USA > Kentucky > A history of the commonwealth of Kentucky > Part 11
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It is not centrally known, that the south western part of the State was settled as early sa ITM. In the testimony on record, etin case of tradeck apart W. ham Ruge's Belay in the Court of Appeals, Colored Aberation Smart dopoand, that his father had, at that time, settled on Red river; and Bout five miles above the month of the Elk fork of Red river, south west of the present town of Russelville. In noble spring was well know e in 1784.
To this may be added the following information reaperting the same section of Ken. sucky. Judge Underwood informs the author, that his uncle, Edmund Rogers, had ob- 1 *
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Bryant's station, about five miles north-eastward of Lexing- ton, was settled by the Bryants in 1779, and several stations were erected in the neighborhood of the present town of Dan- ville. This notice must suffice for the rise of our towns, now merging fast into the general settlement of the country in its wide extent.
CHAPTER VII.
Colonel David Rogers' Expedition to New Orleans-Defeat-Captain Benham-Colonel Bowman's Expedition-Colonel Byrd's Expedition up Licking-General George Ro- gers Clark's march from Fort Jefferson-Shuts up the Land office at Harrodsburg- Expedition against Pickaway.
The annoyance of the Indians still continued, occasionally infesting the stations, and intercepting the traveler and the hunter; yet the people pursued their business in the midst of hostility.
There was a melancholy illustration of this, in an encounter · of memorable fatality, which took place between a large party of Indians, and Colonel David Rogers, and Captain Robert Ben- ham,* commanding a couple of keel boats loaded with military stores, and manned by about one hundred men. The former officer had been dispatched by the executive of Virginia in the preceding year, to New Orleans, for the purpose of procuring supplies from the Spanish government at that place; in order to support the military posts on the Upper Ohio, and the Mis- sissippi. This is mentioned in a letter of Governor Henry ad- dressed to Lieutenant Colonel Clark, and dated January 15th,
served the following circumstances, before there was any settlement south of Green ri- ver. "There was a beach tree standing in a bottom on the matem of the east fork of the south branch of Little Karren river, avout a quarter of a mir fiori Eonion, in Barren county, which had upon it the nan e of "James Mct'all, of M . kenburg county, North Carolina, June eth, 170." The words were cut in very handsome letters, with several initial of other names. Also on the Sulphur fork of Pay & fork .: Big Barren river, at or near the Sulphur Lick, now my Allen county, southeast of Bowling Green, the following words were found by the statue ancient settler, cut in the back of t beech tree-"James McCall dined here on his way to Natebez. June the Hth, 1720." Ja", Un ferwood when a boy, has frequently seen these memorials of early visitors to Kentucky. The party must, in all probability, have perished; unless some record of their visit may be preserved in North Carolina.
& The father of Joseph S. Benham, Es., of the Louisville Bar.
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1778. * When Rogers arrived at the mouth of the Ozark, since called Arkansas; he sailed up that river, some twelve or eigh- teen leagues, to the head of the back water, or overflown ground; and there he deposited his boats, and stationed his men, and proceeded with six or seven, including Captain Robert Benham, down the Mississippi to New Orleans. When he arrived at that city, he found a British sloop of war in the port, the Captain of which, suspicious of the object of an American party from such a direction. (a circumstance of no common oc- currence at that day,) watched his movements narrowly, and impeded his business with the Spanish officers. For although they were privately disposed to promote the American interests, yet as the courts of Madrid and London were not openly at war, embarrassment was unavoidable in the presence of a Bri- tish force.t The situation of Major Rogers was truly critical and perplexing; under these circumstances, he found it neces- sary to send Captain Benham through the appalling extent of Indian country, on the west side of the Mississippi, with dis- patches (it is conjectured) for the government of Virginia. Benham, with the hardihood characteristic of the times, subsist- ing principally on Indian corn boiled in lie, to save it from the weavil, passed through the Indian wilderness, reached Kaskaskia, then under the American arms; and proceeded to the falls of Ohio, in the spring of 1779. Soon after his arrival at this place, owing to some unexplained succcess, Colonel Rogers, with two keel boats ascended to the same place, on his return to Pittsburg, and most joyfully took Captain Benham on board. The latter gentleman was then placed in command of one of the boats, and the little American squadron, the second escort of military supplies procured by . our countrymen from New Orleans, moved on its destination up the Ohio. When Colonel Rogers reached the sand bar above the present city of Cincinnati, he found it bare more than half the width of the river. He now discovered a number of Indians on rafts and in canoes, coming out of the mouth of the Little Miami river, which was then high, and shot its waters,
· Judge Dunlavy. of Ohio. t The declaration of war took place January 16th, 1779.
