Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. II, Part 36

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 36

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

" 'I have caught a cat, madam !' replied he, gravely turning round, while the sweat streamed from his face, under the mingled operation of fright and fatigue and agony. Most of the neighbors had now arrived, and attempted to disengage the dead cat from her antagonist ; but, so firmly were her tusks locked between his ribs, that this was a work of no small difficulty. Scarcely had it been effected, when Mckinney became very sick, and was compelled to go to bed. In a few days, however, he had entirely recovered, and so late as 1820, was alive, and a resident of Bourbon county, Kentucky, where he has often been heard to affirm, that he, at any time, had rather fight two Indians than one wild cat."

There are several remains in the northern part of Fayette county, which appear to be vestiges of ancient Indian fortifications. Thirty years ago, there was a sinall and very intricate one on the plantation of the late Col. William Russell ; but it was examined in the summer of 1846, and found to be nearly obliterated. There are three, two of them still very distinct, near the dividing line between the old military surveys of Dandridge and Meredith, of which a brief descrip- tion may be interesting. The most easterly of those is on the estate of C. C. Moore, Esq. It is on the top of a high bluff, on the west side of North Elkhorn, in the midst of a very thick growth, mostly of sugar trees. The area within a deep and broad circular ditch, is about a quarter of an acre of ground. The ditch is still deep enough, in some places, to hide a man on horseback. The dirt taken from the ditch is thrown outward; and there is a gateway where the ditch was never dug, ten feet wide, on the north side of the circle. Trees several

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hundred years old, are growing on the bank and in the bottom of the ditch, and over the area which it encloses, and the whole region about it. A hundred yards, or thereabout, from this work, down a gentle slope, and near a large spring branch, there was, about the commencement of this century, a circular ditch enclosing a . very small area, probably not above ten feet wide, within the inner margin of the

ANCIENT FORT, FAYETTE CO., KY.

ditch, which was broad, flat, and obscure at that time; at present it is hardly vis- ible. This is also on Mr. Moore's estate. Going still westward from this spot, you cross a branch, ascend a sharp slope, and come upon an elevated and beauti- ful forest along the old military line spoken of above; and at the distance of a quarter of a mile from the work first described, is a work of considerable extent. It commences on the Meredith estate, and runs over on the Cabell's Dale estate (the Breckinridge property ). and contains perhaps ten acres of land. The shape of the area is not unlike that of the moon, when about two-thirds full. The dirt from the ditch enclosing this area, is thrown sometimes out, sometimes in, and sometimes both ways. There is no water within a hundred yards of this work ; but there are several very fine springs a few hundred yards off; and North Elk- horn is within that distance in a north-eastern direction. An ash tree was cut down in the summer of 1845, which stood on the bank of this ditch, which, upon being examined, proved to be four hundred years old. The ditch is still perfectly distinct throughout its whole extent, and in some places is so deep and steep as to be dangerous to pass with a carriage. It is difficult, perhaps impossible, to as- certain when, by whom, or for what purpose, these works were made. Many of them seem wholly incapable of military use of any kind ; and it is probable they may have been connected with the national religion, or possibly the national shows and sports of the original makers of them. In one of the fields of the Cabell Dale estate, an immense mass, perhaps several bushels, of flint arrow heads, have been picked up within the last half century, over an area of an acre .

or two of ground ; and on the same estate, in a southerly direction from the work first described, are several ancient tumuli of considerable extent.

