Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. II, Part 13

Author: Collins, Lewis, 1797-1870. cn; Collins, Richard H., 1824-1889. cn
Publication date: 1874
Publisher: Covington, Ky., Collins & Co.
Number of Pages: 1654

USA > Kentucky > Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. II > Part 13

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In the November following, the earliest day at which it could be done consis- tently with his determination to ride out the judicial storin the memorable deci- sion of the court had brewed, Boyle resigned the chief justiceship of Kentucky. But his services upon the bench were too highly appreciated to be dispensed with. The federal government, anticipating his resignation, tendered him the office of district judge of Kentucky, which he accepted, and was induced to hold. although his better judgment prompted him to give it up, until his death, which occurred on the 28th day of January, 1835. His estimable lady preceded him a year and a half, having fallen a victim to that scourge of the nations, the cholera, in 1833.

. The appointment of associate justice of the supreme court of the United States was twice within his reach ; but he loved retirement, and distrusted his qualifi- cations for a position so responsible. Upon the death of Judge Todd, he refused to be recommended as his successor; and, subsequently, expressed the same un- willingness upon the demise of Judge 'Trimble, of the same court.

For one year, in the latter part of his life, he was sole professor in the Tran- sylvania law school. Numbers of young men followed him to the quiet of his home, where his pleasures were divided between teaching law, miscellaneous reading, and the cares of his family and farm.

BRACKEN COUNTY.

The Mc Dowell Family, in its various branches and connections, is one of the most distinguished in Virginia and Kentucky. When John McDowell of Rockbridge co., Va., was killed, he left three children. Of these, Samuel the eldest, with his wife Mary McClung-leaving in Virginia their eldest daughters, twins and married-emigrated to Danville, Ky., in 1784, with seven sons and two daughters. Of these, the sixth son, Dr. Ephraim Mc- Dowell (see on 3d page before this), and two of his brother John's children, married two daughters and a son of Gov. Isaac Shelby ; Polly married Alex. K. Marshall, a distinguished lawyer of Mason county, and reporter of the court of appeals ; William married Margaretta Madison, and of their daugh- ters, Polly married Col. Geo. C. Thompson, of Mercer, and Agatha married James Birney (parents of James G. Birney, the "Liberty " candidate for president of the United States in 1840, and also in 1844, when he drew off in the state of New York alone enough Whig votes to cause the defeat of Henry Clay ; also, grandparents of Gen. Humphrey Marshall, distinguished as a lawyer, as U. S. minister to China, etc. ) ; James' daughter Isabella mar- ried Rev. John P. Campbell, M.D., an able Presbyterian divine; Samuel's . son Abram was the father of Maj. Gen. Irvine McDowell, of the U. S. army ; while others, children or grandchildren, intermarried with the well known families of Adair, Allen, Anderson, Bell, Brashear, Buford, Bush, Caldwell, Chrisman, Duke, Hall, Harvey, Hawkins, Hickman, Irvine, Keene, Lyle, McAfee, McPheeters, Paxton, Pickett, Pogue, Rochester, Starling, Wallace, and Woodson, of Kentucky, and Sullivants, of Columbus, Ohio.

Mary McClung's brother John was the father of Judge Wm. McClung, who married Susan, sister of John Marshall, chief justice of the U. S .; Rev. John A. McClung, D.D., and Col. Alex, K. McClung were their children. Judge Samuel MeDowell, above-named, was one of the judges of the first Kentucky court, in 1783, and president of the nine conventions which met at Danville between Dec. 27, 1784, and July 26, 1790; and also of the con- vention which framed the first constitution of Kentucky.

BRACKEN COUNTY.

BRACKEN county, the 23d in order of formation, was organ- ized in 1796, out of parts of Mason and Campbell counties ; is on the northern border ; bounded N. by the Ohio river, E. by Mason county, s. by Robertson and Harrison, and w. by Pendleton. The lands are high, and the surface rolling and hilly ; the richest lands are in the eastern part; the rest, back from the river, being strong oak land, and producing in large quantities the finest "Mason County " Tobacco.

