USA > Kentucky > Jessamine County > A history of Jessamine County, Kentucky, from its earliest settlement to 1898 > Part 2
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History of Jessamine County, Kentucky.
some friendly station. So soon as these distressed and ex- hausted or wounded footmen were enabled to secrete themselves in the dense forests, large numbers of the Indians were seen crossing both above and below, and Netherland and his comrades. mounting their horses galloped along the well-worn trace, and reached Bryan Station that evening, without further loss.
Major Netherland always retained his old-time dress. He wore a cut-a-way coat, short breeches with knee buckles, and low shoes with silk lacers and silver buckles. His pants were al- ways fastened with red bands, and his long queue was tied with a red ribbon. From his entrance into Nicholasville early in 1791 for forty years he was prominent as a leader in all its affairs. He was postmaster for about twenty-three years and always dis- pensed the village hospitality with a lavish hand. Every man who had fought in the Revolutionary war or in the Indian wars either in Kentucky or in the Northwest, was his friend, and none ever went from his door hungry or uncared for.
He was passionately fond of horse-racing, and owned some of the great race-horses of Kentucky in the early part of the century. He was a fair and just man in his dealings with his fellow-men. He was not averse, to a "good time," as people call it, and was always, even toward the end of his life, considered "one of the boys." He opened a race track on the Willoughby place near Sulphur Well, and maintained it for many years.
In 1802 there was a quarter race on the track, and in the hear- ing of the crowd, Major Netherland announced that on a certain day (naming it) there would be another race for a purse of $50, one mile heats, which was "free for anything with four legs and hair on." At that time there was working on a farm a young man named Michael Arnspiger who had broken a bull to the saddle, which he rode to mill. He immediately put the bull in training and for several days gave him turns around the race track. He used spurs on the bull and when these were dug into his sides, he was accustomed to bellow. On the day of the race Arnspiger appeared on the ground with his bull. He had placed a dried hide of an ox on the bull's rump, and he carried a tin horn in his hands. He demanded of the judges the right to enter his animal, to which the owners of the horses vehemently objected, but Arnspiger answered by appealing to Major Netherland if
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History of Jessamine County. Kentucky.
he had not said that the race was free to "anything with four legs and hair on." Maj. Netherland admitted that he had, and ex- plained that the bull had a right to enter. When the drum was tapped, Arnspiger blew his horn, planted his spurs in the sides of the bull, which bounded off with a dreadful bellow, with the ox-hide flapping on his sides and presenting a spectacle, combined with the noise, that had never been seen on the race track before. The horses immediately flew the track, and Arnspiger galloped home a winner. The losers contended that they were swindled out of thir money; that Arnspiger should not have been al- lowed to blow the tin horn, or use the ox-hide, and that but for this he could not have won the race. Thereupon Arnspiger of- fered to take the ox-hide off and leave his tin horn at the stand and run them from end to end. Mr. Willoughby and Mr. Nether- land were judges at the next start. Arnspiger again planted his spurs into the sides of the bull with redoubled fury. The loud bellow that followed drove the horses from the track despite the exertions of the riders, and Arnspiger pulled in the second $50 purse. With the money thus obtained he purchased a black- smithing outfit, working for many years at his trade near Wil- more, and died there in the sixties, in the 85th year of his age.
Major Netherland had a great fondness for race horses and not only ran his own horses but went to see everbody else's horses who ran in the neighborhood. The race track in those early days was on the Willoughby farm in the new field now owned by Col. N. D. Miles. Major Netherland owned a very fast horse for those days, which he called by the name of Fear- nought. He had secured this horse in Virginia and brought him across the mountains. The horse had been trained in Virginia and made his first race at Fredericksburg. in 1805, beating Gen- eral Tracy's horse, Indian, in three heats. In those times four mile races were run. The time given by Major Netherland was as follows :
First, 8 minutes, 29 seconds. Second, 8 minutes, 45 seconds. Third, 8 minutes, 50 seconds.
Then people believed in bottom and horses had to run long distances. This time was not up to that made by the great race horse, Lexington, at New Orleans, where he beat the world's record in 7 minutes, 19 3-4 seconds, but it was good running.
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History of Jessamine County, Kentucky.
