Curiosity is natural to the
soul of man, and interesting objects
have a powerful influence on
our affections. Let these influencing
powers actuate, by the
permission or disposal of Providence, from
selfish or social views, yet
in time the mysterious will of Heaven
is unfolded, and we behold
our conduct, from whatsoever motives
excited, operating to answer
the important designs of heaven. Thus
we behold Kentucke, lately an
howling wilderness, the habitation of
savages and wild beasts,
become a fruitful field; this region, so
favourably distinguished by
nature, now become the habitation of
civilization, at a period
unparalleled in history, in the midst of
a raging war, and under all
the disadvantages of emigration to a
country so remote from the
inhabited parts of the continent. Here,
where the hand of violence
shed the blood of the innocent; where
the horrid yells of savages,
and the groans of the distressed,
sounded in our ears, we now
hear the praises and adoration of our
Creator; where wretched
wigwams stood, the miserable abodes of
savages, we behold the
foundations of cities laid, that, in all
probability, will rival the
glory of the greatest upon earth. And
we view Kentucke situated on
the fertile banks of the great Ohio,
rising from obscurity to
shine with splendor, equal to any other of
the stars of the American
hemisphere.
The settling of this region
well deserves a place in history.
Most of the memorable events
I have myself been exercised in; and,
for the satisfaction of the
public, will briefly relate the
circumstances of my
adventures, and scenes of life, from my first
movement to this country
until this day.
It was on the first of May,
in the year 1769, that I resigned my
domestic happiness for a
time, and left my family and peaceable
habitation on the Yadkin
River, in North-Carolina, to wander
through the wilderness of
America, in quest of the country of
Kentucke, in company with
John Finley, John Stewart, Joseph Holden,
James Monay, and William
Cool. We proceeded successfully, and after
a long and fatiguing journey
through a mountainous wilderness, in
a westward direction, on the
seventh day of June following, we
found ourselves on Red-River,
where John Finley had formerly been
trading with the Indians,
and, from the top of an eminence, saw
with pleasure the beautiful
level of Kentucke. Here let me observe,
that for some time we had
experienced the most uncomfortable
weather as a prelibation of
our future sufferings. At this place we
encamped, and made a shelter
to defend us from the inclement
season, and began to hunt and
reconnoitre the country. We found
every where abundance of wild
beasts of all sorts, through this
vast forest. The buffaloes
were more frequent than I have seen
cattle in the settlements,
browzing on the leaves of the cane, or
croping the herbage on those
extensive plains, fearless, because
ignorant, of the violence of
man. Sometimes we saw hundreds in a
drove, and the numbers about
the salt springs were amazing. In this
forest, the habitation of
beasts of every kind natural to America,
we practised hunting with
great success until the twenty-second day
of December following.
This day John Stewart and I
had a pleasing ramble, but fortune
changed the scene in the
close of it. We had passed through a great
forest on which stood myriads
of trees, some gay with blossoms,
others rich with fruits.
Nature was here a series of wonders, and
a fund of delight. Here she
displayed her ingenuity and industry in
a variety of flowers and
fruits, beautifully coloured, elegantly
shaped, and charmingly
flavoured; and we were diverted with
innumerable animals
presenting themselves perpetually to our
view.--In the decline of the
day, near Kentucke river, as we
ascended the brow of a small
hill, a number of Indians rushed out
of a thick cane-brake upon
us, and made us prisoners. The time of
our sorrow was now arrived,
and the scene fully opened. The Indians
plundered us of what we had,
and kept us in confinement seven days,
treating us with common
savage usage. During this time we
discovered no uneasiness or
desire to escape, which made them less
suspicious of us; but in the
dead of night, as we lay in a thick
cane-brake by a large fire,
when sleep had locked up their senses,
my situation not disposing me
for rest, I touched my companion and
gently awoke him. We improved
this favourable opportunity, and
departed, leaving them to
take their rest, and speedily directed
our course towards our old
camp, but found it plundered, and the
company dispersed and gone
home. About this time my brother, Squire
Boon, with another
adventurer, who came to explore the country
shortly after us, was
wandering through the forest, determined to
find me, if possible, and
accidentally found our camp.
