USA > Kentucky > Historical sketches of Kentucky : embracing its history, antiquities, and natural curiosities, geographical, statistical, and geological descriptions with anecdotes of pioneer life, and more than one hundred biographical sketches of distinguished pioneers, soldiers, statesmen, jurists, lawyers, divines, etc. > Part 49
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326
GRAVES COUNTY.
The dry ridge which runs through the county, is a rib of the great Cumberland mountain, and divides the waters of Licking from those of the Kentucky river, the terminus of which is at Covington, not a break intercepting its course. Near the line of Pendleton, about seven miles from Williamstown, there are some fine mineral springs, the waters of which are composed of iron, magnesia and salts.
A remarkable occurrence took place in Grant county, in the year 1841. Smith Mayes and Lyman Crouch had been apprehended and committed to jail for the rob- bery and murder of William S. Utterback, a short distance from Williamstown, on the Paris road. On the 10th of July, in the year named, about three hundred and fifty persons, from neighboring counties, came to the jail, forced it open, took out the prisoners, run them off to the place where the murder was committed, and hung thein thil they were dead on a gallows erected for the purpose. Mayes and Crouch, after being pronounced dead, were cut down and buried under the gal- łows .*
Mr. John M'Gill, who published a small gazetteer of Kentucky in 1832, states that this county was named in honor of Colonel JOHN GRANT, who was born and raised near the Shallow ford of the Yadkin river, North Carolina. He came to Kentucky in the year 1779, and settled a station within five miles of Bryant's station, in the direction where Paris now stands. When the Indians captured Martin's and Ruddell's stations, he removed back to North Carolina, and thence to Virginia. In the year 1784, he again moved to Kentucky, and settled at his old station. He erected salt works on Licking river; but moved from that place to the United States' saline, in Illinois. He afterwards returned to his residence on the Licking, where he remained until he died. He served his country faith- fully and ably in the field and council.
On the other hand, J. Worthing McCann, Esq., a very intelligent citizen of Grant, and a resident at the time the county was organized, states that Grant was named after SAMUEL GRANT, who was killed by the Indians near the Ohio river, in the present State of Indiana, in the year 1794. This gentleman, Mr. M'Cann, further states, that Samuel Grant was a brother of General Squire and Colonel John Grant. Major William K. Wall, of Harrison, who has been a practitioner at the Grant bar ever since the formation of the county, concurs in the opinion of Mr. McCann, that the county was named in honor of SAMUEL Grant, and not Colonel John Grant, his brother, as stated by Mr. McGill.
GRAVES COUNTY.
GRAVES county was formed in 1823, and named after Major BENJAMIN GRAVES. It is situated in the south-west part of the State. Bounded on the north by M Cracken, east by Calloway and Mar-hall, south by Tennessee, and west by Ballard and Hick- man. Staple products, corn, tobacco, and live stock.
The taxable property of the county in 1846, was valued at $1,136,400; number of acres of land in the county 339.194; average value of land per acre $1,90 ; number of white mnales over 21 years of age, 1,570 ; number of children between five and sixteen years old, 2,552. Population in 1840, 7,465.
The towns of the county are MAYFIELD and FARMINGTON-the. former the seat of justice, 284 miles from Frankfort, containing
* Mr Utterbuck recovered of his wounds, and is still alive.
327
GRAYSON COUNTY.
a court house, five lawyers, four doctors, four stores, several mc- chanics' shops, and about one hundred inhabitants. Farmington has two doctors, three stores, and a number of mechanics-pop- ulation not given.
Major BENJAMIN GRAVES, in honor of whom this county received its name, was a native of Virginia, and emigrated to Kentucky when quite young. He re- sided in Fayette county, and was engaged in agricultural pursuits. He was an amiable, shrewd, and intelligent man, and represented Fayette county for several years in the legislature of the State. In 1812, when war was declared by the United States against Great Britain, he was among the first to volunteer his ser- vices in defence of his country's rights. He received the appointment of Major in Colonel Lewis' regiment. and proved himself an active, vigilant, and gallant officer. He was killed in the ever memorable battle of Raisin, where his blood mingled with much of the best blood of Kentucky.
GRAYSON COUNTY.
The county of GRAYSON was formed in 1810, and named in honor of Colonel WILLIAM GRAYSON. It is situated in the west middle part of the State, and is bounded by Breckinridge and Hardin counties on the north ; east by Hart ; south by Edmon- son ; and west by Ohio county. The face of the county is gen- erally level and the land about second rate. Wheat, corn, oats, grass and tobacco, are the principal productions.
The total value of taxable property in this county in 1846, was $539,105 ; number of acres of land in the county, 130,222 --- average value of land per acre, $1,33 ; number of white males over twenty-one years of age, 1013 ; number of children between five and sixteen years of age, 1,506: population in 1840 was 4,461.