Fearnought was the special pride of Major Netherland. He ran against a horse called Bald Eagle, who was owned by Daniel Bradford, a son of John Bradford, the founder of the Kentucky Gazette, and who was for long time editor of that paper. The Alexander Willoughby referred to was a Revolutionary soldier. He came early to Kentucky and settled in Jessamine county on the Sulphur Well road. He was the father of Mrs. Catherine Shelby and died in IS37, in his eighty-fifth year.
General Samuel Hopkins was a Revolutionary soldier, a native of Albemarle county. Va. He was a distinguished officer in the Revolutionary army, and none performed more active service or enjoyed in a greater degree the confidence of Washington. He came to Kentucky in 1797 and settled on Green river, in Green county. He was a member of Congress in 1813 and '15 and was engaged in the Indian wars in the west. He and Major Netherland were great friends and General Hopkins himself had a weakness for a good horse. The following letter describing the race, is both interesting and unique :
Jessamine County, Ky., June 5, 1806. Gen. Sam'l Hopkins,
Dear Friend : I take my seat to inform you that Fearnought is again winner of a purse of $100. In all the races which have previously been run on this track, it has been a matter of much inconvenience to the judges to make a fair decision without a fuss, which often creates unnecessary excitement throughout the day. But it did not in any manner affect the nerve of Mr. Will- oughby, who was one of the judges who started the horses. He seemed to have a proper and just idea of the necessity of an even start, and nothing else but an even start would suit him, and that he gave. I wish all the other judges were as honest as he is. At the tap of the drum Fearnought and Bald Eagle darted like thunderbolts, each determined to win or die. Around the track they sped like hell cats, not a shade between them. Up the back stretch they flew like doves escaping from a hawk. At the half mile in 40 seconds, they locked around the turn. They tried it again, a slight pull before reaching the home stretch, and with renewed vigor. Fearnought in the lead. Bald Eagle renews his extraordinary power, but Fearnought comes out with unfalter-
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History of Jessamine County, Kentucky.
ing step and the race is decided in his favor. The question of championship, you will see at once, gives Fearnought the palm.
DESCRIPTION OF FEARNOUGHT.
Fearnought is five years old last grass; is a dark blood bay, 16 hands high, of superior bone and muscle, with fine limbs, lofty carriage and elastic tread ; a star in his forehead, vividly lighting up a countenance expressive of great superiority ; game head. curved neck : unusual depth of chest ; fine, broad shoulder ; beau- tifully inclining back, which gives him the appearance of a horse of most wonderful strength and endurance. I expect to enter him this fall for a purse of $1,000 at Fredericksburg, and the city of Baltimore and Washington. Bald Eagle is now the property of Daniel Bradford, and was trained in Maryland, and won many races there, but, I think, his career upon the turf is over.
Your friend.
B. NETHERLAND.
In another letter, written to General Hopkins in 1802, Major Netherland recites a most interesting incident. During that year a party of Cherokee Indians from North Carolina stopped all night at the Mingo Tavern, kept by Major Netherland. In the morning one of them was very sick and unable to travel and in a few days died at the hotel. He received the kindest possible treatment from Major Netherland and his family. In describing this incident Major Netherland says :
"A few days ago four Cherokee Indians from Iredell county, N. C., called at my home and remained over night. Next morn- ing one of themi was too sick to travel. All day his sufferings were severe and painful. I sent for Drs. Gale and Peter Trisler, who at once pronounced his case hopeless. After intense suffer- ing for four days the poor Indian died. His poor, disconsolate friends were painfully grieved at the death of one of their num- ber, who was a man of some notoriety among his people, particu- larly as an expert hunter, having himself killed seventy-odd deer while on the last October hunt in the Cumberland mountains. The dead body of the poor Indian was taken to the Kentucky river cliffs, eight miles south of Nicholasville, and interred in the earth
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History of Jessamine County, Kentucky.
after the Indian custom, but instead of filling the vault with earth, as is used with us, these poor Indians made a small frame work of wood, like a steep roof, which they put round the mouth, and reared up a heavy pile of earth, giving it the appearance of a potatoe heap. The three Indians who buried their comrade ap- peared bowed with grief. One seated himself on the ground, directing his face toward sunset, and extending his voice, made a great and sore lamentation. As much as I hate these wild chil- dren from the forest, I could not refrain from shedding tears when looking on them in this honest grief at the loss of one who was regarded as a good and true man. In four or five weeks after the death of their comrade, the same party, with a brother of the Indian, who died, came back and took his body in a small wagon to North Carolina, a distance of more than 300 miles, and rein- terred his remains in the land of his birth among his own people. I have been much among the Cherokees of North Carolina. 1 consider them among the best of our Indian friends. They have strange customs. I wish I had time to give you more correct idea of their general character as compared with the other Indian tribes of our country.