Notwithstanding the
unfortunate circumstances of our company, and
our dangerous situation, as
surrounded with hostile savages, our
meeting so fortunately in the
wilderness made us reciprocally
sensible of the utmost
satisfaction. So much does friendship
triumph over misfortune, that
sorrows and sufferings vanish at the
meeting not only of real
friends, but of the most distant
acquaintances, and
substitutes happiness in their room.
Soon after this, my companion
in captivity, John Stewart, was
killed by the savages, and
the man that came with my brother
returned home by himself. We
were then in a dangerous, helpless
situation, exposed daily to
perils and death amongst savages and
wild beasts, not a white man
in the country but ourselves.
Thus situated, many hundred
miles from our families in the
howling wilderness, I believe
few would have equally enjoyed the
happiness we experienced. I
often observed to my brother, You see
now how little nature
requires to be satisfied. Felicity, the
companion of content, is
rather found in our own breasts than in
the enjoyment of external
things; And I firmly believe it requires
but a little philosophy to
make a man happy in whatsoever state he
is. This consists in a full
resignation to the will of Providence;
and a resigned soul finds
pleasure in a path strewed with briars
and thorns.
We continued not in a state
of indolence, but hunted every day,
and prepared a little cottage
to defend us from the Winter storms.
We remained there undisturbed
during the Winter; and on the first
day of May, 1770, my brother
returned home to the settlement by
himself, for a new recruit of
horses and ammunition, leaving me by
myself, without bread, salt
or sugar, without company of my fellow
creatures, or even a horse or
dog. I confess I never before was
under greater necessity of
exercising philosophy and fortitude. A
few days I passed
uncomfortably. The idea of a beloved wife and
family, and their anxiety
upon the account of my absence and
exposed situation, made
sensible impressions on my heart. A
thousand dreadful
apprehensions presented themselves to my view,
and had undoubtedly disposed
me to melancholy, if further indulged.
One day I undertook a tour
through the country, and the diversity
and beauties of nature I met
with in this charming season, expelled
every gloomy and vexatious
thought. Just at the close of day the
gentle gales retired, and
left the place to the disposal of a
profound calm. Not a breeze
shook the most tremulous leaf. I had
gained the summit of a
commanding ridge, and, looking round with
astonishing delight, beheld
the ample plains, the beauteous tracts
below. On the other hand, I
surveyed the famous river Ohio that
rolled in silent dignity,
marking the western boundary of Kentucke
with inconceivable grandeur.
At a vast distance I beheld the
mountains lift their
venerable brows, and penetrate the clouds. All
things were still. I kindled
a fire near a fountain of sweet water,
and feasted on the loin of a
buck, which a few hours before I had
killed. The sullen shades of
night soon overspread the whole
hemisphere, and the earth
seemed to gasp after the hovering
moisture. My roving excursion
this day had fatigued my body, and
diverted my imagination. I
laid me down to sleep, and I awoke not
until the sun had chased away
the night. I continued this tour, and
in a few days explored a
considerable part of the country, each day
equally pleased as the first.
I returned again to my old camp,
which was not disturbed in my
absence. I did not confine my lodging
to it, but often reposed in
thick cane-brakes, to avoid the
savages, who, I believe,
often visited my camp, but fortunately for
me, in my absence. In this
situation I was constantly exposed to
danger, and death. How
unhappy such a situation for a man tormented
with fear, which is vain if
no danger comes, and if it does, only
augments the pain. It was my
happiness to be destitute of this
afflicting passion, with
which I had the greatest reason to be
affected. The prowling wolves
diverted my nocturnal hours with
perpetual howlings; and the
various species of animals in this vast
forest, in the daytime, were
continually in my view.
Thus I was surrounded with
plenty in the midst of want. I was
happy in the midst of dangers
and inconveniences. In such a
diversity it was impossible I
should be disposed to melancholy. No
populous city, with all the
varieties of commerce and stately
structures, could afford so
much pleasure to my mind, as the
beauties of nature I found
here.
