> Following is an account of the Long Run Massacre and Floyd's Defeat as > told by G. T. Wilcox, Squire Boone's Grandson in a letter to Hon. > Thos. W. Bullitt. > > Elizabeth Smith > esmith@montgomery.k12.ky.us > > ********************************************** > Eden postoffice (Jefferson County), Ky., July 23, 1880. Mr. Thos. W. > Bullitt > > Dear Sir: > > Having made your acquaintance at the unveiling of the > monument erected to the memory of the dead of G. John Floyd's defeat > on Floyd's Fork, now in Jefferson County, you requested me to give you > a narrative of what I knew of the massacre and Floyd's defeat. I am a > representative of Squire Boone, being his grandson, and what I know I > learned from Isaiah Boone, my uncle, a son of Squire Boone. He was at > Floyd's defeat. He said that his father had built a station on Clear > Creek, two miles east of where Shelbyville now stands, and that his > father, with several families, left Boonesborough in 1779, settled in > this, then called Boone's station. There was a station on Beargrass, > three miles east of Louisville, Called Beargrass (or Floyd's Station), > and one eight miles from Louisville, called Lynn's Station. Lynn's > Station was on the place afterward owned by Col. R. C. Anderson. > Boone's Station at that time was the only station between Harrod's and > Lynn's Station. Squire Boone's station was about twenty-two miles east > of Lynn's Station. Bland Ballard and Samuel Wells at that time lived > in Lynn's Station, while Gen. Floyd lived in Beargrass Station. > >           There were two couples to be married in Lynn's Station. > Bland Ballard and a man named Carris went from Lynn's Station to > Brashear's Station, near the mouth of Floyd's Fork, now Bullitt > County, after a Baptist minister, John Whitaker, to marry them. This > was to be the first legal marriage in this part of the country. In > going over, Ballard discovered an Indian trail and was satisfied there > was a large body of them. He retraced his steps to Lynn's Station, > sent word to Beargrass Station, and then went to Boone's Station that > night. They held a meeting and agreed to leave the station and go to > Lynn's Station. There were a large number of families in Boone's > Station at this time, viz: the Hintons, Harrises, Hughses, Hansboro, > Bryans, Van Cleves and many others. They could not all get ready to > move the next day, but some were determined to go. Squire Boone was > not ready and could not prevail on them to wait another day. So Major > Ballard conducted this party, leaving Squire Boone and a few families > in the station to come the next day. When Ballard's party reached Long > Run he was attacked in the rear. He went back to protect the rear. He > drove the Indians back and held them in check as long as he could. In > going back he saw on the ground a man and his wife, by the name of > Cline. He told Cline to put his wife on the horse and hurry on. They > were in the bed of Long Run. Ballard returned in a short time, to find > Cline and his wife still on the ground. He put her on his horse and > gave the horse a tap with his wiping-stick and as he did so an Indian > pulled a sack from her horse. Ballard shot the Indian and hurried to > the front. > >           Here he found a great many killed and the people scattered, > leaving their cattle and losing their baggage and many horses. Some > reached Lynn's Station that night, and a few Boone's. Boone remained > in his station for several days after that before he and his party > went down to Lynn's Station. I'll give the name of a few of those that > were killed on Long Run: Two Misses Hansboros, sisters of Joel > Hansboro; a Mr. McCarby, a brother of Mrs. Richard Chenoweth, and a > Mrs. Van Cleve, an aunt of my mother's. The next day General (then > Colonel) Floyd, Colonel (then Captain) Wells, and Bland Ballard > (afterward Major Ballard) and thirty-four others from Lynn and > Beargrass Stations, went up to bury the dead. When they reached > Floyd's Fork, Ballard said to them: 'You send a few men and ascertain > where the Indians are.' He, however, was overruled and on they went. > At the head of the ravine they were surrounded and sixteen of their > men were shot down at the first fire. Fourteen of these were buried in > one sink. They began to retreat. Isaiah Boone said that when he > reached the Fork he discovered an Indian following him. He raised his > gun. The Indian stepped behind a tree. Just at this time General Floyd > and Colonel Wells came in sight, Floyd on foot and Wells on horseback. > Wells said to Floyd: 'Take my horse.' Floyd, being large and fleshy, > was much exhausted. > > They took to the bushes and reached the place selected, should > they be defeated. It was near where Thos. Elder's new house now > stands, on the Shelby Pike, about three miles above Middletown. For > some time prior to this, General Floyd and Wells were not friendly. > Isaiah Boone said: 'General, that brought you to your milk.' The > Gerneral's reply was: 'You are a noble boy; we were in a tight place.' > This boy was then but fourteen years of age. He was at that time > visiting Lynn's Station. The occurrence took place in September, > 1781. Squire Boone's wife's maiden name was Jane Van Cleve. Enoch > Boone, their youngest son, was born in Boonesborough, October 16, > 1777, being the first male white child born in Kentucky. He died in > Meade County, Kentucky, 1861. Squire Boone died in 1815, and was by > his request, buried in a cave in Harrison County, Indiana. Sarah > Boone, my mother, was the only daughter of Squire Boone. She was > married to John Wilcox, my father, in 1791, and he settled on and > improved land, surveyed and patented in the name of Sarah Boone by her > father, four miles north of Shelbyville. Dear Sir, pardon me for > departing from the subject of my narrative. I am making it too long. > > Yours truly, > G. T. Wilcox > > P. S.---The information here given you was derived from > conversations with Isaiah Boone; confirmed by conversations with my > mother, who was in the fort with her father at the time of the > massacre; also with Enoch Boone; also with my grandmother, Jane Boone, > wife of Squire Boone, who lived at my father's house and died there in > 1820. > For further information on this interesting topic I would refer > you to John Williamson, now living at Eden Station, in this county, > and in the eighty-fifth year of his age. Squire was the Christian > name, not the title, of Squire Boone. He was the youngest brother of > Daniel Boone. > > G. T. Wilcox >