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In 1838, these works were measured by Prof. Robert Peter, who now resides on the Meredith place. The larger work-of which the ditch was yet about six feet deep in some places, in which trees, apparently as old as any in the primeval woods of the country, were growing-measured, in a direction N. 53º E., sixty-nine poles in diameter, and in a direction S. 72º E., seventy-four poles. Its circumference, taken by carrying the chain around in the middle of the diteli, is 223 poles. The smaller and more easterly work, described above as being on the estate of the late C. C. Moore, had its ditch still eight feet deep and perfect in form. The circular platform inclosed by it measured eight poles in diameter. The raised gateway, which intercepts the ditch, is on the north-west side. About a quarter of a mile west of this smaller work, and the same distance north of the larger one, is a small, low, circular mound, on the farm of Jas. Fisher, rising only about three and a half to four feet above the general level of the pasture field, in which it is located, and being about seventy feet in diameter. It is about fifteen feet above low water of North Elkhorn creek, and 325 feet south of that stream.

In the year 1871, Mr. Fisher made some interesting discoveries in this little mound. A hole was dug by him, about three and a half feet deep and four to five feet across, in the center of the mound, where a bed of ashes was exposed, about two and a half feet thick and four or five feet in dia- meter, in which very curious relics were found; consisting of copper arti- cles and earthenware fragments ; many flint arrowheads and other stone objects, all fractured by fire; fragments of bones, all of which seem to have been shaped or carved for useful or ornamental purposes, and one of which seemed to have been a portion of the handle of a knife or dagger; fragments of charcoal, all of sinall twigs or branches, etc. The copper articles con- sisted of adze-shaped or axe-formed implements, and of ocuriously shaped objects which were probably used for ornaments. The shape of these was nearly square, or oblong-square, with curled, horn-like projections from the two corners of one end; the largest of these measured about four inches long by two and three-quarters and three and three-quarters wide at the two several ends-the curved horn-like appendages being at the wider end. They are about a quarter of an inch thick ; and evidently made out of the native cop- per, found so abundantly in the Lake Superior country. No carving or attempts at inscriptions can be seen on any of them.

With these were found polished hemispherical articles, about two inches in diameter, made of hematitic iron ore, and which were probably used for polishing or burnishing other objects; some stone articles, mostly of the native sulphate of baryta found in veins in the neighboring limestone rock, shaped like the common wooden door-button, but having two holes bored through each; and several pieces of sandstone, brought from some other region, which had evidently been used to grind, shape, or sharpen other objects by rubbing.

The great length of time during which these articles have been inhumned is shown by the change which the copper has undergone. This has been converted into red oxide and green carbonate, externally, and, in some of the pieces, to the very center, through a thickness of a quarter of an inch in some parts ; and the carbonate has been diffused so as to cement stone arrow- heads, pieces of charcoal, and the copper articles firmly together. What is singular, there seemed to be no fragnient of any human skeleton; the pieces of bone found being apparently of those of the lower animals, which had been shaped more or less artificially. Probably by digging in the outer margin of this mound human remains may be discovered, disposed around this central sepulchral fire, in the ashes of which the above described arti- cles were obtained; if, indeed, in the very great lapse of time which has occurred, all the bones, except those which have been somewhat preserved by the antiseptic action of the fire or of the copper, have not been dissolved and washed away.

These curious relics have been forwarded to the Smithsonian Institution, at Washington city, for preservation and study.

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FAYETTE COUNTY.

Judge DAVID R. ATCHISON, of Missouri, (see portrait, in group of U. S. Pres- idents and Vice-Presidents who were Kentuckians), was born Aug. 11, 1807, in Fayette co., Ky. ; was educated for the bar, and in April, 1830, emigrated to Liberty, Clay co., Missouri, and engaged in its practice; representative in the Missouri legislature, 1834 and 1838; appointed judge of the circuit court, Feb., 1841 ; appointed U. S. senator, by Gov. Reynolds, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Dr. Lewis F. Linn (also a native of Ken- tucky),. 1841-43, and was elected and re-elected for twelve years longer, 1843-55; was president pro tem. of the U. S. senate, 1842-49, and again, 1853-55 ; during the latter term was ACTING VICE-PRESIDENT of the United States (owing to the death of Vice-President Wm. R. King, of Ala.), and would have succeeded to the presidency in case of the death of President Franklin Pierce. He resides, July, 1874, on a fine farm in Clinton co., Mo.

