Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. II, Part 28

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 28

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The First Governor of Kentucky, Isaac Shelby, reached Lexington on the 4th of June, 1792, from his residence near Danville. He was escorted by the Lexington troop of horse, and received with military honors by the Lexing- ton Infantry company, and by a committee of citizens, with John Bradford, the first editor in Kentucky, as chairman. The first state officers were: James Brown, secretary of state, John Logan, treasurer, and George Nicholas, attorney-general; under the first constitution there was no lieutenant governor.

Change of the Seat of Government .- The first constitution, adopted in con- vention at Danville, April 19, 1792, required the general assembly to meet at Lexington on June 4, 1792; and provided the following mode for fixing the seat of government : The house, during the sessions in 1792, should choose by ballot 21 persons, from whom the representatives from Mercer and Fayette counties should alternately strike one, until the 21 should be reduced to 5- who, or any three of them concurring, should " have power to fix on the place for the seat of government, to receive grants from individuals therefor, and to make such conditions with the proprietor of the land as to them should seem right, and should be agreed to by the proprietor, and lay off a town thereon in such manner as they should judge most proper." Accordingly, on June 18, 1792, John Allen and John Edwards, of Bourbon county, Robert Todd, of Fayette, Henry Lee, of Mason, and Thos. Kennedy, of Madison, were chosen commissioners. During the summer and fall ensuing, they visited the several points which made proposals-Legerwood's Bend, Delany's Ferry, Petersburg,

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Louisville, Lexington, Frankfort, and Leestown (one mile below Frankfort)- canvassed them thoroughly, and on Dec. 5th, in session at Lexington, resolved that " Frankfort was the most proper place for the seat of government." John Edwards was absent, two of the board (Robert Todd being one) were in favor of Lexington, and two of Frankfort. Gen. Todd, although largely interested as the owner of much land near Lexington and a resident there, rather than have it said that his judgment was biased by interest, changed his vote and gave to Frankfort the three votes necessary. Dec. 8, the report of the com- mittee was approved by the legislature, and the question settled; and on Dec. 22, 1792, that body bade farewell to Lexington and adjourned "to hold its next sessions in the house of Andrew Holmes at Frankfort, on the Kentucky river." The proposition which induced this location was: Ist, By Andrew Holmes, to convey to the government :- (a) For 7 years, the house and tenement lately occupied by Gen. James Wilkinson ; (b) Absolutely, the lots marked Public Ground, Nos. 58, 59, 68, 74, 75, 79, 83, and 84; (c) Choice of 30 lots yet unsold, or alternate-choice of half of all the unsold (74) lots, and if more space is requisite will lay off into half-acre lots 50 acres more and convey one-half of them; (d) The rents of warehouse for 7 years; (e) 10 boxes 10x12 window-glass, 1,500 lbs. nails, £50 ($1663) worth of locks and hinges, and an equivalent of stone and seantling for building, all delivered upon the Public Ground-or, in place of the latter, stone that will build 1590 perches of wall in any part of Frankfort, and the use of his saw-mill, car- riage, wagon, and two good horses until a sufficiency of scantling for a state- house is procured, and the privilege of timber from any part of his tract; 2d, The bond, dated Aug. 9, 1792, of 8 citizens of Frankfort-Harry Innes, Nat. Sanders, Bennet Pemberton, Benj. Craig, Jere. Craig, Wm. Haydon, Daniel James, and Giles Samuel-to pay to the commissioners $3,000 in specie (gold or silver). Subsequently, after the burning of the capitol, Nov. 25, 1813, citizens and friends of Frankfort subscribed and paid $20,000 toward the erection of a new building.

The First Local Law passed by the legislature was, on June 29, 1792, "regulating the town of Lexington. Only free-holders, who possess in their own right within the limits of said town (within one mile of the court house) property of the value of £25" ($83}), can vote for trustees or be voted for.

The First Lottery authorized by law in Kentucky was on Dec. 15, 1792- to enable John Smith, Benedict Swope, Gasper Carsner, Martin Castle, and Jacob Kiser, representatives of the Dutch Presbyterian society in and near Lexington, to raise $500 with which to purchase a lot of ground and erect thereon a house of worship.

