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diff --git a/27431-h/27431-h.htm b/27431-h/27431-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5357999 --- /dev/null +++ b/27431-h/27431-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,4517 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of +The Adventures of Daniel Boone, by Uncle Philip + </title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- +body { + margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; +} + +p { + margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; +} + +hr { + width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; +} + +.pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + visibility: hidden; + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; +} /* page numbers */ + +.contentblock { + margin-left: 5%; + margin-right: 10%; + text-align: justify; + text-indent: -1em; +} + +.contentheader { + text-align: center; +} + +.caption {font-weight: bold;} + +.right { + text-align: right; +} + +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + +/* Images */ +.figcenter { + margin: auto; + text-align: center; +} + +/* Footnotes */ +.footnotes {border: dashed 1px;} + +.footnote {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-size: 0.9em;} + +.footnote .label {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;} + +.fnanchor { + vertical-align: super; + font-size: .8em; + text-decoration: + none; +} + +span.dropcap { display: none; } +/* this goes around the first letter of the first word */ + +div.wrap_area { position: relative; } +div.wrap_area img { position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; } +div.wrap_area p { position: relative; } + +div.shape_wrap div { float: left; clear: left; height: 100px} + +/* +div.wrap_area img { opacity: .5; filter: alpha(opacity=50); } +div.shape_wrap div { border: 1px solid #f0f; } +*/ + + + +// --> +/* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Adventures of Daniel Boone: the +Kentucky rifleman, by Uncle Philip + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Adventures of Daniel Boone: the Kentucky rifleman + +Author: Uncle Philip + +Release Date: December 7, 2008 [EBook #27431] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ADVENTURES OF DANIEL BOONE *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards, Jen Haines and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by Florida's Publication of Archival, Library & Museum +Materials (PALMM)) + + + + + + +</pre> + +<p> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span><br /> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span><br /> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span><br /> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span><br /> +</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/frontis.jpg" width="400" height="516" +alt="DANIEL BOON. From the Basso Relievo in the Rotunda of the +Capitol at Washington" +title="DANIEL BOON. From the Basso Relievo in the Rotunda of the +Capitol at Washington" /> +<span class="caption">DANIEL BOON. From the Basso Relievo in the +Rotunda of the Capitol at Washington</span> +</div> + +<h3><br /><br /><br /><br /> +THE<br /></h3> +<h1>ADVENTURES<br /></h1> +<h3>OF<br /></h3> +<h1>DANIEL BOONE,<br /></h1> +<h3>THE<br /></h3> +<h1>KENTUCKY RIFLEMAN.<br /><br /></h1> + + +<h3>BY<br /> +THE AUTHOR OF “UNCLE PHILIP’S CONVERSATIONS.”<br /> +</h3> + + +<h3> +“Too much crowded—too much crowded—I want more +elbow-room.”—<i>Boone on his way to Missouri.</i> +<br /><br /><br /><br /> +</h3> + + +<h3> +NEW YORK:<br /> +D. APPLETON & CO., 200 BROADWAY.<br /> +PHILADELPHIA:<br /> +GEORGE S. APPLETON, 164 CHESNUT ST.<br /></h3> +<h4>MDCCCL.<br /><br /><br /><br /> +</h4> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span></p> +<h3>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</h3> +<h3>Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1843,<br /> +By D. APPLETON & CO.,<br /> +in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States,<br /> +for the Southern District of New York.<br /></h3> +<h3>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</h3> +<p> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span><br /> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> +</p> + +<h3>TO<br /> +HIS YOUNG COUNTRYMEN<br /> +THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES,<br /></h3> +<h4>AND ESPECIALLY<br /></h4> +<h3>THE LADS OF KENTUCKY,<br /></h3> +<h4>This Volume<br /></h4> +<h5>IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED,<br /></h5> +<h3><span class="smcap">By Uncle Philip.</span><br /></h3> + +<p> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span><br /> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> +</p> +<h2><br /><br /><br /> +CONTENTS.<br /></h2> + + + +<div class="contentheader"><a href="#CHAPTER_I"><b>CHAPTER I.</b></a><br /><br /></div> +<div class="contentblock"> +Daniel Boone is born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania—His +father removes to the Schuylkill—Boone's early passion +for hunting—Kills a panther—Wanderings in the woods—Is +sent to school—The school is broken up—Boone returns to +his sports—His father removes to the Yadkin river in +North Carolina—While the farm is improving Daniel is +hunting—The neighborhood begins to be settled—Daniel is +dissatisfied—Settlement of Mr. Bryan—Daniel Boone goes +out upon a fire hunt—Strange adventure—Marries Rebecca +Bryan—Makes a home for himself on the head waters of the +Yadkin—Men begin to crowd upon him—determines to +move <div class="right">Page 13</div> +<br /><br /></div> + +<div class="contentheader"><a href="#CHAPTER_II"><b>CHAPTER II.</b></a><br /><br /></div> +<div class="contentblock"> +Early visits to Kentucky—James M‘Bride—Dr. Wacker and +others—John Finlay goes to Kentucky trading with the +Indians—Returns with glowing accounts of the +country—Visits Daniel Boone and spends the winter with +him—Boone is charmed with the stories—They determine in +the spring to go to Kentucky—Meeting at Boone's house in +May—With four companions they start for the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> +west—Adventures by the way—They reach Finlay's old +station on the Red river—Make their camp—Amuse +themselves in hunting and exploring the country—Beauty +of the country—Abundance of game—Boone and Stewart are +taken by the Indians—Make their escape—Return to their +camp—It is plundered and deserted—Arrival of Squire +Boone—Daniel Boone is rejoiced to hear from his +family<div class="right"> Page 26</div> +<br /><br /></div> + +<div class="contentheader"><a href="#CHAPTER_III"><b>CHAPTER III.</b></a><br /><br /></div> +<div class="contentblock"> +Hunting party—Stewart is killed by the Indians—narrow +escape of Daniel Boone—The companion of Squire Boone +returns home—The two brothers alone in the +wilderness—Cheerfulness of Daniel Boone—Squire returns +to the Yadkin for ammunition—Daniel lives in the forest +alone—His pleasant wanderings—Singular escape from the +Indians—Encounter with a bear—Looks for the return of +his brother—Disappointment—Is very sad—Squire suddenly +arrives with ammunition and horses—Plans for the +future—Daniel Boone chooses a spot on the Kentucky +river—They return for his family—Sport by the way—They +reach the Yadkin—Try to beat up recruits for +Kentucky—Ridicule of the people—They start with five +families—Forty men join them—Disaster by the way—They +return to Clinch river—Various employments of Boone—He +returns to Kentucky—Builds a fort—Removes his family to +Boonesborough<div class="right">Page 42</div> +<br /><br /></div> + +<div class="contentheader"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV"><b>CHAPTER IV.</b></a><br /><br /></div> +<div class="contentblock"> +Comforts of Boonesborough—Arrival of Colonel Calaway and +his daughters—Capture of three girls by the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> +Indians—Boone and Calaway pursue—Are made +prisoners—Happy escape—New emigrants—County of +Kentucky—Indian warfare—Attacks upon Harrodsburgh and +Boonesborough—Expedition to the salt-licks on Licking +river—Courage of Boone—Overcomes two Indians—Is met by +a large Indian party—Made a prisoner—His long captivity +and escape<div class="right">Page 59</div> +<br /><br /></div> + +<div class="contentheader"><a href="#CHAPTER_V"><b>CHAPTER V.</b></a><br /><br /></div> +<div class="contentblock"> +Indian customs noticed by Boone during his +captivity—Mode of hardening children—Changing +names—Marriages—Burials—War parties—Celebration of +victories—Torturing prisoners—Making treaties of +peace <div class="right"> Page 80</div> +<br /><br /></div> + +<div class="contentheader"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI"><b>CHAPTER VI.</b></a><br /><br /></div> +<div class="contentblock"> +Boone's disappointment upon not finding his +wife—Strengthening of Boonesborough—Indian +hostilities—Attack of Boonesborough—gallant +defence—Boone returns to North Carolina—Occurrences +during his absence—Boone returns—Goes to the Blue Licks +for salt—Death of the younger Boone—Daniel Boone +escapes—Kentucky divided into three counties—Hard +winter of 1781—Indian hostilities—Attack on Bryant's +station—Villany of Simon Girty<div class="right">Page 91</div> +<br /><br /></div> + +<div class="contentheader"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII"><b>CHAPTER VII.</b></a><br /><br /></div> +<div class="contentblock"> +Disastrous defeat at the Blue Licks—General Clarke's +campaign—Efforts to restore peace—Sullenness of the +Indians—They continue their massacres—Stratagems on the +Ohio—Bold defence of Captain Hubbil—Halmar's +campaign—St. Clair's defeat—Debate in Congress—General +Wayne takes command—Defeats the Indians—Lays waste +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> +their country—Concludes a treaty of peace with the +savages in August, 1795<div class="right">Page 109</div> +<br /><br /></div> + +<div class="contentheader"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII"><b>CHAPTER VIII.</b></a><br /><br /></div> +<div class="contentblock"> +Happiness of the settlers—Boone roams through the +wilderness—Civilization sickens him—He loses his +lands—Moves to the Kanhawa—Disappointed in finding +game—Moves to Missouri—Purchase of Missouri from the +French—Anecdote related by Mr. Audubon—Boone loses his +wife—His sorrow—War with England—His old age—His +habits—He dies in 1818.<div class="right">Page 127</div> +<br /><br /></div> + +<div class="contentheader"><a href="#APPENDIX"><b>APPENDIX.</b></a><br /><br /></div> +<div class="contentblock"> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> +The adventures of Colonel Daniel Boone, formerly a +hunter; containing a narrative of the wars of Kentucky, +as given by himself.<div class="right">Page 143</div> +<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div> + + + +<h1>THE</h1><h1> ADVENTURES OF DANIEL BOONE.</h1> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I.</h2> + +<div class="wrap_area"> + <img src="images/drop_s.jpg" width= "150" height= "404" alt="S" /> + + <div class="shape_wrap"> + <div style="width: 151px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 151px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 114px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 82px;" ></div> + + </div> + +<p><span class="dropcap">S</span>OME men choose to live in crowded +cities;—others are pleased with the peaceful quiet of a country +farm; while some love to roam through wild forests, and make their homes +in the wilderness. The man of whom I shall now speak, was one of this last +class. Perhaps you never heard of <span class="smcap">Daniel Boone</span>, +the Kentucky rifleman. If not, then I have a strange and interesting +story to tell you.</p> + +<p>If, when a child was born, we knew that he was to become a remarkable +man, the time and place of his birth would, perhaps, be always +remembered. But as this can not be known, great mistakes are often +made on these points. As to the time when Daniel Boone +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> +was born, there is no difficulty; but people have fallen into many blunders +about the place. Some have said that he was born in England, before +his parents left that country; others that he came into this world +during the passage of his parents across the Atlantic. One has told us +that he was born in Virginia; another in Maryland; while many have +stated that he was a native of North Carolina. These are all mistakes. +Daniel Boone was born in the year 1746, in Bucks county, in the state +of Pennsylvania.</p> + +<p>From some cause or other, when the boy was but three years old, his +parents moved from this home, and settled upon the Schuylkill river, +not far from the town of Reading. Here they lived for ten years; and +it was during this time that their son Daniel began to show his +passion for hunting. He was scarcely able to carry a gun, when he was +shooting all the squirrels, rackoons, and even wild-cats (it is said), +that he could find in that region. As he grew older, his courage +increased, and then we find him amusing himself with higher game. +Other lads in the neighborhood were soon taught by him the use of the +rifle, and were then able to join him in his adventures. On one +occasion, they all started out for a hunt, and after amusing +themselves till it was almost dark, were returning homeward, when +suddenly a wild cry was heard in the woods. The boys screamed out, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> +"A panther! a panther!" and ran off as fast as they could. Boone stood +firmly, looking around for the animal. It was a panther indeed. His +eye lighted upon him just in the act of springing toward him: in an +instant he levelled his rifle, and shot him through the heart.</p> + +<p>But this sort of sport was not enough for him. He seemed resolved to +go away from men, and live in the forests with these animals. One +morning he started off as usual, with his rifle and dog. Night came +on, but Daniel did not return to his home. Another day and night +passed away, and still the boy did not make his appearance. His +parents were now greatly alarmed. The neighbors joined them in making +search for the lad. After wandering about a great while, they at +length saw smoke rising from a cabin in the distance. Upon reaching +it, they found the boy. The floor of the cabin was covered with the +skins of such animals as he had slain, and pieces of meat were +roasting before the fire for his supper. Here, at a distance of three +miles from any settlement, he had built his cabin of sods and +branches, and sheltered himself in the wilderness.</p> +</div> + +<p>It was while his father was living on the head-waters of the +Schuylkill, that young Boone received, so far as we know, all his +education. Short indeed were his schoolboy days. It happened that an +Irish schoolmaster strolled into the settlement, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> + and, by the advice of Mr. Boone and other parents, opened a school in +the neighborhood. It was not then as it is now. Good schoolhouses were +not scattered over the land; nor were schoolmasters always able to teach +their pupils. The schoolhouse where the boys of this settlement went +was a log cabin, built in the midst of the woods. The schoolmaster was +a strange man: sometimes good-humored, and then indulging the lads; +sometimes surly and ill-natured, and then beating them severely. It +was his usual custom, after hearing the first lessons of the morning, +to allow the children to be out for a half hour at play, during which +time he strolled off to refresh himself from his labors. He always +walked in the same direction, and the boys thought that after his +return, when they were called in, he was generally more cruel than +ever. They were whipped more severely, and, oftentimes without any +cause. They observed this, but did not know the meaning of it. One +morning young Boone asked that he might go out, and had scarcely left +the schoolroom, when he saw a squirrel running over the trunk of a +fallen tree. True to his nature, he instantly gave chase, until at +last the squirrel darted into a bower of vines and branches. Boone +thrust his hand in, and, to his surprise, laid of hold of a bottle of +whiskey. This was in the direction of his master's morning walks, and +he thought now that he understood the secret of +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> +much of his ill-nature. He returned to the schoolroom; but when they +were dismissed for that day, he told some of the larger boys of his +discovery. Their plan was soon arranged. Early the next morning a +bottle of whiskey, having tartar emetic in it, was placed in the +bower, and the other bottle thrown away. At the usual hour, the lads +were sent out to play, and the master started on his walk. But their +play was to come afterward: they longed for the master to return. At +length they were called in, and in a little time saw the success of +their experiment. The master began to look pale and sick, yet still +went on with his work. Several boys were called up, one after the +other, to recite lessons, and all whipped soundly, whether right or +wrong. At last young Boone was called out to answer questions in +arithmetic. He came forward with his slate and pencil, and the master +began: "If you subtract six from nine, what remains?" said he. "Three, +sir," said Boone. "Very good," said the master; "now let us come to +fractions. If you take three quarters from a whole number, what +remains?"—"The whole, sir," answered Boone. "You blockhead!" +cried the master, beating him, "you stupid little fool, how can you +show that?"—"If I take one bottle of whiskey," said Boone, "and +put in its place another in which I have mixed an emetic, the whole +will remain, if nobody drinks it!" The +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> +Irishman, dreadfully sick, was now doubly enraged. He seized Boone, +and commenced beating him: the children shouted and roared; the +scuffle continued, until Boone knocked the master down upon the floor, +and rushed out of the room. It was a day of freedom now for the lads. +The story soon ran through the neighborhood; Boone was rebuked by his +parents, but the schoolmaster was dismissed, and thus ended the boy's +education.</p> + +<p>Thus freed from school, he now returned more ardently than ever to his +favorite pursuit. His dog and rifle were his constant companions, and +day after day he started from home, only to roam through the forests. +Hunting seemed to be the only business of his life; and he was never +so happy as when at night he came home laden with game. He was an +untiring wanderer.</p> + +<p>I do not know but that this passion for roaming was in some degree +inherited by Daniel Boone. His father had already had three homes: one +in England, one in Bucks county, and another on the Schuylkill; and he +now thought of removing further. It is said that the passion of Daniel +for hunting was one cause which prompted his father to think of this. +Land was becoming scarce, the neighborhood a little crowded, and game +less abundant; and, to mend matters, he began to cast his eyes around +for a new home. He was not long in choosing one. +He had heard of a rich and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> +beautiful country on the banks of the Yadkin river in North +Carolina, and he determined that this should be the next resting-place +for him and his household.</p> + +<p>All things were made ready as soon as possible, and the journey +commenced. It was a fine spring morning when the father started for +his new home, with his wife and children, his flocks and herds. Their +journey lay hundreds of miles through a trackless wilderness; yet with +cheerful and fearless hearts they pressed onward. When hungry, they +feasted upon venison and wild turkeys (for Daniel, with his rifle, was +in company); when thirsty, they found cool springs of water to refresh +them by the way; when wearied at night, they laid themselves down and +slept under the wide-spreading branches of the forest. At length they +reached the land they looked for, and the father found it to be all +that he expected. The woods in that region were unbroken; no man +seemed yet to have found them. Land was soon cleared, a cabin built, +and the father in a little time found himself once more happily +settled with his family.</p> + +<p>The old man with his other sons went busily to the work of making a +farm. As for Daniel, they knew it was idle to expect his help in such +employment, and therefore left him to roam about with his rifle. This +was a glorious country for the youth; wild woods were all around him, +and the game, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> +having not yet learned to fear the crack of the rifle +wandered fearlessly through them. This he thought was, of all places, +the home for him. I hope you will not think that he was the idle and +useless boy of the family, for it was not so. While the farm was +improving, Daniel was supplying the family with provisions. The table +at home was always filled with game, and they had enough and to spare. +Their house became known as a warm-hearted and hospitable abode; for +the wayfaring wanderer, when lost in the woods, was sure to find here +a welcome, a shelter, and an abundance. Then, too, if money was wanted +in the family, the peltries of the animals shot by Daniel supplied it: +so that he was, in a large degree, the supporter of the household. In +this way years rolled onward—the farm still enlarging and improving, +Daniel still hunting, and the home one of constant peace, happiness, +and plenty.</p> + +<p>At length the story of the success and comfort of the family brought +neighbors around them. Different parts of the forests began to be +cleared; smoke was soon seen rising from new cabins; and the sharp +crack of other rifles than Daniel's was sometimes heard in the +morning. This grieved him sadly. Most people would have been pleased +to find neighbors in the loneliness of the woods; but what pleased +others did not please him. They were crowding upon him; they were +driving away +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> +his game: this was his trouble. But, after all, there +was one good farmer who came into the region and made his settlement; +which settlement, as it turned out, proved a happy thing for Daniel. +This was a very worthy man named Bryan. He cleared his land, built his +cabin upon a sloping hill, not very far from Mr. Boone's, and before a +great while, by dint of industry, had a good farm of more than a +hundred acres. This farm was beautifully situated. A pretty stream of +water almost encircled it. On the banks of the Schuylkill, Daniel +Boone found all his education, such as it was; on the banks of the +Yadkin he found something far better. I must tell you now of a very +strange adventure.</p> + +<p>One evening, with another young friend, he started out upon what is +called a "<i>fire-hunt</i>." Perhaps you do not know what this means. I +will explain it to you. Two people are always necessary for a +fire-hunt. One goes before, carrying a blazing torch of pitch-pine +wood (or lightwood, as it is called in the southern country), while +the other follows behind with his rifle. In this way the two hunters +move through the forests. When an animal is startled, he will stand +gazing at the light, and his eyes may be seen shining distinctly: this +is called "<i>shining the eyes</i>." The hunter with the rifle, thus seeing +him, while the other <i>shines</i> him, levels his gun with steady aim, and +has a fair shot. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> +This mode of hunting is still practised in many +parts of our country, and is everywhere known as a <i>fire-hunt</i>.</p> + +<p>Boone, with his companion, started out upon such a hunt, and very soon +reached the woods skirting the lower end of Mr. Bryan's farm. It seems +they were on horseback, Boone being behind with the rifle. They had +not gone far, when his companion reined up his horse, and two eyes +were seen distinctly shining. Boone levelled his rifle, but something +prevented his firing. The animal darted off. Boone leaped from his +horse, left his companion, and instantly dashed after it. It was too +dark to see plainly, still he pursued; he was close upon its track, +when a fence coming in the way, the animal leaped it with a clear +bound. Boone climbed over as fast as he could with his rifle, but the +game had got ahead. Nothing daunted by this, he pushed on, until he +found himself at last not very far from Mr. Bryan's home. But the +animal was gone. It was a strange chase. He determined to go into Mr +Bryan's house, and tell his adventure. As he drew near, the dogs +raised a loud barking, the master came out, bade him welcome, and +carried him into the house. Mr. Bryan had scarcely introduced him to +his family as "the son of his neighbor Boone," when suddenly the door +of the room was burst open, and in rushed a little lad of seven, +followed by a girl of sixteen years, crying +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> +out, "O father! father! sister is frightened to death! She went down +to the river, and was chased by a panther!" The hunter and his game +had met. There stood Boone, leaning upon his rifle, and Rebecca Bryan +before him, gasping for breath. From that moment he continued to +pursue it; Farmer Bryan's house became a favorite resort for him; he +loved it as well as the woods. The business was now changed: Rebecca +Bryan completely <i>shined his eyes</i>; and after a time, to the great joy +of themselves and both families, Daniel Boone and Rebecca Bryan were +married. It proved, as you will see, a very happy marriage to both +parties.</p> + +<p>Being now a married man, it became Daniel Boone's duty to seek a new +home for himself. In a little time, therefore, he left his wife, and +wandered into the unsettled parts of North Carolina in search of one. +After moving about for some time, he found, upon the head-waters of +the Yadkin, a rich soil, covered with a heavy and once more unbroken +forest. "Here," thought Daniel Boone, "is the resting-place for me; +here Rebecca Bryan and myself may be happy: this shall be our home." +He returned to his wife, and she, with a cheerful heart, joined in all +his plans. With tears in her eyes, she bade farewell to her friends; +yet, with a light spirit, she started off with her husband. A clearing +in the woods was + +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> +soon made, a log cabin of his own soon built, and a +portion of ground planted. Boone seems now to have thought that he +must do something more than use his rifle. He was to make a home for +his wife and busied himself, accordingly, in enlarging his farm as +fast as he could, and industriously cultivating it. Still, on his +busiest day, he would find a leisure hour to saunter with his gun to +the woods, and was sure never to return without game. His own table +was loaded with it, as when at his father's, and his house, like his +father's, soon became known as a warm and kind shelter for the +wandering traveller. In this industrious and quiet way of farming and +hunting, years were spent, and Daniel Boone was contented and happy. +Several little children were now added to his group; and, with his +wife, his children, and his rifle, for companions, he felt that all +was well.