When he first entered the U. S. senate, Judge A. acted thoroughly in accord with his colleague, Col. Thos. H. Benton; but they afterwards differed in their views of public policy, and in 1850 the legislative friends of Judge A. combined with the Whig members to defeat the re-election of Col. Benton to the senate. About 1853, Judge A., in a public speech in Missouri, took bold ground in favor of the repeal of the Missouri compromise; and after- wards, Mr. Douglas, as chairman of the committee on territories, reported a bill to organize the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, with a clause im- pliedly repealing that compromise-which clause was violently assailed by senators Chase, Sumner, and others. It was then that the private counsels of Judge A. prevailed ; at his earnest suggestion, although Mr. Douglas hesi- tated, a clause was substituted which repealed the Missouri compromise outright; and in this shape the bill passed. So that while Mr. Douglas, as the head of the committee and the ablest advocate of the repealing clause on the floor of the senate, has usually had the credit of leading off, he only con- sented to a course in which a bolder man was quietly the leader; the clause repealing the Missouri compromise originated with Judge Atchison.

THOMAS T. SKILLMAN-one of the most enterprising publishers, and most earnest and useful men of Kentucky-was a native of New Jersey, born near Princeton, in 1786; was educated in the common schools of the day, but received in a printing office in Philadelphia that more practical training, with high and noble views of future life, which made him desire to live for the good he might do. He came to Lexington, Ky., about 1811 ; in 1812, es- tablished the Evangelical Record and Western Review, a monthly magazine devoted to the diffusion of religious truth, and afterwards the Presbyterian Advocate and the Western Luminary, weekly religious newspapers-in the editorial conduct of which he had the association or assistance of Rev. Drs. John Breckinridge, Thos. Cleland, John D. Paxton, John McFarland, and John C. Young, and of elder Joseph Cabell Breckinridge, and other great and honored men. . Each periodical was a power for good.

Of valuable books, mostly religious, he published between 1812 and 1832, a greater number than any other Kentucky publisher to this day (except the great house of John P. Morton & Co., of Louisville). From 1790 continuously to 1825, Lexington was the great publishing point of the West-a fact which combined with a concentration of fine schools, colleges, and literary men, to give her the proud appellation of the " Athens of the West." Mr. S. was a Presbyterian elder, and often a member of the higher church courts. He died of cholera, June 9, 1833, aged nearly 47.

His widow, Mrs. ELIZABETH SKILLMAN, nee Farrar, whom he married in 1813, and who survived him 39 years, to Feb. 18, 1872, aged 86, was Brought to Lexington from New Hampshire in 1789, when three years old, and when Lexington was not yet 10 years old. She aided. in founding, in 1822-23, the Lexington Female Bible Society and the Lexington Female Benevolent Society, in both of which she was actively useful up to her death, having been president of the former for over forty years.

Only one of four children survived her, Dr. HENRY M. SKILLMAN, of Lex- ington, one of the leading physicians of Kentucky, president in 1870 of the State Medical Society, and for years professor in Transylvania Medical School.

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FLEMING COUNTY.

FLEMING county, erected out of Mason, and named in honor of Col. John Fleming, was the 26th in order of formation in the state, and the first of a batch of 13 counties established in 1798- a year famous for giving birth to counties, as if that were the chief end of legislation. It is situated in the N. E. middle part of the state, on Licking river ; and is bounded N. by Mason and Lewis counties, E. by Lewis and Carter, S. E. and s. by Rowan and Bath, and w. by Nicholas and Robertson. The face of the country is variegated, and the soil as diversified as that of any county in the state ; the w. portion rolling or undulating, abound- ing in limestone, and very productive of grasses, hemp, and corn, and a part well adapted for wheat; the E. and N. E. por- tions hilly or mountainous, with fertile creek bottoms adapted to corn, wheat, clover, and tobacco, and abounding in mineral waters (among them, Phillips' and Fox springs, the latter the most uniformly popular watering place in eastern Kentucky since the civil war). It is well watered by Licking river, Fleming, Fox, and Triplett creeks and their tributaries. Its principal ex- ports are hogs, cattle, mules, horses, hemp, corn, and wheat.

