USA > Kentucky > Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. II > Part 49
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Hardin's Station was founded by Wm. Hardin, who on account of his almost giant size and weight was known, and a terror, to the Indians, far and near, as " Big Bill ;" they were accordingly intensely anxious to secure his scalp. One morning early, at his door preparing for a hunt, he fired off his gun and began to wipe it out; just then an Indian stepped from behind the chimney, aimed his gun, and with an exulting taunt exclaimed " Hooh, Big Bill "- a fatal pause, for Hardin with his own knocked off the Indian's gun, and clubbed his brains out instantly.
Indian Fight .- Col. Nicholas Miller, young Dan. Vertrees, and others, one day in eager pursuit of a band of marauding Indians, came suddenly upon them and engaged in a desperate fight. At the first fire, Vertrees fell ; another of the party was seized by a stout Indian, who wrenched his gun out of his hand, and was in the act of cleaving his skull with his toma- hawk-when Miller, by a movement quick and terrible as lightning, killed the Indian ; the rest fled in dismay, abandoning their dead.
Another Fight .- In March, 1794, a party of Indians made an incursion into Hardin county, and stole a number of horses. They were pursued, over- taken, and dispersed, and the horses recovered. Capt. Wm. Hardin was wounded in the skirmish.
Second Baptist Church in Kentucky .- June 17, 1781, under the shade of a sugar tree near Hynes' station, a Baptist church with 18 members was con-
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stituted by Rev. Wm. Taylor and Rev. Joseph Barnett. Rev. John Gerrard was installed as first pastor; his pastorate was of short duration, for in March, 1782, he was captured by Indians and never heard of afterwards. All the members and the preacher emigrated from Virginia. This was the second Baptist church organized in the district of Kentucky, and is now the oldest in the state. They then had no house of worship; in summer they worshipped in the open air, in winter met around in their log-cabin homes, with dirt floors-as there were no saw-mills, and no planks could be had for flooring, except that a few cabins had puncheon floors made of split timber. The men dressed in pioneer homespun; leathern leggins and moccasins on their feet and legs; hats, made of splinters rolled in buffalo wool, and sewed together with deer sinews or buckskin whang; shirts, and hunting shirts, of buckskin. A few dressed in full Indian costume-wore nothing whatever but breech-elouts. The females wore a coarse cloth made of but- falo wool; underwear of dressed doeskin; sun-bonnets something like the men's hats; moccasins in winter, but in summer all went barefooted. For many years they never met for worship without the men carrying their trusty rifles, and a sentinel kept watch outside.
Christopher Miller, of Hardin county, Ky., was taken prisoner by the Indi- ans in 1783, when about 15 years of age; and remained a prisoner among them for eleven years. In 1794, he was taken from them by the spies of Gen. Wayne, and immediately entered the service as one of his spies-going into the environs of the Indian towns, taking prisoners from them, and bring- ing them to Gen. Wayne. It became necessary to send another flag to the enemy, several having been sent and none returned. The eyes of the board of officers were turned to Miller. He was applied to by Gen. Wayne-with the earnest assurance that if he would undertake the task and should suc- ceed, he should receive from his government an independent fortune. The agreement was made, the embassador set out on his perilous journey, the anxious eyes of the officers and army followed him, but with scarcely a gleam of hope that he would ever return. Two years before, Col. John Hardin and Maj. Truman had gone upon a like errand of peace, but never returned- their lives paying the forfeit of an honorable but misplaced confidence. But Miller performned his undertaking, effected the object of his mission, and on the fourth day returned in safety. Peace was concluded, and the shedding of innocent blood by a merciless foe thereby ended for years. Time wore on, Gen. Wayne died, Miller was forgotten. Once he appealed to congress, but for want of proof of his extraordinary services no allowance was made. On January 13, 1819, a quarter of a century after the services had been cheerfully and successfully rendered, and when he himself was the sitting representative from Hardin county, the Kentucky legislature unanimously adopted a resolution setting forth the facts above, as within the personal knowledge of several members of that body, and appealing to congress to make a liberal provision for Christopher Miller-" to whom they conceive the general government is greatly indebted, not only upon the principle of reward- ing real merit, but on the score of justice, founded on a promise made by a man on the part of the United States, on whose promise Miller had a right to rely."