"Your old crony, "B. NETHERLAND."
Major Netherland died October 10, 1838, and was buried in his garden, which is now the lot on which the county jail is built. Mr. Jos. Wallace, a remote kinsman, has, with most commendable love and liberality and true spirit of kinship, erected a headstone over the grave of Major Netherland and that of his wife, who, in 1851, was laid beside her husband. At his death Major Netherland was accorded a magnificent military funeral. The funeral sermon was preached by Bishop Kavanaugh, who was then the Presiding Elder of the district. Gen. Leslie Combs, Maj. D. B. Price, Gen. John McCalla and Robert Wickliffe were his pall-bearers, and all the leading military companies of the county turned out to do his memory honor.
Major Netherland's experience in the battle of the Blue Licks, justified him in his subsequent love of horses.
He bred a great many fine race horses in his day, and in a let- ter written by him to Gen. John McCalla, in 1830, now in my pos-
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History of Jessamine County, Kentucky.
session, he begs liim to come to Nicholasville on the following Sunday to dine with him and promises to show him "the dannd- est best three colts in the world."
Joseph Crockett.
Among the large train of Revolutionary soldiers who followed the track of empire westwardly, was Col. Joseph Crockett, of . Albemarle county. Virginia. He was born in Albemarle county in 1742. He received fairly good educational advantages for that period. His father, John Crockett, came to Virginia in the first half of the century. He followed teaching as his profession and taught a high school near Charlottesville. Joseph Crockett was his oldest son.
In 1774 Joseph Crockett went as a private soldier with Gen. Andrew Lewis and was engaged in the battle of Point Pleasant. This was one of the most important of all the battles in the West. It was there that General Lewis met the Indians under the celebrated chief Cornstalk, and after a fight of nearly a whole day the Indians were put to flight.
In 1775 the county authorities of Albemarle directed that two companies be raised for the defense of the western section of the state. One company was to be stationed at Point Pleasant, where the Kanawha and Ohio rivers unite. Gen. William Rus- sell was appointed captain of one of these companies and Joseph Crockett lieutenant. In the winter of '75 they were discharged and they were ordered to raise two new companies for the Con- tinental army. Joseph Crockett was appointed captain of one of these companies and on the 5th of May, 1776, served in Virginia. In 1776 the regiment was marched to Philadelphia. That year he was appointed major and raised two companies for Gen. Daniel Morgan's rifle regiment. He took part in the battle of Mon- mouth, fought June 20, 1778, and after this battle was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and so remained until October, 1780, when, by resolution of congress the army was reorganized and Colonel Crockett was reduced to the rank of captain. He was with Gates at the surrender of Burgoyne in '77. He was en- gaged in the battles of Brandywine, Princeton and Trenton, and
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History of Jessamine County, Kentucky.
was with Washington at Valley Forge, where there sprung up between Colonel Crockett and General Washington a warm friendship, which lasted until the end of their lives. He was wounded in the arm at the siege of Yorktown in 1782.
In 1779 Colonel Crockett was directed by the state of Vir- ginia to raise a regiment, of which he became lieutenant-colonel, to proceed down the Ohio river to Kentucky and Illinois to as- sist George Rogers Clark. He raised the regiment, which was known as the Illinois or Crockett Regiment, and served for eigh- teen months with General Clark. He was in many of the battles with the Northwestern Indians on the Miami river, and helped to destroy Chillicothe and other towns in the northwestern ter- ritory on the Wabash. In one of the battles in which he fought he had two horses shot under him by the sharpshooters, and it was admitted that he had been in as many fights and skirmishes as any officer in the Revolutionary army.
In 1784 he moved to Kentucky and settled first between Cumberland Gap and Crab Orchard. He remained there only a short time, and moved to Jessamine county and settled on lands near the Union Mills. His son, Robert Crockett, built the Union Mills and Col. Joseph Crockett built the old stone house on the banks of Hickman creek, which is now standing and was lately occupied by Dr. Jasper, a descendant of Sergeant Jasper, who was put to death at Savannah by the British.