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and consequently the Indians on their craft nearly across the Ohio river. On seeing the enemy, Colonel Rogers ordered his men to land and attack them; thinking he would be able to surprise them. But on landing and marching through the wil- lows with which the bar was then covered; and before they arri- ved at the place where they expected to meet the Indians, they were themselves surrounded by nearly five times their number. The enemy quickly dispatched the greatest part of the crew, with Colonel Rogers. The remainder endeavored to retreat to the boats; but they were pursued too relentlessly with the toma- hawk. One of the boats, however, escaped with two men and reached the Falls. Not more than nine or ten ever returned to their families and friends. It may be safely affirmed, that the annals of Indian or border warfare contain not a bloodier page. Compared with the battle of the Blue Licks, Rogers' defeat was undoubtedly the more disastrous.
In both instances the success of the Indians may be attributed more to the nature of the battle ground, than to their numerical superiority. They lay encamped at the foot of the river hill, a few hundred yards from its bank, on which Rogers and his men stood anxiously watching the rafts and canoes mentioned above; in this situation the Indians had only to flank to the right and left from the base of the hill to the river (a manœuvre which they always perform with skill and celerity) to secure their prey. Thus hemined in, surrounded and surprised, it is only astonish- ing, considering the disparity of numbers, that they were not all massacred.
Leonidas in the straights of Thermopyla, had not to contend with more discouraging circumstances than the brave and un- fortunate Rogers in this bloody horse shoe. The Indians took and plundered one of the boats by which they got considerable booty, consisting of ready-made clothing and munitions of war, which Colonel Rogers had obtained from the Spaniards for the use of the forts on the frontier of Virginia. It is a little remark- able, that only a few years ago, after one of the periodical freshets, several gross of metal buttons were found on the bar where they had been buried ever since the battle. They were
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deposited by the fisherman who found them, in Mr. Dorfuille's Museum at Cincinnati. It may be asked what could have em- bodied on the bank of the Ohio, at so early a period, four or five hundred Indian warriors, armed and equipped for battle? They were from a predatory incursion against the white settle- ments in the interior of Kentucky-an expedition which they had undertaken in the vain expectation of extirpating the settlers. A block-house in the vicinity of Lexington, had been beleaguered by them for several days. The chief of this daring band of ma- rauders was a Canadian Frenchman of the half-blood, by the name of Birde. Born and reared among savages, he was alike dis- tinguished for cunning and ferocity; qualities which are sup- posed to be somewhat peculiar to this Mongrel breed. Such, however, was the outline of his character as drawn by Colonel Campbell, whom he carried a prisoner to Detroit, and who was treated by him on the way in a most barbarous manner .*
Captain Benham shortly after breaking through the enemy's line, was dangerously wounded through the hips.$ \"Fortunate- ly, a large tree had lately fallen near the spot where he lay, and with great pain he dragged himself into the top. and lay con- cealed among the branches. The Indians, eager in pursuit of the others, passed him without notice, and by midnight all was quiet. On the following day, the Indians returned to the battle ground, in order to strip the dead and take care of the boats. Benham, although in danger of famishing, permitted them to
* Letter of Joseph S. Benham, Esq. t McClung's Sketches.
! The suffering of Captain Benham, who in this battle was dangerously wounded in the left hip, and lay for several weeks at the mouth of Licking, before he was removed to the Falls, is well known. His companion in distress, whose arms were broken, 19 -ull alive and resides in the town of Brownsville, Pennsylvania, which at the time he joined Rogers' expedition, was the ultima thule of western civilization, or rather emigration.