Thus, through an
uninterrupted scene of sylvan pleasures, I spent
the time until the 27th day
of July following, when my brother, to
my great felicity, met me,
according to appointment, at our old
camp. Shortly after, we left
this place, not thinking it safe to
stay there longer, and
proceeded to Cumberland river, reconnoitring
that part of the country
until March, 1771, and giving names to the
different waters.
Soon after, I returned home
to my family with a determination to
bring them as soon as
possible to live in Kentucke, which I
esteemed a second paradise,
at the risk of my life and fortune.
I returned safe to my old
habitation, and found my family in
happy circumstances. I sold
my farm on the Yadkin, and what goods
we could not carry with us;
and on the twenty-fifth day of
September, 1773, bade a
farewel to our friends, and proceeded on
our journey to Kentucke, in
company with five families more, and
forty men that joined us in
Powel's Valley, which is one hundred
and fifty miles from the now
settled parts of Kentucke. This
promising beginning was soon
overcast with a cloud of adversity;
for upon the tenth day of
October, the rear of our company was
attacked by a number of
Indians, who killed six, and wounded one
man. Of these my eldest son
was one that fell in the action. Though
we defended ourselves, and
repulsed the enemy, yet this unhappy
affair scattered our cattle,
brought us into extreme difficulty,
and so discouraged the whole
company, that we retreated forty
miles, to the settlement on
Clench river. We had passed over two
mountains, viz. Powel's and
Walden's, and were approaching
Cumberland mountain when this
adverse fortune overtook us. These
mountains are in the
wilderness, as we pass from the old
settlements in Virginia to
Kentucke, are ranged in a S. west and N.
east direction, are of a
great length and breadth, and not far
distant from each other. Over
these, nature hath formed passes,
that are less difficult than
might be expected from a view of such
huge piles. The aspect of
these cliffs is so wild and horrid, that
it is impossible to behold
them without terror. The spectator is
apt to imagine that nature
had formerly suffered some violent
convulsion; and that these
are the dismembered remains of the
dreadful shock; the ruins,
not of Persepolis or Palmyra, but of the
world!
I remained with my family on
Clench until the sixth of June,
1774, when I and one Michael
Stoner were solicited by Governor
Dunmore, of Virginia, to go
to the Falls of the Ohio, to conduct
into the settlement a number
of surveyors that had been sent
thither by him some months
before; this country having about this
time drawn the attention of
many adventurers. We immediately
complied with the Governor's
request, and conducted in the
surveyors, compleating a tour
of eight hundred miles, through many
difficulties, in sixty-two
days.
Soon after I returned home, I
was ordered to take the command of
three garrisons during the
campaign, which Governor Dunmore carried
on against the Shawanese
Indians: After the conclusion of which,
the Militia was discharged
from each garrrison, and I being
relieved from my post, was
solicited by a number of North-Carolina
gentlemen, that were about
purchasing the lands lying on the S.
side of Kentucke River, from
the Cherokee Indians, to attend their
treaty at Wataga, in March,
1775, to negotiate with them, and,
mention the boundaries of the
purchase. This I accepted, and at the
request of the same
gentlemen, undertook to mark out a road in the
best passage from the
settlement through the wilderness to
Kentucke, with such
assistance as I thought necessary to employ for
such an important
undertaking.
I soon began this work,
having collected a number of enterprising
men, well armed. We proceeded
with all possible expedition until we
came within fifteen miles of
where Boonsborough now stands, and
where we were fired upon by a
party of Indians that killed two, and
wounded two of our number;
yet, although surprised and taken at a
disadvantage, we stood our
ground. This was on the twentieth of
March, 1775. Three days
after, we were fired upon again, and had two
men killed, and three
wounded. Afterwards we proceeded on to
Kentucke river without
opposition; and on the first day of April
began to erect the fort of
Boonsborough at a salt lick, about sixty
yards from the river, on the
S. side.
On the fourth day, the
Indians killed one of our men.--We were
busily employed in building
this fort, until the fourteenth day of
June following, without any
farther opposition from the Indians;
and having finished the
works, I returned to my family, on Clench.