The Salaries authorized, by laws of Dec., 1792, or by the first constitution, to be paid to state officers, were as follows (stated in pounds and shillings, but we give it in dollars): Governor $1,000; judges of court of appeals $6663; judges of court of oyer and terminer $100; secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, and attorney-general, each $333} per annum; commissioners who fixed the permanent seat of government, and their clerk, each $13 for each day necessarily employed ; speakers of the senate and house of representatives $3, and members of either body $1, per day; clerk of each house $60 per week, he to pay assistants; clerk of committees of privileges and elections, and of propositions and grievances, $14, and clerk of committees of religion, claims, and courts of justice, $11 per week ; sergeant-at-arms $12, and door- keeper $10 per week; the person who raised the pole and flag, 21s. 6d. ($3.58}.) The members of the convention which formed the first constitution were paid only $12 each for the entire session, the president $20, and the clerk $50. In the act concerning the state treasurer, provision was made for "a good wooden chest until an iron one could be procured ;" which seemed unnecessary, as there was but little money to be taken care of. An act was passed empowering the treasurer to borrow $6,6663, to pay the expenses of the legislature, convention, and officers pro rata, as far as it would go.

The Seal of Kentucky was, by act of Dec. 20, 1792, ordered " to be engraved with this device: Two friends embracing, with the name of the state over their heads, and round about them the following motto, 'United we stand Divided we fall.' "

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Education, in Fayette County, dates back to 1780, within one year of the building of the Fort. The first teacher was John McKinney-of the wild cut adventure in 1783 (see page 225); after his school-cabin within the station, had been succeeded by the log school house outside of it. The second teacher was John Filson, in or before 1784; adventurer, surveyor, fanciful writer of the autobiography of Daniel Boone, and author of the first printed book about Kentucky -- first published in 1784 in Wilmington, Delaware; in 1785 translated into French and published in Paris, France; in 1792, '93 and '97, thrice re-published in London, with additions by Gilbert Imlay, a surveyor of Jefferson county, Ky., to satisfy the cravings of restless minds in England for information about the newest part of the new world. Filson was one of the original proprietors, drafted the first plan, and coined the pedagogical name, of the projected town of Losanteville, " the city opposite the mouth " of the Licking -- the site of the present great city of Cincinnati. While awaiting the opening of spring before making the surveys and laying off the town, he engaged in surveying, a few miles north of Cincinnati, and was killed by the Indians. In 1787, Isaac Wilson, from Philadelphia, established the "Lex- ington Grammar School ;" and, 12 miles distant, at Lebanon town, afterwards called Georgetown, then in Fayette but now in Scott county, the pioneer Baptist preacher, Rev. Elijah Craig, advertised (see page 194) the opening of a school by Messrs. Jones and Worley, on an extensive scale and of a similar high order.

First Surveys, etc .- Transylvania Seminary, the first literary institution of the west, was established in 1780 by the legislature of Virginia ; and one- sixth of the surveyor's fees, formerly conferred on the college of William and Mary-together with 8,000 acres of the first land in the then county of Ken- tucky which should be confiscated-were granted for the endowment and support of the seminary. This grant evidently was made in view of the fol- lowing facts-which we gather from the deposition of Capt. Isaac Hite, taken at his house in Jefferson county, May 31, 1792, and from other papers in the suit of Rev. Lewis Craig vs. John Campbell [or Transylvania University]. Isaac Hite, James Douglass (then deputy surveyor for Col. Wm. Preston, surveyor of Fincastle county, Va.,) and others fell in conversation with Han- cock Taylor, on the head waters of the South fork of Elkhorn. Taylor had lately surveyed some land on said creek, and gave Douglass notes of the courses and distances he had run. Douglass went on and surveyed 3,000 acres for Edward Ward ; also, July 8, 1774, surveyed 3,000 acres " for Henry Collins, Esq., as a lieutenant in his Majesty's navy in the late (French ) war;" also, July 11, 1774, 2,000 acres for Alexander McKee, on the head waters of the South branch of Elkhorn, and adjoining the N. E. corner of Lieut. Stephens' land. In June previous, he had surveyed land for George Slaughter and Gabriel Jones-which the court of appeals, in the case of Jones' Heirs vs. Edmund Taylor and Hancock Lee (Sneed's Printed Decisions, 71-2), decided to be " a private survey, such as it is in proof Taylor and many other sur- veyors were in the habit of making;" it was declared void.