Towns .- Brooksville, the county seat, 9 miles from Augusta, named after David Brooks, established 1839, has an excellent new brick court house and other public buildings ; population in . 1870, 348. Augusta, the principal town and former county seat, on the Ohio river, 183 miles below Maysville and 423 above Cincinnati, is one of the most beautiful situations on the Ohio river, with a fine harbor ; it is important as a tobacco shipping point ; population 960. Germantown, a handsome village on the county line between Mason and Bracken, with the greater portion in Bracken, 6 miles from Brooksville and 11 from Maysville ; population 351. Foster, on the Ohio river, 11 miles below Augusta and 31 above Cincinnati, population 191. Berlin, in w. part, population 125 ; and Milford, in s. part, population 108.

BRACKEN COUNTY.

STATISTICS OF BRACKEN COUNTY.

When formed See page 26 | Tobacco, hay, corn, wheat .. pages 266, 268

.p. 258 Horses, mules, cattle, and hogs ...... p. 268

Population, from 1800 to 1870 whites and colored .. .p. 260 Taxable property, 1846 and 1870 .... p. 270

towns .. .p. 262 Land-No. of acres, and value ....... p. 270

white males over 21. .p. 266 Latitude and longitude .p. 257

children bet. 6 and 20 .. .. p. 266 | Distinguished citizens .... .see Index.

MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE FROM BRACKEN COUNTY, SINCE 1859.

Senate .- Thornton F. Marshall, 1859-63; Francis L. Cleveland, 1863-67; John B. Clarke, 1867-71.

House of Representatives .- Francis L. Cleveland, 1859-63; Wm. A. Pepper, 1863-65 ; John Stroube, 1865-67, but his seat declared vacant, Jan., 1866, and succeeded by Wm. H. Reynolds, 1866-67 ; Andrew J. Markley, 1867-69; Robert K. Smith, 1869- 71; Adam C. Armstrong, 1871-73 ; Wm. T. Marshall, 1873-75. [ See page 000.]

The county derived its name from two creeks, Big and Little Bracken- which were called after Wm. Bracken, an old hunter and pioneer, who visited the county in 1773, afterwards settled upon one of those creeks, and met his death at an early day at the hands of the Indians.

Antiquities .- A scientific writer in Win. Gibbes Hunt's Western Review, published at Lexington, in Feb., 1820, makes repeated allusions to " the large cemetery or burying ground at Augusta." He mentions a clay rattle found therein, formed into the shape of a parrot or cockatoo's head, hollow within, and having a few loose balls of clay which produced the sound. He was in possession of two iron bracelets, four of which were found on the left arm of a female skeleton found there-conclusive proof that our Aborigines were acquainted with iron. They were formed with a loop at one extremity, and extended in an oval shape to a knob at the other end, which hitched into the loop. The elongated central part of the oval was the thickest, from which it gradually tapered towards the clasp. The bracelets were much corroded and the loops destroyed ; but even their then state of preservation could only be accounted for by the fortunate circumstance that the alluvial soil of the burial ground was free from mineral acids. A few small beads obtained from this burying ground also fell into the hands of this writer, who did not analyze them, but after close examination judged that they were formed out of cyanite. They were of a light blue color, drilled and polished. They were much harder than glass, and the operation of drilling them must have been very tedious, without the use of steel instruments.

A letter to the author of the first edition of this work, written in 1846, by Gen. John Payne, then a venerable citizen of Augusta, gives the following singularly interesting account of the ancient remains discovered there. Gen. Payne was a very active and brave-not a few declared he was the most efficient cavalry-officer under Gen. Harrison at the battles of the Mississinawa towns and the Thames, and on the marches in the north-west, during the last war with Great Britain. He died Jan. 18, 1854.