In June, 1794, from his headquarters at Fort Greenville, (now in Darke county,) Ohio, Gen. Wayne dispatched a company of spies (Capt. Wm. Wells, Robert MeClellan, Henry Miller, and three others, May, Hickman, and Harpe Thorpe)-with orders to bring into camp an Indian as a prisoner, to be interrogated as to the intentions of the enemy. Of these men, Capt. Wells and Henry Miller had been raised among the Indians, having been captured in youth and adopted. With the latter was captured his younger brother, Christopher Miller, who still remained with them. Pressing forward cautiously into the Indian country upon their singular errand, they at length found a camp, on the Auglaize river, of three Indians, on a high open piece of ground, clear of underwood. The only shelter within reach was a large tree, lately fallen, the top full of leaves. Going around the camp to its rear, they went forward upon their hands and knees, sheltered by the tree-top, until within eighty yards of their object. The Indians were busy roasting
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meat, and laughing and making merry antics, innocent of danger. McClellan who was almost as swift as a deer, it was arranged, was to capture one In- dian, while Wells and Miller should kill the other two. With the fallen tree for rest, the aim was sure, and two victims fell. Right through the smoke of the powder, tomahawk in hand, rushed Mcclellan, at full speed, after the remaining Indian, who fled for life down the river bank; then turned sud- denly, and sprang off the bluff, into the water to eross over. The river bot- tom was of soft mud, and he sank to his middle. Before he could extricate himself, MeClellan was upon him, threatening to kill him unless he threw down his knife and surrendered. Life was still dear, and there was hope of eseape from eaptivity. Dragging the eaptive from the mire, they washed off the mud and paint, and found him a white man. . He refused to speak, or give any account of himself. Scalping the dead Indians, the party tied their prisoner on a horse and set out for headquarters. Henry Miller rode alongside, and in the Indian language tried, without success, to engage him in conversation. At last, it flashed across his mind that it might be his long-lost brother, and he called him by his Indian name. The sound startled him, and with a surprised and eager look he inquired how he came to know his name. There was mystery no longer-they were brothers. A mereiful providence had spared him, while his Indian companions were slain. Arrived at the fort, he was placed in the guard-house a prisoner-still refusing to relinquish the only mode of life and change the only association of which he knew any thing; in tastes and habits, he was an Indian still. Days elapsed before he gave up his sulkiness and reserve, and talked with any freedom. At length, on condition of release, he agreed to give up his Indian life, and join Wayne's army. Christopher Miller kept his faith, and became as trusty as his brother in his new relation. From this grew the idea of the impor- tant peace mission on which he was sent by Gen. Wayne, as narrated above.
