From: Donald Chesnut <chesnut@fido.mm.uky.edu> To: LONGHUNTERS-L@rootsweb.com Date: Wed, 04 Aug 1999 07:48:19 -0400 Subject: Notes on Kentucky, #1 M (sender <LONGHUNTERS-L-request@rootsweb.com>); Wed, 4 Aug 1999 07:56:45 -0400 (EST) R >From Bradford's "Notes on Kentucky" [August 25, 1826] "This country was well known to the Indian traders many years before its settlement. They gave a desription of it to Lewis Evans, who published his first map of it as early as 1752. "In the year 1750 [*see notes in Clark, 1993], Dr. Thomas Walker, Colby Chew, Ambrose Powell and several others from the counties of Orange and Culpepper, in the state of Virginia, set out on an excursion to the Western Waters; they travelled down the Holstein river, and crossed over the Mountains into Powell's valley, thence across the Cumberland mountain at the gap [Cumberland Gap] where the road now crosses, proceeded on across what was formerly known by the name of the Wilderness until they arrived at the Hazelpatch [now northern Laurel Co.]: Here the Company divided, Dr. Walker with a part continued north until they came to the Kentucky river which they named Louisa or Levisa river: After travelling down the excessive broken or hilly margin some distance, they became dissatisfied and returned and continued up one of its branches to its head, crossed over the mountains to New River at the place called Walker's Meadows. "In the year 1754, James McBride with some others, passed down the Ohio River in canoes, and landed at the mouth of the Kentucky river, where they marked on a tree the initials of their names, and the date of the year. These men passed through the country and were the first who gave a particular account of its beauty and richness of soil to the inhabitants of the British settlements in America. From: Donald Chesnut <chesnut@fido.mm.uky.edu> To: LONGHUNTERS-L@rootsweb.com Date: Wed, 04 Aug 1999 08:05:11 -0400 Subject: Notes on Kentucky, #2 Mm Bradford's "Notes on Kentucky" [August 25, 1826] "No further notice seems to have been taken of Kentucky until the year 1767, when John Finlay with others (whilst trading with the Indians) passed through a part of the rich lands of Kentucky. It was then called by the Indians in their language, the Dark or Bloody Grounds[.] Some difference took place between these traders and the Indians, and Finlay deemed it prudent to return to his residence in North Carolina, where he communicated his knowledge of the country to Col. Daniel Boone and others. This seems to have been one of the most important events in the history of Kentucky, as it was the exciting cause which prompted Col. Boone shortly afterwards to make his first visit to the Dark or Bloody Grounds. [[September 1, 1826][hb fagley JOHN FINLEY was in KY ABT 1753] "The report made by Columbus of his discovery of America, did not produce greater excitement in the Court of Spain, than that made by Finlay did in the people of Carolina, in the vicinity of his residence, of the discoveries he had made in the valley of the Ohio. "In consequence of the information given by Finlay, Col. Daniel Boone, in company with John Finlay, John Stewart, Joseph Holden, Jas. Monay and William Cool, set out from his residence on the Yadkin river, in North Carolina, on the 1st day of May 1769, under the direction of Finlay as their guide, and steered westwardly. After a long and fatigueing march over a mountaneous and pathless wilderness, they on the 7th day of June following, arrived on Red river, at a place recognised by Finlay, where he had formerly been whilst trading with the Indians. Here, from the top of an eminence, they first obtained a distant view of the beautiful level of Kentucky. "At this place they erected what they called their station camp, and from thence made excursions, either for the purposes of hunting or exploring the country; and where they agreed to rendezvous, in case of being at any time separated from each other." From: Donald Chesnut <chesnut@fido.mm.uky.edu> To: LONGHUNTERS-L@rootsweb.com Date: Wed, 04 Aug 1999 13:15:41 -0400 Subject: Notes on Kentucky, #3 Message-ID: <3.0.32.19990804131540.006dba0c@128.163.49.109> Return-path: <LONGHUNTERS-L-request@rootsweb.com> Received: from mx4.boston.juno.com (mx4.boston.juno.com [205.231.100.54]) by m2.boston.juno.com with SMTP id AAA54S7YSA24A96S (sender <LONGHUNTERS-L-request@rootsweb.com>); Wed, 4 Aug 1999 13:22:24 -0400 (EST) R (sender <LONGHUNTERS-L-request@rootsweb.com>); Wed, 4 Aug 1999 13:22:24 -0400 (EST) - Excerpts from Bradford's "Notes on Kentucky" [Sept. 1, 1826, cont.] "On the 22d day of December following, whilst Boone and Stewart were traversing the forest near the Kentucky river, late in the evening, they were surprised by a party of Indians, who rushing out of a thick Canebrake, made them both prisoners.