</p> + +<p>But his peace was at length disturbed once more. His old troubles +pursued him; men again began to come near. The crash of falling trees +was heard, as the new settlers levelled the forests; huts were seen +springing up all around him; other hunters were roaming through the +woods, and other dogs than his were heard barking. This was more than +he was willing to bear. Happy as he had made his home, he determined +to leave it, and find another in the wilderness, where he could have +that wilderness to himself. For some time he was +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> +at a loss to know +where to go; yet his heart was fixed in the determination to move. The +circumstances which pointed him to his new home, and where that new +home was made, you may learn in the next chapter. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span></p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II.</h2> + +<div class="wrap_area"> + <img src="images/drop_m.jpg" width= "150" height= "397" alt="M" /> + + <div class="shape_wrap"> + <div style="width: 151px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 151px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 112px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 82px;" ></div> + </div> + +<p><span class="dropcap">M</span>Y young friends all know where the +state of Kentucky is situated. It is hardly necessary for me to say, +that at the time of which I am writing, that region was an unbroken +wilderness.</p> + +<p>It was in the year 1754 that a white man first visited the country of +Kentucky. This was James M‘Bride. In company with several others +during that year, he was passing down the Ohio, when he discovered the +mouth of Kentucky river, and made a landing. Near the spot where he +landed, he cut upon a tree the first letters of his name; and these +letters, it is said, could be seen and distinctly read for many years +afterward. With his companions, he wandered through the wilderness; +the country struck them all as being remarkably beautiful. It is not +wonderful, then, that when they returned home, they were filled with +fine stories +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> +about the new region. They declared that it was "the +best tract of land in North America, and probably in the world."</p> + +<p>In spite of their pleasant stories, however, it was a long time before +any one was disposed to follow in their track. At length, Doctor +Walker, of Virginia, with a number of friends, started upon a western +tour of discovery. Some say that he was in search of the Ohio river +particularly; others that he went merely to collect strange plants and +flowers. Be this as it may, he with his party wandered through +Powell's Valley, and passed the mountains at what is called the +Cumberland Gap. They then crossed the Cumberland river, and roaming on +through the forests, at length, after much fatigue and suffering, +reached the Big Sandy. The country was beautiful, yet they were too +much worn out to go further, and from this point began to return +homeward. They had suffered more than M‘Bride, and therefore their +story was not so bright as his; yet they gave a very pleasant account +of the new country.</p> + +<p>No one yet, however, seemed ready to make his home in Kentucky; and +accident at last seems to have thrown one man into that country, whose +story, upon his return, made some anxious to go there. This was John +Finley, a backwoodsman of North Carolina. He was in the habit of +roving about and trading with the Indians. In the year +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> +1767, he, with certain companions as fearless as himself, led on from +place to place by the course of trade, wandered far into Kentucky. +Here he remained for some time. It was a very beautiful, yet, as he +learned also, a very dangerous country. No Indian tribe lived there, +but all the tribes roamed over it as a hunting-ground. Upon these +hunts, the fierce and warlike people would often meet and wage their +bloody battles. These fights were so frequent and so awful, that the +region was known by the name of the "Dark and Bloody Ground." In spite +of danger, Finley lived there, until at last the traders and the +Indians began to quarrel, and, for safety's sake, he was forced to run +off. He returned to North Carolina, filled with wonderful stories. +Sights like those on the "Dark and Bloody Ground," were nowhere to be +seen. The land was rich, and covered with trees and flowers; there +were lofty mountains, beautiful valleys, and clear streams, throughout +it. Then he spoke of the strange caves in the mountains; of curious +salt springs; of the footprints of men to be seen distinctly upon the +solid rocks; of the strange figures of huge animals on the sides of +the high cliffs. Game of all sorts was abundant, from the buffalo down +to the partridge. There was no country (he declared) like +<i>Kain-tuck-kee</i>. + +<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a> +<a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> +His tale was so wonderful, that people could not well help listening +to it.</p> + +</div> + +<p>Whether John Finley was led there by a knowledge of the man's +character, or whether it was an accident, it so happened, that about a +year after his return, he wandered into the neighborhood of Daniel +Boone's home. It was not long before he fell in with Boone, and +completely charmed him with his stories. Boone had known some sport in +the forests himself, but the adventures of Finley were to him +marvellous. He was so much pleased with the man, that he invited him, +as it was now winter, to come to his house, and make his home there +through the season. The invitation was gladly accepted; and in the +cabin of Boone, again and again was the wild beauty of the "Dark and +Bloody Ground" laid before him. There was no end to Finley's stories +of this region. The wind whistled without, but the fire blazed +cheerfully within; and here they sat, on many a night, almost till +dawn, Finley talking, and Boone listening. The end of all this was, +that they determined, when spring opened, to go to Kentucky. Boone +knew that there were hardships and perils in the way, and Finley had +practically felt them; but what were dangers or difficulties to these +fearless men? The first of May was agreed upon as the day for +starting, and Finley was then again to meet Boone at his house. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span></p> + +<p>It is not strange that other bold men, who heard Finley's stories, +were seized with the same desire for going west. Indeed, Boone helped +to give them that desire, knowing that a few brave spirits would be of +great service in the new country. He talked, therefore, warmly of the +comforts of a new home in the forest, where there was an abundance of +game, and a complete absence of towns and villages. Accordingly, on +the first of May, 1769, when Finley repaired to Boone's house, he +found four others ready for the adventure: these were John Stewart, +Joseph Holden, James Monay, and William Cool. The people in the +neighborhood, learning what was going on, had likewise gathered to +look with surprise upon these six men. What could prompt men to leave +the comforts of their quiet homes, and wander off into the wilderness? +They surely were crazy. Boone was much beloved as a kind neighbor, and +they mourned most over his madness. Nothing daunted by all this, they +were then ready for a start, and were now on the point of leaving. We +are told that, with tears in his eyes, Daniel Boone kissed his wife +and children; and if the story be true, I love him the more for it. +His spirit was beating for his new hunting-forests; he could face all +the dangers of the "Dark and Bloody Ground," but then it was doubtful +whether he was not parting with his wife and children for ever. At all +events, he was leaving +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> +them for months, perhaps for years—he knew +not how long—and who can wonder that tears stood in his eyes? Each +man shouldered his rifle, shot-bag, powder-horn, and knapsack, and off +they started—every neighbor straining his eyes after them as far as +he could see, as the men upon whom he was looking for the last time.</p> + +<p>For two or three days they saw nothing new, for they were passing over +their old hunting-grounds. After this, they came to a wild and +trackless region, and saw from time to time the lofty ridge of +mountains which separated them from the western country. In two days +more, the provisions with which they had started gave out, and the +first thing to be done was to find a fresh supply. Accordingly they +halted, chose a suitable spot for their camp, and part of them +commenced building it of logs and branches; the others went into the +woods in search of game. It was impossible for such men to starve in +such a region; game was abundant. The hunters returned toward night, +with several deer and wild turkeys. The camp was finished, a bright +fire was burning, and in a little time the venison was dressed, +cooked, and eaten. The supper was scarcely finished, when they saw +dark clouds gathering, and presently they were visited by a tremendous +thunder-storm. The sharp lightning flashed through the woods, and the +rain poured down in torrents; yet, in their camp they fearlessly +sheltered +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> + themselves, the branches covering them from the rain. A man +can scarcely be placed during a thunder-storm in a more dangerous +place than a forest: every tree is a mark for the lightning; yet these +men were calm and self-possessed, and were mercifully protected.</p> + +<p>The storm having passed over, they made their arrangements for the +night. For safety's sake, two men were to keep a constant watch, while +the others slept; and in this duty of watching, they were to take +turns. About midnight, while Boone and Holden were keeping the watch, +a sharp shrill cry was heard in the woods. They sprang to their feet. +"What noise is that?" said Holden. The sound was familiar to Boone. +"Be still," said he; "it is only a panther; come along with me." +Moving cautiously from the camp, they listened again for the cry. Once +more they heard it. Creeping through the woods in the direction of the +sound, they at length saw through the darkness the wild, glaring eyes +of the animal. Boone levelled his rifle with steady aim, and fired. +With a wild yell the panther fell to the ground, and began to retreat. +Both were satisfied that the ball had struck him, and returned again +to the camp. The crack of the rifle had waked their companions; the +adventure was made known to them, and they went quietly to sleep +again, satisfied that for the rest of the night at least that panther +would not disturb them. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span></p> + +<p>The next day was a very busy one. Finding game so plenty in the +neighborhood, they determined to lay in a good supply. Part of them +were therefore out in the woods, hunting, while the rest were in the +camp, smoking, drying, and packing the venison for the journey. +Fatigued with these labors, when night came they gladly laid +themselves down, and, like wearied men, slept soundly.</p> + +<p>By the first ray of the morning's light the camp was stirring. +Shouldering their rifles and knapsacks, they started on their way. In +a little time they found a dead panther. Boone declared that this was +his panther; the animal was killed with one ball, and by comparing +that ball with those in his shot-bag, he found they were of the same +size. In two or three days they reached the foot of the mountains, and +began to ascend. Their journey was now rough and wearisome, and they +made slow progress. To any men but these, the mountains might have +proved impassable; but they were bent upon finding the new +hunting-grounds of Kentucky, and nothing could keep them back. After +climbing the hills day after day, they found once more that their +provisions were gone, and were again forced to halt. Their camp was +built on the side of the mountain, and their rifles easily supplied +their wants. The journey was rigorously renewed, and after many days +of further struggling, they at length found themselves on one of the +tops of the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> +Allegany ridge. Here they were, upon Cumberland mountain. +At this place they halted once more, to look down upon the magnificent +prospect which was spread out before them. This was their first view +of the new region, and they felt that it was all that Finley had +described it to be. It was indeed a glorious country. The land was +covered with trees and flowers; there were the rolling hills, and the +beautiful valleys, and the clear sparkling streams, of which he had +spoken.</p> + +<p>The prospect was too beautiful to allow them to tarry long: they +panted to be in that country. With more earnest desires than ever, +they commenced descending the mountains. This part of the journey was +comparatively easy. In a few days now they reached the western base of +the hills, and entered a lovely plain. Here, for the first time, the +new hunters saw the finest of western game—a herd of buffaloes. From +the skirt of the wood at the end of the plain, a countless troop of +these animals came rushing over it. The men were delighted; they had +heard of these noble beasts of the forest, but none of them, except +Finley, had ever seen one. As the mass came tramping toward them, they +stood gazing in astonishment. Finley, who knew that men were sometimes +trampled to death by these moving troops, kept his eye steadily upon +the herd until the foremost was within rifle-shot; he then levelled +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> +his gun, and the leader fell dead. With a wild bellow the herd parted +on each side of the fallen animal, and went scampering through the +plain. There seemed no end to the number, as they still came rushing +from the wood. The mass appeared closing again in a solid body, when +he seized Holden's rifle, and shot another. Now they were completely +routed; branching off on the two sides of the plain, they went +bellowing and tearing past them. "An amazing country, this!" cried +Boone; "who ever beheld such an abundance?" The camp was once more +soon built, a blazing fire made, and, for the first time in their +lives, five of these men sat down to a supper of buffalo-meat. They +talked of their new country, the quantity of game, and how joyously +they would roam through the huge forests, until the night had worn far +away.</p> + +<p>The next morning, after breakfast, they packed up such portions of the +animals as they could readily carry, and resumed their march. In a +little time they reached Red river. Here Finley began to feel more at +home, for on this river he had lived. Following the course of the +stream, ere long they came to the place which had been his +trading-post with the Indians. They had been more than a month +reaching this point, and, naturally enough, were wearied. Finley, too, +could no longer guide them; and here, for the present, they +determined +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> + to halt again. It was now the seventh day of June.</p> + +<p>As this was to be their headquarters for some time, they built at once +a substantial log cabin. They were now fairly in the wilds of +Kentucky; and remembering that the whole region was the +fighting-ground of the wandering Indians, the cabin was built not only +to protect them from the weather, but to answer as a sort of fort +against the savages. This shelter being provided, their whole time now +was given to hunting and exploring the country. Hunting was a pastime +indeed, the game was so abundant. They could look out upon herds of +buffaloes scattered through the canebrakes, browsing upon the leaves +of the cane, or cropping the tall grass; the deer bounded fearlessly +by the very door of their hut, and wild turkeys were to be found +everywhere. Everything was in a state of nature; the animals had not +yet learned to be afraid of man. Of course, they did not suffer with +hunger: provisions of the finest kind were ever in their cabin. But +the buffaloes provided them with more than food. From time to time, as +they needed moccasins for their feet, his skin supplied them; and when +at night they felt the dampness of the weather, his hide was the +blanket in which they wrapped themselves and slept soundly.</p> + +<p>The country, as they wandered through it, struck them as beautiful +indeed. There were the lofty +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> +trees of the forest, with no undergrowth +except the cane, the grass, and the flowers. They seemed to have been +planted by the hand of man at regular distances. Clear streams were +seen winding through lovely meadows, surrounded by the gently-sloping +hills; and the fearless buffalo and deer were their companions every +hour. In their wanderings they came several times to hard and +well-tramped roads. It was by following these that they discovered +many of the salt springs or licks where salt is made even now. The +roads to these were worn thus hard by the buffaloes and other animals +that were in the habit of visiting the springs.</p> + +<p>The place of Finley's old trading-post, where their cabin now stood, +seems to have been chosen by him not only as a central point for +trade: it was on the side of a finely-sloping hill, and commanded a +good view of the country below. The situation was beautiful. Perhaps +he chose it when he was a lonely white man in the wilderness, because +thence he might readily see the approach of Indians, and make his +escape, or perhaps it was the very beauty of the spot that charmed +him. He had a love for the beautiful. One day, he and Boone were +standing by the door of the cabin. The wind was sighing in the tops of +the forest, and while they were listening to the music, they were +looking out upon the beautiful region below; the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> + grass was green, and +the bright flowers turned up their leaves to the sun. "Glorious +country!" cried Finley; "this wilderness does indeed blossom like the +rose."—"Yes," replied Boone, "and who would live amid the barren +pine-hills of North Carolina, to hear the screaming of the jay, and +now and then shoot a deer too lean to be eaten? This is the land for +hunters. Here man and beast may grow to their full size."</p> + +<p>In this way, for more than six months, these men fearlessly hunted and +roamed through the woods. Contrary to their expectations, through the +whole summer they saw no Indians, nor did they meet with any +remarkable adventure. The precaution of a nightly watch was adopted, +but they met with no disturbance from man or beast. They had glorious +sport by day, and slept quietly at night. After this, as you will see, +they began to meet difficulties.</p> + +<p>On the 22d of December, Boone and Stewart started off, as they had +often done before, upon an exploring tour. After wandering several +miles, they pressed their way through a piece of thick woods, and came +out upon a boundless open forest. Here they found quantities of +persimmon-trees, loaded with ripe fruit, while clusters of wild grapes +covered the vines that were hanging from the lofty branches. Flowers +were still in bloom, and scented the air; herds of animals might be +seen through +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> +the forest in every direction: add to this that the day +was beautiful, and you will not be surprised to learn that they +continued to wander—indeed, that they wandered much further than they +supposed. It was nearly dark when they reached the Kentucky river, and +stood looking upon its rippling waters. Perceiving a hill close by, +they climbed it, that they might take a better view of the course of +the stream. They were now descending, on their way homeward, when +suddenly they heard an Indian yell, and out rushed from the canebrake +a party of savages. They had no time for resistance—indeed, time was +nothing; they were overpowered by numbers. The savages seized them, +took away their rifles and ammunition, bound them, and marched them +off to their camp. The next morning they started off with their +prisoners, the poor fellows not knowing where they were going, or what +was to be done to them. They did not know one word of their language, +and could therefore learn nothing: this much, however, they very well +understood—that it would not do to show any signs of fear to the +Indians; and therefore they went on cheerfully. In a little time they +became better acquainted with their captors, and judged, from certain +signs, that the Indians themselves had not determined what was to be +done. Part seemed to be for sparing them, part for killing; still +their cheer +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> +fulness was the same. This apparent fearlessness deceived +the Indians; they supposed the prisoners were well pleased with their +condition, and did not watch them closely. On the seventh night of +their march, the savages, as usual, made their camp, and all laid down +to sleep. About midnight, Boone touched Stewart, and waked him: now or +never was their time. They rose, groped their way to the rifles, and +stole from the camp. They hardly dared to look behind them; every +sound startled them, even the snapping of the twigs under their feet. +Fortunately, it was dark, even if the Indians pursued. They wandered +all that night and the whole of the next day, when at last, without +meeting a man, they reached their own camp. But what was their +surprise on finding the camp plundered, and not one of their +companions to be seen? What had become of them? Perhaps they were +prisoners; possibly they were murdered; or it might be that they had +started back for North Carolina. They were safe, but where were their +comrades? Wearied in body, and tormented with fears for their friends, +they commenced preparing for the night. A sound was now heard. They +seized their rifles, and stood ready, expecting the Indians. Two men +were seen indistinctly approaching. "Who comes there?" cried Boone. +"White men and friends," was the answer. Boone knew the voice. In an +instant more, his brother +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> +Squire Boone, with another man, entered the +cabin. These two men had set out from Carolina for the purpose of +reaching them, and had for days been wandering in search of their +camp. It was a joyous meeting—the more joyous, because unexpected. +Big tears were again in Daniel Boone's eyes when he heard, from his +brother, that his wife and children were well. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span></p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III.</h2> + +<div class="wrap_area"> + <img src="images/drop_w.jpg" width= "150" height= "397" alt="W" /> + + <div class="shape_wrap"> + <div style="width: 151px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 151px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 112px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 82px;" ></div> + </div> + +<p><span class="dropcap">W</span>HEN Squire Boone had told his brother +all the news of home, it became his turn to be a listener, while +Daniel talked to him of all that happened since they parted. After +telling him of the beautiful country, and their happy freedom as they +wandered through it for six months, then came the story of his +captivity and escape. That escape was but just now made, and with a +full heart he dwelt upon this part of his story. It would not have +been strange if Squire had now felt alarmed; but his disposition was +much like his brother's: he loved the woods, and was afraid of +nothing.</p> + +<p>In a little time, the four were once more hunting freely through the +forests. Signs of Indians were to be seen around, however; possibly +they were +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> + the very Indians who had captured them. In their wanderings, +therefore, they kept together usually, for self-protection. +One day, they started out upon a buffalo-hunt. As they came upon a +herd of these animals, Stewart lodged his ball in one of them, without +bringing him down. The buffalo went tearing through the forest; and +Daniel Boone, with Stewart, forgetful of everything else, went chasing +after him. Naturally enough, like excited men, they had no idea how +far they had travelled, until their very weariness reminded them that +it was time to turn back. Tired as he was, a harder race was now +before Boone. They had scarcely started on their return, when a party +of Indians rushed from the canebrake, and let fly their arrows. +Stewart fell dead on the spot. Boone would have fired his rifle, but +he felt it was useless: he could kill but one man; his only chance of +escape was in flight. With Indian yells and arrows close behind him, +he leaped forward, and, by tremendous exertions, at last distanced his +pursuers. When he reached the camp, he fell, completely exhausted.</p> + +<p>The party, now cut down to three, was in a little time reduced to two. +From some cause or other, they could not tell what—possibly the sad +story of Stewart's death, and the fear of like troubles—the companion +who had come out with Squire Boone determined upon returning to North<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> +Carolina. Very soon, therefore, he left them alone in the +wilderness. +<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a> +<a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> +</p> + + +<p>It is not strange that, being thus deserted, Squire Boone felt +restless and dissatisfied; the wonder is, that Daniel was not +dissatisfied likewise. But he was happy and contented, and often +struggled to call up the same feelings in his brother. "You see," he +would often say, "how little nature requires, to be satisfied. +Happiness, the companion of content, is rather found in our own +breasts than in the enjoyment of external things. 