mind of Logan led him to prepare his fellow-citizens for trial and
hardships. He called, in the autumn of 1784, a meeting of the people
at Danville, to take measures for defending the country, and at this
meeting the whole subject of the position and danger of Kentucky was
examined and discussed, and it was agreed that a convention should meet
in December to adopt some measures for the security of the settlements
in the wilderness. Upon the 27th of that month it met, nor was it long
before the idea became prominent that Kentucky must ask to be severed
from Virginia, and left to her own guidance and control. But as no such
conception was general, when the delegates to this first convention
were chosen, they deemed it best to appoint a second, to meet during
the next May, at which was specially to be considered the topic most
interesting to those who were called on to think and vote--a complete
separation from the parent State--political independence."

Several other conventions took place, in which the subject of a
separation from Virginia was considered. In 1786 the Legislature of
Virginia enacted the necessary preliminary provisions for the separation
and erection of Kentucky into an independent State, with the condition
that Congress should receive it into the Union, which was finally
effected in the year 1792.

Previously to this event, Indian hostilities were again renewed.

"A number of Indians in April, 1786, stole some horses from the
Bear Grass settlement, with which they crossed the Ohio. Colonel
Christian pursued them into the Indian country, and, coming up with
them, destroyed the whole party. How many there were is not stated. The
whites lost two men, one of whom was the Colonel himself whose death was
a severe loss to Kentucky. The following affair, which took place the
same year, is given in the language of one who participated in it:

"'After the battle of the Blue Licks, and in 1786 our family removed
to Higgins' block-house on Licking River, one and a half miles above
Cynthiana. Between those periods my father had been shot by the Indians,
and my mother married Samuel Van Hook, who had been one of the party
engaged in the defense at Ruddell's Station in 1780, and on its
surrender was carried with the rest of the prisoners to Detroit.

"'Higgins' Fort, or block-house, had been built at the bank of the
Licking, on precipitous rocks, at least thirty feet high, which served
to protect us on every side but one. On the morning of the 12th of June,
at daylight, the fort, which consisted of six or seven houses, was
attacked by a party of Indians, fifteen or twenty in number. There was
a cabin outside, below the fort, where William McCombs resided, although
absent at that time. His son Andrew, and a man hired in the family,
named Joseph McFall, on making their appearance at the door to wash
themselves, were both shot down--McCombs through the knee, and McFall
in the pit of the stomach. McFall ran to the block-house, and McCombs
fell, unable to support himself longer, just after opening the door of
his cabin, and was dragged in by his sisters, who barricaded the door
instantly. On the level and only accessible side there was a corn-field,
and the season being favorable, and the soil rich as well as new, the
corn was more than breast high. Here the main body of the Indians lay
concealed, while three or four who made the attack attempted thereby to
decoy the whites outside of the defenses. Failing in this, they set fire
to an old fence and corn-crib, and two stables, both long enough built
to be thoroughly combustible. These had previously protected their
approach in that direction. Captain Asa Reese was in command of our
little fort. 'Boys,' said he, 'some of you must run over to Hinkston's
or Harrison's.' These were one and a half and two miles off, but in
different directions. Every man declined. I objected, alleging as my
reason that he would give up the fort before I could bring relief; but
on his assurance that he would hold out, I agreed to go. I jumped off
the bank through the thicket of trees, which broke my fall, while they
scratched my face and limbs. I got to the ground with a limb clenched in
my hands, which I had grasped unawares in getting through. I recovered
from the jar in less than a minute, crossed the Licking, and ran up a
cow-path on the opposite side, which the cows from one of those forts
had beat down in their visits for water. As soon as I had gained the
bank I shouted to assure my friends of my safety, and to discourage the
enemy. In less than an hour I was back, with a relief of ten horsemen,
well armed, and driving in full chase after the Indians. But they had
decamped immediately upon hearing my signal, well knowing what it meant,
and it was deemed imprudent to pursue them with so weak a party--the
whole force in Higgins' block-house hardly sufficing to guard the women
and children there. McFall, from whom the bullet could not be extracted,
lingered two days and nights in great pain, when he died, as did
McCombs, on the ninth day, mortification then taking place.'