First Confiscation or Escheat .- On July 1, 1780, an inquest of escheat was held at Lexington, by the sheriff of Kentucky county-Geo. May, escheator. John Bowman, Daniel Boone, Nathaniel Randolph, Waller Overton, Robert MeAfee, Edward Cather, Henry Wilson, Joseph Willis, Paul Froman, Jere- miał Tilford, James Wood, and Thomas Gant, gentlemen, jurymen, were empanelled, sworn, and charged to try whether John Connolly and Alexander McKee be British subjects or not. Verdict-that they were British subjects, and after April 19, 1775, of their own free will departed from the said States, and joined the subjects of his Britannic Majesty; and that on said 4th of July, 1776, said Connolly was " possessed of 2,000 acres on the Ohio opposite to the Falls," " and said McKee of 2,000 acres on the head waters of the South branch of Elkhorn , and no more. From the sale of these 8,000 acres the trustees realized $30.000. In 1783, 12,000 acres more of escheated lands were granted to Transylvania Seminary. In 1787, the state of Vir- kinia made the additional endowment of one-sixth of all the surveyors' fees in the then district of Kentucky. The law exempted the teachers and pupils from military service. A school under " the first master," Rev. James Mitchell,

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was opened in 1785, and a small library and philosophical apparatus were given to it by Rev. John Todd, of Virginia ; in 1788 the seminary was located in Lexington.

The first public college commencement in the west of which we have any record was that of Transylvania Seminary, on April 10, 1790 [see extract from Kentucky Gazette, on page 193 herein]. In 1791, a lottery was estab- lished for its benefit. In 1793, Rev. James Moore, of the Presbyterian church, was appointed president; but was ejected by the trustees in 1794, and suc- ceeded by Rev. Harry Toulmin, by profession a Baptist, but in sentiment a Unitarian minister of ability (who afterwards became secretary of state under Gov. James Garrard, 1796-1804, published a digest of the laws of Kentucky, and was subsequently made a United States Judge in the territory of Ala- bama.) He resigned after two years, partly because of the small salary, but. more because of the difficulties of his situation-the clamor on account of his religious tenets making him unpopular; and Rev. James Moore was re- called to the presidency.

In 1796, the Presbyterians, on account of " the Deistical influence under which the seminary had fallen," established a rival school, the Kentucky Academy ; having sent Rev. James Blythe, D.D., and Father (David) Rice, in 1795, to solicit contributions in the eastern states. They obtained over $10,000,-of which George Washington and John Adams, then president and vice president of the United States, contributed $100 each, and Aaron Burr $50. President Washington received the commissioners with great courtesy, expressed a warm interest in the subject, and made special inquiries into the state of literature in Kentucky. The Presbyterians showed remarkable en- ergy in the matter, established their grammar-school at Pisgah, near Lexing- ton, and were having substantial success. This alarmed the leaders at Lexington; negotiations were opened, the Presbyterians were conciliated, and on Dec. 22, 1798, on the joint petition of the trustees of both schools, an act of the legislature amalgamated Transylvania Seminary and Kentucky Acad- emy under the sounding title of TRANSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY-which proved more or less permanent, and extensively useful, for just 66 years, until January, 1865, when it was merged in a new and successful candidate for public favor called the KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY.

The university was established upon a liberal basis, with three professor- ships in the academical department: Rev. James Moore, the former president (then a Presbyterian, now become an Episcopal minister) was reinstated as such, and as a professor; Rev. James Blythe, M. D. and D.D., and Rev. Robert Stuart (both Presbyterians) taking the other chairs. In 1799, Col. George Nicholas was appointed professor in the law school, and the medical school was organized with Dr. Samuel Brown in the chair of chemistry and Dr. Frederick Ridgeley in that of medicine and surgery.

The first graduates, receiving the degree of A. B., were, in 1802-Josiah Stoddard Johnston, Augustine C. Respess, and Robert R. Barr; and in the medical department, John Lawson Mccullough, of Lexington, in 1809. In the medical department the total number of graduates has amounted to 1,854, and of students to 6,406. The greatest number of students in any one year, in the three departments, was 552 in 1843, 488 in 1846, 452 in 1847, 421 in 1842, in Dr. Bascom's administration; 418 in 1826-the last year of Dr. Holley's administration ; in 1831 there were 376, and 360 in 1836.

Among the graduates, many became distinguished, reaching the most emi- nent positions in the land; Josiah Stoddard Johnston, U. S. senator from Louisiana ; Col. Richard M. Johnson, U. S. senator and vice president of the United States; Jefferson Davis, U. S. senator and president of the Confederate States; Dr. Benjamin W. Dudley, the greatest surgeon of the west; John Rowan, Wm. T. Barry, Jesse Bledsoe, John Boyle, Thomas F. Marshall, Elijah Hise, Charles S. Morehead, Charles A. Wickliffe, Richard H. Menefee, Robert H. Bishop, Robert J. Breckinridge, and many others-statesmen, jurists, orators, surgeons, divines, among the greatest in the world's history- men of mark, in all the professions and callings of busy life.