The bottom on which Augusta is situated, is a large burying ground of the ancients. A post hole cannot be dug without turning up human bones. 'They have been found It great numbers, and of all sizes, every where between the mouths of Bracken and Locust creeks, a distance of about a mile and a half. From the cellar under my dwelling, sixty by seventy feet, one hundred and ten skeletons were taken. I numbered them by the skulls ; and there might have been many more, whose skulls had crumbled into dust, My garden was a cemetery ; it is full of bones, and the richest ground I ever saw. The skeletons were of all sizes, from seven feet to the infant. David Kilgour (who was a tall and very large man) passed our village at the time I was excavating my cellar, and we took him down and applied a thigh bone to his-the owner, if well proportioned, must have been some ten or twelve inches taller than Kilgour, and the lower jaw bone would slip on over his, skin and all. Who were they ? How came their bones there ? Among the Indians there is no tra- dition that any town was located near here, or that any battle was ever fought near here. When I was in the army, I inquired of old Crane, a Wyandott, and of Anderson, a Dela- ware, both intelligent old chiefs, (the former died at camp Sencca in 1813,) and they could give no information in reference to. these remains of antiquity. They knew the localities at the mouths of Locust, Turtle and Bracken creeks, but they knew nothing of any town or village near there. In my garden, Indian arrow heads of flint have been found, and an earthen ware of clay and pounded muscle. Some of the largest trees of the forest were growing over these remains when the land was cleared in 1792.

BRACKEN COUNTY.

The First Surveys in Bracken county were among the very first in the state ; indeed, it is probable that they were only preceded by the two or more sur- veys made by Gen. George Washington in 1770, in what are now Lawrence and Greenup counties, and in 1773, by several small surveys made in Lewis county, by Capt. Thos. Bullitt's party, on their way to the falls at Louis- ville. Capt. John Hedges, with Capt. Thos. Young (who settled and died in Mason county) as chain-carrier-both afterwards officers of the Revolutionary army, in the Virginia line-in 1773 surveyed a tract of land, built an "im- prover's cabin," and cleared a small piece on the bank of the Ohio river, about 5 miles below Augusta, and just below the mouth of Locust creek .* Capt. Hedges was living on it again in 1775. Several other surveys were made, a few days after, in the same neighborhood, and by some of the same party. - Capt. Thos. Bullitt, John Fitzpatrick, and others, in 1773, John Doran in 1774, and other visitors called this Turtle creek ; in 1782 the name was changed to Locust.

The First College ever established in the world under the patronage of the Methodist Episcopal Church, was the old Augusta College; founded 1822; Rev. Martin Ruter, D.D., and Rev. Jos. S. Tomlinson, D.D., among its presi- dents ; Rev. Henry B. Bascom, D.D. (afterwards a Bishop of the Methodist E. Church, South), and Rev. Burr II. McCown, D.D., among its professors ; among its alumni many substantial and some distinguished men; library 2,500 volumes; for years, from 100 to 150 students; it went down several years before the war. The college building (of which the engraving is a good sketch) was destroyed by fire, Jan. 29, 1852, but rebuilt in plainer style; and has been occupied mainly as a high school.

Battle of Augusta .- See brief account, vol. i, p. 112. For other incidents, see title Bracken county, in General Index.