Towns .- The county and principal town is Flemingsburg, on the Maysville and Mountsterling turnpike, 17 miles s. of the Ohio river at Maysville, 6 miles E. of the Maysville and Lexington railroad, and 79 miles nearly N. E. from Frankfort ; has a hand- some brick court house and clerks' offices, 6 churches, 2 acad- emies, 6 physicians, 13 lawyers, 3 hotels, 1 newspaper (Democrat), 1 bank and 1 banking house, 8 stores, 18 mechanics' shops, and several mills ; was incorporated in 1812, and named after the Fleming family ; population in 1870, 425-a falling off, if the U. S. census be correct, of 334 since 1850. Elizaville, 5 miles w. of Flemingsburg and 1 mile from Elizaville station on the M. and L. railroad, has 2 fine churches (Presbyterian, and Reformed or Christian), and several business houses and shops ; incorpor- ated Feb. 12, 1835 ; population in 1870, 180. Tilton, 6 miles s. of Flemingsburg ; incorporated March 1, 1854; population in 1870, 125. Sherburne, on the N. bank of Licking river, 13 miles s. w. of Flemingsburg; population 158, in 1870; incorporated Feb. 17, 1847. Poplar Plains, 5 miles s. E. of Flemingsburg ; incorporated in 1831 ; population about 250; is one of the pret- tiest towns in the state. Hillsborough, 9 miles s. E. of Flemings- burg ; incorporated Feb. 7, 1839 ; population about 250. Mount Carmel, 7 miles E. of N. of Flemingsburg and 15 miles from Maysville ; population about 200; incorporated Dec. 21, 1825. Centerville and Farmville are small places. Elizaville and Ewing stations, on the M. and L. railroad, are new places, growing rapidly.

MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE FROM FLEMING COUNTY.

Senate .-- Michael Cassidy 1800-06; Jas. Parks, 1806-10, '10-14, '14-18; Wm. P. Fleming, 1818, '27-34; Win. B. O'Bannon, 1519, '24-27; Wmn. P. Roper, 1820-24;

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Daniel Morgan, IS34-43, '50 ; Wilson P. Boyd, 1843-50; John S. Caran, 1853-57; Laudaff W. Andrews, 1857-61 ; Win. S. Botts, 1863-67 ; Jos. M. Alexander, 1867-71. From Fleming and Nicholas counties-Thos. Throckmorton, 1820-21.