Captain Benham left the Falls as soon as his wound would perniit, and returned home by the way of New Orleans. About twenty years after, he azain returned to the west in General Harmar's campaign. In ITS0, he was appointed Commissary General to the ar. my under the command of General St. Clair, and he continued in the service performing the must arduous and responsible daties until after the treaty of Greenville, which pat a period to this Woody sequel to the war of Independence. In St. Clair's defeat, at the re quest of the General, when the army was surrounded, be mounted his hory and was among the foremost in leading on the bloody charge wirth broke through the enemy's lines, and saved the remnant of our troops. Here he was again wounded. But few have braved inore, and endured more, and contributed more, in the exploration, conquest, and settlement of the western country, than this adventurous pioneer. He was many years a useful and leading member of the Territorial and State Legislatures of Ohio. He lived to see the wilderness which he had assisted in conquering from the aborigines, "budding and blossoming as the rose."
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pass without making known his condition, very correctly sup- posing that his crippled legs, would only induce them to toma- hawk him upon the spot, in order to avoid the trouble of carry- ing him to their town. He lay close, therefore, until the even- ing of the second day, when perceiving a raccoon descending a tree, near him, he shot it, hoping to devise some means of reaching it, when he could kindle a fire and make a meal. Scarcely had his gun cracked, however, when he heard a human cry, apparently not more than fifty yards off. Supposing it to be an Indian, he hastily reloaded his gun, and remained silent, expecting the approah of an enemy. Presently the same voice was heard again, but much nearer. Still Benham made no re- ply, but cocked his gun and sat ready to fire, as soon as an ob- ject appeared. A third halloo was quickly heard, followed by an exclamation of impatience and distress, which convinced Benham that the unknown must be a Kentuckian. As soon, therefore, as he heard the expression "whoever you are -- for God's sake answer me!"-he replied with readiness, and the parties were soon together. Benham, as we have already ob- served, was shot through both legs !- the man who now appear- ed, had escaped from the same battle, with both arms broken! Thus was each enabled to supply what the other wanted. Ben- ham having the perfect use of his arms, could load his gun and kill game with great readiness, while his friend having the use of his legs, could kick the game to the spot where Benham sat, who was thus enabled to cook it. When no wood was near them, his companion would rake up brush with his feet, and gradually roll it within reach of Benham's hands, who constantly fed his companion, and dressed his wounds, as well as his own-tearing up both of their shirts for that purpose. They found some dif- ficulty in procuring water, at first-but Benham at length took his own hat, and placing the rim between the teeth of his com- panion, directed him to wade into the Licking, up to his neck, and dip the hat into the water (by sinking his own head.) The man who could walk, was thus enabled to bring water. by means of bis teeth, which Benham could afterwards dispose of as was necessary.
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In a few days they had killed all the squirrels and birds within reach, and the man with the broken arms, was sent out to drive game within gunshot of the spot, to which Benham was confined. Fortunately, wild turkeys were abundant in those woods, and his companion would walk around, and drive them towards Benham, who seldom failed to kill two or three of each flock. In this manner, they supported themselves for several weeks, until their wounds had healed, so as to enable them to travel. They then shifted their quarters, and put up a small shed at the mouth of Licking, where they encamped until late in November, anxiously expecting the arrival of some boat, which should convey them to the Falls of Ohio.
On the 27th of November, they observed a flat boat moving leisurely down the river. Benham instantly hoisted his hat upon a stick and hallooed loudly for help. The crew, however, supposing them to be Indians-at least suspecting them of an intention to decoy them ashore, paid no attention to their signals of distress, but instantly put over to the opposite side of the river, and manning every oar, endeavored to pass them as rapidly as possible. Benham beheld them pass with a sensation bordering on despair, for the place was much frequented by Indians, and the approach of winter threatened them with destruction, unless speedily relieved. At length, after the boat had passed him nearly half a mile, he saw a canoe put off from its stern, and cautiously approach the Kentucky shore, evidently reconnoiter- ing them with great suspicion. He called loudly upon them for assistance, mentioned his name and made known his condition. After a long parley, and many evidences of reluctance on the part of the crew, the canoe at length touched the shore, and Benham and his friend were taken on board. Their appearance excited much suspicion. They were almost entirely naked, and their faces were garnished with six weeks growth of beard. The one was barely able to hobble upon crutches, and the other could manage to feed himself with one of his hands. They were in- stantly taken to Louisville, where their clothes (which had been carried off in the boat which deserted them) were restored to them, and after a few weeks confinement, both were perfectly restored."