--They continued in the possession of the Indians until the seventh night, when in the dead of night, whilst the Indians were sound asleep, they effected their escape, and returned to the camp, which they found plundered and all their companions gone. "At this inauspicious moment, Squire Boone, (brother of Col. Daniel Boone) with one other, who had penetrated into this unexplored region in search of his brother, by mere accident, arrived at this camp. This meeting, notwithstanding the untowardness of the circumstances attending the parties, was productive of mutual joy. "A short time after the arrival of Squire Boone at the station camp of these adventurers, John Stewart was killed and scalped by a party of Indians, which so frightened the man who accompanied Squire Boone, that he immediately set out on his return to North Carolina, leaving the two Boones's without any other company. "At this camp Col. Boone and his brother erected a hut, to protect them from the inclemency of the approaching winter, and where they continued until the succeeding spring, during which time no occurrence took place worthy of notice." From: Donald Chesnut <chesnut@fido.mm.uky.edu> To: LONGHUNTERS-L@rootsweb.com Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 07:48:33 -0400 Subject: Notes on Kentucky, #5 Message-ID: <3.0.32.19990805074832.006ad66c@128.163.49.109> Return-path: <LONGHUNTERS-L-request@rootsweb.com> R Excerpts from Bradford's "Notes on Kentucky" [Set. 1, 1826, cont.] "The country South of the Kentucky river was explored by James Smith, (afterwards Col. Smith) in the year 1766, the following is the account given of his excursion, written by himself:-- "'In the year 1766, I heard that Sir William Johnson, the King's agent for settling affairs with the Indians, had purchased from them all the land west of the Appalachian Mountains, that lay between the Ohio and the Cherokee river; and as I knew by conversing with the Indians in their own tongue that there was a large body of rich land there, I concluded I would take a tour westward, and explore that country. "'I set out about the last of June, 1766, and went in the first place to Holstain river, and from thence I travelled westward in company with Joshua Horton, Uriah Stone, William Baker, and Jas Smith, who came from near Carlisle. There was only four [five] white men of us, and a mulatto slave about eighteen years of age, that Mr Horton had with him. We explored the country south of Kentucky, and there was no more sign of white men there then, than there is now west of the head waters of the Missouri. We also explored Cumberland and Tennessee rivers, from Stone's* river down to the Ohio. "'When we came to the mouth of Tennessee, my fellow travellers concluded that they would proceed on to the Illinois, and see some more of the land to the west:--this I would not agree to. As I had already been longer from home than what I expected, I thought my wife would be distressed, and think I was killed by the Indians; therefore I concluded that I would return home. I sent my horse with my fellow travellers to the Illinois, as it was difficult to take a horse through the mountains. My comrades gave me the greatest part of the ammunition they then had, which amounted only to half a pound of powder, and lead equivalent. Mr. Horton also lent me his mulatto boy, and I then set off through the wilderness, for Carolina. "'About eight days after I left my company at the mouth of Tennessee, on my journey eastward, I got a cane stab in my foot, which occasioned my leg to swell, and I suffered much pain. I was now in a doubtful situation--far from any of the human species, excepting black Jamie, or the savages, and I knew not when I might meet with them--my case appeared desperate, and I thought something must be done. All the surgical instruments I had, was a knife, a mockason awl, and a pair of bullit moulds; with these I determined to draw the snag from my foot, if possible. I stuck the awl in the skin, and with the knife I cut the flesh away from around the cane, and then I commanded the mulatto fellow to catch it with the bullit moulds, and pull it out, which he did. When I saw it, it seemed a shocking thing to be in any person's foot; it will therefore be supposed that I was very glad to have it out.