"While these depredations were going on, most of the Northwestern tribes
were ostensibly at peace with the country, treaties having recently
been made. But the Kentuckians, exasperated by the repeated outrages,
determined to have resort to their favorite expedient of invading the
Indian country. How far they were justified in holding the tribes
responsible for the actions of these roving plunderers, the reader
must judge for himself. We may remark, however, that it does not seem
distinctly proved that the Indians engaged in these attacks belonged
to any of the tribes against whom the attack was to be made. But the
backwoodsmen were never very scrupulous in such matters. They generally
regarded the Indian race as a unit: an offense committed by one warrior
might be lawfully punished on another. We often, in reading the history
of the West, read of persons who, having lost relations by Indians of
one tribe, made a practice of killing all whom they met, whether in
peace or war. It is evident, as Marshall says, that no authority but
that of Congress could render an expedition of this kind lawful. The
Governor of Virginia had given instructions to the commanders of the
counties to take the necessary means for defense; and the Kentuckians,
giving a free interpretation to these instructions, decided that the
expedition was necessary and resolved to undertake it.

"General Clark was selected to command it, and to the standard of
this favorite officer volunteers eagerly thronged. A thousand men
were collected at the Falls of the Ohio, from whence the troops marched
by land to St. Vincennes, while the provisions and other supplies
were conveyed by water. The troops soon became discouraged. When the
provisions reached Vincennes, after a delay of several days on account
of the low water, it was found that a large proportion of them were
spoiled. In consequence of this, the men were placed upon short
allowance, with which, of course, they were not well pleased. In the
delay in waiting for the boats, much of the enthusiasm of the men had
evaporated; and it is said by some that General Clark dispatched a
messenger to the towns, in advance of the troops, to offer them the
choice of peace or war, which greatly lessened the chances of the
success of the expedition. Though this measure would be only complying
with the requirements of good faith, it is very doubtful if it was
adopted, so utterly at variance would it be with the usual manner
of conducting these expeditions.

"At any rate, when the army arrived within two days' march of the Indian
towns, no less than three hundred of the men refused to proceed, nor
could all the appeals of Clark induce them to alter their determination.
They marched off in a body; and so discouraged were the others by this
desertion, and the unfavorable circumstances in which they were placed,
that a council held the evening after their departure concluded to
relinquish the undertaking."

The whole of the troops returned to Kentucky in a very disorderly
manner. Thus did this expedition, begun under the most favorable
auspices--for the commander's reputation was greater than any other in
the West, and the men were the elite of Kentucky--altogether fail of its
object, the men not having even seen the enemy. Marshall, in accounting
for this unexpected termination, says that Clark was no longer the man
he had been; that he had injured his intellect by the use of spirituous
liquors. Colonel Logan had at first accompanied Clark, but he soon
returned to Kentucky to organize another expedition; that might, while
the attention of the Indians was altogether engrossed by the advance of
Clark, fall upon some unguarded point. He raised the requisite number
of troops without difficulty, and by a rapid march completely surprised
one of the Shawanee towns, which he destroyed, killing several of the
warriors, and bringing away a number of prisoners. In regard to the
results of the measures adopted by the Kentuckians, we quote from
Marshall:

"In October of this year, a large number of families traveling by land
to Kentucky, known by the name of McNitt's company, were surprised in
camp, at night, by a party of Indians, between Big and Little Laurel
River, and totally defeated, with the loss of twenty-one persons killed;
the rest dispersed, or taken prisoners.

"About the same time, Captain Hardin, from the south-western part of
the district, with a party of men, made an excursion into the Indian
country, surrounding the Saline; he fell in with a camp of Indians whom
he attacked and defeated, killing four of them, without loss on his
part.

"Some time in December, Hargrove and others were defeated at the mouth
of Buck Creek, on the Cumberland River. The Indians attacked in the
night, killed one man, and wounded Hargrove; who directly became engaged
in a rencontre with an Indian, armed with his tomahawk; of this he was
disarmed, but escaped, leaving the weapon with Hargrove, who bore it
off, glad to extricate himself. In this year also, Benjamin Price was
killed near the three forks of Kentucky.