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To punish these attacks, an expedition was appointed against Old Chilicothe, on the Little Miami, to be commanded by Colo- nel John Bowman. The rendezvous was fixed at Harrodsburg for the people of the interior. Benjamin Logan, John Holder, James Harrod, and John Bulger, were Captains. George M. Bedinger acted as Adjutant, and some of the best men in the country engaged as private soldiers, to the number of three hun- dred. This was the first offensive expedition from Kentucky, since the spirited incursion of Boone, previous to the last siege of Boonesborough, during the preceding year.
Great expectations were entertained of this expedition in Virginia .* Some of its officers were among the most success- ful and efficient in Kentucky : such as Logan and Harrod. The party marched in the month of July, with their provisions on their backs; they were well acquainted with the ground where it was intended to strike the blow; and the movements were so well conducted, as to escape all discovery. The Indians had never yet experienced a formidable invasion from Kentucky, and seem to have entertained no apprehension of a retaliation for their annual invasions of this most vexed and harrassed land. Colonel Bowman's party arrived within a short distance of the town, near night, and halted. It was then determined to make the attack by day-break; for this purpose, Captain Lo- gan was detached to encircle the town on one side, while Bow- man was to surround it on the other, and to give the signal of assault. Logan immediately executed his part of the plan, and waited for his superior officers. Day began to break, and still there was no appearance of the detachment in front; Logan, in the mean time, ordered his men to conceal themselves in the grass and the weeds. The men in shifting about for hiding places, alarmed one of the enemy's dogs, whose barking soon brought out an Indian to discover the cause of the alarm. At this moment, one of Logan's men discharged his gun; the In- dian, aware that it proceeded from an enemy, gave an instan- taneous and loud whoop, and ran immediately to his cabin. The alarm was now spread, but still the time was not too late
Jefferson's Correspondence, 1, 163.
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for an energetic attack; Logan could see the women and chil- dren escaping to the woods by a ridge between his party and the other detachment. The Indian warriors repaired to a strong cabin, with port holes in it, while Logan's men took pos- session of the cabins left by the Indians, and suddenly adopted the plan of forming a moveable breastwork out of the doors and puncheons or coarse plank of the floors, and pushing them for- ward as a battery against the Indian post. While these active measures were taking, Colonel Bowman learning from a negro prisoner, that Girty and a hundred Mingos were at the Pick- away Town, and had been sent for, ordered a retreat. A circumstance which aggravated the distress of this order was. that the moment our men uncovered themselves, they were ex- posed to a destructive fire from the enemy in the council house, while they marched through a prairie, which surrounded the town. A retreat was however most reluctantly begun; and instead of preserving any order, the utmost confusion took place ; after the loss of several lives, the party was re-united, and the retreat was resumed in better condition; with the painful reflection. however, that the expedition had not effected as much as it was at first entitled to expect. They only burned the town and cap- tured one hundred and sixty-three horses, and some other spoil. with a loss of six or seven men, in spite of the fairest promises.' The Indian chief Blackfish. the one who had headed an expert- tion against Harrodsburg, and had taken Boone prisoner at the Blue Licks, at the head of about thirty warriors, pursued our party and was killed; Red Hawk, a new chief, continued the battle. Bowman, though a gallant and experienced officer made no detachments to repulse the savages, and our men were standing, as objects to be shot down. In this condition of things Captains Logan, Harrod, Bulger, and a few others, mented the pack-horses, and scoured the woods in every direction. rush- ing on the Indians whenever they could find them. These offensive steps continued until Red Hawk was also killed, when the rest of the Indian party fled; and our men returned home. with a loss of eight or nine killed in the two actions; the loss
+ Captain Patton, late of Louisville.