The principal water courses are Rock creek, Big and Little Clifty creeks, Pleasant Run, Cave creek, Bear creek and Caney creek. On the two last named creeks the bottoms are rich and fertile.
Like most of the counties of Kentucky, this abounds in min- eral waters. There are an immense number of white sulphur springs, about one hundred of which are included in a small tract of land not more than a quarter of an acre in extent. These springs are situated within four miles of Litchfield, and are said to be more strongly impregnated with sulphur than any in the United States. Some of these springs are very cold, and some very warm, and it is said that many remarkable cures have been effected by the use of the waters.
The principal towns are Litchfield and Millerstown. LITCHFIELD is the seat of justice, and is distant 110 miles from Frankfort. It contains a court house and other public buildings, one school, three stores, one grocery, two taverns, two doctors, two lawyers, une saddler, one gunsmith, one blacksmith, one shoemaker, one
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328
GREENE COUNTY.
tannery : population 130. The town was named after David Leitch, who patented the land on which it stands. Millerstown is a small village, containing a population of 50 inhabitants.
Colonel WILLIAM GRAYSON, for whom this county was named, was a native of Virginia. He was first elected a member of Congress in 1784. He was a mem- ber of the Virginia convention which was called to ratify the constitution of the United States. In this illustrious assembly his talents rendered him conspicuous. He opposed the adoption of the constitution. After the adoption of the constitu- tion he was elected in conjunction with Richard H. Lee to represent his native State in the senate of the United States. He died March 12th, 1790, while on his way to Congress.
GREENE COUNTY.
GREENE county was formed in the year 1792, and named in honor of General NATHANIEL GREENE, of revolutionary memory. It is sit- uated in the middle section of the State, and lies on the waters of Greene river-bounded north by Marion ; east and south by Adair ; and west by Hart. The principal creeks are-Robinson's, Meadow, Pittman's, Bush and Russell. The surface of the coun- try is generally undulating ; in some places quite broken and hilly. The soil is based on red clay and limestone. Tobacco is the principal staple of the county ; but horses, mules, cattle and hogs are exported to some extent. There are two salt works, manufacturing a considerable quantity of salt, and one extensive iron foundry in operation in the county.
The taxable property of the county in 1846 was valued at $3,122,570 ; number of acres of land in the county, 281,957- average value of land per acre, $3,96 : number of white males over twenty-one years old, 2,331; number of children between five and sixteen years old, 3,193 : population in 1840, 14,212.
The towns of the county are Greensburg, Campbellsville, Sa- loma and Somerville. GREENSBURG is the principal town and seat of justice. It is situated on the northern bank of Greene river, about ninety miles from Frankfort : contains a court house and other public buildings ; Methodist, Presbyterian and Baptist churches, one school, ten stores and groceries, two taverns, twelve lawyers, six physicians, one tannery, and about thirty mechanics shops : established in 1795-population about 700.
Campbellsville is about twelve miles north-east of Greensburg- contains a Methodist, a Baptist and a Reformed church, five stores. one tavern, two lawyers, four physicians, and thirty mechani- shops ; established in 1817. Stoma is situated fourteen mike > north of Greensburg-contains two stores, one tavern, two die- tors and twelve mechanics' shops. Somerville is a small village six miles west of Greensburg-contains one tavern, one lawyer, " one store and three mechanics' shops : established in 1817.
329
BIG JOE LOGSTON.