"Thus ended, in a full renewal of the war, the year whose beginning had
happily witnessed the completion of the treaties of peace.

"By this time, one thing must have been obvious to those who had
attended to the course of events--and that was, that if the Indians came
into the country, whether for peace or war, hostilities were inevitable."

'If the white people went into their country, the same consequences
followed. The parties were yet highly exasperated against each other;
they had not cooled since the peace, if peace it could be called; and
meet where they would, bloodshed was the result.'

"Whether the Indians to the north and west had ascertained, or not, that
the two expeditions of this year were with or without the consent of
Congress, they could but think the treaties vain things; and either made
by those who had no right to make them, or no power to enforce them.
With Kentuckians, it was known that the latter was the fact. To the
Indians, the consequence was the same. They knew to a certainty, that
the British had not surrendered the posts on the lakes--that it was from
them they received their supplies; that they had been deceived, as to
the United States getting the posts, and they were easily persuaded to
believe, that these posts would not be transferred; and that in truth,
the British, not the United States, had been the conquerors in the late
war."

"Such were the reflections which the state of facts would have
justified, and at the same time have disposed them for war. The invasion
of their country by two powerful armies from Kentucky, could leave no
doubt of a disposition equally hostile on her part Congress, utterly
destitute of the means for enforcing the treaties, either on the one
side or the other, stood aloof, ruminating on the inexhaustible abundance
of her own want of resources--and the abuse of herself for not possessing
them."

After this year, we hear of but few independent expeditions from
Kentucky. Their militia were often called out to operate with the United
States troops, and in Wayne's campaign were of much service; but this
belongs to the general history of the United States. All that we have to
relate of Kentucky now, is a series of predatory attacks by the Indians,
varied occasionally by a spirited reprisal by a small party of whites.
It is estimated that fifteen hundred persons were either killed or made
prisoners in Kentucky after the year 1783.

"On the night of the 11th of April, 1787," says McClung, "the house of
a widow, in Bourbon County, became the scene of an adventure which we
think deserves to be related. She occupied what is generally called a
double cabin, in a lonely part of the country, one room of which was
tenanted by the old lady herself, together with two grown sons, and a
widowed daughter, at that time suckling an infant, while the other was
occupied by two unmarried daughters, from sixteen to twenty years of
age, together with a little girl not more than half grown. The hour was
eleven o'clock at night. One of the unmarried daughters was still busily
engaged at the loom, but the other members of the family, with the
exception of one of the sons, had retired to rest. Some symptoms of an
alarming nature had engaged the attention of the young man for an hour
before any thing of a decided character took place.

"The cry of owls was heard in the adjoining wood, answering each other
in rather an unusual manner. The horses, which were enclosed as usual in
a pound near the house, were more than commonly excited and by repeated
snorting and galloping, announced the presence of some object of terror.
The young man was often upon the point of awakening his brother, but was
as often restrained by the fear of incurring ridicule and the reproach
of timidity, at that time an unpardonable blemish in the character of a
Kentuckian. At length hasty steps were heard in the yard, and quickly
afterward, several loud knocks at the door, accompanied by the usual
exclamation, 'Who keeps house?' in very good English. The young man,
supposing from the language that some benighted settlers were at the
door, hastily arose, and was advancing to withdraw the bar which secured
it, when his mother, who had long lived upon the frontiers, and had
probably detected the Indian tone in the demand for admission, instantly
sprung out of bed, and ordered her son not to admit them, declaring that
they were Indians.

"She instantly awakened her other son, and the two young men seized
their guns, which were always charged, prepared to repel the enemy. The
Indians, finding it impossible to enter under their assumed characters,
began to thunder at the door with great violence, but a single shot from
a loop-hole compelled them to shift the attack to some less exposed
point and, unfortunately, they discovered the door of the other cabin,
containing the three daughters. The rifles of the brothers could not be
brought to bear upon this point, and by means of several rails taken
from the yard fence, the door was forced from its hinges, and the three
girls were at the mercy of the savages. One was instantly secured, but
the eldest defended herself desperately with a knife which she had been
using at the loom, and stabbed one of the Indians to the heart before
she was tomahawked.