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." This was good counsel, my young friends, and I +hope you will bear it with you through life. It will serve to comfort +you as much as it did Squire Boone.</p> +</div> + +<p>To be idle, was to allow time for this melancholy, and Daniel Boone +kept his brother constantly busy. The Indians, they were certain, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> +knew where their present camp was, and therefore they resolved to +make another. After choosing their spot, they employed themselves +industriously in erecting another cabin, which might serve to shelter +them through the coming winter. This being finished, they went to +their old sport, wandering through the woods, admiring the country, +and bringing down now and then a buffalo or a deer with their rifles. +At night, they would return to their camp, raise a fire, cook their +supper, and sit till long after midnight, talking of their old home on +the Yadkin. Squire forgot his loneliness, and became quite satisfied. +In this way time rolled off until the winter had passed away, and +spring appeared. Strangely enough, they had been undisturbed; they had +met not even with one Indian.</p> + +<p>They had learned in the wilderness to dispense well nigh with all +comforts; food and sleep were all they expected. But their powder and +shot were now beginning to run low, and without these they could not +long procure food. It was necessary, therefore, to make some +arrangement whereby they might obtain a fresh supply. Their plan was +soon settled: Squire Boone was to go back to North Carolina, and +return with ammunition. They supposed horses would be valuable, also, +and he was likewise to bring with him two of these. Perilous as the +plan was, Squire agreed to bear his part in it, and Daniel as +cheerfully consented to his. Accordingly, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> +on the first day of May, +Squire set off for the Yadkin; and, as if nothing was to be wanting to +leave Daniel in perfect loneliness, their only dog followed Squire as +he started.</p> + +<p>Here, then, Daniel Boone was left entirely alone. Here he was a sort +of Robinson Crusoe in the wilderness—with this difference, that +Robinson was shipwrecked, and had no choice; while Boone chose the +wilderness as his home. He was now completely the "man of the +woods"—far away, hundreds of miles from any white settlement. For the +first time in his life, according to his own confession, he felt +lonely. His mind was filled with the remembrance of his wife and +children, and the thought that he should never see them again. He +knew, however, that sad thoughts, when indulged in, will grow very +rapidly, and therefore dismissed them.</p> + +<p>For safety's sake now, he changed his camp every night, that he might +avoid the Indians. Sometimes he slept in the canebrake; sometimes he +laid himself by the side of a stream; sometimes in the caves of the +rocks. By day he was surrounded by his old companions the buffaloes +and deer, and at night was not unfrequently disturbed by the howling +of the wolves. He roamed over many a beautiful tract of country. Now +he would ascend a hill, and look down upon the scene spread like a map +before him; now he would trace some stream +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> + to its source, or, +following the well-tramped roads of the buffaloes, would find some +spring bubbling in the forest. In this way he moved over a large part +of the country. At one time, he struck the Ohio river, and wandered +for days on the banks of that noble stream. It is said, that in his +rambles, he one day stood upon the spot where the city of Louisville +now stands. He learned to love the woods more than ever. Long after +this, he used to declare, that "no crowded city, with all its commerce +and noble buildings, could give him as much pleasure as the beauty of +Kentucky at that time afforded him."</p> + +<p>Fortunately, he met no Indians. At one time he came in sight of a +roving party, but managed to escape from them. The mode in which he +escaped will show you his perfect self-possession. He had stopped one +day to rest under the shade of a tree, when suddenly he spied the +party in the distance. This was enough for him. He immediately +commenced his course through the forest, hoping that they had not seen +him, and therefore would not pursue. From time to time he would look +back through the woods; and at length became convinced, to his sorrow, +that if they had not seen him, they had marked his tracks, and were +now on his trail. He pushed on for more than two miles, trying in +various ways to break the trail, and thus put them out; still, as he +looked +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> +back, he could see that they were following him He was puzzled +to know what to do. A happy thought now struck him. He had just passed +the brow of a small hill; the heavy grape-vines were hanging from the +trees all around him. He seized one of these, and, bracing himself +against the tree with his feet, threw himself as far as he could. This +broke the trail, and he now kept directly on from the spot where he +landed, in a different direction. The Indians came up, tracking him as +far as the tree: were then lost, and gave up the chase.</p> + +<p>Another adventure is told of him during his lonely wanderings, more +perilous even than this. One day he heard a strange noise in the +woods; he could see nothing, but stood ready with his rifle. Presently +an immense she-bear was seen approaching him. Surrounded by her young +cubs, she was doubly fierce. As she came near, Boone levelled his +rifle and fired. Unfortunately, his steady eye failed this time; the +ball did not strike as he had aimed, and the animal pressed forward, +the more enraged. It was impossible to load again: the bear was upon +him; he had only time to draw his hunting-knife from his belt. The +bear laid her paws on him, and drew him toward her. The rifle in his +left hand was a sort of guard, while with his right he pointed the +knife directly for the heart of the animal. As she grasped him, the +knife entered her body, and she fell dead. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span></p> + +<p>As the time drew near for the return (as he thought) of his brother, +Boone went back to the old camp where they had lodged together, to +meet him. Here day after day he kept his lookout—day after day he was +disappointed. He began now to be very sad. He did not doubt his +brother's fidelity; he knew he would not desert him; but there were +many dangers by the way, and perhaps he had perished. Then he thought, +too, of his wife and little ones. If that brother had perished, he +likewise must die without seeing them. Without ammunition to procure +food, or defend himself, what could he do? He must die, there in the +wilderness. His brother had been absent now nearly three months: +surely it was time for his return. Another day of disappointment was +now drawing to a close, as Boone sat, sick at heart, by the door of +his cabin. A sound broke on his ear; he rose and stood listening, with +his hand on the lock of his rifle. It was the tread of horses. The +next moment he saw his brother through the forest leading two horses +heavily laden. Here was abundance of ammunition and other comfort. The +evening of the 27th of July was long after this remembered by Daniel +Boone as one of the most joyous of his life.</p> + +<p>A fire was soon made, their supper cooked, and long after midnight +they sat talking. Thousands of questions were asked and answered, +until, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> +wearied out, at last they lay down to sleep. The sun was high +in the heavens when they waked in the morning.</p> + +<p>After breakfast, Daniel Boone proposed a new plan to his brother. Much +as he loved the woods, he felt that two men could hardly be safe in +the neighborhood of so many Indians. Moreover he longed to see his +family: the stories of Squire had called up fresh recollections in his +heart. The plan therefore was, to select a suitable spot for their +home, then return to Carolina and bring out his family. Squire readily +assented to this; and now they employed themselves for several days in +hunting and laying in a supply of provisions. This being done, they +went to the Cumberland river, and wandered for some time along the +stream without finding a place to please them. Roaming about now, they +found many new streams, to which, as the first discoverers, they gave +names. Anxious as they were to return to the Yadkin, they were in no +such hurry as to neglect making a full survey. The whole winter passed +away before they pleased themselves. At length they came upon the +Kentucky river. Here the lands delighted them. On the banks of this +stream they determined to make their settlement, and now (March, 1771) +turned their faces homeward. As he left the chosen spot, Boone says +that "he felt it was a second paradise, and was resolved, at the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> + risk +of his life and fortune, that his family should have a home there."</p> + +<p>As they journeyed eastward from the Kentucky river, they occasionally +blazed their pathway (as huntsmen say) that they might find their way +back. It was necessary thus to leave some track through the forest +wilderness, that they might again reach their chosen spot. +<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a> +<a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a> +Fortunately they met with no Indians.</p> + + + +<p>We hear of but one adventure on their way homeward. After travelling +quietly several days, they were one morning startled by a noise. +Presently a herd of buffaloes came rushing and tearing through the +forest; they seemed frantic. The cause of all this was soon seen. A +panther, seated upon the back of one of the buffaloes, had plunged his +claws and teeth into him. The blood was streaming down his sides, and +the poor animal, struggling to shake him off, rushed into the midst of +the herd. This frightened the rest, and they went bellowing and +dashing through the woods. Daniel Boone raised his rifle, and sent a +ball through the panther. He fell dead. Not far off they met a pack of +wolves, following as usual in + <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> +the track of the buffaloes. For the fun +of seeing them scatter, Squire now fired his rifle, and away they +went, scampering in all directions.</p> + +<p>In due time they came to the mountains. After trying to ascend in +various places, at length they found a narrow and rugged gap, through +which with great difficulty they made their way. It was, however, the +best pass they could discover, and they blazed their track, that they +might find it again. In a little time now, Daniel Boone was again in +his cabin on the banks of the Yadkin. I need hardly say there was a +joyous meeting; he was once more happy in the bosom of his family. He +had been absent nearly two years.</p> + +<p>Amid the joys of home, however, he did not forget his chosen spot in +Kentucky; his heart was filled with the thought that his happy home +might be happier there. As this was to be his final move, it was +necessary to settle all his business on the Yadkin; and as he had +tried the wilderness, he felt that a few trusty companions would be +invaluable in that new region. He commenced, therefore, making what he +thought proper preparations for a return. To beat up such neighbors as +they desired, he and Squire gave glowing accounts of the new country; +the rich lands, the forests, the streams, the flowers, and the game, +were all talked of. They saw only, and consequently spoke only, of the +bright side of the picture. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> +But there were numbers of people to talk +of difficulties; these spoke of the folly of the Boones, in thinking +of making such a country their home, and the madness of any man who +should think of following them; the country was wild, and all who +settled there must suffer many privations: then, too (according to +their story), it was afflicted with terrible diseases, and they might +all expect to die there, or, if they escaped the climate, they must +fall into the hands of the fierce and cruel Indians who roamed through +those forests; the place they declared was so dangerous that it was +known, wherever it was known, as "the dark and bloody ground." With +these sad stories floating about continually, it is not wonderful that +the Boones found difficulty in beating up companions, and that more +than two years passed away before they were ready for a start. At the +end of that time they found that, while many were opposed to them, and +others wavering as to what they would do, there were some, prompted by +a spirit of bold adventure, ready to join them. Five families were +willing to go with them to Kentucky.</p> + +<p>Daniel Boone now sold his farm, and all things being made ready, on +the 25th of September, 1773, the little company bade farewell to their +friends and started for the west, driving before them their flocks and +their herds. In their route, not a great +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> + way from the Yadkin, was the +settlement of Powel's valley. The story of their plan had spread +through the neighborhood, and when they reached this spot they were +delighted to find that the people were not so timid as those on the +Yadkin: forty men here joined the party. Now they travelled on in high +spirits; the whole body, old and young, numbering between seventy and +eighty souls.</p> + +<p>In a little time they came to the mountains, and found the pathway +blazed by the Boones. In less than a fortnight they passed the first +ridge of the Alleganies, known as "Powel's range," and were now +quietly descending the second, known as "Walden's range," when sorrow +overtook them. They were in a dark and narrow gap, when the wild yell +of Indians broke upon their ears. The savages rushed into the gap +behind them, and let fly their arrows. Six of the party fell dead, a +seventh was wounded. The men rallied around the women and children; +the first discharge of their rifles scattered the savages. But the +mischief was done; the sudden attack of the Indians was like a flash +of lightning; they were seen only for an instant; yet, like the +lightning, they had done their work: there were the dead, and alas! +among them was the oldest son of Daniel Boone.</p> + +<p>The party, a little time before so happy, was +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> + now in deep sorrow. +What was to be done? The Indians had not only killed their companions, +but their flocks and herds had all fled in fright, and could not be +again gathered together. In dismay, the greater part were for +retreating instantly to the nearest white settlement; this was upon +the Clinch river, forty miles behind them. The Boones begged them to +keep on their way—not to think of turning back; but it was all to no +purpose; most of them insisted on retreating, and they at length +yielded to the general desire. Accordingly, the dead were decently +buried, and in great sadness they all traced their way back to Clinch +river.</p> + +<p>Here Daniel Boone remained with his family eight months. At the end of +that time he was requested by Governor Dunmore, of Virginia, to go to +the falls of the Ohio, to serve as a guide to a party of surveyors who +had been sent there some months before. The western country was now +beginning to attract attention, and the Indians were becoming very +hostile to the whites. Accordingly, on the 6th of June, 1774, he +started (with one man, Michael Stoner), and without any accident +reached the point at which he aimed—the spot where Louisville now +stands. The service for the surveyors was promptly performed, and they +were enabled to complete their work, while Boone was at liberty to +return to his family. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> +It is remarkable that he made this journey on +foot, a distance of eight hundred miles, through a trackless +wilderness, in the short period of sixty-two days.</p> + +<p>He was not allowed to remain quiet long; soon after his return, the +Indians northwest of the Ohio, especially the Shawanese, made open war +upon the whites. Governor Dunmore felt bound to protect his +countrymen, and, among other acts for their defence, sent Daniel +Boone, with the title of captain, to take command of three garrisons. +This service was likewise well performed; matters were soon more +quiet, the soldiers were discharged, and Boone was relieved from his +post.</p> + +<p>He had not been a wanderer in the woods in vain; his fame had gone +abroad, and his services were in the following spring sought again. A +company of gentlemen in North Carolina—the principal man of whom was +Colonel Richard Henderson—were attempting to purchase the lands on +the south side of the Kentucky river, from the Cherokee Indians. +<a name="FNanchor_4_4" id="FNanchor_4_4"></a> +<a href="#Footnote_4_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a> +They had agreed to hold a treaty with the Indians, at Wataga, in +March, 1775, to settle the boundaries of their intended purchase, and +they now desired Boone to attend that treaty, and manage their +business. In compliance with their wish, he went to Wataga, and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> +performed their service so well, that they gave him further +employment. He was now requested to mark out a road from their +settlement, through the wilderness, to Kentucky river. This was a work +of great labor. It was necessary to make many surveys to find the best +route, and when the best was found, it was, much of it, over mountains +and rugged regions. With a number of laborers, he commenced the work. +He met with two attacks from the Indians by the way, in which four of +his men were killed, and five wounded. Undaunted, he pushed resolutely +on, and, in the month of April, reached the Kentucky river. To guard +themselves from the savages, they immediately commenced the building +of a fort at a salt lick, about sixty yards from the south bank of the +stream. The Indians annoyed them from time to time, while they were +thus engaged, but fortunately killed but one man. On the 14th day of +June the fort was finished, and Boone started back for his family on +Clinch river. As an honor to him, the party gave to this first +settlement in the wilderness of Kentucky the name of Boonesborough.</p> + +<p>He reached his family without accident, and, as rapidly as he could, +retraced his way with them through the forest. The fort consisted of +several cabins, surrounded by pickets ten feet high, planted firmly in +the ground. In one of these, Daniel +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> +Boone found a shelter for his +family. The long desire of his heart was at last gratified: he had a +home in Kentucky. He was the first settler of that region, and (as he +proudly said) his "wife and daughter the first white women that ever +stood on the banks of Kentucky river." +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span></p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV.</h2> + +<div class="wrap_area"> + <img src="images/drop_i.jpg" width= "150" height= "397" alt="I" /> + + <div class="shape_wrap"> + <div style="width: 151px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 151px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 114px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 82px;" ></div> + </div> + +<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>T was now the season of autumn; +the trees had not yet shed their leaves, and the forests were still +beautiful. Mrs. Boone felt happy as she looked upon her new home. +Winter came, and glided rapidly and joyously away. With their axes and +rifles, the men in the settlement brought in constant and ample +supplies of fuel and game, and around the blazing hearth of Daniel +Boone there was not one in the family who sighed for the old home on +the Yadkin. Boone naturally supposed that a fear of the Indians would +be the principal trouble with his wife; and well she might dread them, +remembering the loss of her son formerly in the pass of the mountains. +Fortunately, however, she did not see an Indian through the season. +But one white man was killed by them during the winter, and he lost +his life by unfortunately wandering away from +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> +the fort unarmed. After this, the other settlers were more prudent; +they never went without the pickets for fuel without taking their +rifles.</p> + +<p>When spring opened, they were soon very busy. A small clearing without +the pickets was first made for a garden-spot. Mrs. Boone and her +daughter brought out their stock of garden-seeds, and commenced +cultivating this, while the men went on earnestly in the work of +preparing for their fields. They were calculating that they were +making their homes for life. Day after day the neighborhood resounded +with the crash of falling trees, as these hardy men levelled the +forests. While they were thus engaged, they were made happy by a new +arrival. Colonel Calloway, an old companion of Boone's, led by the +desire of finding his old friend and a new country, came out to the +settlement this spring, and brought with him his two young daughters. +Here, then, were companions for Boone's daughter. The fathers were +happy, and the mother and girls delighted.</p> + +<p>Spring had not passed away, however, before they were in sorrow about +these children. When the wild flowers began to bloom in the woods, the +girls were in the habit of strolling around the fort and gathering +them to adorn their humble homes. This was an innocent and pleasant +occupation; it pleased the girls as well as their parents. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> +They were only cautioned not to wander far, for fear of the Indians. +This caution, it seems, was forgotten. Near the close of a beautiful +day in July, they were wandering, as usual, and the bright flowers +tempted them to stroll thoughtlessly onward. Indians were in ambush; +they were suddenly surrounded, seized, and hurried away, in spite of +their screams for help. They were carried by their captors to the main +body of the Indian party, some miles distant. Night came, and the +girls did not return; search was made for them, and they were nowhere +to be found. The thought now flashed upon Boone that the children were +prisoners; the Indians had captured them. The parents were well nigh +frantic: possibly the girls were murdered. Boone declared that he +would recover his child, if alive, if he lost his own life in the +effort. The whole settlement was at once roused: every man offered to +start off with the two fathers in search of the children. But Boone +would not have them all; some must remain behind, to protect the +settlement. Of the whole number he chose seven; he and Calloway headed +them; and, in less time than I have been telling the story, laden with +their knapsacks and rifles, they were off in pursuit.</p> + +<p>Which way were they to go? It was a long time before they could find a +track of the party. The wily Indians, as usual, had used all their +cunning +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> +in hiding their footprints and breaking their trail. Covering +their tracks with leaves; walking at right angles occasionally from +the main path; crossing brooks by walking in them for some time, and +leaving them at a point far from where they entered: all this had been +practised, and I presume that the fathers never would have got on the +track if the girls had not been as cunning as their captors. After +wandering about for some time, they came at length to a brook, and +waded along it for a great while in search of footprints. They looked +faithfully far up and down the stream, for they knew the Indian +stratagem. Presently Calloway leaped up for joy. "God bless my child!" +cried he; "they have gone this way." He had picked up a little piece +of riband which one of his daughters had dropped, purposely to mark +the trail. Now they were on the track. Travelling on as rapidly as +they could, from time to time they picked up shreds of handkerchiefs, +or fragments of their dresses, that the girls had scattered by the +way. Before the next day ended, they were still more clearly on the +track. They reached a soft, muddy piece of ground, and found all the +footprints of the party; they were now able to tell the number of the +Indians. The close of the next day brought them still nearer to the +objects of their search. Night had set in; they were still wandering +on, when, upon reaching a small hill, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> +they saw a camp-fire in the distance. They were now delighted; this +surely was the party that had captured the girls. Everything was left +to the management of Boone. He brought his men as near the fire as he +dared approach, and sheltered them from observation under the brow of +a hill. Calloway and another man were then selected from the group; +the rest were told that they might go to sleep: they were, however, to +sleep on their arms, ready to start instantly at a given signal. +Calloway was to go with Boone; the other man was stationed on the top +of the hill, to give the alarm, if necessary. The two parents now +crept cautiously onward to a covert of bushes not far from the fire. +Looking through, they saw fifteen or twenty Indians fast asleep in the +camp; but where were the girls? Crawling to another spot, they pushed +the bushes cautiously aside, and, to their great joy, saw in another +camp the daughters sleeping in each other's arms. Two Indians with +their tomahawks guarded this camp. One seemed to be asleep. They crept +gently around in the rear of this. They were afraid to use their +rifles: the report would wake the other camp. Calloway was to stand +ready to shoot the sleeping Indian if he stirred, while Boone was to +creep behind the other, seize, and strangle him. They were then to +hurry off with the children. Unfortunately, they calculated wrong: the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> +Indianwhom they supposed to be sleeping was wide awake, and, as Boone +drew near, his shadow was seen by this man. He sprang up, and the +woods rang with his yell. The other camp was roused; the Indians came +rushing to this. Boone's first impulse was to use his rifle, but +Calloway's prudence restrained him. Had he fired, it would have been +certain destruction to parents and children. They surrendered +themselves prisoners, pleading earnestly at the same time for their +captive daughters. The Indians bound them with cords, placed guards +over them, and then retired to their camp. The poor girls, roused by +the tumult, now saw their parents in this pitiable condition. Here +they were, likewise made captives, for their love of them.