TIP #484 KINCHELOE'S STATION - "THE BURNT STATION" The following is taken from "History of Kentucky" by Lewis Collins, originally produced in the First Edition of his works known as the Historical Sketches of Kentucky, published in Mayesville in 1847, pp 532-535. Spencer County KY was formed in 1824, named for Captain Spear Spencer. It lies in the middle part of Kentucky and Taylorsville is the county seat. The following history was shared by Collins. I want you to read it as though you were living in 1782 in a station called Kincheloe's, in the middle of a wilderness, always surrounded by danger. I want you to feel what the inhabitants of this station must have felt and feel pride along with your fear in the bravery of those who huddled there on one fateful day. And, thankfulness for one "savage" who put aside his hatred to save one woman. "In August, 1782, shortly after the Battle of Blue Licks, some western bands of Indians, believed to have been engaged in that conflict, infested the settlements along the Salt river. Intelligence was promptly communicated to Colonel Floyd, who instantly ordered out a party of militia to scour the country where the savages were suspected to be lurking. Some of the party were from Kincheloe's station on Simpson's creek, which consisted of six or seven families. On the first of September the militia, unable to discover any Indians, dispersed and returned to their homes. There had been no alarm at Kincheloe's station during the absence of the men, and upon reaching home late in the evening, greatly fatigued and without apprehension of danger, they retired to rest. At the dead hour of the night, when the inmates of the station were wrapt in the most profound sleep, the Indians made a simultaneous attack upon the cabins of the station, and, breaking open the doors, commenced an indiscriminate massacre of men, women and children. The unconscious sleepers were awakened but to be cut down, or to behold their friends fall by their side. A few only, availing themselves of the darkness of the night, escaped the tomahawk or captivity. Among those who effected their escape, was Mrs. Davis, whose husband was killed, and another woman whose name is not given. They fled to the woods, where they were fortunately joined by a lad, by the name of Ash, who conducted them to Cox's station. "William Harrison, after placing his wife and a young woman of the family, under the floor of the cabin, made his escape under cover of darkness. He remained secreted in the neighborhood until he was satisfied the Indians had retired, when he returned to the cabin and liberated his wife and her companion from their painful situations. "Thomas Randolph occupied one of the small cabins, with his wife and two children, one an infant. The Indians succeeded in breaking into his house, and although they outnumbered him for or five to one, he stood by his wife and children with heroic firmness. He had succeeded in killing several Indians, when his wife, and the infant in her arms, were both murdered by his side. He instantly placed his remaining child in the loft, then mounting himself, made his escape through the roof. As he alighted on the ground from the roof of the cabin, he was assailed by two of the savages whom he had just forced out of the house. With his knife he inflicted a severe wound upon one, and gave the other a studding blow with the empty gun, when they both retreated. Freed from his foes, he snatched up his child, plunged into the surrounding forest, and was soon beyond the reach of danger. Several women and children were cruelly put to death after they were made prisoners, on the route to the Indian towns. On the second day of her captivity, Mrs. Bland, one of the prisoners, made her escape in the bushes. Totally unacquainted with the surrounding country, and destitute of a guide, for eighteen successive days she rambled through the woods, without seeing a human face, without clothes, and subsisting upon sour grapes and green walnuts, until she became a sleeping skeleton. On the eighteenth day she was accidentally discovered and taken to Lynn's station, where, from kind attention and careful nursing, her health and strength were soon restored. "The situation of Mrs. Polk, another prisoner, with four children, was almost as pitiable as that of Mrs. Bland. She was far advanced in a state of pregnancy, and compelled to walk until she became almost incapable of motion. She was then threatened with death, and the tomahawk brandished over her head by one Indian, when another, who saw it, begged her life - took her under his care - mounted her on a horse with two of the children, and conducted her safely to Detroit. Here she was purchased by a British trader, well treated, and enabled to write to her husband, who, though a resident of the station, was absent at the time of her capture. On the receipt of her letter, the husband immediately repaired to Detroit, obtained his wife and five children, and returned with them safely to Kentucky. After the peace of the succeeding year, the remainder of the prisoners were also liberated and returned home." Some sites of interest: http://www.graphicenterprises.net/ Re-enacting/Still_Photography/Salt_River/salt_river.html (last year's re-enactment of the massacre at Kincheloe's Station - photographs. http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/5417/GenReports/stations.htm Shows a list of tall the forts and stations with a map which is clickable for enlargement. Kincheloe's station is #59 on the map. http://www.lynn-linn-lineage-quarterly.com/Draper/Kentucky%20Papers.htm Exerpts from the Draper Papers showing reel # with history of Kincheloe's station and names. http://www.champenois.com/pafn08.htm Family citations of William Kincheloe (c) Copyright 25 March 2004, Sandra K. Gorin, All Rights Reserved. Colonel Sandi Gorin SCKY Links: http://www.public.asu.edu/~moore/Gorin.html SCKY surname registry sites: http://www.rootsweb.com/~kyclinto/reg.html http://www.rootsweb.com/~kyclinto/forms/SCKYreg.html Gorin Publishing: http://ggpublishing.tripod.com/