"In the mean time the little girl, who had been overlooked by the enemy
in their eagerness to secure the others, ran out into the yard, and
might have effected her escape, had she taken advantage of the darkness
and fled; but instead of that, the terrified little creature ran around
the house wringing her hands, and crying out that her sisters were
killed. The brothers, unable to hear her cries without risking every
thing for her rescue, rushed to the door and were preparing to sally
out to her assistance, when their mother threw herself before them and
calmly declared that the child must be abandoned to its fate; that the
sally would sacrifice the lives of all the rest, without the slightest
benefit to the little girl. Just then the child uttered a loud scream,
followed by a few faint moans, and all was again silent. Presently the
crackling of flames was heard, accompanied by a triumphant yell from
the Indians, announcing that they had set fire to that division of the
house which had been occupied by the daughters, and of which they held
undisputed possession.

"The fire was quickly communicated to the rest of the building, and it
became necessary to abandon it or perish in the flames. In the one case
there was a possibility that some might escape; in the other, their fate
would be equally certain and terrible. The rapid approach of the flames
cut short their momentary suspense. The door was thrown open, and the
old lady, supported by her eldest son, attempted to cross the fence
at one point, while her daughter, carrying her child in her arms, and
attended by the younger of the brothers, ran in a different direction.
The blazing roof shed a light over the yard but little inferior to that
of day, and the savages were distinctly seen awaiting the approach of
their victims. The old lady was permitted to reach the stile unmolested,
but in the act of crossing received several balls in her breast and fell
dead. Her son, providentially, remained unhurt, and by extraordinary
agility effected his escape.

"The other party succeeded also in reaching the fence unhurt, but
in the act of crossing, were vigorously assailed by several Indians,
who, throwing down their guns, rushed upon them with their tomahawks.
The young man defended his sister gallantly, firing upon the enemy as
they approached, and then wielding the butt of his rifle with a fury
that drew their whole attention upon himself, and gave his sister an
opportunity of effecting her escape. He quickly fell, however, under the
tomahawks of his enemies, and was found at daylight, scalped and mangled
in a shocking manner. Of the whole family consisting of eight persons,
when the attack commenced, only three escaped. Four were killed upon the
spot, and one (the second daughter) carried off as a prisoner.

"The neighborhood was quickly alarmed, and by daylight about thirty men
were assembled under the command of Colonel Edwards. A light snow had
fallen during the latter part of the night, and the Indian trail could
be pursued at a gallop. It led directly into the mountainous country
bordering upon Licking, and afforded evidences of great hurry and
precipitation on the part of the fugitives. Unfortunately a hound had
been permitted to accompany the whites, and as the trail became fresh
and the scent warm, she followed it with eagerness, baying loudly and
giving the alarm to the Indians. The consequences of this imprudence
were soon displayed. The enemy finding the pursuit keen, and perceiving
that the strength of the prisoner began to fail, instantly sunk their
tomahawks in her head and left her, still warm and bleeding, upon the
snow."

As the whites came up, she retained strength enough to waive her
hand in token of recognition, and appeared desirous of giving them
some information, with regard to the enemy, but her strength was too
far gone. Her brother sprung from his horse and knelt by her side,
endeavoring to stop the effusion of blood, but in vain. She gave him her
hand, muttered some inarticulate words, and expired within two minutes
after the arrival of the party. The pursuit was renewed with additional
ardor, and in twenty minutes the enemy was within view. They had taken
possession of a steep narrow ridge and seemed desirous of magnifying
their numbers in the eyes of the whites, as they ran rapidly from tree
to tree, and maintained a steady yell in their most appalling tones.
The pursuers, however, were too experienced to be deceived by so common
an artifice, and being satisfied that the number of the enemy must be
inferior to their own, they dismounted, tied their horses, and flanking
out in such a manner as to enclose the enemy, ascended the ridge as
rapidly as was consistent with a due regard to the shelter of their
persons.

