

On December 19, 1794, the General Assembly of Virginia passed an act to establish the town of Point Pleasant. Leonard Cooper was appointed as one of the trustees and he gladly served.

On December 13, 1796, he received yet another land grant for 4,666 2/3 acres for his continued service.

Then on July 3, 1804, Mason County was formed and Leonard Cooper became one of the Justices of the new county. Cooper district was also named after him. I just so happen to line in the Cooper district. Major Cooper served as justice until he died in 1807.

Leonard Cooper was important to Point Pleasant’s History. He played an important role in the formation of the town of Point Pleasant as well as the formation of our home Mason County.

• Cornstalk by Lita Hooten

Chief Cornstalk was born in 1720 in western Pennsylvania. His people called him Hokolesqua, Wynepuechsika, or Keiga-tugh-qua. Each name means stalk, stem, or blade of maize. He was chief of the Scioto Shawnee. He was also a diplomat and warrior.

In 1763 Cornstalk fought against white settlements in Greenbrier County. Because of expanding white settlements the Shawnee was forced to Ohio Valley.

On October, 10 1774, Cornstalk led a group of warriors against the troops of Virginia.

The battle was fought in the joining of the Kanawha and the Ohio Rivers. The fight was called the Battle of Point Pleasant. After the Battle of Point Pleasant, Cornstalk and Lord Dunmore, the British Prime Minister made a peace treaty. The Shawnee agreed to stay north and west banks of the Ohio River. Andrew Lewis felt betrayed by Lord Dunmore because his brother was killed in the battle.

In 1777, the British tempted the Shawnee to fight for with guns against the Colonist. In September 1777, Cornstalk and Red Hawk a warrior went to Fort Randolph to warn the Colonist what was going on. He told Captain Arbuckle that he wanted peace but his people would go with the British. Captain Arbuckle took Cornstalk and Red Hawk hostage for good behavior of the rest of the Shawnee people.

The next day Cornstalk’s son Ellinipscio came to the fort to check on his father. A militia man named Gilmore was murdered while deer hunting, Gilmore’s friends killed Cornstalk, Ellinipscio and Red Hawk.