Dr. JOSHUA TAYLOR BRADFORD-probably the second most distinguished surgeon of Kentucky, and in one branch of surgery scarcely equaled in the world (as such, eminently worthy of a place in our engraving of Kentucky medical men)-was the son of Wm. Bradford, of Va., who in 1790 immigrated to Bracken county ; was born Dec. 9, 1818, and died Oct. 31, 1871-aged nearly 53; was educated at Augusta College; graduated, Jan., 1839, at Transylvania Medical School, Lexington, Ky .; began, and through life con- tinued, to practice medicine at Augusta, where he was raised. The capital operation for ovarian tumour, until a generation ago regarded as adventurous both in this country and in Europe, from its very rarity and danger invited his skill. His first operation stamped him as a great surgeon, and threw him into the front rank of his profession. In over 30 cases but 3 were fatal-a result favorable beyond the experience of any surgeon in America or Europe. ' Dr. Graves' great work on surgery reports many of these cases tabularly. Dr. Bradford's contributions to medical journals, always able, are on this point frequent, upon other points rare. A peculiar case 'of calculus in a child two years old, and a case of carious heel bones (os calcis and cuboid) extracted, which saved the limb and restored the boy to usefulness, almost without a limp, extorted high commendation, the latter as " one of the most remarkable cases of the kind on record." He projected a book on surgery, which it is hoped may be found so far completed as to justify its publication ; it must be valuable, and probably great. Dr. B. was singularly unambitious and domestic-preferring the charms of his "Piedmont " home to the allure- ments of professional public life. He twice declined the chair of surgery in a medical school, and only a short time before his death was urged to become the successor of Dr. Blackman, of Cincinnati. In a monograph upon his favorite subject, he unites with Dr. Gross and other leading surgeons in as- cribing to the late Dr. Ephraim MeDowell, of Danville, Ky., the credit of originating the operation of ovariotomy. Of a large family, his elder brother, Dr. J. J. Bradford, the able physician with whom he studied and for years practiced, survives him ; and another brother, Col. Laban J. Bradford, for years the energetic president of the state agricultural society, and now presi- dent of the board of visitors of the Kentucky University.

* Depositions of Simon Kenton, Thomas Young, and Wm. Triplett, in Aug., 1796.

BREATHITT COUNTY.

BREATHITT county, the 89th in order of formation ; erected in 1839, out of parts of Clay, Perry, and Estill counties, and named in honor of Gov. Breathitt ; is in the eastern part of the state, on the headwaters of the Kentucky river ; bounded N. by Wolfe, Morgan, and Magoffin counties, E. by Magoffin, s. by Perry, and w. by Owsley and Wolfe; the surface hilly, with rich valleys ; the soil based on red clay, with sandstone foundation ; abounds in coal and iron ore, the former shipped in considerable quantities down the Kentucky river ; salt has been manufactured to some extent.

Towns .- The county seat is Jackson, named after Gen. Andrew Jackson ; population in 1870, 54. Strongville is about 7 miles s., and Crockettstille (established Feb., 1847) about 15 miles s. w. of Jackson.

STATISTICS OF BREATHITT COUNTY.

When formed. See page 26 Tobacco, hay, corn, wheat ... pages 266, 268 -

Population, from 1840 to 1870 .p. 258 Horses, mules, cattle, hogs. ..... page 268

whites and colored. ... p. 260 Taxable property, in 1846 and 1870 ... p. 270

towns .p. 262 Land-No. of acres, and value of .... p. 270

white males over 21. .. p. 266 Latitude and longitude. .... p. 257

children bet. 6 and 20 yrs. p. 266

Distinguished citizens. see Index.

MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE FROM BREATHITT COUNTY.

Senate .- Thos. P. Cardwell, 1865 -- 69.

House of Representatives .- Wm. Day, 1859-61; Thos. P. Cardwell, 1863-65, and 1871-73 ; John Deaton, 1867-69 ; Isaac B. Combs, 1869-71.

JOHN BREATHITT, late governor of Kentucky, (for whom this county was called) was a. native of the state of Virginia. He was the eldest child of William Breathitt, and was born on the ninth day of September, 1786, about two miles from New London, near the road leading to Lynchburg. His father removed from Virginia, and settled in Logan county, Kentucky, in the year 1800, where he raised a family of five sons and four daughters. The old gentleman was a farmer, possessed of a few servants and a tract of land, but not sufficiently wealthy to give his children collegiate educations. The schools of his neighborhood (for it should be remembered the Green river country was a wilderness in 1800), afforded but few opportunities for the advancement of pupils. John, the subject of this notice, made the best use of the means for improvement placed within his reach, and by diligent attention to his books, made himself a good surveyor. Before he arrived at age, he received an appointment as deputy surveyor of the public lands, and in that capacity, surveyed many townships in the state of Illinois, then a territory of the United States.