In a short time, I proceeded
to remove my family from Clench to
this garrison; where we
arrived safe without any other difficulties
than such as are common to
this passage, my wife and daughter being
the first white women that
ever stood on the banks of Kentucke
river.
On the twenty-fourth day of
December following we had one man
killed, and one wounded, by
the Indians, who seemed determined to
persecute us for erecting
this fortification.
On the fourteenth day of
July, 1776, two of Col. Calaway's
daughters, and one of mine,
were taken prisoners near the fort. I
immediately pursued the
Indians, with only eight men, and on the
sixteenth overtook them,
killed two of the party, and recovered the
girls. The same day on which
this attempt was made, the Indians
divided themselves into
different parties, and attacked several
forts, which were shortly
before this time erected, doing a great
deal of mischief. This was
extremely distressing to the new
settlers. The innocent
husbandman was shot down, while busy
cultivating the soil for his
family's supply. Most of the cattle
around the stations were
destroyed. They continued their
hostilities in this manner
until the fifteenth of April, 1777, when
they attacked Boonsborough
with a party of above one hundred in
number, killed one man, and
wounded four--Their loss in this attack
was not certainly known to
us.
On the fourth day of July
following, a party of about two hundred
Indians attacked Boonsborough,
killed one man, and wounded two.
They besieged us forty-eight
hours; during which time seven of them
were killed, and at last,
finding themselves not likely to prevail,
they raised the siege, and
departed.
The Indians had disposed
their warriors in different parties at
this time, and attacked the
different garrisons to prevent their
assisting each other, and did
much injury to the distressed
inhabitants.
On the nineteenth day of this
month, Col. Logan's fort was
besieged by a party of about
two hundred Indians. During this
dreadful siege they did a
great deal of mischief, distressed the
garrison, in which were only
fifteen men, killed two, and wounded
one. The enemies loss was
uncertain, from the common practice which
the Indians have of carrying
off their dead in time of battle. Col.
Harrod's fort was then
defended by only sixty-five men, and
Boonsborough by twenty-two,
there being no more forts or white men
in the country, except at the
Falls, a considerable distance from
these, and all taken
collectively, were but a handful to the
numerous warriors that were
every where dispersed through the
country, intent upon doing
all the mischief that savage barbarity
could invent. Thus we passed
through a scene of sufferings that
exceeds description.
On the twenty-fifth of this
month a reinforcement of forty-five
men arrived from
North-Carolina, and about the twentieth of August
following, Col. Bowman
arrived with one hundred men from Virginia.
Now we began to strengthen,
and from hence, for the space of six
weeks, we had skirmishes with
Indians, in one quarter or other,
almost every day.
The savages now learned the
superiority of the Long Knife, as
they call the Virginians, by
experience; being out-generalled in
almost every battle. Our
affairs began to wear a new aspect, and
the enemy, not daring to
venture on open war, practised secret
mischief at times.
On the first day of January,
1778, I went with a party of thirty
men to the Blue Licks, on
Licking River, to make salt for the
different garrisons in the
country.
On the seventh day of
February, as I was hunting, to procure meat
for the company, I met with a
party of one hundred and two Indians,
and two Frenchmen, on their
march against Boonsborough, that place
being particularly the object
of the enemy.
They pursued, and took me;
and brought me on the eighth day to
the Licks, where twenty-seven
of my party were, three of them
having previously returned
home with the salt. I knowing it was
impossible for them to
escape, capitulated with the enemy, and, at
a distance in their view,
gave notice to my men of their situation,
with orders not to resist,
but surrender themselves captives.
The generous usage the
Indians had promised before in my
capitulation, was afterwards
fully complied with, and we proceeded
with them as prisoners to old
Chelicothe, the principal Indian
town, on Little Miami, where
we arrived, after an uncomfortable
journey, in very severe
weather, on the eighteenth day of February,
and received as good
treatment as prisoners could expect from
savages.--On the tenth day of
March following, I, and ten of my
men, were conducted by forty
Indians to Detroit, where we arrived
the thirtieth day, and were
treated by Governor Hamilton, the
British commander at that
post, with great humanity.