No law school in the world ever had such profoundly able men as some who have filled these chairs: George Nicholas, Henry Clay, James Brown,

TRANSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY (MORRISON COLLEGE), LEXINGTON. (Kentucky University, since 1866.)

ewirahngh 3

TRANSYLVANIA MEDICAL HALL, LEXINGTON, KY. (Built in 1340; Destroyed by fire, May 22, 1863.)

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John Pope, John Boyle, Wm. T. Barry, Daniel Mayes, Jesse Bledsoe, Charles Humphreys, George Robertson, Thomas A. Marshall, Aaron K. Woolley, Madison C. Johnson.

Of the medical professors, among the most distinguished have been Benja- min W. Dudley, Samuel Brown, Daniel Drake, Charles Caldwell, Joseph Buchanan, John Esten Cooke, Charles W Short, Wm. H. Richardson, Robert Peter, John Eberle, Thomas D. Mitchell.

The presidents of the university have been : Rev. James Moore, in 1798; Rev. James Blythe, M.D., in 1804; Rev. Horace Holley, LL.D., in 1818; Rev. Alva Woods, D.D., in 1828; Rev. Benjamin Orr Peers, in 1833; Rev. Thos. W. Coit, D. D., in 1835; Rev. Louis Marshall, D.D., pro tem., in 1838 ; Rev. Robert Davidson, D.D., in 1840; Rev. Henry Bidleman Bascom, D.D., in 1842; Prof. James B. Dodd, A.M., pro tem., in 1849; Rev. Lewis W. Green, D.D., in 1856.

There have been four marked eras in the history of Transylvania Univer- sity : Ist-Its beginning, in 1798-the surrender of " the Deistical influence" to the control of sound theology under the lead of the Presbyterians; 2d- The successful and dazzling Unitarian or Holley era, from 1818 to 1827,-a driving off and defiance of all other religious denominations, which united them in a war upon it led by Presbyterians-an arbitrary and sinister turn- ing out of all the old trustees, by act of the Kentucky legislature Feb. 3, 1818, and appointing a new board of able public men, not one of whom was a pro- fessor of religion-the ridiculing before his classes, by the president, of the doctrine of Christ crucified, human depravity, the efficacy of prayer, the crea- tion of the world in six days, and other evangelical tenets ; 3d-After a quali- fied and unsuccessful control of the institution alternately under Baptist, Episcopal, and Presbyterian influence, its entire surrender in 1842 to Methodist control, and its immediate brilliant success thereunder, but declining gradually and steadily until the Conference abandoned it in IS48-leaving it to linger along until 1855-56, when, 4th-It was re-organized by the legislature, and a " School for Teachers " established, and an annual appropriation authorized from the treasury for the support of the State Normal School as a department of the university. Under President Green, new life was infused into the academical department, and another successful career entered upon, but which was blighted in two years by the fickleness of the legislature, under the stress of party opposition.

The two most remarkable men ever connected with Transylvania University were Prof. C. S. Rafinesque, probably the most learned man in America (see biographical sketch, page 201), and Rev. Horace Holley, LL.D. (see sketch, page 217).

During the civil war, the several university buildings were in occupation for U. S. military hospitals, the large medical hall (dedicated Nov. 1, 1840) burnt down, the other property greatly injured, and the libraries, museums, apparatus of instruction, scattered and impaired. But the greater portion of them was preserved for a new and more successful organization.

THE KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY-with which, in 1865, Transylvania University was consolidated-originated, about 1836, in an effort of the Reformed Bap- tist or "Christian " denomination to establish a college in Georgetown, Scott co., Ky. The feeble school thus initiated, under the name of Bacon College, was removed to Harrodsburg in 1840, and virtually abandoned in 1850. One of its alumni, John B. Bowman, actuated by singular zeal and self-devotion, dedicated his life and energies to the work of erecting on these ruins a great university, in the full sense of the word. Abandoning his farm and profes- sional aims, he personally presented to the minds of the people of Kentucky the claims of liberal education-with such success that in 150 days he obtained $150,000 to endow the university which he proposed to establish on a " modern, American, and Christian basis." Under a liberal charter granted in Feb., 1858, by the legislature, Bacon College was merged in Kentucky University ; and the college of science, literature, and arts opened, in Harrodsburg, in Sept., 1859, with nearly 200 students. Mr. Bowman also raised $5,000 to purchase apparatus, and $50,000 with which to purchase as the site the cele- brated Harrodsburg Springs, with its 200 acres of land, and erect thereon

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university buildings. But in this he was defeated. The civil war also greatly impeded the progress of this enterprise, and the college edifice and much of the apparatus was destroyed by fire, in Feb., 1864.