John Breathitt taught a country school in early life, and by his industry and economy, as teacher and surveyor, he acquired property rapidly, consisting mostly in lands, which were easily obtained under the acts of the assembly appropriating the public domain. After his earnings had secured a capital capable of sustaining him a few years, he resolved to read law, which he did under the direction of the late Judge Wallace. He was admitted to the bar as a qualified attorney. in Feb- ruary, 1810. His industry and capacity for business, soon secured him a lucrative practice : and from this time he rapidly advanced in public estimation.

In 1810 or '11, he was elected to represent the county of Logan in the house of representatives of the general assembly, and filled the same office for several years in succession. In 1828, he was elected lieutenant governor of the commonwealth, the duties of which station he filled with great dignity and propriety. In 1832, he was elected governor, but did not live to the end of his official term. He died in the governor's house, in Frankfort, Feb. 21, 1834.

BREATHITT COUNTY.

Gov. Breathitt was twice married, first to Miss Whitaker, daughter of Wm. Whitaker, of Logan co., Ky., and then to Miss Susan M. Harris, danghter of Richard Harris, of Chesterfield co., Va., whom he survived also. He left a son and daughter by the first wife, and by the last a daughter.

In politics, Gov. Breathitt acted most earnestly with the Democratic party, and espoused with singular warmth the election of Gen. Jackson to the Pres- idency in 1828 and 1832. His success in accumulating enabled him to assist his father and to educate liberally his brothers and sisters. The same spirit made him courteous and popular in his profession, and in polities a great favorite with his party. Had he not been taken at the early age of 47, scarcely an honor within the gift of the people but he would have obtained.

BRECKINRIDGE COUNTY.

BRECKINRIDGE county was established out of part of Hardin county, in 1799; the 39th in order of formation, and was named in honor of the distinguished lawyer and statesman, John Breck- inridge. It is situated in the western middle part of the state, on the Ohio river-by which it is bounded on the N., by Hardin county on the E., Grayson on the s., and Hancock on the w. The face of the country is generally rolling, high, dry, and well watered. The climate is pleasant and healthy ; the soil fertile, with a basis of red clay and limestone. The principal water courses are Sinking, Clover, and Rough creeks, and the North fork of the latter. Tobacco, corn, wheat, and oats are the prin- cipal products ; 4,500 hogsheads of tobacco being raised in 1846, and the product latterly is greatly increased.

Towns .- Hardinsburg, the county seat, named after Capt. Wm. Hardin, was laid out in town lots in 1782, incorporated in 1800 ; has a new and handsome court house, built in 1869, at a cost of $37,000 ; population in 1870, 455. Clorerport (originally Joesville), established in 1828, on the Ohio river, 12 miles N. W. · of Hardinsburg, is a place of considerable business ; population 849. Stephensport, on the Ohio, 10 m. above Cloverport, incor- porated in 1825, population 160. Union Star, 4 m. E. of Stephens- port, incorporated in 1868, population 104. Bewleyville, 14 m. N. E. of Hardinsburg, population 96. Hudsonville, Constantine, Webster, and Cross Roads.

STATISTICS OF BRECKINRIDGE COUNTY.

When formed. See page 26 . Corn, wheat, hay, tobacco .. pages 266, 268

Population, from 1800 to 1870 .p. 258 Horses, mules, cattle, hogs. p. 268

whites and colored. .p. 260 Taxable property, 1846 and 1870. .p. 270

towns .. .p. 262 Land-No. of acres, and value ....... p. 270

266

white males over 21 p. Latitude and longitude. .. p. 257

children bet. 6 and 20 ..... p. 266

Distinguished citizens see Index.

MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE FROM BRECKINRIDGE COUNTY, SINCE 1859.

Senate .- John B. Bruner, 1857-61, and 1865-69.

House of Representatives .- David C. Ganaway, 1859-61 ; Alfred Allen, 1861-67, but elected State Treasurer in 1866, and succeeded by Chas. Alexander, 1866-67; John Allen Murray, 1867-69; Dudley Hambleton, 1869-71; Jonas D. Wilson, 1871-73 ; Thos. Miller, 1873-75.