During our travels, the
Indians entertained me well; and their
affection for me was so
great, that they utterly refused to leave
me there with the others,
although the Governor offered them one
hundred pounds Sterling for
me, on purpose to give me a parole to
go home. Several English
gentlemen there, being sensible of my
adverse fortune, and touched
with human sympathy, generously
offered a friendly supply for
my wants, which I refused, with many
thanks for their kindness;
adding, that I never expected it would
be in my power to recompense
such unmerited generosity.
The Indians left my men in
captivity with the British
at Detroit, and on the tenth
day of April brought me towards
Old Chelicothe, where we
arrived on the twenty-fifth day of the
same month. This was a long
and fatiguing march, through
an exceeding fertile country,
remarkable for fine springs and
streams of water. At
Chelicothe I spent my time as comfortably as
I could expect; was adopted,
accordin to their custom, into a
family where I became a son,
and had a great share in the affection
of my new parents, brothers,
sisters, and friends. I was
exceedingly familiar and
friendly with them, always appearing as
chearful and satisfied as
possible, and they put great confidence
in me. I often went a hunting
with them, and frequently gained
their applause for my
activity at our shooting-matches. I was
careful not to exceed many of
them in shooting; for no people are
more envious than they in
this sport. I could observe, in their
countenances and gestures,
the greatest expressions of joy when
they exceeded me; and, when
the reverse happened, of envy. The
Shawanese king took great
notice of me, and treated me with
profound respect, and entire
friendship, often entrusting me to
hunt at my liberty. I
frequently returned with the spoils of the
woods, and as often presented
some of what I had taken to him,
expressive of duty to my
sovereign. My food and lodging was, in
common, with them, not so
good indeed as I could desire, but
necessity made every thing
acceptable.
I now began to meditate an
escape, and carefully avoided their
suspicions, continuing with
them at Old Chelicothe until the first
day of June following, and
then was taken by them to the salt
springs on Sciotha, and kept
there, making salt, ten days. During
this time I hunted some for
them, and found the land, for a great
extent about this river, to
exceed the soil of Kentucke, if
possible, and remarkably well
watered.
When I returned to Chelicothe,
alarmed to see four hundred and
fifty Indians, of their
choicest warriors, painted and armed in a
fearful manner, ready to
march against Boonsborough, I determined
to escape the first
opportunity.
On the sixteenth, before
sun-rise, I departed in the most secret
manner, and arrived at
Boonsborough on the twentieth, after a
journey of one hundred and
sixty miles; during which, I had but one
meal.
I found our fortress in a bad
state of defence, but we proceeded
immediately to repair our
flanks, strengthen our gates and
posterns, and form double
bastions, which we compleated in ten
days. In this time we daily
expected the arrival of the Indian
army; and at length, one of
my fellow prisoners, escaping from
them, arrived, informing us
that the enemy had an account of my
departure, and postponed
their expedition three weeks.--The Indians
had spies out viewing our
movements, and were greatly alarmed with
our increase in number and
fortifications. The Grand Councils of
the nations were held
frequently, and with more deliberation than
usual. They evidently saw the
approaching hour when the Long Knife
would disposess them of their
desirable habitations; and anxiously
concerned for futurity,
determined utterly to extirpate the whites
out of Kentucke. We were not
intimidated by their movements, but
frequently gave them proofs
of our courage.
About the first of August, I
made an incursion into the Indian
country, with a party of
nineteen men, in order to surprise a small
town up Sciotha, called
Paint-Creek-Town. We advanced within four
miles thereof, where we met a
party of thirty Indians, on their
march against Boonsborough,
intending to join the others
from Chelicothe. A smart
fight ensued betwixt us for some time: At
length the savages gave way,
and fled. We had no loss on our side:
The enemy had one killed, and
two wounded. We took from them three
horses, and all their
baggage; and being informed, by two of our
number that went to their
town, that the Indians had entirely
evacuated it, we proceeded no
further, and returned with all
possible expedition to assist
our garrison against the other party.