K
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of the enemy was not accurately known; but no doubt it was considerable, from the intermitted pursuit .*
The expeditions into the Indian country, which had recently been prosecuted by Coloncis Clark and Bowman, seem at length to have roused the exertion of British power, in order to counteract the influence of the former, especially upon their Indian allies. With this view, a formidable expedition was prepared, consisting of six hundred Indians and Canadians, commanded by Colonel Byrd, an officer in the British service. Two, or as Boone asserts, six field pieces, which accompanied this party, brought down the Big Miami, and then up Lick- ing, rendered the party resistless to the stockades of Ken- tucky, utterly destitute as they were of artillery. The march was totally undiscovered by our people, until on the 22d of June, 1780, the enemy appeared before Ruddle's station. This is the more extraordinary, since the British party was "twelve days marching from the Ohio river to Ruddle's station; and had cleared a wagon road a great part of the way."+ Colonel Floyd writes to Colonel William Preston of Virginia, early as May of this year, that a similar expedition with artillery was expected, and to be directed against the fort at this city. These facts evince a most extraordinary state of confidence or weak- ness.
The above station had been settled the previous year, on the easterly bank of the south fork of Licking river; three miles below the junction of Hinkston and Stoner's branches of the same stream. This, the author believes is the first emyloyment of artillery against the forts of Kentucky; and must have ap- peared little less formidable to our riflemen, than it did to bel- ligerents, at the first invention of these terrible arms. The cannon were moved up Licking by water, as far as the junction of the south fork of that river; whence the expedition proceeded
* Ger. Ray thinks differently from the current account, and believes the attack failed from the vigorous defence by the Indians, which prevented Bow man getting near enough to give Logan the signal agreed upon. Gen. Ray gives full credit to Bowman on this re- treat, as well as on other occasions.
! It is said that this expedition had been intended to co-operate with Governor Hamil- ton's projected march trova Kaskaskia, so happily superseded by the genius of George Rogers Clark .- Geveral William Clark.
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by land against the fort, owing to the lowness of the water. A summons to surrender at discretion to His Britannic Ma- jesty's arms, was immediately made by the enemy, and dread- ful as the necessity was, there was no alternative but to com- ply; resistance was hopeless. The fort gates were accordingly opened, and the Indians rushed in to secure the prisoners, and plunder the property. The same scene was acted at Martin's station, higher up the South Fork, with the same result. The prisoners and plunder were hastily collected together, and the retreat commenced with strange precipitation: many of the prisoners could not support this rapidity; among whom were necessarily most of the women and children. These, loaded with plunder as usual with the Indians, were quickly released from their miseries, by the tomahawk of their savage foes. Those who survived, were dispersed among the Indians, or carried to Detroit; whence they generally returned after seve- ral years detention. Yet deplorable as this invasion was to its immediate victims, it is a subject of astonishment, united with gratitude to Heaven, that its furies should have been arrested at these two points; instead of being directed against the sta- tions of the country generally. These were utterly incompe- tent to defend themselves against it. It is most unaccountable, that the very first and last expedition into Kentucky with artil- lery, should have returned with such utterly inadequate effect. How proud the contrast in favor of our indefatigable and en- terprising Clark! How humiliating and disgraceful to Byrd! The former officer invaded the enemy's country with rifle troops, captured his towns, took his strongest forts armed with cannon, and kept possession of the country; while the latter, with only small arms to oppose his artillery, confined himself to capturing two paltry stockades; and hurried out of the country so fast as to compel the murder of several of his most helpless prisoners by his barbarous allies. Such is the contrast ever existing between genius and a capacity for ordinary routine. Colonel Byrd,* it is said, had previously limited himself to the
* There is another explanation more honorable to Colonel Byrd; it is, that shocked by the irrepressible barbarities of the Indians, he determined to arrest his expedition, and return to Detroit.
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Licking forts,* and would not extend his plan. At the period of this invasion, there were not three hundred fighting men north of the Kentucky river; and if the expedition could have been kept together for a week or two, Mr. Humphrey Marshall thinks, it might have depopulated the country. On such trifling circumstances, appears to depend the fate of communities; no doubt, however, overruled by the general laws of God's provi- dence, and the government of the universe. True it is, that the Indians once successful to any degree, are, owing to their profound caution, bent against trying their fortune any farther. Thus the unexpected advantage which they gained in the cap- ture of Boone and his men at the Lower Blue Licks, in 1778, most fortunately postponed the attack upon Boonesborough, the original object of the expedition, from February to August.
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