</p> +</div> + +<p>There was no more sleep in the Indian camp that night. Till the dawn +of the day they were talking of what should be done to the new +prisoners: some were for burning them at the stake; others objected to +this. Boone and Calloway were to be killed, but they were too brave to +be killed in this way. Some proposed making them run the gauntlet. At +last it was decided (in pity for the girls, it is said) that the +parents should be killed in a more decent and quiet way. They were to +be tomahawked and scalped, and the girls were still to be kept +prisoners. With the morning's light they started out to execute the +sentence. That the poor girls might not see their parents murdered +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> +the men were led off to the woods, and there lashed to two trees. Two +of the savages stood before them with their tomahawks, while the rest +were singing and dancing around them. At length the tomahawks were +lifted to strike them; at that instant the crack of rifles was heard, +and the two Indians fell dead. Another and another report was heard: +others fell, and the rest fled in dismay. Boone's companions had saved +them. All night long they had waited for the signal: none had been +given; they had heard the Indian yell; they feared that they were +taken. They had watched the camp with the greatest anxiety, and now +had delivered them. They were instantly untied; the girls were quickly +released, and in the arms of their parents; and they all started +joyously homeward. Mrs. Boone was delighted to see them. The party had +been so long gone, that she feared her husband and child were alike +lost to her for ever.</p> + +<p>It is not surprising that when men found out that a settlement had +been made in Kentucky, others were soon ready to start off for that +fertile region. Accordingly, we find many arriving this year, and +settling themselves in the country. Harrod, Logan, Ray, Wagin, Bowman, +and many other fearless spirits, now threw themselves, like Boone, +into the heart of the wilderness, and made their forts, or stations, +as they were called. These were just like the home of Boone—nothing +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> +more than a few log cabins, surrounded by pickets. Indeed, the country +began now to assume so much importance in the eyes of men, that the +Governor of Virginia thought proper to take some notice of it. When +the legislature met, he recommended that the southwestern part of the +county of Fincastle—which meant all the large tract of country west +of the Alleganies now known as Kentucky—should be made into a +separate county, by the name of Kentucky. The legislature thought it +well to follow his advice. The new county was made, and had the +privilege of sending two members to the Virginia legislature.</p> + +<p>Nor is it surprising that the Indians began now to be more violent +than ever in their enmity. They had been unwilling before that a white +man should cross their path as they roamed over their hunting-grounds; +but now, when they saw clearings made, and houses built, they felt +that the whites meant to drive them for ever from that region. Their +hatred consequently increased now every hour. Another circumstance at +this time served to rouse them the more against the settlers. If you +will think of the period of which I am speaking (the year 1776), +perhaps you may guess what it was. The colonists of America in that +year, you will remember, declared themselves independent of Great +Britain. In the war which followed (known among us always as the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> +Revolutionary War), England struggled hard to subdue them; nor was she +always choice as to the means which she used for the purpose. She did +not hesitate even to rouse the red men of the forests, and give them +arms to fight the colonists. They were not only turned loose upon them +with their own tomahawks and scalping-knives, but were well supplied +with British rifles and balls. All the new settlements in the land +were troubled with them, and Kentucky had to bear her part of the +sorrow. These Indians would scatter themselves in small parties, and +hang secretly for days and nights around the infant stations. Until +one is acquainted with Indian stratagems, he can hardly tell how +cunning these people are. By day they would hide themselves in the +grass, or behind the stumps of trees, near the pathways to the fields +or springs of water, and it was certain death to the white man who +travelled that way. At night they would creep up to the very gateway +of the pickets, and watch for hours for a white man. If any part of +his person was exposed, he was sure to catch a rifle-ball. It was +impossible to discover them, even when their mischief was done. They +would lie in the grass flat on their bellies for days, almost under +the very palisades. Sometimes an Indian yell would be heard near one +point of the fort, startling all the settlers—a yell raised only to +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> +draw them all in one direction, while the Indians did their mischief +in another. In this sneaking mode of warfare, men, women, and +children, were killed in many places; and not unfrequently whole +droves of cattle were cut off.</p> + +<p>At length, to the great joy of the settlers, the Indians began to show +themselves more boldly: for anything was better than these secret +ambushes of the savages; an open enemy is not so much to be dreaded as +a secret one. Boonesborough and Harrodsburgh (a settlement made by +James Harrod, a bold adventurer from the banks of the Monongahela) +were now the principal stations. Toward these, new emigrants were from +time to time moving, and against these stations, as being the +strongest, the Indians felt the greatest hatred, and directed their +principal attacks. Early in the spring of 1777, a party was moving +toward Harrodsburgh: fortunately, the Indians attacked them; for, +though two whites were killed, the attack probably saved the +settlement. It was only four miles from the place, and the Indians +were now on their way there. One young man escaped in the midst of the +fight to give the alarm at Harrodsburgh. The station was instantly put +in a state of defence. Ere long, the Indians appeared. A brisk firing +at once commenced on both sides; the savages saw one of their men +fall, and finding that they were not likely to gain any advantage, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> +soon scattered for the woods. The whites lost one man also, and three +were slightly wounded.</p> + +<p>On the 15th of April, a party of one hundred savages appeared boldly +before Boonesborough. Every man of them was armed with his gun, as +well as bow and arrows. Boone, however, was prepared for them, and +gave them a warm reception—so warm, that they soon gladly retreated. +How many of their men were killed it was impossible to tell, for they +dragged away their dead with them. In the fort one man was killed, and +four were badly wounded.</p> + +<p>Their loss this time only served to make them more revengeful. In July +following they again came against Boonesborough, resolved upon +vengeance. They numbered this time more than two hundred. To prevent +any of the white settlements from sending aid to Boonesborough, they +had sent off small parties to molest them, and keep them busy. The +savages now commenced their attack, and for two days a constant firing +was kept up. At last, finding their efforts again idle, they raised a +loud yell, and returned to the forests. The whites could now count +their slain and wounded as they dragged them off: seven were killed, +and numbers wounded, while in the fort only one white man was slain. +In spite of their numbers and their cunning, they did but little harm: +for Boone was never found sleeping; he knew that Indians +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> +were his neighbors, and he was always ready for them. After this, they +learned to dread him more than ever. He now went by the name of the +"<i>Great Long Knife</i>."</p> + +<p>Attacks of this kind were made from time to time openly against the +settlements, but especially against these two principal stations. They +all ended very much in the same way, and it would only weary you if I +should attempt to speak of them. It is enough for you to know that the +whites were always on the lookout, and that Boone was regarded as +their principal leader and protector. We will pass on, therefore, to +something more interesting.</p> + +<p>I have already stated that the stations of these settlers were usually +built, for comfort's sake, in the neighborhood of salt licks or +springs; and near such a lick, as you will remember, Boonesborough +stood. The supply of salt, however, was not sufficient; new settlers +were often arriving, and it became necessary to seek a place which +would afford more of that article. Boone was the father of the +settlement, and he undertook to find it. Having selected thirty men as +his companions, on the 1st of January, 1778, he started for the Blue +Licks, on Licking river—a stream, as you know, emptying itself into +the Ohio opposite where Cincinnati now stands. Upon reaching this +spot, the thirty men were soon very busy in making salt. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> +Boone, having no taste for the work, sauntered off to employ himself in +shooting game for the company. He had wandered some distance from the +river one day, when suddenly he came upon two Indians armed with +muskets. It was impossible for him to retreat, and the chances were +against him if he stood. His usual coolness did not forsake him; he +instantly jumped behind a tree. As the Indians came within gun-shot, +he exposed himself on the side of the tree: one savage immediately +fired, and Boone dodged the ball. One shot was thus thrown away, and +this was just what he desired. Exposing himself immediately in +precisely the same way, the other musket was discharged by the other +Indian, to as little purpose. He now stepped boldly out; the Indians +were trying hard to load again; he raised his rifle, and one savage +fell dead. He was now on equal terms with the other. Drawing his +hunting-knife, he leaped forward and placed his foot upon the body of +the dead Indian; the other raised his tomahawk to strike but Boone, +with his rifle in his left hand, warded off the blow, while with his +right he plunged his knife into the heart of the savage. His two foes +lay dead before him. If you should ever visit Washington city, you +will see a memorial of this deed. The act is in sculpture, over the +southern door of the rotundo of the capitol.</p> + +<p>After this he continued his hunting excursions as usual, for the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> +benefit of his party; but he was not so fortunate the next time he met +with Indians. On the 7th of February, as he was roaming through the +woods, he saw a party of one hundred savages on their way to attack +Boonesborough. His only chance for escape now was to run. He instantly +fled, but the swiftest warriors gave chase, and before a great while +he was overtaken and made a prisoner. He was, of all men, the one whom +they desired to take; they could now gain, as they thought, some +information about Boonesborough. They now carried him back to the Blue +Licks. As they drew near, Boone, knowing that it was idle to resist, +made signs to the salt-makers to surrender themselves. This they did, +and thus the savages soon had in their possession twenty-eight +captives. Fortunately for themselves, three of the men had started +homeward with a supply of salt, and thus escaped.</p> + +<p>Now was the time for the savages to have attacked Boonesborough; for, +with the loss of so many men, and Boone their leader, we may readily +suppose that the station might have surrendered. Flushed, however, +with the capture of their prisoners, they seem not to have thought of +it any longer.</p> + +<p>The prisoners were marched immediately to Old Chilicothe, the +principal Indian town on the Little Miami, where they arrived on the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> +18th. There was great rejoicing over them when they reached this old +settlement of the savages, though Boone says they were "treated as +kindly as prisoners could expect." Early in the next month Boone with +ten of his men was marched off to Detroit by forty Indians. Here +Governor Hamilton, the British commander of that post, treated them +with much kindness. The ten men were soon delivered up for a small +ransom. But when the Governor offered them one hundred pounds to give +up Boone, that he might allow him to return home, they refused to part +with him; they looked upon him as too dangerous an enemy to be allowed +to go free upon any terms. Several English gentlemen were moved with +pity when they saw Boone thus a helpless prisoner, and offered to +supply his wants. He thanked them for their feeling, but refused to +receive any aid, stating that he never expected to be able to return +their kindness, and therefore was unwilling to receive it. The truth +was, he was not disposed to receive assistance from the enemies of his +country.</p> + +<p>With no other prisoner than Boone, the party now started again for Old +Chilicothe. As they drew near, after a very fatiguing march, Boone +thought he understood why they had refused to part with him. Before +they entered the village, they shaved his head, painted his face, and +dressed him like themselves; they then placed in his +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> + hands a long +white staff, ornamented with deers' tails. The chief of the party then +raised a yell, and all the warriors from the village answered it, and +soon made their appearance. Four young warriors commenced singing as +they came toward him. The two first, each bearing a calumet, took him +by the arms and marched him to a cabin in the village; here he was to +remain until his fate was made known to him. Of all strange customs of +the Indians (and he had seen many of them), this was the strangest to +him. It is not wonderful that he thought he was now to die.</p> + +<p>Yet this was a common custom (it is said) among the Shawanese, who +inhabited this village. Prisoners were often thus carried to some +cabin, and then the Indian living in the cabin decided what should be +done—whether the prisoner should die, or be adopted into the tribe. +It happened that in this cabin lived an old Indian woman, who had +lately lost a son in battle. She, of course, was to decide Boone's +fate. She looked at him earnestly, admired his noble bearing and +cheerful face, and at length declared that he should live. He should +be her son, she said; he should be to her the son whom she had lost. +The young warriors instantly announced to him his fate, and the fact +was soon proclaimed through the village. Food was brought out and set +before him; and every effort, which Indian love could think of, was +used to make him happy. He was fairly one of the tribe; and the old +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> +woman who was to be his mother was especially delighted.</p> + +<p>He was now as free as the rest; his only sorrow was that he had to +live among them. He knew, too, that if he should be caught trying to +make his escape, it would be certain death to him. He pretended, +therefore, to be cheerful and happy; and fortunately his old habits +enabled him to play his part well. Like them, he was a man of the +woods, and as fond of hunting as any of them. They all soon became +attached to him, and treated him with the utmost confidence.</p> + +<p>Sometimes large parties would go out to try their skill at their +sports of racing and shooting at a mark. Boone was always with them; +he knew, however, that in trials of this kind the Indians were always +jealous if they were beaten, and therefore he had to act very +prudently. At racing, they could excel him; but at shooting, he was +more than a match for any of them. Still, when the target was set up, +he was always certain to be beaten. If he shot too well, they would be +jealous and angry; if he shot badly, they would hold him in contempt: +and therefore he would manage to make good shots, and yet never be the +successful man. He knew too much of Indians not to conduct himself +properly.</p> + +<p>Sometimes they would start out upon hunting parties. Here Boone was +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> +at home; there was no jealousy when he brought down a buffalo or a +deer with his rifle-ball. He might do his best; they were true hunters +themselves, and were delighted with every successful shot. Returning +to the village, Boone would always visit the Shawanese chief, and +present him a portion of his game. By this kindness and civility he +completely won the heart of the chief, and was not unfrequently +consulted by him on important matters. Thus he passed his time, +joining in all their modes of living; he was beloved by the old woman, +the chief, and all the tribe: and none suspected that he was not +contented and happy.</p> + +<p>On the 1st of June, a large party was starting from the village for +the salt-licks on the Scioto, to make salt. Boone pretended to be +indifferent whether he went or not. The truth was, however, that he +was very anxious to go, for he thought it would afford a fine +opportunity for him to escape. He seemed so indifferent about the +matter, that the party urged him to accompany them, and off he +started. For ten days most of them were busy making salt, while Boone +and two or three of the best marksmen hunted for the benefit of the +rest. He watched his chance for escape, but none occurred; he was +closely observed, it was impossible for him to attempt it. To his +great sorrow, he was forced to return home with the salt-makers. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span></p> + +<p>They had scarcely got back, when the whole village was summoned to the +council-house, to attend a council of war. Boone, as belonging to one +of the principal families, went to this council. Here he met four +hundred and fifty armed Indians, all gayly painted. One of the oldest +warriors then struck a large drum, and marched with the war-standard +three times round the council-house: this was the sure signal that +they were about to make war upon some enemy. But who was the enemy? +What was Boone's surprise when it was announced that they meant to +attack Boonesborough! He resolved now that he would escape, even at +every hazard, and alarm the settlement. Still his prudence did not +forsake him.</p> + +<p>The old warriors at once commenced gathering together a supply of +parched corn, and beating up more recruits for the expedition. All the +new men (Boone among the rest, for he was forced to join them) were +then marched off to the "winter-house" to drink the war-drink. This +was a mixture of water and bitter herbs and roots, and was to be drank +steadily for three days, during which time no man was to eat a morsel. +Even if a deer or buffalo passed by, no man was to kill it; the fast +must be kept. In fact, no man was allowed even to sit down, or rest +himself by leaning against a tree. This was done by the old men to +purify the young warriors, as they said, and to gain the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> +favor of the Great Spirit. All this was a common practice with the +tribe before they went to battle; and the more strictly the fast was +kept, the greater (as they supposed) were the chances of success. +During these three days, Boone, like the rest, kept the fast, drank +the war-drink, and did not even leave the "medicine-ground."</p> + +<p>The fast being over, they fired their guns, yelled, danced, and sang; +and in the midst of this noise the march commenced. The leading +war-chief, bearing the medicine-bag, or budget (as it was called), +went before; the rest followed in single file. Nothing but shouting +and yelling, and the noise of guns, was heard, as they passed through +the village. When they reached the woods, all the noise ceased; they +were fairly on their march, and that march was to be made after the +Indian fashion, in dead silence. For several days this dead march was +kept up, Boone looking every hour for his chance of escape. At length, +early one morning, a deer dashed by the line. Boone leaped eagerly +after him, and started in pursuit. No sooner was he out of sight of +the Indians, than he pressed for Boonesborough. He knew they would +give chase, and therefore he doubled his track, waded in streams, and +did everything that he could to throw them off his trail. Every sound +startled him; he thought the Indians were behind him. With no food but +roots and berries, and scarcely time to devour these, he pushed +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> +through swamps and thickets for his old home. Now or never was his +chance for liberty, and as such he used it. At length, after wandering +nearly two hundred miles, on the fourth day he reached Boonesborough +in safety. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span></p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V.</h2> + +<div class="wrap_area"> + <img src="images/drop_b.jpg" width= "150" height= "404" alt="B" /> + + <div class="shape_wrap"> + <div style="width: 151px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 151px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 112px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 82px;" ></div> + </div> + +<p><span class="dropcap">B</span>EFORE we go on, let me tell you of +some of the curious customs which Boone noticed among the Indians, +during his captivity. He had a fine opportunity for observation, and I +think these strange customs will interest you.</p> + +<p>It is not wonderful that Indian men and women are so hardy; they are +trained to it from their youth: and Boone tells us how they are +trained. When a child is only eight years old, this training +commences; he is then made to fast frequently half a day; when he is +twelve, he is made to fast a whole day. During the time of this fast, +the child is left alone, and his face is always blacked. This mode of +hardening them is kept up with girls until they are +fourteen—with boys until they are eighteen. At length, when a +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> +boy has reached the age of eighteen, his parents tell him that his +education is completed, and that he is old enough to be a man! His +face is now to be blacked for the last time. He is taken to a solitary +cabin far away from the village; his face is blacked, and then his +father makes to him a speech of this kind: "My son, the Great Spirit +has allowed you to live to see this day. We have all noticed your +conduct since I first began to black your face. All people will +understand whether you have followed your father's advice, and they +will treat you accordingly. You must now remain here until I come +after you." The lad is then left alone. His father then goes off +hunting, as though nothing had happened, and leaves his boy to bear +his hunger as long it is possible for him to starve and live. At +length he prepares a great feast, gathers his friends together, and +then returns. The lad is then brought home, his face is washed in cold +water, his hair is shaved, leaving nothing but the scalp-lock; they +all commence eating, but the food of the lad is placed before him in a +separate dish. This being over, a looking-glass and a bag of paint are +then presented to him. Then they all praise him for his firmness, and +tell him that he is a man. Strange as it may seem, a boy is hardly +ever known to break his fast when he is blacked this way for the last +time. It is looked upon as something base, and they have a +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> +dread that the Great Spirit will punish them if they are disobedient +to their parents.</p> + +<p>Another curious habit which surprised Boone was that of continually +changing names. A white man carries the same name from the cradle to +the grave, but among these people it was very different. Their +principal arms, as you know, are the tomahawk and scalping-knife, and +he who can take the greatest number of scalps is the greatest man. +From time to time, as warriors would return from an attack upon some +enemy, these new names would begin to be known. Each man would count +the number of scalps he had taken, and a certain number entitled him +to a new name, in token of his bravery. It is not wonderful that they +were revengeful, when they were stimulated by this sort of ambition. +Besides this, they believed that he who took the scalp of a brave man +received at once all his courage and other good qualities; and this +made them more eager in their thirst for scalps. In this way, names of +warriors were sometimes changed three or four times in a year.</p> + +<p>Marriages in this tribe were conducted very decently. When a young +warrior desired to marry, he assembled all his friends, and named the +woman whom he wished for his wife. His relations then received his +present, and took it to the parents of the young woman. If they were +pleased with the proposal, they would dress the young woman in her +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> +gayest clothes, and take her, with bundles of presents, to the friends +of the warrior; then, if she pleased, she was to be married. There was +no compulsion in the matter. If she was not satisfied, she had only to +return his present to the young warrior, and this was considered a +refusal.</p> +</div> + +<p>Their mode of burying their dead was very much like that of all the +Indians. The dead body was sometimes placed in a pen made of sticks +and covered over with bark; sometimes it was placed in a grave, and +covered first with bark, and then with dirt; and sometimes, especially +in the case of the young, it was placed in a rude coffin, and +suspended from the top of a tree. This last was a common mode of +infant burial, and the mother of the child would often be found, long +after, standing under the tree, and singing songs to her babe.