The firing quickly commenced, and now for the first time they discovered
that only two Indians were opposed to them. They had voluntarily
sacrificed themselves for the safety of the main body, and succeeded in
delaying pursuit until their friends could reach the mountains. One of
them was instantly shot dead, and the other was badly wounded, as was
evident from the blood upon his blanket, as well as that which filled
his tracks in the snow for a considerable distance. The pursuit was
recommenced, and urged keenly until night, when the trail entered a
running stream and was lost. On the following morning the snow had
melted, and every trace of the enemy was obliterated. This affair must
be regarded as highly honorable to the skill, address, and activity
of the Indians; and the self-devotion of the rear guard, is a lively
instance of that magnanimity of which they are at times capable, and
which is more remarkable in them, from the extreme caution, and tender
regard for their own lives, which usually distinguished their warriors.

From this time Simon Kenton's name became very prominent as a leader.
This year, at the head of forty-six men, he pursued a body of Indians,
but did not succeed in overtaking them, which he afterward regarded as a
fortunate circumstance, as he ascertained that they were at least double
the number of his own party. A man by the name of Scott, having been
carried off by the Indians, Kenton followed them over the Ohio, and
released him.

As early as January, 1783, the Indians entered Kentucky, two of them
were captured near Crab Orchard by Captain Whitley. The same month, a
party stole a number of horses from the Elkhorn settlements; they were
pursued and surprised in their camp. Their leader extricated his hand,
by a singular stratagem. Springing up before the whites could fire, he
went through a series of the most extraordinary antics, leaping and
yelling as if frantic. This conduct absorbing the attention of the
whites, his followers took advantage of the opportunity to escape.
As soon as they had all disappeared, the wily chief plunged into the
woods and was seen no more. The attacks were continued in March. Several
parties and families suffered severely. Lieutenant McClure, following
the trail of a marauding party of Indians, fell in with an other body,
and in the skirmish that ensued, was mortally wounded.

In 1789, a conference was held at the mouth of the Muskingum, with most
of the northwestern tribes, the result of which was the conclusion of
another treaty. The Shawanese were not included in this pacification.
This tribe was the most constant in its enmity to the whites, of all
the Western Indians. There was but little use in making peace with the
Indians unless all were included; for as long as one tribe was at war,
restless spirits among the others were found to take part with them,
and the whites, on the other hand, were not particular to distinguish
between hostile and friendly Indians.

Though the depredations continued this year, no affair of unusual
interest occurred; small parties of the Indians infested the
settlements, murdering and plundering the inhabitants. They were
generally pursued, but mostly without success. Major McMillan was
attacked by six or seven Indians, but escaped unhurt after killing two
of his assailants.

A boat upon the Ohio was fired upon, five men killed, and a woman
made prisoner. In their attacks upon boats, the Indians employed the
stratagem of which the whites had been warned by Girty. White men would
appear upon the shore, begging the crew to rescue them from the Indians,
who were pursuing them. Some of these were renegades, and others
prisoners compelled to act this part, under threats of death in its most
dreadful form if they refused.

The warning of Girty is supposed to have saved many persons from this
artifice; but too often unable to resist the many appeals, emigrants
became victims to the finest feelings of our nature.

Thus in March, 1790, a boat descending the river was decoyed ashore, and
no sooner had it reached the bank than it was captured by fifty Indians,
who killed a man and a woman, and made the rest prisoners. An expedition
was made against the Indians on the Sciota by General Harmer, of the
United States army, and General Scott, of the Kentucky militia, but
nothing of consequence was achieved. In May a number of people
returning from Divine service, on Bear Grass Creek, were attacked, and
one man killed, and a woman made prisoner, who was afterward tomahawked.
Three days after, a boat containing six men and several families was
captured by sixteen Indians without loss. The whites were all carried
off by the Indians, who intended, it is said, to make them slaves; one
of the men escaped and brought the news to the settlements.

In the fall Harmer made a second expedition, which was attended with
great disasters. Several marauding attacks of the Indians ensued; nor
was peace finally restored until after the treaty of Greenville, which
followed the subjugation of the Indians by General Wayne in 1794.

[Footnote 53: McClung.]

[Footnote 54: "Western Annals."]