When Abraham Lincoln was a boy eight or ten years of age, his step- mother, Mrs. Sallie Bush Lincoln, brought him with her, when shopping, at the store of Helm & Green, in Elizabethtown, where she had contracted to " take out" part of the purchase money for her interest in her father's farm, bought by Maj. Ben. Helm. John B. Helm, a nephew and clerk of Maj. Helm, showed little Abe some kindnesses which he appreciated. In 1860, Mr. Helm, then a judge, residing in Hannibal, Missouri, was called upon by Mr. Lineoln, who was then a candidate for the presideney and returning from a business trip to Kansas. . After some inquiries for identification-for 40 years had wrought change in both-Lineoln thus introduced Judge Helm to his traveling companions : "Gentlemen, here is the first man I ever knew who wore store clothes all the week; he is the same man who fed me on maple sugar, when a small boy, as I sat upon a nail keg in his unele's store ;" and then minutely related the whole circumstance. Lineoln had a remark- ably retentive memory, and never forgot a kindness. Although they differed in politics, yet after he became president, few men's recommendations or suggestions were regarded with more consideration than Judge Helm's. [In 1840, he was the candidate of the Democratic party for lieutenant governor of Kentucky, on the same ticket with Judge Richard French ; they were defeated by Robert P. Letcher and Manlius V. Thompson. ]
The late President James Buchanan, of Pennsylvania, was for a short time in 1813 a resident of Elizabethtown, Ky. His father had purchased some land near there as an investment, offered to give it to his son, and reeom- mended him to settle in the new " land of promise," and grow up with it. At the first term of court after his arrival, among other visiting lawyers was Ben. Hardin-dressed in a suit of unbleached tow-linen, its clumsy fit help- ing to give the wearer quite a clownish appearance. Buchanan was sur- prised to see him take a seat among the lawvers. On the third day of the term a case was called, in which the pleadings were very intricate and after the strietest English forms before the days of Chitty. His wonder grew that such a looking man as Hardin had the depth and grasp to grapple with such a case; but when he heard him argue it with a clearness, and tact, and power that evineed a master-spirit, he retired from the court house-and pre- pared to abandon his new home-remarking to himself that if such looking
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men as Ben. Hardin were so smart in Kentucky, there was a better opening for him in his old Pennsylvania home. They met in congress in 1821-23, and both lived to advanced age, Buchanan reaching a degree of continuous political preferment never equaled by more than half-a-dozen Americans. Yet he never ceased to remember his first contact with the always-rough- diamond at the Hardin county bar. He told Mr. Hardin that he went to Kentucky expecting to be a great man there, but every lawyer he came in contact with was his equal, and half of them his superiors; and so he gave it up.
The First Teacher .- Ichabod Radley, at Hardin's settlement, was the first teacher in Hardin county. He numbered among his pupils some who after- wards became quite distinguished, Ben. Hardin, Robert Wickliffe, Chas. A. Wickliffe, Samuel Haycraft, and others. The second school teacher was a lame gentleman, John Pirtle, father of the late chancellor Henry Pirtle, of Louisville.
The First Mill built was by Samuel Haycraft.
The First Brick House was begun in 1801 and finished in 1803 for Benj. Helin ; who himself rode on horseback to Lexington, 90 miles, for the (wrought) shingle nails used, (30 pounds at a cost of 37} cents per pound.) and carried them home in his saddlebags. The planks were sawed at water-mills or by the whip-saw. The next brick building erected was the present court house, in 1804-06.
Early Merchants of Elizabethtown .- Among these were two who, in other fields, became distinguished : JOHN JAMES AUDUBON (of the firm of Audubon & Frazier), the greatest ornithologist in the world ; and Gen. DUFF GREEN, a prominent-perhaps the most prominent and influential-member of what was familiarly called President Jackson's " Kitchen Cabinet." He was a native of Cumberland county, Ky., but came to Elizabethtown about 1811, taught school a year or two, volunteered and fought gallantly in the war of 1812, and was a merchant until he went to Washington city in 1817, was appointed surveyor of public lands in Missouri, some years after was printer to congress, editor, etc. ; a remarkable man. During his residence at Washington, he visited London, and " on his own hook" had an interview with a portion of the British Cabinet, and suggested to them many items of international policy ; it is not known whether they adopted them or not.
Major BEN. HELM, the mercantile partner of Duff Green, was born May 8, 1767, in Fairfax county, Va .; came to the Falls of the Ohio with his father, Capt. Thos. Helm, in the fall of 1779, and to Elizabethtown in the spring of 1780; was clerk of the Hardin courts from 1800 to 1817, a soldier in the war of 1812, filled many positions of honor and trust, and died Feb. 24, 1858, aged nearly 91. His widow, Mrs. Mary Helm, died in 1871, aged 94.