</p> + +<p>Boone witnessed, too, the mode in which war-parties start off for war. +The budget, or medicine-bag, is first made up. This bag contains +something belonging to each man of the party—something usually +representing some animal, such as the skin of a snake, the tail of a +buffalo, the horns of a buck, or the feathers of a bird. It is always +regarded as a very sacred thing. The leader of the party goes before +with this; the rest follow in single file. When they come to a stand, +the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> + budget is laid down in front, and no man may pass it without +permission. To keep their thoughts upon the enterprise in which they +are engaged, no man is allowed to talk of women or his home. At night, +when they encamp, the heart of whatever animal has been killed during +the day is cut into small pieces and then burnt. During the burning no +man is allowed to step across the fire, but must always walk around it +in the direction of the sun. When they spy the enemy, and the attack +is to be made, the war-budget is opened. Each man takes out his +budget, or <i>totem</i>, and fastens it to his body. After the fight, each +man again returns his <i>totem</i> to the leader. They are all again tied +up, and given to the man who has taken the first scalp. He then leads +the party in triumph home.</p> + +<p>Boone had not long been a prisoner among them when a successful +war-party returned home and celebrated their victory. When the party +came within a day's march of the village, a messenger was sent in to +tell of their success. An order was instantly issued that every cabin +should be swept clean, and the women as quickly commenced the work. +When they had finished, the cabins were all inspected, to see if they +were in proper order. Next day the party approached the village. They +were all frightfully painted, and each man had a bunch of white +feathers on his head. They were marching in single file, the chief of +the party leading the way, bearing in one hand a branch of cedar, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> +laden with the scalps they had taken, and all chanting their war-song. +As they entered the village, the chief led the way to the war-pole +which stood in front of the council-house. In this house the +council-fire was then burning. The waiter, or <i>Etissu</i> of the leader, +then fixed two blocks of wood near the war-pole, and placed upon them +a kind of ark, which was regarded by them as one of their most sacred +things. The chief now ordered that all should sit down. He then +inquired whether his cabin was prepared, and everything made ready, +according to the custom of his fathers. They then rose up and +commenced the war-whoop, as they marched round the war-pole. The ark +was then taken and carried with great solemnity into the +council-house, and here the whole party remained three days and +nights, separate from the rest of the people. Their first business now +was to wash themselves clean, and sprinkle themselves with a mixture +of bitter herbs. While they were thus in the house, all their female +relatives, after having bathed and dressed themselves in their finest +clothes, placed themselves in two lines facing each other on each side +of the door. Here they continued singing a slow monotonous song all +day and night; the song was kept up steadily for one minute, with +intervals of ten minutes of dead silence between. About once in +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> +three hours the chief would march out at the head of his warriors, +raise the war-whoop, and pass around the war-pole, bearing his branch +of cedar. This was all that was done for the whole three days and +nights. At length the purification was ended, and upon each of their +cabins was placed a twig of the cedar with a fragment of the scalps +fastened to it, to satisfy the ghosts of their departed friends. All +were now quiet as usual, except the leader of the party and his +waiter, who kept up the purification three days and nights longer. +When he had finished, the budget was hung up before his door for +thirty or forty days, and from time to time Indians of the party would +be seen singing and dancing before it. When Boone asked the meaning of +all this strange ceremony, they answered him by a word which he says +meant <i>holy</i>.</p> + +<p>As this party had brought in no prisoners, he did not now witness +their horrible mode of torture. Before he left them, however, he saw +enough of their awful cruelty in this way. Sometimes the poor prisoner +would be tied to a stake, a pile of green wood placed around him, fire +applied, and the poor wretch left to his horrible fate, while, amid +shouts and yells, the Indians departed. Sometimes he would be forced +to run the gauntlet between two rows of Indians, each one striking at +him with a club until he fell dead. Others would be fastened between +two stakes, their arms and legs stretched to each of them, and then +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> +quickly burnt by a blazing fire. A common mode was to pinion the arms +of the prisoner, and then tie one end of a grape-vine around his neck, +while the other was fastened to the stake. A fire was then kindled, +and the poor wretch would walk the circle; this gave the savages the +comfort of seeing the poor creature literally roasting, while his +agony was prolonged. Perhaps this was the most popular mode, too, +because all the women and children could join in it. They were there, +with their bundles of dry sticks, to keep the fire blazing, and their +long switches, to beat the prisoner. Fearful that their victim might +die too soon, and thus escape their cruelty, the women would knead +cakes of clay and put them on the skull of the poor sufferer, that the +fire might not reach his brain and instantly kill him. As the poor +frantic wretch would run round the circle, they would yell, dance, and +sing, and beat him with their switches, until he fell exhausted. At +other times, a poor prisoner would be tied, and then scalding water +would be poured upon him from time to time till he died. It was +amazing, too, to see how the warriors would sometimes bear these +tortures. Tied to the stake, they would chant their war-songs, +threaten their captors with the awful vengeance of their tribe, boast +of how many of their nation they had scalped and tell their tormentors +how they might increase their torture. In the midst of the fire they +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> +would stand unflinching, and die without changing a muscle. It was +their glory to die in this way; they felt that they disappointed their +enemies in their last triumph.</p> + +<p>While Boone was with them, a noted warrior of one of the western +tribes, with which the Shawanese were at war, was brought in as a +captive. He was at once condemned, stripped, fastened to the stake, +and the fire kindled. After suffering without flinching for a long +time, he laughed at his captors, and told them they did not know how +to make an enemy eat fire. He called for a pipe and tobacco. Excited +by his bravery, they gave it to him. He sat down on the burning coals, +and commenced smoking with the utmost composure; not a muscle of his +countenance moved. Seeing this, one of his captors sprang forward and +cried out that he was a true warrior. Though he had murdered many of +their tribe, yet he should live, if the fire had not spoiled him. The +fire had, however, well nigh done its work. With that, he declared +that he was too brave a man to suffer any longer. He seized a tomahawk +and raised it over the head of the prisoner: still a muscle did not +move. He did not even change his posture. The blow was given, and the +brave warrior fell dead.</p> + +<p>While among them, Boone also witnessed the mode in which, the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> +Shawanese make a treaty of peace. The warriors of both tribes between +which the treaty was to be made, met together first, ate and smoked in +a friendly way, and then pledged themselves in a sacred drink called +<i>cussena</i>. The Shawanese then waved large fans, made of eagles' tails, +and danced. The other party, after this, chose six of their finest +young men, painted them with white clay, and adorned their heads with +swans' feathers; their leader was then placed on what was called the +"consecrated seat." After this they all commenced dancing, and singing +their song of peace. They danced first in a bending posture; then +stood upright, still dancing, and bearing in their right hands their +fans, while in their left they carried a calabash, tied to a stick +about a foot long, and with this continually beat their breasts. +During all this, some added to the noise by rattling pebbles in a +gourd. This being over, the peace was concluded. It was an act of +great solemnity, and no warrior was considered as well trained, who +did not know how to join in every part of it.</p> + +<p>Many other strange things were seen by Boone among these people, but +these are enough to show you that he was among a strange people, with +habits very unlike his own. It is not wonderful that he sighed to +escape, when he looked upon their horrid tortures. Independently of +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> +his love for Boonesborough, he did not know but that such tortures +might be his at any moment, when they became excited. Fortunately, as +we have seen, he did escape, and we will now go on with his story. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span></p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI.</h2> + +<div class="wrap_area"> + <img src="images/drop_w.jpg" width= "150" height= "397" alt="W" /> + + <div class="shape_wrap"> + <div style="width: 151px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 151px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 112px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 82px;" ></div> + </div> + +<p><span class="dropcap">W</span>HEN Boone reached Boonesborough, the +object he most loved was not to be found. His poor wife, wearied with +waiting for him, and naturally concluding that he was lost to her for +ever, had returned to her friends on the Yadkin. The settlers had +begged her to remain, and offered her every kindness; but her husband +was gone: she was heart-sick, and longed to return to her friends in +Carolina. Disappointed as he was, however, he had no time to waste in +sorrow. The Indians were approaching, and Boonesborough was well nigh +defenceless. Just before his return, a Major Smith had taken charge of +the post, and been busy in strengthening it, but much was still to be +done. Boone's energies were now at work, and in a little time the +station was ready for an attack. A white man now came into the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> +settlement with news. He had escaped from the Indians. The party from +which Boone had escaped had postponed their attack for three weeks, +and gone back to strengthen themselves. They felt that Boone had +reached home—the alarm was given, the place fortified—and +that it was idle to attack it at this time.</p> + +<p>Boone determined at once to improve the mean season. With nineteen +men, he started off to surprise the Indians at Paint Creek Town, a +small village on the Scioto. When he came within four miles of the +place, he met a party of the savages on their way to join the large +body marching against Boonesborough. The fight instantly commenced: +one Indian fell dead, several were wounded, and the rest were forced +to retreat; their horses and all their baggage fell into the hands of +Boone. Two men were now sent to reconnoitre the town. They found no +Indians there; they had all left. After setting fire to the village, +they returned, and Boone immediately hurried homeward.</p> + +<p>He had scarcely entered the station, and closed the gates, when an +army of four hundred and forty-four Indians, led on by a Frenchman +named Duquesne, appeared before the settlement. They soon sent in a +flag, demanding, in the name of the King of Great Britain, that the +station should instantly surrender. A council was immediately +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> +held in the fort. With such a force before them, Smith was in favor of +meeting their proposal; Boone opposed it; the settlers backed him in +this opposition; and he sent back for an answer to the Indians that +the gates should never be opened to them. Presently another flag of +truce was sent in, with a message that they had a letter for Colonel +Boone from Governor Hamilton, of Detroit. Upon hearing this, it was +thought best that Boone and Smith should go out and meet them, and +hear what they had to say.</p> + +</div> + +<p>Fifty yards from the fort they were met by three chiefs, who received +them very cordially, and led them to the spot where they were to hold +the parley. Here they were seated upon a panther's skin, while the +Indians held branches over their heads to protect them from the sun. +The chiefs then commenced talking in a friendly way, and some of their +warriors now came forward, grounded their arms, and shook hands with +them. Then the letter of General Hamilton was read; he invited them to +surrender and come at once to Detroit where they should be treated +with all kindness. Smith objected to this proposal, declaring that it +was impossible for them, at this time, to move their women and +children; but the Indians had an answer ready: they had brought forty +horses with them, they said, expressly to help them in removing. After +a long and friendly talk, the white men returned to the fort, for the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> +purpose, as they said, of considering the proposal. They now informed +the settlers that the Indians had no cannon, and advised them never to +think of surrendering. Every man thought the advice good.</p> + +<p>The Indians now sent in another flag, and asked what treaty the whites +were ready to make. Boone, who had suspected treachery all the time, +at once sent a reply, that if they wished to make a treaty, the place +for making it, must be within sixty yards of the fort. This displeased +them at first, but at last, they consented. He then stationed some of +his men, with their guns, in one angle of the fort, with orders to +fire if it became necessary, and, with Smith, started out to meet +them. After a long talk with thirty chiefs, terms were agreed upon, +and the treaty was ready to be signed; the chiefs now said that it was +customary with them, on such occasions, for the Indians to shake hands +with every white man who signed the treaty, as a token of the warmest +friendship. Boone and Smith agreed to this, and the shaking of hands +commenced; presently, they found themselves seized in the crowd—the +Indians were dragging them off; a fire from the fort now levelled the +savages who grasped them; the rest were in confusion, and, in the +confusion, Boone and Smith escaped and rushed into the fort. In the +struggle Boone was wounded, though not dangerously. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> +It was a narrow escape for both of them.</p> + +<p>There was no more chance for deception now; the Indians were +disappointed, and the whites were provoked at their treachery. A brisk +firing now commenced on both sides; Duquesne harangued the Indians and +urged them on, while the whites shouted from the fort, upbraided them +as treacherous cowards, and defied them. The attack was furious, the +firing was kept up till dark, and many an Indian fell that day before +Boonesborough. The whites, sheltered by their pickets, made easy havoc +among them.</p> + +<p>When night came, the exasperated Indians crawled under the pickets and +began to throw burning materials into the fort, hoping to set all on +fire; but in this they were disappointed—there were ample supplies of +water inside, and the fire was put out as fast as it fell.</p> + +<p>The next day the firing was resumed, and day after day it continued, +the Indians failing to make any impression. They were too far from the +fort—the first day's work had taught them not to come near. At last +they formed a wiser plan for doing mischief. Boonesborough, as you +will remember, was only sixty yards from the river, and they +determined, by the advice of the Frenchman, to let the water in and +force the settlers out. In the night, they commenced the work of +digging a trench under ground, from the river. In the morning Boone +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> +looked out upon the river, and perceiving that it was muddy, instantly +guessed the cause. He immediately set his men to the work of cutting a +trench inside the fort, to cross the subterranean passage of the +Indians. The savages saw what was doing, for Boone's men were +constantly shovelling dirt over the pickets, but they persevered +earnestly in their design. At last, however, they were forced to stop, +for the dirt caved in as fast as they dug; disappointed in this, they +now summoned the station once more to a treaty. But Boone laughed at +them. "Do you suppose," said he, "we would pretend to treat with such +treacherous wretches? Fire on, you only waste your powder; the gates +shall never be opened to you while there is a man of us living." +Taking his advice, they commenced their firing again; at last, on the +ninth day of the siege, wearied with their fruitless labor, they +killed all the cattle they could find, raised a yell, and departed. +This was a terrible siege for the Indians; it is said that they lost +two hundred men; Boone counted thirty-seven chief warriors; while the +whites, defended by their pickets, had but two killed and four +wounded. You may judge, too, how industrious the savages had been, +when I tell you that the whites who wanted lead, commenced gathering +their balls after they left, and succeeded in picking out of the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> +logs, and from the ground, one hundred and twenty-five pounds.</p> + +<p>Boone having thus successfully defended his settlement, determined now +to go in search of his wife. Accustomed to travelling through the +woods, he soon made his lonely journey to the Yadkin. They were amazed +as he entered the house of Mr. Bryan, his wife's father. The +appearance of one risen from the grave could not have surprised them +more than that of Boone—the lost man was among them, and great was +their rejoicing. He now remained here with his family for some time, +and here we will leave him for a little while, to talk of what +happened in Kentucky during his absence.</p> + +<p>The Kentuckians, roused by the Indian hostility and treachery, +determined soon after he left to inflict punishment upon them; against +the Shawanese they were most provoked; it was among them that most of +the plots against the whites were formed, and the attack, therefore, +was to be made upon them. An army of one hundred and sixty men was +soon collected, and the command was given to a brave man named Colonel +Bowman; they were to march directly against old Chilicothe, the den of +the savages.</p> + +<p>In July of this year (1779), they started and reached the home of the +Indians, without being discovered. At daylight, the fight commenced +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> +and continued till ten o'clock. Bowman's men fought bravely, but the +Indians had every advantage. Knowing all the woods about their +settlement, while one party fought openly, the other, concealed behind +the grass and trees, poured in a deadly fire upon the whites. He was +forced at last to retreat as rapidly as possible to a distance of +thirty miles; but the Indians pursued him here, doing more mischief +than before. The savages fought desperately. His men were falling +around him, and but for Colonel Harrod, every man of them might have +been killed. Seeing the slaughter that was continually increasing, he +mounted a body of horsemen and made a charge upon the enemy; this +broke their ranks, they were thrown into confusion, and Bowman, with +the remnant of his men, was enabled to retreat.</p> + +<p>This attack only exasperated the Indians. In the course of the next +summer (after doing much mischief in a smaller way in the meantime), +they gathered together to the number of six hundred, and led on by +Colonel Bird, a British officer, came down upon Riddle's and Martin's +stations, at the forks of Licking river. They had with them six +cannons, and managed their matters so secretly, that the first news of +their approach was given to the settlers by the roar of their guns. Of +course it was of no use to resist; the pickets could not defend them +from cannon-balls; the settlers were +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> + forced to surrender. The savages +rushed into the station and instantly killed one man and two women +with their tomahawks; all the others, many of whom were sick, were now +loaded with baggage and forced to march off with the Indians. It was +certain death to any one, old or young, male or female, who became, on +the march, too weak and exhausted to travel farther; they were +instantly killed with the tomahawk.</p> + +<p>Flushed with success, the Indians were now more troublesome than ever; +it was impossible for the whites to remain in the country if matters +were to go on in this way. The inhabitants at last threw themselves +upon the protection of Colonel Clarke, who commanded a regiment of +United States soldiers at the falls of the Ohio. At the head of his +men and a large number of volunteers, he marched against Pecaway, one +of the principal towns of the Shawanese; numbers of the savages were +killed, and the town was burnt to ashes. This was a triumph, but it +was a triumph gained by the loss of seventeen of his men.</p> + +<p>In 1780, Boone again returned to Boonesborough with his family, +bringing with him also a younger brother. The elder brother (who had +been in Kentucky before, as you will remember) now returned also, and +made his home at a spot not far from the place where the town of +Shelbyville now stands. The settlers were all delighted to see +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> + their +old friend Daniel Boone once more among them; they now felt that their +leader was on the ground. Mrs. Boone too felt happy. Though she was +again on "<i>the dark and bloody ground</i>," her husband was with her.</p> + +<p>In a little time his services were again especially needed. The want +of salt, their old trouble was upon them, and they looked to Boone to +procure it. Ever ready, he started off with his younger brother to the +Blue Licks, the place of his former trouble; here he was destined to +meet with trouble again. They had made as much salt as they could +carry, and were now returning to Boonesborough with their packs, when +they were suddenly overtaken by a party of savages; the Indians +immediately fired, and Boone's brother fell dead. Daniel Boone turned, +levelled his rifle at the foremost Indian, and brought him down; with +a loud yell the party now rushed toward him. He snatched his brother's +rifle, levelled another, and then ran. The Indians gave chase, but he +managed to keep ahead, and even found time to reload his rifle. He +knew that his only chance for escape was to distance them, and break +his trail. He passed the brow of a hill, jumped into a brook below, +waded in it for some distance, and then struck off at right angles +from his old course. Upon looking back he found, to his sorrow, that +he had not succeeded—the Indians were still on +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span> + his track. Presently, +he came to a grape-vine, and tried his old experiment at breaking the +trail. This was to no purpose, he found the savages still following +him. After travelling some distance farther, upon looking round he saw +the cause of his trouble; the Indians had a dog with them, and this +dog, scenting his track, kept them for ever on his course. His rifle +was loaded—the dog was far ahead of the party—and Boone +sent a rifle ball through him. He now pushed on, doubling his course +from time to time; the Indians lost track of him, and he reached +Boonesborough in safety.</p> + +<p>In spite of the continued annoyance of the Indians, the white +settlements had continued to grow, and there were now so many white +men in the country, that in the fall of this year (1780), Kentucky was +divided into the three counties of Jefferson, Fayette, and Lincoln. +Our friend, Daniel Boone, was appointed to command the militia in his +county, and William Pope, and Benjamin Logan, two brave men, were to +have the command in theirs.</p> + +<p>The winter of this year soon set in, and it proved a hard one. The +settlers, however, bore it cheerfully, for they were accustomed to +hardships. Hard as it was, too, it proved mild to the next that +followed. The winter of 1781 was long remembered as "the cold winter" +in Kentucky. To make it harder, the Indians, after doing much mischief +through the summer, had destroyed most of the crops the preceding +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> +fall, and the settlers had small supplies of food. But the forest was +around them; Boone and Harrod were among them, and these two men found +food enough. Every day they went out in the winter's storms—every +night they came in laden with deer and buffaloes. The people learned +to live on nothing but meat. Boone and Harrod drove away all thoughts +of starvation. They had, however, this one comfort: the cold weather +kept the Indians at home. They had no disturbances throughout the +winter from them.</p> + +<p>When spring opened, however, the savages showed themselves more +furious, if possible, than ever. Their plans of mischief were better +laid; they seemed to have been feeding their revenge fat. Open and +secret war was all around the settlers. It would be idle for me to +attempt to give details of the doings of the savages. Ashton's, Hoy's, +M‘Afee's, Kincheloe's, and Boone's station, near Shelbyville, were all +attacked. Men were shot down in the open fields, or waylaid in every +pathway. The early annals of Kentucky are filled with stories of many +a brave white man at this time. There were Ashton, Holden, Lyn, +Tipton, Chapman, White, Boone, Floyd, Wells, the M‘Afees, M‘Gary, +Randolph, Reynolds, and others, some of whom were killed, and all of +whom had their hard struggles. The history of that spring is only a +story of burnings, captures, and murders, on the part of the savages. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> +It was a dark period for the white men; even Boone, with all his vigor +and fearlessness, thought it the darkest period he had known in that +region. The savages seemed bent upon a war of extermination.