[See page 000.]

Minerals .- Extensive banks of coal of fine quality are in the N. w. part of the county, near Cloverport. Lead ore has been discovered, which is said to yield lead 6 per cent. more pure than the most noted Missouri mines.

BRECKINRIDGE COUNTY.

Springs .- Four miles from Cloverport are the Breckinridge Tar and White Sulphur Springs-which have been at times fashionable as a watering place.

Curiosities -Six or seven miles from the source of Sinking creek-a con- siderable stream, which supplie water for machinery during the entire year- the creek suddenly sinks, showing for five or six miles no trace of its exist- ence ; it then re-appears above ground and flows into the Ohio. On this creek is a natural mill-dam of rock, 8 feet high and . 40 feet wide-which answers all the purposes of a dam to a mill erected there by Mr. Huston, before 1847.

Cave .- Near Sinking creek is a large care, never fully explored, called Penitentiary cave. Some of the apartments, in the splendor and magnificence of their scenery, are claimed to rival the celebrated Mammoth cave in Ed- monson county. The roof of one room, about 100 yards from the mouth of the cave, is 60 to 70 feet high ; and there are three natural basins, elevated above the level of the floor in the form of troughs, 15 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 12 inches deep, of remarkable construction and appearance, and filled with cool, clear water. The stone which formed the sides and ends of the basins, do not exceed in thickness the blade of a table knife.

Indian Graves .- In April, 1858, at Cloverport, the rise in the Ohio river caused a portion of the bank to cave in-which disclosed three Indian graves, filled with bones, tomahawks, beads, etc.

One of the earliest settlers in that portion of Kentucky which now forms the county of Breckinridge, was Capt. WILLIAM HARDIN, a noted hunter and Indian fighter-a man of dauntless courage and resolution-cool, calm, and self-pos- sessed in the midst of most appalling dangers, and perfectly skilled in all the wiles and arts of border warfare. Soon after Capt. Hardin had erected a station in what is now the county of Breckinridge, intelligence was received that the Indians were building a town on Saline creek, in the present state of Illinois. Hardin, not well pleased that the savages should establish themselves in such close vicinity to his little settlement, determined to dislodge them. He soon had collected around him a force of eighty select men; the hardiest and boldest of those noted hunters whose lives were passed in a continual round of perilous ad- venture.

When this force reached the vicinity of the lick, they discovered Indian signs, and approaching the town cautiously, they found it in the possession of three war- riors who had been left to guard the camp. Hardin ordered his men to fire on them, which they did, killing two. The third attempted to make his escape, but he was shot down as he ran. He succeeded, however, in regaining his feet, and ran fifty yards, leaped up a perpendicular bank, six feet high, and fell dead.

In the mean time, Hardin, correctly supposing that the main body of the In- dians were out on a hunting expedition, and would shortly return, made immedi- ate preparation for battle. He accordingly selected a place where a few acres of timbered land were surrounded on all sides by the prairie. Here he posted his men with orders to conceal themselves behind the trees, and reserve their fire until the Indians should approach within twenty-five yards. Soon after the little band had taken their position, they discovered the Indians rapidly approaching on their trail, and numbering apparently between eighty and one hundred men. When the sav- ages had arrived within one hundred yards of the position of the Kentuckians, one of the men, in his impatience to begin the battle, forgot the order of the cap- tain, and fired his gun. Immediately the Indians charged, and the fight com- menced in earnest.

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Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. II, Part 13

Author: Collins, Lewis, 1797-1870. cn; Collins, Richard H., 1824-1889. cn Publication date: 1874 Publisher: Covington, Ky., Collins & Co. Number of Pages: 1654

Author: Collins, Lewis, 1797-1870. cn; Collins, Richard H., 1824-1889. cn
Publication date: 1874
Publisher: Covington, Ky., Collins & Co.
Number of Pages: 1654