The Jailor of Hardin county, in 1806 to 1808, and probably to 1812, was Rev. Benj. Ogden, a Methodist preacher, a chair maker, and a good worker in wood. In 1803 'or 1804 he taught school in Elizabethtown, was a good man and a fair preacher.
The Cold Plague, in March, 1814, raged with great fatality and far greater consternation in Nelson, Hardin, Grayson, and other counties. "The doctors found it a new type, and could not manage it. Those attacked were seized with a chilly sensation. It made rapid work, and the freezing sensation in- creased, until the patient lost all feeling of warmth, and literally froze to death."
SAMUEL HAYCRAFT, sen., one of the very first settlers in this region, was born in Virginia Sept. 11, 1752, died Oct. 15, 1823, aged 71; built a station and settled in Hardin county in the spring of 1780; was sheriff of the county ; March, 1802, one of the judges of the court of quarter sessions; April 18, 1803, one of the assistant judges who organized the first circuit court at Elizabethtown ; representative in the legislature; farmer ; an honored and a useful citizen.
Old ."Gen. Braddock," a negro man belonging to the Vanmetre family and who was brought out by them in 1779, took his rifle and went a campaign against the Indians ; he reported, on his return, that he had killed nine of them, and for this daring and successful feat was awarded his freedom.
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Jacob Vanmetre, jr., at the time of his father's death, procured a sand rock and cut out a tombstone for the grave, the lettering on which is still distinct : "HERE LIES THE BODY OF JACOB VANMATRE DIED IN THE 76 YARE OF HIS AGE NOVEMBER the 16 1798."
Newspapers .- The first established in Elizabethtown was the Western In- telligencer, in 1826, John E. Hardin, editor, Milton Gregg, publisher. In 1828, Jacob Eliot established the Kentucky Statesman. In 1834, his brother, Stephen Eliot, established the Kentucky Register, which was still published in April, 1847. C. G. Smith and Geo. W. Parker published the Elizabethtown Intelli- gencer, which they sold in 1857 to T. J. Phillips, who established in its place the Elizabethtown Democrat, the second Democratic paper ever published in Hardin county-the first having been published many years before by Chas. Hutchings. In 1860, M. H. Cofer became editor of the Democrat, and pub- lished it until shortly before he went into the Confederate army. R. B. B. Wood, in 1862, published a small paper, of the same name, Democrat. In 1865. he and Frank D. Moffitt started the Elizabethtown Banner. In 18-, the Kentucky Telegraph was started by Mr. Barbour, and for a short period was published daily. The Elizabethtown News was established in August, 1869, Wm. F. Bell and J. W. Mathis, editors, and is still published.
From the interesting "History of Elizabethtown and its Surroundings," by the venerable Samuel Haycraft-published in numbers in the Elizabethtown News-we have condensed a considerable portion of the foregoing historical matter, obtaining the remainder from other sources. As a fitting close to a long and useful life, and a valuable addition to the local history of the state, we trust Mr. Haycraft will soon publish it in permanent book form.
The Greatest Flood ever known in many parts of the state, occurred May 31, 1871. In Hardin county, Valley creek was higher than ever known, except in 1826 ; the track and platformn of the Elizabethtown and Paducah railroad were covered with water, to the depth of several feet; a large portion of Eliza- bethtown was overflown, 3 to 10 feet, and much damage done in the country.