In this conjuncture, Mr. Bowman-who was giving his own time and ener- gies to the great work, without charge, and at the sacrifice of his own pecuniary interests-had propositions to remove the university to Lexington, or Louis- ville, or Covington. That from Lexington was accepted, and an act of the legislature completed the work of establishing Kentucky University over the disappointed hopes and ruins of Transylvania. By the same act, upon liberal terms to both, the state established the Agricultural and Mechanical College as part of the University-adding to the already handsome endowment the proceeds of 330,000 acres of land, given by the United States to the state for that purpose. But to accomplish this, he obligated himself to raise $100,000 additional, with which to purchase an experimental farm and a site for the building of the several colleges-and reported his success to the legislature before its adjournment.

During 1866, Mr. Bowman purchased for the permanent site of Kentucky University with its various Colleges, " Ashland," the homestead of Ilenry Clay, and the adjoining estate of " Woodlands," which extends within the limits of the city of Lexington-the two containing 433 acres of land unsur- passed for beauty and fertility. It is now the seat of the Agricultural and Mechanical College ; and as soon as adequate funds can be secured, buildings will be erected for the various colleges, for boarding-houses, professors' resi- dences, libraries, apparatus, and museums ; and all the colleges will be con- centrated upon this magnificent estate.

The five colleges-the College of Arts, the Agricultural and Mechanical College, the Bible College, the Law College, and the Commercial College- are now in full and successful operation. Its corps of professors, tutors, and other executive officers numbers 30; its Board of Curators, 39,-of whom two-thirds are, and by the charter must be, members of the Reformed or Christian Church of Kentucky ; and the Board of Visitors to the Agricultural and Mechanical College 6, appointed by the state.

The whole No. of students in the various colleges was 336 in 1865-6, 502 in 1866-7, 650 in 1867-8, 767 in 1868-9, 772 in 1869-70, 660 in 1870-1, 579 in 1871-2, 600 in 1872-3-total in 8 years, 4,866. The whole number of graduates to June, 1872, inclusive, is 000. The whole united endowment, as per the report of John B. Bowman, regent and treasurer, exceeds $800,000.

Bryan's station, about five miles north-east of Lexington, was settled by the Bryans in 1779. In 1781, Bryan's station was much harassed by small par- ties of Indians. This was a frontier post, and greatly exposed to the hostilities of the savages .* It had been settled in 1779 by four brothers from North Caro- lina, one of whom, William, had married a sister of Colonel Daniel Boone. The Indians were constantly lurking in the neighborhood, waylaying the paths, steal- ing their horses, and butchering their cattle. It at length became necessary to hunt in parties of twenty or thirty men, so as to be able to meet and repel those attacks, which were every day becoming more bold and frequent.

One afternoon. about the 20th of May, William Bryan, accompanied by twenty men, left the fort on a hunting expedition down the Elkhorn creek. They moved with caution, until they had passed all the points where ambuscades had generally been formed, when, seeing no enemy, they became more bold, and de- termined, in order to sweep a large extent of country, to divide their company into two parties. One of them. conducted by Bryan in person, was to descend the Elkhorn on its southern bank, flanking out largely, and occupy as much ground as possible. The other, under the orders of James Hogan, a young farmer in good circumstances, was to move down in a parallel line upon the north bank. The two parties were to meet at night, and encamp together at the mouth of Cane run.

Each punctually performed the first part of their plans. Hogan, however, had traveled but a few hundred yards, when he heard a loud voice behind him ex-

. McClung's Sketches

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claim in very good English, "stop, boys !" Hastily looking back, they saw several Indians, on foot, pursuing them as rapidly as possible. Without halting to count numbers, the party put spurs to their horses, and dashed through the . woods at full speed, the Indians keeping close behind them, and at times gaining upon them. There was a led horse in company, which had been brought with them for the purpose of packing game. This was instantly abandoned, and fell into the hands of the Indians. Several of them lost their hats in the eagerness of flight; but quickly getting into the open woods, they left their pursuers so far behind, that they had leisure to breathe and inquire of each other, whether it was worth while to kill their horses before they had ascertained the number of the enemy.

They quickly determined to cross the creek, and await the approach of the In- dians. If they found them superior to their own and Bryan's party united, they would immediately return to the fort; as, by continuing their march to the mouth of Cane run, they would bring a superior enemy upon their friends, and endan- ger the lives of the whole party. They accordingly crossed the creek, dis- mounted, and awaited the approach of the enemy. By this time it had become dark. The Indians were distinctly heard approaching the creek upon the opposite side, and after a short halt, a solitary warrior descended the bank and began to wade through the stream.

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Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. II, Part 28

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