CHAPTER XXI.

Colonel Boone meets with the loss of all his land in Kentucky,
and emigrates to Virginia--Resides on the Kenhawas, near Point
Pleasant--Hears of the fertility of Missouri, and the abundance of
game there--Emigrates to Missouri--Is appointed commandant of a
district under the Spanish Government--Mr. Audubon's narrative of
a night passed with Boone, and the narratives made by him during
the night--Extraordinary power of his memory.


A period of severe adversity for Colonel Boone now ensued. His aversion
to legal technicalities and his ignorance of legal forms were partly
the cause of defects in the titles to the lands which he had long ago
acquired, improved, and nobly defended. But the whole system of land
titles in Kentucky at that early period was so utterly defective, that
hundreds of others who were better informed and more careful than the
old pioneer, lost their lands by litigation and the arts and rogueries
of land speculators, who made it their business to hunt up defects in
land titles.

The Colonel lost all his land--even his beautiful farm near
Boonesborough, which ought to have been held sacred by any men possessed
of a particle of patriotism or honest feeling, was taken from him. He
consequently left Kentucky and settled on the Kenhawa River in Virginia,
not far from Point Pleasant. This removal appears to have taken place in
the year 1790. He remained in this place several years, cultivating a
farm, raising stock, and at the proper seasons indulging in his favorite
sport of hunting.

Some hunters who had been pursuing their sport on the western shores of
the Missouri River gave Colonel Boone a very vivid description of that
country, expatiating on the fertility of the land, the abundance of
game, and the great herds of buffalo ranging over the vast expanse of
the prairies. They also described the simple manners of the people, the
absence of lawyers and lawsuits, and the Arcadian happiness which was
enjoyed by all in the distant region, in such glowing terms that Boone
resolved to emigrate and settle there, leaving his fourth son Jesse in
the Kenhawa valley, where he had married and settled, and who did not
follow him till several years after.[55]

Mr. Peck fixes the period of this emigration in 1795. Perkins, in his
"Western Annals," places it in 1797. His authority is an article of
Thomas J. Hinde in the "American Pioneer," who says: "I was 'neighbor to
Daniel Boone, the first white man that fortified against the. Indians in
Kentucky. In October, 1797, I saw him on pack-horses take up his journey
for Missouri, then Upper Louisiana."

Mr. Peck says:[56] "At that period, and for several years after,
the country of his retreat belonged to the Crown of Spain. His fame
had reached this remote region before him; and he received of the
Lieutenant-Governor, who resided at St. Louis, 'assurance that ample
portions of land should be given to him and his family.' His first
residence was in the Femme Osage settlement, in the District of St.
Charles, about forty-five miles west of St. Louis. Here he remained
with his son Daniel M. Boone until 1804, when he removed to the residence
of his youngest son, Nathan Boone, with whom he continued till about
1810, when he went to reside with his son-in-law, Flanders Callaway.
A commission from Don Charles D. Delassus, Lieutenant-Governor, dated
July 11th, 1800, appointing him commandant of the Femme Osage District,
was tendered and accepted. He retained this command, which included both
civil and military duties and he continued to discharge them with credit
to himself, and to the satisfaction of all concerned, until the transfer
of the government to the United States. The simple manners of the
frontier people of Missouri exactly suited the peculiar habits and
temper of Colonel Boone."

It was during his residence in Missouri that Colonel Boone was visited
by the great naturalist, J.J. Audubon, who passed a night with him. In
his Ornithological Biography, Mr. Audubon gives the following narrative
of what passed on that occasion:

"Daniel Boone, or, as he was usually called in the Western country,
Colonel Boone, happened to spend a night with me under the same roof,
more than twenty years ago.[57] We had returned from a shooting
excursion, in the course of which his extraordinary skill in the
management of the 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, whilst 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:"

"'I was once,' said he, 'on a hunting expedition on the banks of the
Green River, when the lower parts of this State (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 war of intrusion upon them, and I, amongst 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.

"'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 Redskins 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 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 tilled with _Monongahela_
(that is, reader, strong whisky). 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 that 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 had my bottle up to their dirty mouths,
gurgling down their throats the remains of the whisky.