JOHN LARUE HELM-18th (acting) governor and 25th governor-was born in Hardin county, Kentucky, July 4, 1802, and died in the same county, September 8, 1867, only five days after his second inauguration as governor of Kentucky. While yet a lad he began writing in the circuit clerk's office, and attracted the attention of the celebrated Duff Green, who directed his studies. At 21 he was admitted to the bar; was county attorney; in 1826, one month after attaining the legal age, was elected to the Ky. house of rep- resentatives from Hardin county, and re-elected in 1827, 1830, 1833, 1834, 1835, 1836, 1837, 1839, 1842, and 1843 (11 years), and to the senate (6 years), in 1844-48 and 1865-69, but resigned in 1867 to run for governor ; presided over the house and senate for seven years-(being oftener and longer than any man since the foundation of the state, except Alex. Scott Bullitt, twelve years )- being speaker of the house in 1835, 1836, 1839, 1842, and 1843, and speaker of the senate (as lieutenant governor) in 1848 and 1849; was beaten for congress in 1838 by Willis Green; was elected lieutenant governor in 1848, on the Whig ticket, and on the resignation of Gov. John J. Crittenden to be- come U. S. attorney general, became governor of Ky., 1850-52; in 1854, became president of the Louisville and Nashville railroad, and by dauntless energy completed that great work while most other similar works were sus- pended, and retired to private life ; during the civil war, bitterly opposed the policy of Mr. Lincoln's administration, sympathized with the South, and gave to the cause his son, Ben. Hardin Helin, who rose to be brigadier general and was killed, Sept. 20, 1863, at Chickamauga; in 1867, became the Democratic candidate for governor, and was elected (receiving 90,225 votes, Col. Sidney M. Barnes, . Radical, 33,939, and Judge Win. B. Kinkead, 3d party or Con- servative, 13,167); and because too sick to go to Frankfort, was inaugurated at his residence in Elizabethtown, Sept. 3, 1867, where he died Sept. 8th.
About the year 1781, a band of Indians came into Hardin county, and atter committing numerous depredations and killing some women and children, were pursued by the whites. During the pursuit a portion of the Indians, who were on stolen horses, took a southerly direction so as to strike the Ohio about where Brandenburg is now situated ; while the other party, who were on foot, attempted
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to cross the Ohio at the mouth of Salt river. The whites pursued each party, the larger portion following the trail of the horses-the smaller the foot party. Among the latter was the hero of this sketch, Peter Kennedy. Young Kennedy was noted for his fleetness of foot, strength of body and wary daring. He was selected as their leader. They pursued the Indians to within a mile of the river, the Indians awaiting them in ambush. The Indians were ten in number, the whites six. As they were led on by their daring leader in an effort to overtake them before they could reach the river, all of his comrades were shot down, and he was left to contend single handed with ten fierce and savage Indians. This was an odds calculated to make the bravest tremble; but young Kennedy was determined to sell his life as dearly as possible. With one bound he reached a tree, and awaited his opportunity to wreak vengeance upon the savage foe. The savages, with their usual wariness, kept their cover ; but at last one, more impatient than the remainder, showed his head from behind a tree. As quick as thought, Kennedy buried a rifle ball in his forehead, and instantly turned to flee ; but no sooner did he abandon his cover, than nine deadly rifles were levelled at him and instantly fired, and with the fire a simultaneous whoop of triumph, for the brave Kennedy fell, pierced through the right hip with a ball. Disabled by the wound, and unable to make further resistance, he was taken prisoner and im- mediately borne off to the Wabash, where the tribe of the victorious party belonged.
The wound of Kennedy was severe, and the pain which he suffered from it, was greatly aggravated by the rapid movement of the Indians. The arrival of the party was hailed with the usual demonstrations of Indian triumph-but Ken- nedy, owing to his feeble and suffering condition, was treated with kindness. His wound gradually healed, and as he again found himself a well man. he felt an irrepressible desire for freedom. He determined to make his escape, but how to effect it was the question. In this state of suspense, he remained for two years ; well knowing that, however kindly the Indians might treat a prisoner when first captured, an unsuccessful attempt to escape would be followed by the infliction of death, and that, too, by the stake. But still Kennedy was willing to run this risk, to regain that most inestimable of gifts-freedom. The vigilance of the Indians ultimately relaxed, and Kennedy seized the opportunity, and made good his escape to this side of the Ohio.