Colonel Crockett was appointed by Mr. Jefferson as United States Marshal for the district of Kentucky. He held this office for two terms. When the applications were read to Mr. Jef- ferson for this office, his eye dropped upon that of Joseph Crockett. He said, "Joseph Crockett ; honest Joseph Crockett ; you need go no further, he shall have the appointment." Im- mediately after his removal to Kentucky he at once assumed a prominent place in the development and in the government of the new state. In 1786-1790 he represented Fayette in the Virginia Legislature. He was also appointed magistrate of Fayette county in 1792, along with Percival Butler. He was a member of the first legislature from Fayette county, in 1792, '93, '94, and 95. Under the Constitution of 1792 he was elected one of the senators. These senators were chosen by electors elected for that purpose.
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History of Jessamine County, Kentucky.
In 1792 a project was organized for the clearing and improve- ment of the Wilderness Road, under Col. John Logan and James Knox. The subscriptions for that purpose at that time would probably be the highest evidence of public spirit. Among them are the names of Isaac Shelby, for 3 pounds ; Robert Breckin- ridge, 2 pounds 8 shillings ; George Nicholas, 2 pounds 8 shil- lings : John Brown, 2 pounds 8 shillings; Joseph Crockett, I pound 18 shillings ; Robert Patterson, I pound 10 shillings ; G. M. Bedinger, 18 shillings ; Samuel McDowell, I pound 4 shillings, and a large number of other prominent names.
He represented Fayette county in the convention called in 1788 at Danville, to consider separation from Virginia. Al- though at first opposed to separation, Colonel Crockett was con- vinced by the arguments of John Marshall of the propriety of this separation.
The question in this convention was, whether there should be a violent separation from Virginia, or whether the separation should be legal and on constitutional grounds. It was in this convention that Colonel Crockett became alarmed at the speeches of John Brown and General Wilkinson. He left his seat in the convention, hurried to Lexington and on Saturday, Sunday and Monday secured the signatures of several hundred citizens of Fayette county remonstrating against separation from Virginia without her consent, when he returned and presented this petition to the convention. After it was read General Wilkinson saw that he was in opposition to the wishes of the people and yielded to what was the inevitable.
Colonel Crockett, being then United States Marshal, arrested Aaron Burr in 1806, under proceedings by Joseph Hamilton Daveiss against Aaron Burr. Colonel Crockett's commission bore the signature of General Washington and was handed to him by La Fayette, and when La Fayette visited Kentucky in 1825 he threw his arms around Colonel Crockett at Frankfort and they wept with each other like children. Col. Joseph Crockett, Col. Anthony Crockett and Gen. Peter Dudley rode in a carriage with La Fayette from Frankfort to Lexington. Colonel Crockett introduced a large number of old Revolutionary soldiers to General La Fayette at the reception given him by Mr. Wickliffe.
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History of Jessamine County, Kentucky.
As General La Fayette passed by a hotel in the parade, Maria Henderson, a little girl twelve years of age, a granddaughter of Colonel Crockett, and from Jessamine county, from the window of the hotel sang, "Hail to the Chief Who in Triumph Advances." The fresh, young voice of the little girl had a wonderful at- traction for General La Fayette. He requested that the carriage should be stopped and as he listened to the song from the lips of the child, tears streamed down his cheeks. He said that it was the sweetest act of homage ever paid him.
Colonel Crockett was pensioned by the United States Govern- ment. In company with other soldiers in the Revolutionary war, he received several thousand acres of land from the government and shortly before his death his pension was increased to $600 a year. He enjoyed it only for twelve months. When visiting his daughter, Mrs. Augustine Bower, at Georgetown, he was seized with a fatal illness and died there.
The following letter written by a Revolutionary soldier to Maj. Daniel B. Price, will be interesting as it refers to many characters prominent in Jessamine county at that time.
Near Georgetown, Scott county, Ky., Nov. 20, 1829.