We passed by them on the
sixth day, and on the seventh, we arrived
safe at Boonsborough.
On the eighth, the Indian
army arrived, being four hundred and
forty-four in number,
commanded by Capt. Duquesne, eleven other
Frenchmen, and some of their
own chiefs, and marched up within view
of our fort, with British and
French colours flying; and having
sent a summons to me, in his
Britannick Majesty's name, to
surrender the fort, I
requested two days consideration, which was
granted.
It was now a critical period
with us.--We were a small number in
the garrison.--A powerful
army before our walls, whose appearance
proclaimed inevitable death,
fearfully painted, and marking their
footsteps with desolation.
Death was preferable to captivity; and
if taken by storm, we must
inevitably be devoted to destruction. In
this situation we concluded
to maintain our garrison, if possible.
We immediately proceeded to
collect what we could of our horses,
and other cattle, and bring
them through the posterns into the
fort: And in the evening of
the ninth, I returned answer, that we
were determined to defend our
fort while a man was living--Now,
said I to their commander,
who stood attentively hearing my
sentiments, We laugh at all
your formidable preparations: But thank
you for giving us notice and
time to provide for our defence. Your
efforts will not prevail; for
our gates shall for ever deny you
admittance.--Whether this
answer affected their courage, or not, I
cannot tell; but, contrary to
our expectations, they formed a
scheme to deceive us,
declaring it was their orders, from Governor
Hamilton, to take us
captives, and not to destroy us; but if nine
of us would come out, and
treat with them, they would immediatly
withdraw their forces from
our walls, and return home peaceably.
This sounded grateful in our
ears; and we agreed to the proposal.
We held the treaty within
sixty yards of the garrison, on purpose
to divert them from a breach
of honour, as we could not avoid
suspicions of the savages. In
this situation the articles were
formally agreed to, and
signed; and the Indians told us it was
customary with them, on such
occasions, for two Indians to shake
hands with every white-man in
the treaty, as an evidence of entire
friendship. We agreed to this
also, but were soon convinced their
policy was to take us
prisoners.--They immediately grappled us;
but, although surrounded by
hundreds of savages, we extricated
ourselves from them, and
escaped all safe into the garrison, except
one that was wounded, through
a heavy fire from their army. They
immediately attacked us on
every side, and a constant heavy fire
ensued between us day and
night for the space of nine days.
In this time the enemy began
to undermine our fort, which was
situated sixty yards from
Kentucke river. They began at the water-
mark and proceeded in the
bank some distance, which we understood
by their making the water
muddy with the clay; and we immediately
proceeded to disappoint their
design, by cutting a trench across
their subterranean passage.
The enemy discovering our counter-mine,
by the clay we threw out of
the fort, desisted from that stratagem:
And experience now fully
convincing them that neither their power
nor policy could effect their
purpose, on the twentieth day of
August they raised the siege,
and departed.
During this dreadful siege,
which threatened death in every form,
we had two men killed, and
four wounded, besides a number of
cattle. We killed of the
enemy thirty-seven, and wounded a great
number. After they were gone,
we picked up one hundred and twenty-
five pounds weight of
bullets, besides what stuck in the logs of
our fort; which certainly is
a great proof of their industry. Soon
after this, I went into the
settlement, and nothing worthy of a
place in this account passed
in my affairs for some time.
During my absence from
Kentucke, Col. Bowman carried on an
expedition against the
Shawanese, at Old Chelicothe, with one
hundred and sixty men, in
July, 1779. Here they arrived
undiscovered, and a battle
ensued, which lasted until ten o'clock,
A. M. when Col. Bowman,
finding he could not succeed at this time,
retreated about thirty miles.
The Indians, in the meantime,
collecting all their forces,
pursued and overtook him, when a smart
fight continued near two
hours, not to the advantage of Col.
Bowman's party.
Col. Harrod proposed to mount
a number of horse, and furiously
to rush upon the savages, who
at this time fought with remarkable
fury. This desperate step had
a happy effect, broke their line of
battle, and the savages fled
on all sides. In these two battles we
had nine killed, and one
wounded. The enemy's loss uncertain, only
two scalps being taken.