Hitherto Kennedy had rapidly pressed forward without rest or nourishment, for he knew the character of the savages, and anticipated a rapid pursuit. Hun- gry and exhausted, he was tempted to shoot a deer which crossed his path, from which he cut a steak, cooked it, and had nearly completed his meal, when he heard the shrill crack of an Indian rifle, and felt that he was again wounded, but fortunately not disabled. He grasped his gun and bounded forward in the direc- tion of Goodin's station, distant nearly thirty miles. Fortunately, he was ac- quainted with the localities, which aided him greatly in his flight. The chase soon became intensely exciting. The fierce whoop of the Indians was met with a shout of defiance from Kennedy. For a few minutes at the outset of the chase, the Indians appeared to gain on him but he redoubled his efforts, and gradual- ly widened the distance between the pursuers and himself. But there was no abatement of effort on either side-both the pursuers and pursued put forward all their energies. The yell of the savages as the distance widened, became fainter and fainter-Kennedy had descended in safety the tall cliff on the Rolling fork, and found himself, as the Indians reached the summit, a mile in advance.
Here the loud yell of the savages reverberated along the valleys of that stream, but so far from damping, infused new energy into the flight of Kennedy. The race continued, Kennedy still widening the distance, to within a short dis tance of Goodin's station, when the Indians, in despair, gave up the chase. Ken- nedy arrived safely at the station, but in an exhausted state. His tale was soon told. 'The men in the station instantly grasped their rifles, and under the direc- tion of Kennedy, sallied forth to encounter the savages. The scene was now changed. The pursuers became the pursued. The Indians, exhausted by their long continued chase, were speedily overtaken, and not one returned to their tribe to tell of the fruitless pursuit of Kennedy! Kennedy lived in Hardin to a very old age, and left a numerous and clever progeny.
About the middle of September, 1782, a roving band of Indians made their ap-
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pearance in Hardin county, and committed several depredations. Silas Hart, whose keen penetration and skill as an Indian fighter, had extorted from them the name of Sharp-Eye, with other settlers, pursued them ; and in the pursuit, Hart shot their chief, while several others of the party were also killed. Only two of the Indians made good their escape. These conveyed to the tribe the intelligence of the chieftain's death. Vengeance was denounced by them against Sharp-Eye and his family, for the death of the fallen chief, and speedily did the execution follow the threat ! A short time thereafter, a band of Indians, led by a brother of the slain chieftain, secretly and silently made their way into the neighborhood of Elizabethtown, where they emerged from their hiding places, and commenced their outrages. The neighborhood was instantly aroused, and Hart, always ready to assist in repelling the savage foe, was the first upon their trail. The whites followed in rapid pursuit for a whole day, but were unable to overtake them. As soon as they had turned towards their homes, the Indians, who must have closely watched their movements, turned upon their trail, and followed them back to the settlements. Hart arrived at his home (five miles from Elizabethtown) about dark in the evening, and slept soundly through the night, for he had no apprehen- sion of further Indian depredations. On the succeeding morning, just as the fam- ily were seating themselves to partake of their frugal meal, the band of Indians, who had been prowling round the house all night, suddenly appeared at the door, and the brother of the fallen chief shot Hart dead! The son of Hart, a brave youth only twelve years old, the instant he saw his father fall, grasped his rifle, and before the savage could enter the door, sent a ball through his heart- thus avenging, almost as quick as thought, a beloved parent's death. The Indians then rushed to the door in a body, but the first who entered the threshhold, had the hunting knife of the gallant boy plunged to the hilt in his breast, and fell by the side of his leader. A contest so unequal, could not, however, be maintained. The youth, with his inother and sister, were overpowered and hurried off to the Wabash as captives. The sister, from the feebleness of her constitution, was unable to bear the fatigue of a forced march, and the Indians dispatched her after proceeding a few miles. The mother and son were intended for a more painful and revolting death.
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