House of Representatives .- Wmn. Kennan, 1799; John Finley, 1800, '01, '02, '03 ; Robert Andrews, 1800, '01; John D. Stockton. 1802, '03, '04, '18; Robert Barnes, 1804, '06, '07; William P. Roper, 1805, '11; William G. Lowry, 1805, '13; George Stockton, Jr., 1806, '07, 'OS ; Michael Cassidy, 1798, 1808, '09, '17, '20, '22; Daniel McIntire, 1809, '10; Cornelius Gooding, 1810, '11 : Benjamin Plummer, 1813; William P. Fleming, 1814, '16, '17, ' 19 ; David Hart, 1814, '15, '16; Leaken D. Stock- ton, 1815; William B. O'Bannon, 1818, '20, '22; John Taylor, 1820, '21, '24, '28; Jas. Crawford, 1821, 22 ; Jesse Summers, 1824, '26, '28 ; Richard R. Lee, Martin P. Marshall, 1825 ; Jos. Secrest, 1826, '27; Edward H. Powers, 1827 ; Jas. H. Jones, 1829; Wi. Cassidy, 1829, '30 ; Benedict H. Hobbs, 1830; Daniel Morgan, Abraham Megowan, 1831, '32; Dorsey K. Stockton, John Heddleston, 1833; Wm. W. Blair, 1834, '35, '38, '48; Landaff Watson Andrews, 1834, '38, '61-63, resigned Aug. '62; Robert G. Lewis, 1835, '36, '48, '51-53; Franklin W. Andrews, 1836, '37; Abraham Gooding, 1837; John Botts, 1839; Henry D. Burgess, 1839, '42; John H. Botts, Woodson Mor- gan, 1840; Geo. W. Forman, 1841 ; Wm. S. Botts, 1841, '46, '62-63 ; John W. Vaughan, 1842 ; Leonard Tully, 1843, '44; Leander M. Cox, 1843, '45; Thos. Porter, 1844; Dixon Clack, 1845; JEm. M. Phillips, 1846 ; John A. Cavan, Wm. R. Pearce, 1847; Jas. C. Sousley, Ben. Harbeson, 1849; Edward F. Dulin, 1850; Alfred F. Graham, 1850, '55-57; Elisha S. Fitch, 1851-53, '53-55 ; Harvey T. Wilson, 1853-55; Horatio W. Bruce, 1855-57; George S. Fleming, 1857-59; Henry B. Dobyns, 1857-59, '59-61; Wm. Bell, 1863-65; John M. Gray, 1865-67 ; George M. Caywood, 1867-69; Francis R. Davis, 1869-71; E. Arnold Robertson, 1871-73 ; Stephen R. Campbell, 1873-75.

STATISTICS OF FLEMING COUNTY.

When formed See page 26

Tobacco, hay, corn, wheat ... pages 266, 268

Population, from 1800 to IS70 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 Latitude and longitude. ... p. 257

white males over 21. .. p. 266

children bet. 6 and 20 yrs. p. 266

Distinguished citizens .. .. see Index.

The First White Visitors to any part of what is now Fleming county were Gen. Wm. Thompson and his surveying party, from Pennsylvania-of whom Col. Jas. Perry and Jas. Hamilton were also surveyors, and Joshua Archer an assistant. They were certainly in Fleming county before July 26, 1773, and probably as late as Nov. (See under Mason and Nicholas counties. )

GEORGE STOCKTON, who, in his infancy, had been taken prisoner, together with a sister, by the Indians in Virginia, and carried to New York, there remained until he became so much attached to the Indian manner of living, that the desire to see his friends and family could scarcely overcome his reluctance to part with those whom association had made dear.

After he had grown up, he accompanied his tribe on a trading expedition to Pennsylvania, and there determined to visit his friends in Virginia. A fondness for forest life had so entertwined itself with his very nature, that he could ill sup- port the dull uniformity of society, and he soon set out for Kentucky, to enjoy the glorious solitude and freedom of the woods. He settled at Stockton's station, in sight of Flemingsburg. in 1787, and died in 1818.

Robert Stockton and Beacham Rhodes set out from Stockton's station in the winter of 1789, for the purpose of hunting on the waters of Fox's creek and its tributaries, then the favorite resorts of the buffalo, deer, bear, &c. Regarding the season of the year, it was not considered any adventure fraught with great dan- ger, as the Indians rarely visited Kentucky except in the seasons when the neces- saries of life were more easily obtained. The hunters pitched their camp upon the bank of Fox's creek, and enjoyed several days of successful hunting and ex- citing sport. On the night of the 15th February, after a day of unusual excite- ment and fatigue, the hunters, replenishing their fire, rolled themselves up in their blankets, and stretching themselves (with their two fine dogs) upon the ground, after the manner of the hunters of that day, without other " means and appliances," were soon soundly asleep. About the middle of the night, they were aroused by the simultaneous discharge of two guns.' Stockton sprung to his feet only to fall lifeless to the earth. Rhodes, though severely wounded in the hip by two balls from the same gun, succeeded (whilst the dogs made fiercely at the Indians) in crawling beyond the light of the fire. Stationing himself behind