</p> + +<p>Not satisfied with such mischief as they had already done, in the +early part of the summer the savages held a grand council at Old +Chilicothe, to arrange their plans for further destruction. There were +chiefs there from the Cherokees, Wyandots, Tawas, Pottawattomies, and +most of the tribes bordering on the lakes. Two notorious white +villains—whose names will never be forgotten in Kentucky—were +there also, to aid them with their counsels. These were Girty and +M‘Kee, infamous men, who lived among the Indians, and lived only +by murdering their own countrymen. Their plan was soon settled. +Bryant's station, near Lexington, was known to be a strong post, and +this was to be attacked. This station had within it forty cabins, and +here it was thought they might make the greatest slaughter. The +warriors were to gather as rapidly as possible for the enterprise.</p> + +<p>In a little time, five hundred of them rallied at Girty's cabin, ready +for their departure. The white rascal then made a speech to them. He +told them that "Kentucky was a beautiful hunting-ground, filled with +deer and buffaloes, for their comfort; the white men had come to drive +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> +them away; the ground was now red with the blood of the red men that +had been slain. But vengeance they would have—now, before the whites +were yet fastened in the country, they would strike a blow, and drive +them off for ever." Then he talked of the plan before them. He advised +them to descend the Miami in their canoes, cross the Ohio, ascend the +Licking, and then they might paddle their boats almost to the station. +His speech was answered by a loud yell from the Indians, and they all +started off for their boats—Simon Girty, with his ruffled shirt and +soldier coat, marching at their head.</p> + +<p>On the night of the 15th of August, they arrived before the station. +In the morning, as the gates were opened, the men were fired at by the +savages, and this was the first news to the whites of the approach of +the enemy. It was fortunate that they had shown themselves thus early: +in two hours more, most of the men were to have started off to aid a +distant feeble station. As soon as the whites found they were +besieged, they managed to send off the news to Lexington.</p> + +<p>The Indians now, as usual, commenced their stratagems. The large body +concealed themselves in the grass near the pathway to the spring, +while one hundred went round and attacked the southeast angle of the +station. Their hope was to draw the whites all to that quarter, while +they forced an entrance on the other side. But the white men +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> +understood this sort of cunning; they had lived among the Indians too +long to be caught by such tricks: instead of noticing the attack, they +went on quietly with the work of repairing and strengthening their +palisades.</p> + +<p>But water, one of the necessaries of life, was soon wanting. The +whites, as they looked at the tall grass and weeds near the spring, +felt that Indians were lurking there. The women now came forward and +insisted upon it that they would go and bring water. "What if they do +shoot us?" they said; "it is better to lose a woman than a man at such +a time." With that, they started out, and, strange to tell, went back +and forth, bringing supplies of water, without any difficulty. Some of +the young men now went out upon the same purpose. They had scarcely +left the station, when they were fired upon. Fortunately, the Indians +were too far to do any mischief; the men retreated rapidly within the +palisades. The Indians, finding their stratagem fruitless, now rushed +forward, and commenced a tremendous attack. The whites received them +with a steady fire, and many of them fell. Enraged the more, they now +discharged their burning arrows into the roofs of the houses; some of +the cabins were burnt, but an east wind was blowing at the time, and +that saved the station. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> +</p> + +<p>The enemy now fell back into the grass. They had found out, in some +way, that help was expected from Lexington, and they were preparing to +cut it off. In a little time, all was still. Presently sixteen +horsemen, followed by thirty-one foot-soldiers, were seen coming; +these were the men from Lexington. Thinking only of the distress of +their friends, they were hurrying along, when the Indians opened a +fire upon them. The horsemen galloped off in a cloud of dust, and +reached the station in safety. The soldiers on foot, in their effort +to escape, plunged into the cornfields on either side of the road, +only to meet the enemy. A desperate fight commenced on both sides: two +soldiers were killed; the rest—four of them having dangerous +wounds—reached the pickets. The exasperated Indians, disappointed at +the escape of this party, now wreaked their vengeance by killing all +the cattle they could find.</p> + +<p>Finding all their efforts to enter the station idle, Simon Girty now +came near enough to be heard, mounted a stump, and holding in his hand +a flag of truce, began to talk. "Surrender promptly," cried Simon; "if +you surrender promptly, no blood shall be shed; but if you will not +surrender, then know that our cannons and reinforcements are coming. +We will batter down your pickets as we did at Riddle's and Martin's; +every man of you shall be slain; two are dead already four are +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> +wounded; every man shall die." This language was so insolent, that +some of the settlers cried out, "Shoot the rascal!" No man, however, +lifted his rifle; the flag of truce protected him. "I am under a flag +of truce," cried Simon; "do you know who it is that speaks to you?"</p> + +<p>Upon this, a young man named Reynolds leaped up and cried out, "Know +you! know you! yes, we know you well. Know Simon Girty! yes: he is the +renegado, cowardly villain, who loves to murder women and children, +especially those of his own people. Know Simon Girty! yes: his father +must have been a panther, and his mother a wolf. I have a worthless +dog that kills lambs: instead of shooting him, I have named him Simon +Girty. You expect reinforcements and cannon, do you? Cowardly wretches +like you, that make war upon women and children, would not dare to +touch them off, if you had them. We expect reinforcements, too, and in +numbers to give a short account of the murdering cowards that follow +you. Even if you could batter down our pickets, I, for one, hold your +people in too much contempt to shoot rifles at them. I would not waste +powder and ball upon you. Should you even enter our fort, I am ready +for you; I have roasted a number of hickory switches, with which we +mean to whip you and your naked cut-throats out of the country!" +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> +</p> + +<p>Simon was now furious; cursing and swearing, he went back to his +friends, amid the loud laughs and jeers of the whites. In a little +time, the firing was renewed; it was all to no purpose: no white man +suffered, and every Indian who came within gun-shot of the fort was +sure to fall. In the course of the night the whole party sneaked off, +and their tracks indicated that they had started for the Blue Licks. +They left behind them thirty of their number slain. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> +</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII.</h2> + +<div class="wrap_area"> + <img src="images/drop_c.jpg" width= "150" height= "383" alt="C" /> + + <div class="shape_wrap"> + <div style="width: 151px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 151px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 112px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 82px;" ></div> + </div> + +<p><span class="dropcap">C</span>OLONEL TODD, of Lexington, instantly +despatched news of this attack on Bryant's station, to Colonel Boone, +at Boonesborough, and Colonel Trigg, near Harrodsburgh. In a little +time, one hundred and seventy-six men were collected under these three +officers, to march in pursuit. Majors M‘Gary and Harland now +joined them, determined that they would have a part in the punishment +of the savages. It was known, too, that Colonel Logan was collecting a +force, and a council of officers was at once held, to determine +whether they should march on, or wait for him. They were all so eager +to be off, that it was thought best to march immediately. The march +was therefore commenced forthwith. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span></p> +<p>Following on in the trail of the Indians, they had not gone far, when +Boone saw enough to convince him that the Indians would not only be +willing, but glad to meet them. No effort had been made to conceal +their trail; the trees were even marked on their pathway, that the +whites might follow on; and they had tried to conceal their numbers, +by treading in each other's footsteps. He called the attention of his +companions to this, but still they proceeded onward.</p> + +<p>They saw no Indians until they came to the Licking river, not far from +the Blue Licks. A party was now seen on the other side of the stream, +leisurely crossing a hill. A council was at once held, and the +officers all turned to Boone for advice. His advice was given frankly: +he was for waiting till Logan should arrive with his men. The Indian +party, he felt assured, was at the least from four to five hundred +strong, and the unconcerned mode in which the Indians crossed the hill +showed that the main body was near, and their design was to draw them +over the river. Moreover, he was acquainted with all that region of +the country. After they crossed the ford, they would come upon deep +ravines not far from the bank, where, no doubt, the Indians were in +ambush. If, however, they were determined not to wait for Logan, he +advised that the country might at least be reconnoitred before the +attack was made. A part of the men, he thought, might cross the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> +stream, and move up cautiously on the other side, while the remainder +would stand where they were, ready to assist them at the first alarm. +Todd and Trigg thought the advice good, and were disposed to heed it; +but, just at this moment, Major M‘Gary, more hot-headed than wise, +spurred his horse into the water, gave the Kentucky war-whoop, and +cried out, "All those that are not cowards will follow me; I will show +them where the Indians are." The men were roused by this show of +bravery, and they all crossed the ford.</p> + +<p>The banks were steep on the other side, and many of them now +dismounted, tied their horses, and commenced marching on foot. M‘Gary +and Harland led the way. They had not proceeded far when they came to +one of the ravines. It was just as Boone had supposed; the savages +were in ambush. A deadly fire was now poured in upon the whites; the +men staggered and fell in every direction. The fire was returned, but +to little purpose, for the enemy was completely concealed; a retreat +was all that was left. The whites hurried back toward the river; the +Indians pursued; and now commenced the slaughter with the tomahawk. +The ford was narrow, and multitudes were slaughtered there. Some were +trying to get to their horses; others, more fortunate, were mounted +and flying; and some were plunging into the stream. In the midst of +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> +all this confusion, the Indians were doing their work of destruction.</p> + +</div> + +<p>A man by the name of Netherland (who had been laughed at for his +cowardice) had never dismounted his horse, and was the first to reach +the opposite shore. In a little time, some of his comrades were around +him. He now turned, and, looking back, saw the massacre that was going +on. This was more than he could bear. "Halt! fire on the Indians," +cried he; "protect the men in the river." With this, the men wheeled, +fired, and rescued several poor fellows in the stream, over whom the +tomahawk was lifted.</p> + +<p>Reynolds, the man who answered Girty's insolence, made a narrow +escape. Finding, in the retreat, one of the officers wounded, he gave +him his horse, and was soon after taken by three Indians. They were +now over him, ready to despatch him, when two retreating white men +rushed by. Two of the savages started in pursuit; the third stooped +for an instant to tie his moccasin, when Reynolds sprang away from him +and escaped.</p> + +<p>This was a terrible battle for the white men. More than sixty of their +number were slain, and among them were most of their officers: +Colonels Todd and Trigg, Majors Harland and Bulger, Captains Gordon +and M‘Bride, and a son of Colonel Boone, were all among the dead. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> +</p> + +<p>Those who had regained the other shore, not having strength to rally, +started homeward in great sadness. On their way they met Colonel +Logan. He had gone to Bryant's station with his five hundred men, and +was greatly disappointed when he found they had all started without +him; he pushed on, however, as rapidly as he could, hoping to overtake +them before they made their attack on the savages. The sad story of +the defeat was soon told. All that remained to be done now was to go +back, and, if possible, bury the dead. Upon this sad business Logan +continued his march. Upon reaching the ground, the spectacle was +awful: the dead bodies were strewn over it just as they had fallen, +the heat was intense, and birds of prey were feeding upon the +carcasses. The bodies were so mangled and changed, that no man could +be distinguished; friends could not recognise their nearest relatives. +The dead were buried as rapidly as possible, and Logan left the scene +in great sorrow.</p> + +<p>Nor was this all the carnage. The Indians, after the defeat, had +scattered, and it was soon found that on their way homeward they had +swept through several settlements, carrying destruction before them. +Emboldened by their triumph, no man could tell what they might next +attempt.</p> + +<p>It was no time for the whites to be idle. They soon rallied in large +numbers at Fort Washington, the present site of the city of +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> +Cincinnati. General Clarke was at once made commander-in-chief, and +Colonel Logan was placed next under him in command. Clarke immediately +started with a thousand men to attack the Indian towns on the Miami. +On his way he came upon the cabin of Simon Girty; it was fortunate for +Simon that a straggling Indian spied Clarke's men coming, in time to +let him escape. The news was now spread everywhere that an army of +white men was coming from Kentucky. The consequence was, that as +Clarke approached the towns, he found them all deserted; the Indians +had fled to the woods. His march, however, was not made for nothing. +The towns of Old and New Chilicothe, Pecaway, and Wills' Town, were +all reduced to ashes. One old Indian warrior was surprised, and +surrendered himself a prisoner. This man, to the great sorrow of +General Clarke, was afterward murdered by one of the soldiers.</p> + +<p>Notwithstanding this punishment, Indian massacres still went on. +Stories of savage butchery were heard of everywhere; every station +that they dared approach felt their fury, and the poor settler who had +built his cabin away from any station was sure to be visited.</p> + +<p>General Clarke started out again, against the Indians on the Wabash. +Unfortunately, his expedition failed this time, for the want of +provisions for +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> + his men. Another expedition of Colonel Logan, against +the Shawanese Indians, was more successful. He surprised one of their +towns, killed many of their warriors, and took many prisoners.</p> + +<p>The war had now become so serious, that in the fall of 1785 the +General Government invited all the lake and Ohio tribes of Indians to +meet at the mouth of the Great Miami. It was hoped that in this way +matters might be settled peaceably. But many of the tribes were +insolent and ill-natured; they refused to come in, giving as an excuse +that the Kentuckians were for ever molesting them. Emboldened by the +very invitation, they continued the warfare more vigorously than ever. +They not only assaulted the settlements already made, but made an +attempt to guard the Ohio river, to prevent any further settlers from +reaching the country in that direction. Small parties placed +themselves at different points on the river, from Pittsburgh to +Louisville, where they laid in ambush and fired upon every boat that +passed. Sometimes they would make false signals, decoy the boat +ashore, and murder the whole crew. They even went so far at last as to +arm and man the boats they had taken, and cruise up and down the +river.</p> + +<p>I must tell you of a very bold defence made on the Ohio about this +time by a Captain Hubbel, who was bringing a party of emigrants from +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> +Vermont. His party was in two boats, and consisted in all of twenty. +As Hubbel came down the river, he fell in with other boats, was told +of the Indian stratagems, and advised to be careful. Indeed, the +inmates of some of the boats begged that he would continue in their +company, and thus they would be able to meet the Indians better if +they should be attacked; the stronger the party, the better, in such a +condition. But Hubbel refused to do this, and proceeded onward. He had +not gone far, when a man on the shore began to make signs of distress, +and begged that the boat might come and take him off. Hubbel knew well +enough that this was an Indian disguised as a white man, and therefore +took no notice of him. In a little time, a party of savages pushed off +in their boats, and attacked him fiercely. The fight was hot on both +sides. The savages tried to board Hubbel's boat, but the fire was too +hot for this. Hubbel received two severe wounds, and had the lock of +his gun shot off by an Indian; still he fought, touching off his +broken gun from time to time with a firebrand. The Indians found the +struggle too hard, and were glad to paddle off. Presently they +returned, and attacked the other boat; this they seized almost without +an effort, killed the captain and a boy, and took all the women as +prisoners to their own boats. Now they came once more against Hubbel, +and cunningly placed the women on the sides of their boats as a sort +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> +of bulwark. But this did not stop Hubbel: he saw that his balls must +strike the women; but it was better that they should be killed now, +rather than suffer a death of torture from the savages, and the fire +was at once opened upon them again. They were soon driven off once +more. In the course of the action, however, Hubbel's boat drifted near +the shore, and five hundred savages renewed the fire upon them. One of +the emigrants, more imprudent than the rest, seeing a fine chance for +a shot, raised his head to take aim, and was instantly killed by a +ball. The boat drifted along, and at length reached deep water again. +It was then found, that of the nine men on board, two only had escaped +unhurt; two were killed, and two mortally wounded. A remarkable lad on +board showed great courage. He now asked his friends to extract a ball +that had lodged in the skin of his forehead; and when this was done, +he begged that they would take out a piece of bone that had been +fractured in his elbow by another ball. His poor frightened mother, +seeing his suffering, asked him why he had not complained before; to +which the little fellow replied that he had been too busy, and, +besides that, the captain had told them all to make no noise.</p> + +<p>It was idle to attempt now to settle matters peaceably. The general +government had tried that and the plan had failed. The war was now +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> +to be carried on to a close, come what might. An expedition was +accordingly planned, against all the tribes northwest of the Ohio. The +Indians were to be brought out, if possible to a general fight; or, if +that could not be done, all their towns and cabins on the Scioto and +Wabash, were to be destroyed. General Harmar was appointed commander +of the main expedition, and Major Hamtranck was to aid him with a +smaller party.</p> + +<p>In the fall of 1791, Harmar started from Fort Washington with three +hundred and twenty men. In a little time he was joined by the Kentucky +and Pennsylvania militia, so that his whole force now amounted to +fourteen hundred and fifty-three men. Colonel Hardin, who commanded +the Kentucky militia, was now sent ahead with six hundred men, +principally militia, to reconnoitre the country. Upon reaching the +Indian settlements, the savages set fire to their houses and fled; to +overtake them, he pushed on with two hundred of his men. A party of +Indians met and attacked them. The cowardly militia ran off, leaving +their brave companions to be slaughtered. It was a brave struggle, but +almost all were cut down; only seven managed to escape and join the +main army.</p> + +<p>Harmar felt deeply mortified. He commenced forthwith his return to +Fort Washington, but determined that, on the way, he would wipe off +this disgrace from his army. Upon coming near Chilicothe +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> +he accordingly halted, and in the night despatched Colonel Hardin once +more ahead, with orders to find the enemy and draw them into an +engagement. About daybreak, Hardin came upon them, and the battle +commenced. It was a desperate fight on both sides. Some of the militia +acted badly again, but the officers behaved nobly. The victory was +claimed on both sides, but I think the Indians had the best of it. +Three gallant officers, Fontaine, Willys, and Frothingham, were slain, +together with fifty regulars and one hundred militia.</p> + +<p>Harmar now moved on to Fort Washington. So much was said about his +miserable campaign, that he requested that he might be tried by a +court-martial. Accordingly he was tried and honorably acquitted.</p> + +<p>A new army was soon raised, and the command was now given to +Major-General Arthur St. Clair. His plan was to destroy the Indian +settlements between the Miamies, drive the savages from that region, +and establish a chain of military posts there, which should for ever +keep them out of the country. All having rallied at Fort Washington, +he started off in the direction of the Miami towns. It was a hard +march, for he was forced to cut his roads as he passed along. Upon +arriving near the Indian country, he built forts Hamilton and +Jefferson and garrisoned them. This left him nearly two thousand men +to proceed with. In a little time some of the worthless militia +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> +deserted. This was a bad example to the rest, and St. Clair instantly +sent Major Hamtranck, with a regiment, in pursuit of them, while he +continued his march. When he arrived within fifteen miles of the Miami +villages he halted and encamped; he was soon after joined by Major +Hamtranck, and St. Clair proposed now immediately to march against the +enemy.</p> + +<p>But the enemy had already got news of them, and had made ready. They +were determined to have the first blow themselves. At daybreak the +next morning, the savages attacked the militia and drove them back in +confusion. These broke through the regulars, forcing their way into +the camp, the Indians pressing hard on their heels. The officers tried +to restore order, but to no purpose: the fight now became general. +This, however, was only a small part of the Indian force—there were +four thousand of the party; they had nearly surrounded the camp, and +sheltered by the trees and grass as usual, were pouring in a deadly +fire upon the whites. St. Clair and all his officers behaved with +great courage. Finding his men falling fast around him, he ordered a +charge to be made with the bayonet. The men swept through the long +grass driving the Indians before them. The charge had no sooner ceased +than the Indians returned. Some forced their way into the camp, killed +the artillerists, wounded Colonel Butler, and seized the cannon. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> +Wounded as he was, Butler drove them back and recovered the guns. +Fired with new ardor, they returned again, once more entered the +camp—once more had possession of the cannon. All was now confusion +among the whites—it was impossible to restore order—the Indians +brought them down in masses—a retreat was all that remained. But they +were so hemmed in, that this seemed impossible. Colonel Darke was +ordered to charge the savages behind them, while Major Clarke with his +battalion was commanded to cover the rear of the army. These orders +were instantly obeyed, and the disorderly retreat commenced. The +Indians pursued them four miles, keeping up a running fight. At last +their chief, a Mississago, who had been trained to war by the British, +cried out to them to stop as they had killed enough. They then +returned to plunder the camp and divide the spoils, while the routed +troops continued their flight to Fort Jefferson, throwing away their +arms on the roadside that they might run faster. The Indians found in +the camp seven pieces of cannon, two hundred oxen, and several horses, +and had a great rejoicing. Well might the Mississago chief tell his +people they had killed enough: thirty-eight commissioned officers were +slain, and five hundred and ninety-three non-commissioned officers and +privates. Besides this, twenty-one officers and two hundred and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> +forty-two men were wounded, some of whom soon died of their wounds.</p> + +<p>This was a most disastrous battle for the whites, the most disastrous +they had yet known. The triumphant Indians were so delighted that they +could not leave the field, but kept up their revels from day to day. +Their revels, however, were at length broken up sorrowfully for them. +General Scott, hearing of the disaster, pushed on for the field with +one thousand mounted volunteers from Kentucky. The Indians were +dancing and singing, and riding the horses and oxen in high glee. +Scott instantly attacked them; two hundred were killed, their plunder +retaken, and the whole body of savages driven from the ground.