--The black fellow attended upon me, and obeyed my directions faithfully. I ordered him to search for Indian medicine, and told him to get me a quantity of bark from the root of a lynn tree, which I made him beat on a stone, with a tomahawk, and boil it in a kettle, and with the ooze I bathed my foot and leg:--what remained when I had finished bathing, I boiled to a jelly, and made poultices thereof. As I had no rags, I made use of the green moss that grows upon logs, and wrapped it round with elm bark: by this means (simple as it may seem) the swelling and inflamation in a great measure abated. As stormy weather appeared, I ordered Jamie to make us a shelter, which he did by erecting forks and poles, and covering them over with cane tops, like a fodder house. it was but about one hundred yards from a large buffaloe road. As we were almost out of provision, I commanded Jamie to take my gun, and I went along as well as I could, concealed myself near the road, and killed a buffaloe. When this was done we jirked the lean, and fryed the tallow out of the fat meat, which we kept to stew with our jirk as we needed it. "'While I lay at this place, all the books I had to read, was a Psalm Book, and Watts upon Prayer. Whilst in this situation I composed the following verses, which I then frequently sung. Six weeks I've in this desert been, With one mulatto lad, Excepting this poor stupid slave, No company I had. In solitude I here remain, A cripple very sore, No friend or neighbour to be found, My case for to deplore. I'm far from home, far from the wife, Which in my bosom lay, Far from my children dear, which used Around me for to play. This doleful circumstance cannot My happiness prevent, While peace of conscience I enjoy, Great comfort and content. "'I continued in this place until I could walk slowly, without crutches. As I now lay near a great buffaloe road, I was afraid that the Indians might by passing that way, and discover my fire place, therefore I moved off some distance, where I remained until I killed an elk. As my foot was yet sore, I concluded that I would stay here until it was healed, lest by travelling too soon it might again be inflamed. "'In a few weeks after, I proceeded on, and in October I arrived in Carolina. I had now been eleven months in the wilderness, and during this time I neither saw bread, money, women, or spirituous liquors; and three months of which I saw none of the human species, except Jamie.'" *"Stone's River is a south branch of Cumberland, and empties into it above Nashville. We first gave it this name in our journal in May 1767, after one of my fellow travellers, Mr. Uriah Stone, and I am told that it retains the same name unto this day." [HB FAGLEY-I've misplaced NO 5 NO 6 is From: Donald Chesnut <chesnut@fido.mm.uky.edu> To: LONGHUNTERS-L@rootsweb.com Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 08:16:16 -0400 Subject: Notes on Kentucky, #6 Message-ID: <3.0.32.19990805081615.006ad66c@128.163.49.109> Return-path: <LONGHUNTERS-L-request@rootsweb.com> Received: from mx5.boston.juno.com (mx5.boston.juno.com [205.231.100.53]) by m2.boston.juno.com with SMTP id AAA54VARYAECNLW2 (sender <LONGHUNTERS-L-request@rootsweb.com>); Thu, 5 Aug 1999 08:22:14 -0400 (EST) Received: from bl-11.rootsweb.com (bl-11.rootsweb.com [204.212.38.27]) by mx5.boston.juno.com with SMTP id AAA54VARXAZ644L2 (sender <LONGHUNTERS-L-request@rootsweb.com>); Thu, 5 Aug 1999 08:22:13 -0400 (EST) Received: (from slist@localhost) by bl-11.rootsweb.com (8.9.3/8.9.3) id FAA23787; Thu, 5 Aug 1999 05:21:01 -0700 (PDT) Resent-From: LONGHUNTERS-L@rootsweb.com Resent-Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 05:21:01 -0700 (PDT) Resent-Sender: LONGHUNTERS-L-request@rootsweb.com Resent-Message-ID: <KWRVmC.A.izF.tGYq3@bl-11.rootsweb.com> X-Status: Read X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Pro Version 3.0 (32) X-Juno-Att: 0 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Excerpts from Bradford's "Notes on Kentucky" [Sept. 8, 1826] "In the month of September 1773, Col. Daniel Boone with his family, accompanied by five other families set out from North Carolina, with the purpose of making a permanent settlement in Kentucky. In Powel's Valley they were joined by forty men. On the tenth of October this party were attacked by a large party of Indians; and notwithstanding the Indians were finally repulsed, Boone's party lost six men killed and had one wounded, among the slain was the eldest son of