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a tree, he calmly awaited the re-appearance of the Indians, resolved to sell his life at the cost of one of theirs. The Indians, doubtless. suspecting his purpose, were wise enough to mount the horses of the hunters, and made for the Kentucky river, where one of them was afterwards killed. The Indians not appearing, Rodes determined, if possible, to conceal himself before day should dawn. With this hope, he crawled into the creek, and that his trail might not be discov- ered, kept in the water until about a half a mile from camp he came to a large pile of brush and logs which the creek had drifted. In this he remained secre- ted (in momentary expectation of hearing the Indians) all day. At night he set out on a painful journey towards home, and on the seventh day after his wound, reached Fleming creek, having crawled a distance of fourteen miles. 'T'he creek was considerably swollen, and in his wounded and exhausted state, presented an insuperable barrier to his further progress. Fortunately, however, he was found · by another hunter, who aided him in reaching his home. The friends of Stock- ton, instantly collecting, started for the camp, where they found

"His faithful dog, in life his firmest friend, The first to welcome, foremost to defend, Whose honest heart was still his master's own, Who labor'd, fought, lived and breathed for him alone,"-

guarding his body, though so weak from starvation, as to be unable to walk. A circle of torn earth all around the body of Stockton, marked the rage and disap- pointment of wolves and panthers, and told how watchful and firm had been the protection of the dog. Stockton was buried where he fell, and his grave, marked with a large slab, is yet to be seen in going from Flemingsburg to Carter court- house, one mile beyond Phillips' springs. The friends of Stockton carried home the dog, and after several weeks, the other dog, which had followed the horses, also returned.

ZADOCK WILLIAMS, whilst working in a tobacco field, in sight of Stockton's station, was shot by an Indian in the year 1790. There were no men in the fort at the time ; and the old settlers, to this day, speak with wonder at the efforts of an old negro woman upon a horn, with which she alarmed the residents of a fort five or six miles distant. The Indians, probably terrified at such prodigious blasts, made off.

The three forts or stations in the county, (Stockton's, Cassidy's and Flem- ing's,) had in their service two brothers, named Stuart, whose duty it was (dressed after the Indian fashion) to keep a look out, and give timely notice of the pres- ence of hostile Indians. It was understood by all the settlers, that no one was to fire a gun within hearing of either fort, unless at an Indian. In returning at Cassidy's station in the evening, one of the brothers was overcome by the temp- tation to shoot a large owl. Michael Cassidy and John Clifford, who were at the fort, supposing the gun to be fired by an Indian, seized their rifles and issued forth into the woods to reconnoitre. They soon observed the two brothers approaching, but owing to the dusk of the evening and their Indian dress, did not recognize thein. Old man Cassidy, who was proverbial for his resolution and bravery, pushed on until within gun shot, fired, and one of the brothers fell to the ground. Clifford, in the mean time, was exerting all his ingenuity and stratagem to get a shot at the other brother, until he finally made himself heard. The three then went to the wounded man, and found him with but just enough life to tell Cassidy his death was the result of his own folly in firing his gun within hearing of the fort, forgave him, and expired. The surviving brother afterwards declared, that he was once or twice upon the point of shooting Clif- ford, to save his own life.

Michael Cassidy, the individual mentioned in the foregoing narrative, was a native of Ireland, whence he emigrated to the United States in his youth. At the breaking out of the revolutionary war, he enlisted and served for several years in the ranks of the army. After leaving the army, he came to Kentucky, and attached himself to Strode's station, in what is now Clark county. and from thence removed to this county, and settled at Cassidy's station. He was re- markably small in stature, little if at all exceeding five feet, and there are many amusing stories told of his contests with Indians, who looked upon him as a boy.

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Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. II, Part 36

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