</p> + +<p>When Congress met soon after this, of course this wretched Indian war +was much talked of. It was proposed at once to raise three additional +regiments. Upon this a hot debate sprang up, the proposal was opposed +warmly; the opponents said that it would be necessary to lay a heavy +tax upon the people to raise them, that the war had been badly +managed, and should have been trusted to the militia in the west under +their own officers, and, moreover, that no success could be expected +so long as the British continued to hold posts in our own limits, and +furnish the Indians with arms, ammunition, and advice.</p> + +<p>On the other hand, it was declared that the war was a just and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> +necessary one. It was shown that in seven years (between 1783 and +1790), fifteen hundred people in Kentucky had been murdered or taken +captives by the savages; while in Pennsylvania and Virginia matters +had been well nigh as bad; that everything had been done to settle +matters peaceably but all to no purpose. In 1790, when a treaty was +proposed to the Indians of the Miami, they asked for thirty days to +deliberate—the request was granted—during those thirty days one +hundred and twenty persons had been killed or captured, and at the end +of the time the savages refused to give any answer to the proposal. At +last the vote was taken—the resolution passed—the war was to be +carried on—the regiments were to be raised.</p> + +<p>General St. Clair now resigned the command of the army, and Major +General Anthony Wayne was appointed to succeed him. This appointment +gave great joy to the western people; the man was so well known among +them for his daring and bravery, that he commonly went by the name of +"Mad Anthony."</p> + +<p>After much delay, the regiments were at last gathered together. Some +still opposed this war and in order to prove to them that the +government was willing to settle matters peaceably, if possible, two +officers—Colonel Hardin and Major Truman, were now sent off to +the Indians with proposals of peace. They were both seized and +murdered by the savages. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> +</p> + +<p>Wayne now started out upon his expedition. In a little time he passed +Fort Jefferson, took possession of St. Clair's fatal field, and +erected a fort there which he called Fort Recovery. He now learned the +truth of the stories about the British. A number of British soldiers +had come down from Detroit, and fortified themselves on the Miami of +the lakes. It was rumored too, that in some of the Indian fights and +massacres, the English were seen among them, fighting and urging them +on.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> +The General continued his march, and early in August reached the +confluence of the Miami of the Lakes and the Au Glaize. This was one +of the finest countries of the Indians, it was about thirty miles from +the British post, and he discovered here, that two thousand warriors +were near that post ready to meet him. Wayne was glad to hear this; +his army was quite as strong, and he longed to meet the savages. As he +drew near, however, he determined once more to have peace if possible, +without shedding blood. A message was sent to the Indians, urging them +not to follow the advice of bad men, to lay down their arms, to learn +to live peaceably, and their lives and their homes should be protected +by the government. An insolent answer, was all that was received in +reply.</p> + +<p>Wayne's army now marched on in columns—a select battalion, under +Major Price, moving in front to reconnoitre. After marching about five +miles, Price was driven back by the fire of the Indians. As usual, the +cunning enemy was concealed; they had hid themselves in a thick wood a +little in advance of the British post, and here Price had received +their fire.</p> + +<p>Wayne had now found out precisely where they were, and gave his orders +accordingly. The cavalry under Captain Campbell were commanded to +enter the wood in the rear of the Indians, between them and the river, +and charge their left flank. General Scott, with eleven hundred +mounted Kentucky volunteers, was to make a circuit in the opposite +direction, and attack the right. The infantry were to advance with +trailed arms, and rouse the enemy from their hiding-places. All being +ready, the infantry commenced their march. The Indians were at once +routed at the point of the bayonet. The infantry had done the whole; +Campbell and Scott had hardly the chance of doing any of the fighting. +In the course of an hour, they had driven the savages back two miles; +in fact, within gun-shot of the British post.</p> + +<p>Wayne had now the possession of the whole ground, and here he remained +three days, burning their houses and cornfields above and below the +fort. One Englishman suffered, too, in this work of destruction. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> +Colonel M‘Kee was known as a British trader, forever instigating the +Indians against the Americans, and Wayne did not scruple to burn all +his houses and stores likewise. Major Campbell, who commanded the +British fort, remonstrated at this, but Wayne gave him a bold and +determined answer in reply, and he had no more to say. A few words +from him would only have caused Wayne to drive him from the country.</p> + +<p>The army now returned to Au Glaize, destroying all the houses, +villages, and crops by the way. It was one complete work of +destruction; within fifty miles of the river everything was destroyed. +In this campaign, Wayne had lost one hundred and seven men, and among +them were two brave officers—Captain Campbell and Lieutenant Towles, +but still he had gained a glorious victory. In his track, too, he had +not forgotten to build forts, to guard against the savages in future.</p> + +<p>The story of the victory soon spread, and struck terror to the hearts +of the Indians north and south. They were restless and dissatisfied, +but war was sure destruction to them; they felt that it was idle to +attempt it further, and were ready to be quiet. In less than a year +from this time, Wayne concluded a treaty, in behalf of the United +States with all the Indian tribes northwest of the Ohio. The settlers +at last had peace—a blessing which they had long desired. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> +</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII.</h2> + +<div class="wrap_area"> + <img src="images/drop_w.jpg" width= "150" height= "397" alt="W" /> + + <div class="shape_wrap"> + <div style="width: 151px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 151px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 112px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 82px;" ></div> + </div> + +<p><span class="dropcap">W</span>ITH the return of peace, the settlers +were very happy. They could now go out, fell the forests, and +cultivate their fields in safety. There was no longer any wily savage +to lay in ambush, and keep them in perpetual anxiety. No man among +them was happier than Boone. He had been harassed by constant +struggles ever since he came to Kentucky, and these struggles with the +savages had made him a warrior rather than a hunter; but he could now +return to his darling passion. While others cultivated the ground, he +roamed through the wilderness with his rifle; he was now a hunter +indeed, spending weeks and months uninterruptedly in the forests By +day he moved where he pleased, and at night made his camp fearlessly +wherever the shades of night overtook him. His life was now +happier than ever. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span> +</p> + +<p>Ere long, however, a cloud came over this happiness. Men began again +to crowd too closely upon him. In spite of all the early struggles +with the savages in Kentucky, emigrants had continued to flow into +that country. As early as 1783, Kentucky had been laid off into three +counties, and was that year formed into one district, and called the +District of Kentucky. In 1785, a convention was called at Danville, +and a memorial was addressed to the legislature of Virginia, proposing +that Kentucky should be erected into an independent State. In 1786, +the legislature of Virginia took the necessary steps for making the +new State, if Congress would admit it into the Union. In 1792, +Kentucky was admitted into the Union as one of the United States of +America. And now that peace had come to aid the settlers, emigration +flowed in more rapidly. Court-houses, jails, judges, lawyers, +sheriffs, and constables, began necessarily to be seen. Kentucky was +becoming every day a more settled and civilized region, and Boone's +heart grew sick. He had sought the wilderness, and men were fast +taking it away from him. He began to think of moving.</p> + +<p>Another sorrow now came over him, and soon fixed in him the +determination to seek a new home. Men began to dispute with him the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> +title to his land. The State of Kentucky had not been surveyed by the +government, and laid off into sections and townships, as the lands +north of the Ohio river have since been. The government of Virginia +had issued certificates, entitling the holder to locate where he +pleased the number of acres called for. To actual settlers, who should +build a cabin, raise a crop, &c., pre-emption rights to such lands as +they might occupy were also granted. Entries of these certificates +were made in a way so loose, that different men frequently located the +same lands; one title would often lap over upon another; and almost +all the titles conferred in this way became known as "the lapping, or +shingle titles." Continued lawsuits sprang out of this state of +things; no man knew what belonged to him. Boone had made these loose +entries of his lands: his titles, of course, were disputed. It was +curious to see the old man in a court of law, which he thoroughly +despised, fighting for his rights. He was greatly provoked; he had +explored and redeemed the wilderness, as he said, borne every hardship +with his wife and children, only to be cheated at last. But the law +decided against him; he lost his lands, and would now no longer remain +in that region.</p> + +</div> + +<p>Hearing that buffaloes and deer were still plenty about the Great +Kanhawa river, he started thither with his wife and children, and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> +settled near Point Pleasant. Here he remained several years. He was +disappointed in not finding game as he expected, and was more of a +farmer here than ever before; he turned his attention earnestly to +agriculture, and was very successful in raising good crops. Still he +was dissatisfied; he longed for the wilderness. Hunting and trapping +were the constant thoughts of his life.</p> + +<p>While living here, he met accidentally with a party of men who had +been out upon the upper waters of the Missouri. These men talked of +the beauty of that region: they had stories to tell of grizzly bears, +buffaloes, deer, beavers, and otters—in fact, the region was in their +eyes "the paradise for a hunter." Fired by these stories, Boone +resolved to go there. Accordingly, he gathered together all that he +possessed, and with his wife and family started for Missouri, driving +his herds and cattle before him. It was strange to see an old man thus +vigorous in seeking a new home. He was an object of surprise to every +one. When he reached Cincinnati, on his route, some one, marking his +age, and surprised at his adventure, asked him how, at his time of +life, he could leave all the comforts of home, for the wilderness. His +answer shows his whole character: "Too much crowded, too much +crowded," said he; "I want more elbow-room." Travelling on, he at +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span> +length reached Missouri, and, proceeding about fifty miles above St. +Louis, settled in what is now St. Charles county.</p> + +<p>Here everything pleased Boone. The country, as you know, was then in +the possession of the French and Spanish, and the old laws by which +their territories were governed were still in force there. They had no +constitution, no king, no legislature, no judges, lawyers, or +sheriffs. An officer called the commandant, and the priests, exercised +all the authority that was needed. The horses, cattle, flocks, and +herds of these people all grazed together upon the same commons; in +fact, they were living here almost in primitive simplicity. Boone's +character for honesty and courage soon became known among them, and he +was appointed by the Spanish commandant the commandant over the +district of St. Charles.</p> + +<p>Boone now had the satisfaction of settling all his children +comfortably around him, and in the unbroken wilderness his hunting and +trapping was unmolested. In his office of commandant he gave great +satisfaction to every one, and continued to occupy it until Missouri +was purchased by our government from the French. When that purchase +was made, American enterprise soon came upon him again—he was once +more crowded by his fellow-men. His old office of commandant was soon +merged in the new order of things—his hunting-grounds were invaded by +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> +others. Nothing remained for him now, but to submit to his fate; he +was too old to move again, nor indeed did he know where to go. He +continued his old habits, as well he might. He would start out with +his rifle, now marked with a paper sight to guide his dim eye, and be +absent from his home for weeks. Nearly eighty years had passed over +him, yet he would lie in wait near the salt-licks, and bring down his +buffalo or his deer, and as bravely and cheerily as in his younger +days, would he cut down bee-trees. As the light-hearted Frenchmen +swept up the river in their fleets of periogues on their hunting +excursions, Boone would cheer them as they passed, and sigh for his +younger days that he might join their parties. He was a complete +Nimrod, now almost worn out.</p> + +<p>It was while he was living here, I think, that he was met by that very +interesting man, Mr. Audubon, the natural historian of our continent. +He was struck with the man, and has given the story of his interview +with Boone. It is so illustrative of the character of the hunter, that +I give it to you in Mr. Audubon's words.</p> + +<p>"Daniel Boone, or as he was usually called in the western country, +Colonel Boone, happened to spend a night under the same roof with me, +more than twenty years ago. We had returned from a shooting excursion, +in the course of which his extraordinary skill in the management of a +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> +rifle had been fully displayed. On retiring to the room appropriated +to that remarkable individual and myself for the night, I felt anxious +to know more of his exploits and adventures than I did, and +accordingly took the liberty of proposing numerous questions to him. +The stature and general appearance of this wanderer of the western +forests, approached the gigantic. His chest was broad and prominent; +his muscular powers displayed themselves in every limb; his +countenance gave indication of his great courage, enterprise, and +perseverance; and when he spoke, the very motion of his lips brought +the impression, that whatever he uttered could not be otherwise than +strictly true. I undressed, while he merely took off his hunting +shirt, and arranged a few folds of blankets on the floor; choosing +rather to lie there, as he observed, than on the softest bed. When we +had both disposed of ourselves, each after his own fashion, he related +to me the following account of his powers of memory, which I lay +before you, kind reader, in his own words, hoping that the simplicity +of his style may prove interesting to you.</p> + +<p>"I was once," said he, "on a hunting expedition on the banks of the +Green river, when the lower parts of this (Kentucky) were still in the +hands of nature, and none but the sons of the soil were looked upon as +its lawful proprietors. We Virginians had for some time been waging a +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> +war of intrusion upon them, and I, among the rest, rambled through +the woods, in pursuit of their race, as I now would follow the tracks +of any ravenous animal. The Indians outwitted me one dark night, and I +was as unexpectedly as suddenly made a prisoner by them. The trick had +been managed with great skill; for no sooner had I extinguished the +fire of my camp, and laid me down to rest, in full security, as I +thought, than I felt myself seized by an indistinguishable number of +hands, and was immediately pinioned, as if about to be led to the +scaffold for execution. To have attempted to be refractory, would have +proved useless and dangerous to my life; and I suffered myself to be +removed from my camp to theirs, a few miles distant, without uttering +even a word of complaint. You are aware, I dare say, that to act in +this manner, was the best policy, as you understand that by so doing, +I proved to the Indians at once, that I was born and bred as fearless +of death as any of themselves.</p> + +<p>"When we reached the camp, great rejoicings were exhibited. Two +squaws, and a few papooses, appeared particularly delighted at the +sight of me, and I was assured, by very unequivocal gestures and +words, that, on the morrow, the mortal enemy of the red-skins would +cease to live. I never opened my lips, but was busy contriving some +scheme which might enable me to give the rascals the slip before +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> +dawn. The women immediately fell a searching about my hunting-shirt +for whatever they might think valuable, and fortunately for me, soon +found my flask, filled with <i>Monongahela</i> (that is, reader, strong +whiskey). A terrific grin was exhibited on their murderous +countenances, while my heart throbbed with joy at the anticipation of +their intoxication. The crew immediately began to beat their bellies +and sing, as they passed the bottle from mouth to mouth. How often did +I wish the flask ten times its size, and filled with aquafortis! I +observed that the squaws drank more freely than the warriors, and +again my spirits were about to be depressed, when the report of a gun +was heard at a distance. The Indians all jumped on their feet. The +singing and drinking were both brought to a stand; and I saw with +inexpressible joy, the men walk off to some distance, and talk to the +squaws. I knew that they were consulting about me, and I foresaw, that +in a few moments the warriors would go to discover the cause of the +gun having been fired so near their camp. I expected the squaws would +be left to guard me. Well, sir, it was just so. They returned; the men +took up their guns and walked away. The squaws sat down again, and in +less than five minutes they had my bottle up to their dirty mouths, +gurgling down their throats the remains of the whiskey. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> +</p> + +<p>"With what pleasure did I see them becoming more and more drunk, until +the liquor took such hold of them that it was quite impossible for +these women to be of any service. They tumbled down, rolled about, and +began to snore; when I, having no other chance of freeing myself from +the cords that fastened me, rolled over and over toward the fire, and +after a short time burned them asunder. I rose on my feet; stretched +my stiffened sinews; snatched up my rifle, and, for once in my life, +spared that of Indians. I now recollect how desirous I once or twice +felt to lay open the sculls of the wretches with my tomahawk; but when +I again thought upon killing beings unprepared and unable to defend +themselves, it looked like murder without need, and I gave up the +idea.</p> + +<p>"But, sir, I felt determined to mark the spot, and walking to a +thrifty ash sapling, I cut out of it three large chips, and ran off. I +soon reached the river; soon crossed it, and threw myself deep into +the canebrakes, imitating the tracks of an Indian with my feet, so +that no chance might be left for those from whom I had escaped to +overtake me.</p> + +<p>"It is now nearly twenty years since this happened, and more than five +since I left the whites' settlements, which I might probably never +have visited again, had I not been called on as a witness in a lawsuit +that was pending in Kentucky and which, I really believe, would never +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> +have been settled, had I not come forward, and established the +beginning of a certain boundary line. This is the story, sir.</p> + +<p>"Mr. —— moved from old Virginia into Kentucky, and having +a large tract granted to him in the new state, laid claim to a certain +parcel of land adjoining Green river, and as chance would have it, he +took for one of his corners the very ash tree on which I had made my +mark, and finished his survey of some thousands of acres, beginning, +as it is expressed in the deed, 'at an ash marked by three distinct +notches of the tomahawk of a white man.'</p> + +<p>"The tree had grown much, and the bark had covered the marks; but, +some how or other, Mr. —— heard from some one all that I +have already said to you, and thinking that I might remember the spot +alluded to in the deed, but which was no longer discoverable, wrote +for me to come and try at least to find the place on the tree. His +letter mentioned, that all my expenses should be paid; and not caring +much about once more going back to Kentucky, I started and met +Mr. ——. After some conversation, the affair with the +Indians came to my recollection. I considered for a while, and began +to think that after all, I could find the very spot, as well as the +tree, if it was yet standing. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> +</p> + +<p>"Mr. —— and I mounted our horses, and off we went to the +Green river bottoms. After some difficulties, for you must be aware, +sir, that great changes had taken place in these woods, I found at +last the spot where I had crossed the river, and waiting for the moon +to rise, made for the course in which I thought the ash tree grew. On +approaching the place, I felt as if the Indians were there still, and +as if I was still a prisoner among them. Mr. —— and I +camped near what I conceived the spot, and waited till the return of +day.</p> + +<p>"At the rising of the sun I was on foot, and after a good deal of +musing, thought that an ash tree then in sight must be the very one on +which I had made my mark. I felt as if there could be no doubt of it, +and mentioned my thought to Mr. ——. 'Well, Colonel Boone,' +said he, 'if you think so, I hope it may prove true, but we must have +some witnesses; do you stay hereabout, and I will go and bring some of +the settlers whom I know.' I agreed. Mr. —— trotted off, +and I, to pass the time, rambled about to see if a deer was still +living in the land. But ah! sir, what a wonderful difference thirty +years make in the country! Why, at the time when I was caught by the +Indians, you would not have walked out in any direction for more than +a mile without shooting a buck or a bear. There were ten thousands of +buffaloes on the hills in Kentucky; the land looked +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> +as if it would never become poor; and to hunt in those days was a +pleasure indeed. But when I was left to myself on the banks of the +Green river, I dare say for the last time in my life, a few <i>signs</i> +only of deer were to be seen, and as to a deer itself, I saw none.</p> + +<p>"Mr. —— returned, accompanied by three gentlemen. +They looked upon me as if I had been Washington himself, and walked to +the ash tree which I now called my own, as if in quest of a long lost +treasure. I took an axe from one of them and cut a few chips off the +bark. Still no signs were to be seen. So I cut again, until I thought +it time to be cautious, and I scraped and worked away with my butcher +knife, until I <i>did</i> come to where my tomahawk had left an impression +in the wood. We now went regularly to work, and scraped at the tree +with care, until three hacks, as plain as any three notches ever were, +could be seen. Mr. —— and the other gentlemen were +astonished, and, I must allow, I was as much surprised as pleased, +myself. I made affidavit of this remarkable occurrence in the presence +of these gentlemen. Mr. —— gained his cause. I left Green +river, for ever, and came to where we now are; and, sir, I wish you a +good night."</p> + +<p>Here, too, it was that he resided, when Mr. Astor attempted to carry +out his magnificent design, of settling Astoria on the western coast +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> +of our continent, and belting the earth with his commerce. When you +are older, you can read the beautiful history of that attempt, written +by our distinguished countryman Mr. Irving. As the party, bound for +the far west, moved up the Missouri, Boone stood upon the banks of the +stream, looking anxiously after them. It was just the adventure to +please him. There the old man stood, leaning upon his rifle, his dim +eye lighted up as he gazed upon them, and his heart heavy with sorrow, +because he was too old to press with them, beyond the mountains. +<a name="FNanchor_5_5" id="FNanchor_5_5"></a> +<a href="#Footnote_5_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a></p> + +<p>Other sorrows than those of age, now crept upon him. His wife, who had +been to him all that was good, was now taken from him, and the old man +was left widowed. With a sad heart he now went to the home of his son, +Major Nathan Boone.</p> + +<p>The last war with England now broke out, too, and penetrated even the +wilds of Missouri. It was the worst of all warfare—the savages were +let loose upon them. Boone was too old to act the part of a soldier, +but he sent off many substitutes in his sons.</p> + +<p>When peace returned, the spirit of the old man rallied; his ruling +passion was still with him. The woods were again his home, his rifle +his companion; and thus he lived on, through a vigorous old age, with +a passion as strong as ever, a hunter almost to the very day of his +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span> +death. For when, in 1818, death came upon him, he had but little +notice of its approach. With no disease but old age, which had seemed +comparatively vigorous almost to the day of his departure, he died in +his eighty-fourth year. His mind was unclouded and he passed from this +world calmly and quietly.