Col. Boone. "This encounter discouraged Boone and his party from prosecuting their intended journey, and they retreated forty miles to Clinch river, where the family of Boone remained until the year 1775. "By the proclamation of the King of Great Britain in the year 1763, all the officers and soldiers who had served in America either in the army or navy, were entitled to a bounty in lands for their services the quantity proportioned to their respective ranks, and to be located on any vacant land in his majesty's dominions in America. In consequence of the reputation which the lands of Kentucky had obtained generally throughout the different states at this time, those who were entitled to bounty lands, became anxious to have them located there, and therefore most of the military warrants were in this year (1773) put into hands of the surveyor of Fincastle county, which at that time included the whole of the present state of Kentucky. To hasten the surveying business, a number of deputy surveyors were commissioned by the governor of Virginia, and sent to make the surveys." "In this year (1773) Capt Thomas Bullitt with a party of men from Virginia, descended the Ohio and landed at the falls [Falls of the Ohio, near Louisville], their object was the surveying of land and making a settlement in the country. "Captain Bullitt on his way down the Ohio visited Chillicothe a shawonee town of Indians, in order to obtain the consent of the Indians to his intended settlement. He left his party on the Ohio river, and went to the town alone. He was not discovered until he entered the town, where he displayed a white flag in token of peace. The Indians astonished at this unexpected ambassador, flocked around him, and the following dialogue between him and a principle chief took place. "'Indian Chief.--What news do you bring?--are you from the Long Knife?--If you are an ambassador why did you not send a runner? Bullitt.--I have no bad news.--The Long Knives and the Redmen are at peace, and I have come among my brothers to have a friendly talk with them about settling on the other side of the Ohio. Indian Chief.--Why did you not send a runner? Bullitt.--I had no runner swifter than myself, and as I was in haste, I could not wait the return of a runner.--If you were very hungry and had killed a deer, would you send your Squaw to town to tell the news, and wait her return before you would eat?'" "This reply of Bullitt put the byestanders into high humour; they relaxed from their native gravity and laughed heartily. The Indians conducted Bullitt into the principle wigwam of the town and regaled him with venison, after which he addressed the chiefs as follows: "'Brothers--I am sent with my people whom I left on the Ohio, to settle the country on the other side of that river, as low down as the falls. We came from Virginia. I only want the country to settle and to cultivate the soil. There will be no objection to your hunting and trapping in it as heretofore, I hope you will live with us on terms of friendship.'" "To this address the principal chief made the following reply: "'Brother--You have come a hard journey through the woods and the grass. We are pleased to find that in settling in our country, your people are not to disturb us in our hunting; for we must hunt to kill meat for our women and children, and have something to buy powder and lead, and to procure blankets and other necessaries. We desire you will be strong in discharging your promises towards us, as we are determined to be very strong in advising our young men to be kind, friendly and peaceable towards you.'" "Having finished his mission, Capt. Bullett returned to his party, and with them descended the river to the falls. "On the arrival at the falls, Capt. Bullitt and his party proceeded to erect a hut or place to protect himself and men from the weather, and as a place of deposit for their stores. "Shortly after his arrival, he made some surveys in the neighbourhood, and extended his researches to a remarkable salt lick on what is now called Salt River, which was so called on account of the lick, and the lick was called Bullitt's lick after Captain Bullitt who included it in a survey made for himself." We owe a thanks to Don Cheastnut, and,of course,to the early printer of the 'KY GAZATTE" - BRADFORD. Abstracts of his early Lexington GAZETTE are in print in a 1787-1800 and 1800-1810 versions. HB FAGLEY ___________________________________________________________________ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.