On the twenty-second day of
June, 1780, a large party of Indians
and Canadians, about six
hundred in number, commanded by Col. Bird,
attacked Riddle's and
Martin's stations, at the Forks of Licking
River, with six pieces of
artillery. They carried this expedition
so secretly, that the unwary
inhabitants did not discover them,
until they fired upon the
forts; and, not being prepared to oppose
them, were obliged to
surrender themselves miserable captives to
barbarous savages, who
immediately after tomahawked one man and two
women, and loaded all the
others with heavy baggage, forcing them
along toward their towns,
able or unable to march. Such as were
weak and faint by the way,
they tomahawked. The tender women, and
helpless children, fell
victims to their cruelty. This, and the
savage treatment they
received afterwards, is shocking to humanity,
and too barbarous to relate.
The hostile disposition of
the savages, and their allies, caused
General Clark, the commandant
at the Falls of the Ohio, immediately
to begin an expedition with
his own regiment, and the armed force
of the country, against
Pecaway, the principal town of the
Shawanese, on a branch of
Great Miami, which he finished with great
success, took seventeen
scalps, and burnt the town to ashes, with
the loss of seventeen men.
About this time I returned to
Kentucke with my family; and here,
to avoid an enquiry into my
conduct, the reader being before
informed of my bringing my
family to Kentucke, I am under the
necessity of informing him
that, during my captivity with the
Indians, my wife, who
despaired of ever seeing me again, expecting
the Indians had put a period
to my life, oppressed with the
distresses of the country,
and bereaved of me, her only happiness,
had, before I returned,
transported my family and goods, on horses,
through the wilderness,
amidst a multitude of dangers, to her
father's house, in
North-Carolina.
Shortly after the troubles at
Boonsborough, I went to them, and
lived peaceably there until
this time. The history of my going
home, and returning with my
family, forms a series of difficulties,
an account of which would
swell a volume, and being foreign to my
purpose, I shall purposely
omit them.
I settled my family in
Boonsborough once more; and shortly after,
on the sixth day of October,
1780, I went in company with my
brother to the Blue Licks;
and, on our return home, we were fired
upon by a party of Indians.
They shot him, and pursued me, by the
scent of their dog, three
miles; but I killed the dog, and escaped.
The winter soon came on, and
was very severe, which confined the
Indians to their wigwams.
The severity of this Winter
caused great difficulties in
Kentucke. The enemy had
destroyed most of the corn, the Summer
before. This necessary
article was scarce, and dear; and the
inhabitants lived chiefly on
the flesh of buffaloes. The
circumstances of many were
very lamentable: However, being a hardy
race of people, and
accustomed to difficulties and necessities,
they were wonderfully
supported through all their sufferings, until
the ensuing Fall, when we
received abundance from the fertile soil.
Towards Spring, we were
frequently harassed by Indians; and, in
May, 1782, a party assaulted
Ashton's station, killed one man, and
took a Negro prisoner. Capt.
Ashton, with twenty-five men, pursued,
and overtook the savages, and
a smart fight ensued, which lasted
two hours; but they being
superior in number, obliged Captain
Ashton's party to retreat,
with the loss of eight killed, and four
mortally wounded; their brave
commander himself being numbered
among the dead.
The Indians continued their
hostilities; and, about the tenth of
August following, two boys
were taken from Major Hoy's
station. This party was
pursued by Capt. Holder and seventeen men,
who were also defeated, with
the loss of four men killed, and one
wounded. Our affairs became
more and more alarming. Several
stations which had lately
been erected in the country were
continually infested with
savages, stealing their horses and
killing the men at every
opportunity. In a field, near Lexington,
an Indian shot a man, and
running to scalp him, was himself shot
from the fort, and fell dead
upon his enemy.