"'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 skulls 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.

"'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.

"'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 have
been settled had I not come forward and established the beginning of
a certain boundary line. This is the story, sir:

"'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, 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."

"'The tree had grown much, and the bark had covered the marks; but,
somehow 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 or 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.

"'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 have taken place in those 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 until the return of day.

"'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 here about, 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 then thousands of buffaloes on the hills in Kentucky;
the land looked as if it never would become poor: and to hunt in those
days was a pleasure indeed. But when I was left to myself on the banks
of Green River, I dare say for the last time in my life, a few _signs_
only of deer were to be seen, and, as to a deer itself, I saw none.

"'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 was time to be
cautious, and I scraped and worked away with my butcher-knife until
I _did_ 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 presence of these gentlemen. Mr. ---- gained his cause.
I left Green River forever, and came to where we now are; and sir I wish
you a good-night.'"


[Footnote 55: Peck.]

[Footnote 56: Life of Boone.]

[Footnote 57: This would be about the year 1810.]




CHAPTER XXII.

Colonel Boone receives a large grant of land from the Spanish
Government of Upper Louisiana--He subsequently loses it by
neglecting to secure the formal title--His law suits in his
new home--Character of the people--Sketch of the history of
Missouri--Colonel Boone's hunting--He pays his debts by the
sale of furs--Hunting excursions continued--In danger from the
Indians--Taken sick in his hunting camp--His relatives settled in
his neighborhood--Colonel Boone applies to Congress to recover his
land--The Legislature of Kentucky supports his claim--Death of
Mrs. Boone--Results of the application to Congress--He receives
one-eleventh part of his just claim--He ceases to hunt--Occupations
of his declining years--Mr. Harding paints his portrait.


In consideration of his official services as Syndic, ten thousand
arpents[58] of excellent land were given to Colonel Boone by the
Government. Under the special law, in order to make his title good, he
should have obtained a confirmation of his grant from the immediate
representative of the Crown, then residing in New Orleans. But his
friend, the Commandant at St. Louis, undertook to dispense with his
residence on the land which was another condition to a sound title, and
Boone probably supposed that "all would be right" without attending to
any of the formalities, and neglected to take the necessary steps for
holding his land securely.

It is probable that he foresaw that Missouri would soon become a part of
the United States, and expected justice from that quarter. But in this
he was disappointed, for when that event took place, the commissioners
of the United States appointed to decide on confirmed claims felt
constrained by their instructions and rejected Colonel Boone's claims
for want of legal formalities.

Thus was the noble pioneer a second time deprived of the recompense
of his inestimable services by his inattention to the precautions
necessary for securing his rights. This second misfortune came upon
him some time after the period of which we are now writing.

Meantime Colonel Boone found his residence in Missouri agreeable, and in
every respect congenial to his habits and tastes. His duties as Syndic
were light; and he was allowed ample time for the cultivation of his
land, and for occasional tours of hunting, in which he so greatly
delighted. Trapping beaver was another of his favorite pursuits, and
in this new country he found abundance of this as well as other species
of game.

A greater part of the people of Missouri were emigrants from the
United States, pioneers of the West, who had already resisted Indian
aggressions, and were welcomed by the French and Spanish settlers as
a clear accession to their military strength,

A brief notice of the history of this State, showing how the different
kinds of population came there, will be not inappropriate in this place.

Though the French were the first settlers, and for a long time the
principal inhabitants of Missouri, yet a very small portion of her
present population is of that descent. A fort was built by that people
as early as 1719, near the site of the present capital, called Fort
Orleans, and its lead mines worked to some extent the next year. St.
Genevieve, the oldest town in the State, was settled in 1755, and St.
Louis in 1764. At the treaty of 1763 it was assigned, with all the
territory west of the Mississippi, to Spain. "In 1780, St. Louis was
besieged and attacked by a body of British troops and Indians, fifteen
hundred and forty strong." During the siege, sixty of the French were
killed. The siege was raised by Colonel George Rogers Clark, who came
with five hundred men to the relief of the place. At the close of the
American Revolution, the territory west of the Mississippi remained with