Dear Friend : I was pained that I had not the pleasure of seeing you at the burial of Col. Joseph Crockett, six weeks ago in Jessamine county. I have learned from your letter that you were very sick at the time of his burial and unable to get out of bed. He died at the home of Dr. Bower, his son-in-law. For three weeks, or more, previous to his death, he repeatedly in- formed his friends that he viewed himself as a dying man ; that he was not afraid to meet death at any moment. A few days after he was taken with his last illness, and while he was able to walk about the room, his eye sight failed him. He took the Rev. Isaac Reed to be you and ordered him to bring your son, Joseph, to see him, as he had not seen him for some months. On my telling him that you were detained in Jessamine, but would probably be up Friday, he quietly fell into a sleep. He slept about an hour, and waked and had a severe coughing spell. It was at this time that he drew his breath with great difficulty, and the agony he was in was so great that in two hours after he had
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History of Jessamine County, Kentucky.
awakened from sleep he died. Capt. William Christy, Maj. John T. Pratt, Maj. William Johnson, Capt. William Smith, of Bour- bon, and the Rev. John Hudson and Mr. Reed, were present in the room when he died.
When he was dying I noticed him put his head a little back, closed his eyes as if going to sleep and expired, at the ripe age of 83. His remains were taken to his home in Jessamine and buried with the honor suitable to the memory of a brave and patriotic man, who served his country bravely in the Revolutionary war. The order of procession to the grave was as follows :
The hearse with the military escort, attended by music, on each flank. The relatives, the ladies, the citizens, the fine volun- teer company from Georgetown, commanded by Maj. William Johnson, with Capt. Thomas Cogar's company from Nicholas- ville, the whole conducted by Col. John T. Pratt, marshal of the day. At the grave the usual ceremonies took place by the firing of thirteen rounds by Captains Graves and Leslie Combs, of Lexington, who, at the head of the gun squad, fired at intervals during the services at the grave. There were present more than a thousand persons with carriages and horses. Such was the good order and decorum preserved that not the slightest accident occurred. At the close of the ceremonies the Rev. John Hudson delivered a brief address touching the high character of Col. Crockett as a citizen, neighbor and friend-a model of virtue and morality, cherished in the affections of all who knew him. Though his manly form lies low in death, his many virtues, his patriotic example, shall continue to abide in the memory of the living. Such, my dear friend, is a brief account of the burial of your father-in-law, Col. Joseph Crockett.
Very truly your friend,
B. S. CHAMBERS. Daniel B. Price, Nicholasville, Ky.
Colonel Crockett was a man of splendid physique, six feet three inches in height, spare but muscular, dark hair, sallow com- plexion, with keen. piercing, black eyes ; roman nose and thin, ex- pressive lips. The many offices to which he was elected in Fayette and Jessamine counties evince in what high esteem he was held by those who knew him. He always wore a long, blue
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History of Jessamine County, Kentucky.
cut-a-way coat with brass buttons, with knee breeches and black silk stockings and heavy silver shoe buckles. As was the custom among the gentlemen at that early period, he wore a cue falling down his back between his shoulders, tied with a blue ribbon.
Colonel Crockett was buried on his old home place, where had preceded him to the tomb his wife and children. The brick house which he built in the early part of the century still stands near the grave-yard, and is the property of Mr. John Baker, form- erly owned by Otho Roberts. A few years since, his grandson, Col. Bennett H. Young, had erected around it an iron fence.
The following letter, written by Maj. Benjamin Netherland, who was then a resident of Nicholasville, will be both amusing and interesting :
Nicholasville, Ky., October 7, 1826.
My Dear Friend : I was very much pained on hearing that your cut on the leg has not improved since I was to see you in April last. I was sorry that your wounded leg prevented you from being in Lexington last year, when the Marquis de la Fayette was given one of the greatest and grandest receptions I ever wit- nessed. More than ten thousand people marched in line to re- ceive on the big road leading from Frankfort to Lexington. He rode in a fine four-horse carriage accompanied by Governor Desha, Col. Anthony Crockett, Col. Joseph Crockett, Genl. Peter Dudley, and many other gentlemen who rode on horseback and acted as a guard of honor in the rear of the carriage. More than forty-six years ago I was in Charleston when he landed there in 1777, a young man from France on his way to offer his services to General Washington to fight for the liberties of the people of our country. In Charleston he was received with becoming respect and honor, the people everywhere were loud in their praise of the young French soldier-but his reception was nothing in com- parison to the reception given him by the patriotic people of Lex- ington last May. When General La Fayette got into Lexington the rush of many of the old soldiers was truly exciting. Every- where his carriage was stopped by the surviving veterans who had served with him and Washington at Monmouth, Trenton, Brandywine and Little York. Everyone was anxious to see La Fayette. It just seemed that there was no other actor in the great revolutionary drama who had been so near to the heart of Wash-
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