Every day we experienced
recent mischiefs. The barbarous savage
nations of Shawanese,
Cherokees, Wyandots, Tawas, Delawares, and
several others near Detroit,
united in a war against us, and
assembled their choicest
warriors at old Chelicothe, to go on the
expedition, in order to
destroy us, and entirely depopulate the
country. Their savage minds
were inflamed to mischief by two
abandoned men, Captains McKee
and Girty. These led them to execute
every diabolical scheme; and,
on the fifteenth day of August,
commanded a party of Indians
and Canadians, of about five hundred
in number, against Briant's
station, five miles from Lexington.
Without demanding a
surrender, they furiously assaulted the
garrison, which was happily
prepared to oppose them; and, after
they had expended much
ammunition in vain, and killed the cattle
round the fort, not being
likely to make themselves masters of this
place, they raised the siege,
and departed in the morning of the
third day after they came,
with the loss of about thirty killed,
and the number of wounded
uncertain.--Of the garrison four were
killed, and three wounded.
On the eighteenth day Col.
Todd, Col. Trigg, Major Harland, and
myself, speedily collected
one hundred and seventy-six men, well
armed, and pursued the
savages. They had marched beyond the Blue
Licks to a remarkable bend of
the main fork of Licking River, about
forty-three miles from
Lexington, as it is particularly represented
in the map, where we overtook
them on the nineteenth day. The
savages observing us, gave
way; and we, being ignorant of their
numbers, passed the river.
When the enemy saw our proceedings,
having greatly the advantage
of us in situation, they formed the
line of battle, represented
in the map, from one bend of Licking to
the other, about a mile from
the Blue Licks. An exceeding fierce
battle immediately began, for
about fifteen minutes, when we, being
over-powered by numbers, were
obliged to retreat, with the loss of
sixty-seven men; seven of
whom were taken prisoners. The brave and
much lamented Colonels Todd
and Trigg, Major Harland and my second
son, were among the dead. We
were informed that the Indians,
numbering their dead, found
they had four killed more than we; and
therefore, four of the
prisoners they had taken, were, by general
consent, ordered to be
killed, in a most barbarous manner, by the
young warriors, in order to
train them up to cruelty; and then they
proceeded to their towns.
On our retreat we were met by
Col. Logan, hastening to join us,
with a number of well armed
men: This powerful assistance we
unfortunately wanted in the
battle; for, notwithstanding the
enemy's superiority of
numbers, they acknowledged that, if they had
received one more fire from
us, they should undoubtedly have given
way. So valiantly did our
small party fight, that, to the memory of
those who unfortunately fell
in the battle, enough of honour cannot
be paid. Had Col. Logan and
his party been with us, it is highly
probable we should have given
the savages a total defeat.
I cannot reflect upon this
dreadful scene, but sorrow fills my
heart. A zeal for the defence
of their country led these heroes to
the scene of action, though
with a few men to attack a powerful
army of experienced warriors.
When we gave way, they pursued us
with the utmost eagerness,
and in every quarter spread destruction.
The river was difficult to
cross, and many were killed in the
flight, some just entering
the river, some in the water, others
after crossing in ascending
the cliffs. Some escaped on horse-back,
a few on foot; and, being
dispersed every where, in a few hours,
brought the melancholy news
of this unfortunate battle to
Lexington. Many widows were
now made. The reader may guess what
sorrow filled the hearts of
the inhabitants, exceeding any thing
that I am able to describe.
Being reinforced, we returned to bury
the dead, and found their
bodies strewed every where, cut and
mangled in a dreadful manner.
This mournful scene exhibited a
horror almost unparalleled:
Some torn and eaten by wild beasts;
those in the river eaten by
fishes; all in such a putrified
condition, that no one could
be distinguished from another.
As soon as General Clark,
then at the Falls of the Ohio, who was
ever our ready friend, and
merits the love and gratitude of all his
country-men, understood the
circumstances of this unfortunate
action, he ordered an
expedition, with all possible haste, to
pursue the savages, which was
so expeditiously effected, that we
overtook them within two
miles of their towns, and probably might
have obtained a great
victory, had not two of their number met us
about two hundred poles
before we come up. These returned quick as
lightening to their camp with
the alarming news of a mighty army in