</p> + +<p>I have but one thing more to say. You remember Daniel Boone's +schoolboy days, of which I have spoken. He left school a perfectly +ignorant lad. Some say that he afterward learned to write, and produce +as an evidence, a little narrative of his wanderings in Kentucky, +supposed to be written by himself. I believe, however, that to the day +of his death, he could not write his name. The narrative spoken of, +was, I think, dictated in some degree by him, and written by another. +At all events, the story is interesting and curious, and, as such, I +have placed it for your benefit, as an appendix to this volume. + +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> +</p> + +<div class="footnotes"> +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"> +</a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> +This was the Indian name for the country.</p><br /></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a> +<a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> +It is said by some that this man did not thus leave them. +Their story is, that the three started out upon a hunt; that this man +was separated from the Boones, and became entangled in a swamp. The +Boones searched for him, but could not find him. Afterward, they found +fragments of his clothes, which convinced them that the poor man had +been torn to pieces by wolves. +</p> + +<p> +Daniel Boone, however, tells a different story. He says that the man +left them, "and returned home by himself;" and I have preferred his +statement to any other.</p><br /></div> + + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a> +<a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> +This mode of marking their track is often practised by +hunters in the woods. As they pass through the forest, they mark the +trees by cutting off a small piece of the bark. This enables them +again to find the same pathway, and is commonly called "blazing the +track."</p><br /></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_4_4" id="Footnote_4_4"></a> +<a href="#FNanchor_4_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a> +It is said that it was by Daniel Boone's advice that they +first thought of making this purchase.</p><br /></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_5_5" id="Footnote_5_5"></a> +<a href="#FNanchor_5_5"><span class="label">[5]</span></a> +See Irving's Astoria.</p><br /></div> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="APPENDIX" id="APPENDIX"></a>APPENDIX.</h2> +<hr style="width: 25%;" /> +<h2>THE ADVENTURES OF COLONEL DANIEL BOONE,</h2> + +<h4>FORMERLY A HUNTER;</h4> + +<h3>CONTAINING A NARRATIVE OF THE WARS OF KENTUCKY,</h3> + +<h3>AS GIVEN BY HIMSELF.</h3> + +<div class="wrap_area"> + <img src="images/drop_c.jpg" width="150" height="383" alt="C" /> + + <div class="shape_wrap"> + <div style="width: 151px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 151px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 112px;" ></div> + <div style="width: 82px;" ></div> + </div> + +<p><span class="dropcap">C</span>URIOSITY 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 Kentucky, +lately a howling wilderness, the habitation of savages and wild +beasts, become a fruitful field; this region, so favorably +distinguished by nature, now become the habitation of civilization, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> +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 adorations of our Creator; where wretched wigwams stood, +the miserable abodes of savages, we behold the foundations of cities +laid, that, in all probability, will equal the glory of the greatest +upon earth. And we view Kentucky, 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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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 Kentucky, in +company with John Finley, John Stewart, Joseph Holden, James Monay, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> +and William Cool. We proceeded successfully, and after a long and +fatiguing journey through a mountainous wilderness, in a westward +direction, on the 7th 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 Kentucky. 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 everywhere abundance of wild beasts of all +sorts, through this vast forest. The buffalo were more frequent than I +have seen cattle in the settlements, browsing on the leaves of the +cane, or cropping 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 22d day of December +following.</p> +</div> + +<p>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, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> +on which stood myriads of trees, some gay with blossoms, and 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 colored, elegantly shaped, and +charmingly flavored; and we were diverted with innumerable animals +presenting themselves perpetually to our view. In the decline of the +day, near Kentucky river, as we ascended the brow of a small hill, a +number of Indians rushed out of a thick canebrake 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 canebrake 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 favorable +opportunity, and departed, leaving them to take their rest, and +speedily directed our course toward our old camp, but found it +plundered, and the company dispersed and gone home. About this time my +brother, Squire Boone, with another adventurer, who came to explore +the country shortly after us, was wandering through the forest, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> +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 substitute +happiness in their room.</p> + +<p>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 among savages and wild beasts—not a white +man in the country but ourselves.</p> + +<p>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 +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span> +pleasure in a path strewed with briers and thorns."</p> + +<p>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 1st 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.</p> + +<p>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 +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> +hand, I surveyed the famous river Ohio that rolled in silent dignity, +marking the western boundary of Kentucky 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 canebrakes, 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 +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> +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.</p> + +<p>Thus I was surrounded by 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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>Soon after, I returned home to my family, with a determination to +bring them as soon as possible to live in Kentucky, which I esteemed a +second paradise, at the risk of my life and fortune.</p> + +<p>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 25th day of September, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span> +1773, bade a farewell to our friends, and proceeded on our journey to +Kentucky, 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 Kentucky. This promising beginning was soon +overcast with a cloud of adversity; for, upon the 10th 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 out cattle, brought us into +extreme difficulty, and so discouraged the whole company, that we +retreated forty miles, to the settlement on Clinch 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 Kentucky, are ranged in a southwest and +northeast 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 +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> + 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!</p> + +<p>I remained with my family on Clinch until the 6th 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—completing a tour +of eight hundred miles, through many difficulties, in sixty-two days.</p> + +<p>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 garrison, 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 south side of Kentucky +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, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> +undertook to mark out a road in the best passage from the settlement +through the wilderness to Kentucky, with such assistance as I thought +necessary to employ for such an important undertaking.</p> + +<p>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 Boonesborough 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 20th of March, 1775. Three days +after, we were fired upon again, and had two men killed, and three +wounded. Afterward we proceeded on to Kentucky river without +opposition; and on the 1st day of April began to erect the fort of +Boonesborough at a salt lick, about sixty yards from the river, on the +south side.</p> + +<p>On the fourth day, the Indians killed one of our men. We were busily +employed in building this fort until the 14th day of June following, +without any further opposition from the Indians; and having finished +the works, I returned to my family, on Clinch.</p> + +<p>In a short time I proceeded to remove my family from Clinch to this +garrison, where we arrived safe, without any other difficulties than +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> +such as are common to this passage; my wife and daughter being the +first white women that ever stood on the banks of Kentucky river.</p> + +<p>On the 24th 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.</p> + +<p>On the 14th day of July, 1776, two of Colonel 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 16th 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 in 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 15th of April, 1777, when they +attacked Boonesborough 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.</p> + +<p>On the 4th day of July following, a party of about two hundred Indians +attacked Boonesborough, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> + 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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>On the 19th day of this month, Colonel 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 enemy's loss was +uncertain, from the common practice which the Indians have of carrying +off their dead in time of battle. Colonel Harrod's fort was then +defended by only sixty-five men, and Boonesborough 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 +everywhere 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.</p> + +<p>On the 25th of this month, a reinforcement of +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> + forty-five men arrived +from North Carolina, and about the 20th of August following, Colonel +Bowman arrived with one hundred men from Virginia. Now we began to +strengthen; and hence, for the space of six weeks, we had skirmishes +with Indians, in one quarter or other, almost every day.</p> + +<p>The savages now learned the superiority of the Long Knife, as they +call the Virginians, by experience; being outgeneralled 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.</p> + +<p>On the 1st 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.</p> + +<p>On the 7th 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 Boonesborough, that place being +particularly the object of the enemy.</p> + +<p>They pursued, and took me; and brought me on the 8th 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, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> + gave notice to my men of their situation, with orders not to +resist, but surrender themselves captives.</p> + +<p>The generous usage the Indians had promised before in my capitulation, +was afterward fully complied with, and we proceeded with them as +prisoners to Old Chilicothe, the principal Indian town on Little +Miami, where we arrived, after an uncomfortable journey in very severe +weather, on the 18th day of February, and received as good treatment +as prisoners could expect from savages. On the 10th day of March +following, I and ten of my men were conducted by forty Indians to +Detroit, where we arrived the 30th day, and were treated by Governor +Hamilton, the British commander at that post, with great humanity.</p> + +<p>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. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span></p> + +<p>The Indians left my men in captivity with the British at Detroit, and +on the 10th day of April brought me toward Old Chilicothe, where we +arrived on the 25th 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 Chilicothe I spent my time as +comfortably as I could expect; was adopted, according 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 +cheerful 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 intrusting 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 were in common with them; not so good, indeed, as I could +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span> +desire, but necessity made everything acceptable.</p> + +<p>I now began to meditate an escape, and carefully avoided their +suspicions, continuing with them at Old Chilicothe until the 1st day +of June following, and then was taken by them to the salt springs on +Scioto, 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 Kentucky, if possible, and remarkably +well watered.</p> + +<p>When I returned to Chilicothe, alarmed to see four hundred and fifty +Indians, of their choicest warriors, painted and armed in a fearful +manner, ready to march against Boonesborough, I determined to escape +the first opportunity.</p> + +<p>On the 16th, before sunrise, I departed in the most secret manner, and +arrived at Boonesborough on the 20th, after a journey of one hundred +and sixty miles, during which I had but one meal.</p> + +<p>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 completed 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, on account of my departure, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> + 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 dispossess them of their desirable habitations; +and, anxiously concerned for futurity, determined utterly to extirpate +the whites out of Kentucky. We were not intimidated by their +movements, but frequently gave them proofs of our courage.</p> + +<p>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 +Scioto, called Paint Creek Town. We advanced within four miles +thereof, where we met a party of thirty Indians on their march against +Boonesborough, intending to join the others from Chilicothe. A smart +fight ensued between 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, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> + and on the seventh we arrived safe at Boonesborough.</p> + +<p>On the 8th, the Indian army arrived, being four hundred and forty-four +in number, commanded by Captain Duquesne, eleven other Frenchmen, and +some of their own chiefs, and marched up within view of our fort, with +British and French colors flying; and having sent a summons to me, in +his Britannic Majesty's name, to surrender the fort, I requested two +days' consideration, which was granted.</p> + +<p>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 9th, 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 +your formidable preparations; but thank you for giving us notice and +time to provide for our defence. Your efforts will not prevail; for +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> +our gates shall for ever deny you admittance." Whether this answer +affected their courage or not I can not 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 immediately withdraw their forces from our walls, and +return home peaceably. This sounded grateful in our ears; and we +agreed to the proposal.</p> + +<p>We held the treaty within sixty yards of the garrison, on purpose to +divert them from a breach of honor, 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. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> +</p> + +<p>In this time the enemy began to undermine our fort, which was situated +sixty yards from Kentucky 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 20th day of August they raised the siege and departed.</p> + +<p>During this 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.</p> + +<p>During my absence from Kentucky, Colonel Bowman carried on an +expedition against the Shawanese, at Old Chilicothe, with one hundred +and sixty men, in July, 1779. Here they arrived undiscovered, and a +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> +battle ensued, which lasted until ten o'clock, A.M., when Colonel +Bowman, finding he could not succeed at this time, retreated about +thirty miles. The Indians, in the mean time, collecting all their +forces, pursued and overtook him, when a smart fight continued near +two hours, not to the advantage of Colonel Bowman's party.</p> + +<p>Colonel 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.</p> + +<p>On the 22d day of June, 1780, a large party of Indians and Canadians, +about six hundred in number, commanded by Colonel 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 +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> +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 afterward, +is shocking to humanity, and too barbarous to relate.</p> + +<p>The hostile disposition of the savages and their allies caused General +Clarke, 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.</p> + +<p>About this time I returned to Kentucky with my family; and here, to +avoid an inquiry into my conduct, the reader being before informed of +my bringing my family to Kentucky, 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, +amid a multitude of dangers, to her father's house in North Carolina.</p> + +<p>Shortly after the troubles at Boonesborough, I went to them, and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> +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.</p> + +<p>I settled my family in Boonesborough once more; and shortly after, on +the 6th 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.</p> + +<p>The severity of this winter caused great difficulties in Kentucky. 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 buffalo. 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 autumn, when we received abundance from +the fertile soil.</p> + +<p>Toward spring we were frequently harassed by Indians; and in May, +1782, a party assaulted Ashton's station, killed one man, and took a +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> +negro prisoner. Captain 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.</p> + +<p>The Indians continued their hostilities; and, about the 10th of August +following, two boys were taken from Major Hoy's station. This party +was pursued by Captain 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.</p> + +<p>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 Chilicothe, 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 M‘Kee +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> +and Girty. These led them to execute every diabolical scheme, and on +the 15th day of August, commanded a party of Indians and Canadians, of +about five hundred in number, against Bryant'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.</p> + +<p>On the 18th day, Colonel Todd, Colonel 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, where we overtook them on the 19th +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, from one bend of Licking to the other, about a mile from +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> +the Blue Licks. An exceeding fierce battle immediately began, for +about fifteen minutes, when we, being overpowered 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.</p> + +<p>On our retreat we were met by Colonel 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 honor can not be paid. Had +Colonel Logan and his party been with us, it is highly probable we +should have given the savages a total defeat.</p> + +<p>I can not reflect upon this dreadful scene, but sorrow fills my +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> +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 horseback, a few on foot; and, +being dispersed everywhere 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 anything that I am able to describe. Being reinforced, we +returned to bury the dead, and found their bodies strewed everywhere, +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 putrefied condition, that +no one could be distinguished from another.</p> + +<p>As soon as General Clarke, then at the Falls of the Ohio—who was +ever our ready friend, and merits the love and gratitude of all his +countrymen—understood the circumstances of this unfortunate action, +he ordered an expedition, with all possible haste, to pursue the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span> +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 came up. These returned quick as lightning to their +camp, with the alarming news of a mighty army in view. The savages +fled in the utmost disorder, evacuated their towns, and reluctantly +left their territory to our mercy. We immediately took possession of +Old Chilicothe without opposition, being deserted by its inhabitants. +We continued our pursuit through five towns on the Miami rivers, +Old Chilicothe, Pecaway, New Chilicothe, Will's Towns, and +Chilicothe—burnt them all to ashes, entirely destroyed their corn, +and other fruits, and everywhere spread a scene of desolation in the +country. In this expedition we took seven prisoners and five scalps, +with the loss of only four men, two of whom were accidentally killed +by our own army.</p> + +<p>This campaign in some measure damped the spirits of the Indians, and +made them sensible of our superiority. Their connexions were +dissolved, their armies scattered, and a future invasion put entirely +out of their power; yet they continued to practise mischief secretly +upon the inhabitants, in the exposed parts of the country. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span> +</p> + +<p>In October following, a party made an excursion into that district +called the Crab Orchard; and one of them, being advanced some distance +before the others, boldly entered the house of a poor defenceless +family, in which was only a negro man, a woman, and her children, +terrified with the apprehensions of immediate death. The savage, +perceiving their defenceless situation, without offering violence to +the family, attempted to capture the negro, who happily proved an +overmatch for him, threw him on the ground, and, in the struggle, the +mother of the children drew an axe from a corner of the cottage, and +cut his head off, while her little daughter shut the door. The savages +instantly appeared, and applied their tomahawks to the door. An old +rusty gun-barrel, without a lock, lay in a corner, which the mother +put through a small crevice, and the savages, perceiving it, fled. In +the mean time, the alarm spread through the neighborhood; the armed +men collected immediately, and pursued the ravagers into the +wilderness. Thus Providence, by the means of this negro, saved the +whole of the poor family from destruction. From that time until the +happy return of peace between the United States and Great Britain, the +Indians did us no mischief. Finding the great king beyond the water +disappointed in his expectations, and conscious of the importance of +the Long Knife, and their own wretchedness, some of the nations +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span> +immediately desired peace; to which, at present [1784], they seem +universally disposed, and are sending ambassadors to General Clarke, +at the Falls of the Ohio, with the minutes of their councils.</p> + +<p>To conclude, I can now say that I have verified the saying of an old +Indian who signed Colonel Henderson's deed. Taking me by the hand, at +the delivery thereof—"Brother," said he, "we have given you a fine +land, but I believe you will have much trouble in settling it." My +footsteps have often been marked with blood, and therefore I can truly +subscribe to its original name. Two darling sons and a brother have I +lost by savage hands, which have also taken from me forty valuable +horses, and abundance of cattle. Many dark and sleepless nights have I +been a companion for owls, separated from the cheerful society of men, +scorched by the summer's sun, and pinched by the winter's cold—an +instrument ordained to settle the wilderness. But now the scene is +changed: peace crowns the sylvan shade.</p> + +<p>What thanks, what ardent and ceaseless thanks are due to that +all-superintending Providence which has turned a cruel war into peace, +brought order out of confusion, made the fierce savages placid, and +turned away their hostile weapons from our country! May the same +Almighty Goodness banish the accursed monster, war, from all lands, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> +with her hated associates, rapine and insatiable ambition! Let peace, +descending from her native heaven, bid her olives spring amid the +joyful nations; and plenty, in league with commerce, scatter blessings +from her copious hand!</p> + +<p>This account of my adventures will inform the reader of the most +remarkable events of this country. I now live in peace and safety, +enjoying the sweets of liberty, and the bounties of Providence, with +my once fellow-sufferers, in this delightful country, which I have +seen purchased with a vast expense of blood and treasure: delighting +in the prospect of its being, in a short time, one of the most opulent +and powerful states on the continent of North America; which, with the +love and gratitude of my countrymen, I esteem a sufficient reward for +all my toil and dangers.</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 14em;">DANIEL BOONE.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;"><i>Fayette County,</i> +<span class="smcap">Kentucky</span>.</span> +</p> + +<h3><br /><br /><br />THE END.<br /> +</h3> + +<p> +<br /> +<b><i>Transcriber's Note: </i></b>In the contents list for Chapter II, 'Daniel Doone is +rejoiced' was changed to 'Daniel Boone'. 'Boon' in the frontispiece +illustration caption has however been retained.<br /> Variations in use of hyphens have +been standardised within the text.<br /> Less usual spelling of words such as +rackoon and periogues have been left as they appear in the original book.<br /> +The spelling of Colonel Calloway/Calaway has been left as it appears in +the original. + +<br /> +</p> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Adventures of Daniel Boone: the +Kentucky rifleman, by Uncle Philip + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ADVENTURES OF DANIEL BOONE *** + +***** This file should be named 27431-h.htm or 27431-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/7/4/3/27431/ + +Produced by David Edwards, Jen Haines and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by Florida's Publication of Archival, Library & Museum +Materials (PALMM)) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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