Major General NATHANIEL GREENE, for whom this county was named, was born May the 224, 1742. in the town of Warwick, Rhode Island. His father was an anchor smith, and at the same time a Quaker preacher, whose ignorance. com- bined with the fanaticism of the times, made him pay little attention to the worldly learning of his children. though he was very careful of their moral and religious instruction. The fondness for knowledge, however, of the young Greene, was such that he devoted all the time he could spare to its acquisition, and em- ployed all his trifling gains in purchasing books. His propensity for the life of a soldier was early evinced by his predilection for works on military subjects. He made considerable proficiency in the exact sciences ; and after he had attained his twentieth year, he added a tolerable stock of legal knowledge to his other acquirements. In 1770, he was elected a member of the State legislature, and in 1774 enrolled himself as a private in a company called the Kentish guards. Af- ter the battle of Lexington, Rhode Island raised what was termed an army of ob- servation. and chose Greene as commander, with the title of major general. This sudden elevation from the ranks to an important command, may give some idea of the estimation in which his military talents were held. He accepted a com- mission from Congress as brigadier general, although under the State he held that of major general. preferring the former, as it promised a larger sphere of action, and the pleasure of serving under the immediate command of Washing- ton. When the American army went to New York. the division posted on Long Island was under Greene's command; but at the time of the unfortunate affair with the enemy, he was suffering under severe sickness, and General Sullivan was in command. When he had recovered his health, he joined the retreating army, having been previously raised to the rank of major general, and was ap- pointed to command the troops in New Jersey, destined to watch the movements of a strong detachment of the British, which had been left on Staten island, De- ceinber 26th, 1776. When Washington surprised the English at Trenton, Greene commanded the left wing of the American forces. In the battle of Brandywine. Greene commanded the vanguard, together with Sullivan, and it became his duty to cover the retreat, in which he fully succeeded. He commanded the left wing of the American forces in the disastrous attempt on Germantown. At the battle of Monmonth, he led the right of the second line, and mainly contributed to the partial success of the Americans. When General Washington, alarmed for the safety of the garrisons on the North river, repaired to West Point, he left Greene in command of the army in New Jersey. On the 23d of June, he was attacked by Clinton, but the enemy were repulsed with loss. October 6th he was appointed to the command of West Point. On the 14th of the same month he was appointed to succeed General Gates in the chief command of the southern army. The ability, prudence and fininness which he here displayed, have caused him to be ranked in the scale of our revolutionary generals. second only to Washington. In this command he continued till the close of the war. When peace released him from his duties, he returned to Rhode Island : and his jour- ney thither, almost at every step, was marked by some private or public testimo- niał of regard. He died June 19th, 1786. in his forty-fourth year, in consequence of an inflammation of the brain, contracted by exposure to the rays of an intense sen.
" BIG Jok LoGsTON."-About the year 1790, an individual, known as " B.y Joe Lausten," removed from near the source of the north branch of the Potente to Kentucky. and resided many years in the family of Andrew Barnett. in Gi-pre county. He subsequently removed to Illinois. Big Joe seems to have been ? rer. chap. Mr. Felix Renick has given some anecdotes of him in the Western l'inter, in which he says-" No Kentuckian could ever, with greater propriety than me, have said. . I can out-run, out-hop, out-jump, throw down. drag one, and whip any mim in the country.'" The following account is given by Mr. Remek of a desperate fight between Joe and two Indians :
.. The inchains made a sudden attack, and all that escaped were driven into a rude fort for present to, and, though reluctantly. Joe was one. This was a new life to him, and did not at it mine has taste. He soon became very restless, and every day insisted on going out with others to hunt up the carle. Knowing the danger better, or tearing it more, all persisted in their refusal to go with him. To indulge his taste for the woodman's life, he turned out
330
GREENE COUNTY.
alone, and rode till the after part of the day without finding any cattle. What the Indians had not killed, were scared off. He concluded to return to the fort. Riding along a path which led in, he came to a fine vine of grapes. He turned into the path and rode carelessly along, eating his grapes, and the first intimation he had of danger, was the crack of two rifles, one from each side of the road. One of these balls passed through the raps of his breasts, which. for a male, were remarkably prominent, almost as much so as that of many nurses. The ball just grazed the skin between the paps, but did not injure the breast bone. The other ball struck his horse behind the saddle, and he sunk in bis tracks, Thus was Joe eased off his horse in a manner more rare than welcome. Still he was on his feet in an instant, with his rifle in his hands, and might have taken to his heels ; and I will venture the opinion, that no Indian could have caught him. That, he said, was not his sort. He had never left a battle ground without leaving his mark, and he was resolved that that should not be the first. The moment the guns fired, one very athletic Indian sprang towards him with tomahawk in hand. His eye was on him, and his guu to his eye, ready, as soon as he approached near enough to make a sure shot, to let him have it. As soon as the Indian discovered this, he jumped behind two pretty large saplings, some small distance apart, neither of which were large enough to cover his body, and to save himself as well as he could, he kept springing from one to the other.
" Joe, knowing he had two enemies on the ground, kept a look out for the other by a quick glance of the eye. He presently discovered him behind a tree loading his gun. The tree was not quite large enough to hide him. When in the act of pushing down his bullet. he exposed pretty fairly his hips. Joe, in the twinkling of an eye, wheeled and let bim have his load in the part so exposed. The big Indian then, with a mighty " ugh !" rushed towards him with his raised tomahawk. Here were two warriors met, each determined to conquer or die -each the Goliah of his nation. The Indian had rather the advantage in size of frame, but Joe in weight and muscular strength. The Indian made a halt at the distance of fifteen or twenty feet, and threw his tomahawk with all his force, but Joe had his eye on him, and dodged it. It flew quite out of the reach of either of them. Joe then clubbed his gun. and made at the Indian, thinking to knock him down. The Indian sprang into some brush or saplings, to avoid his blows. The Indian depended entirely on dodging, with the help of the saplings. At length Joe, thinking he had a pretty fair chance, made a side blow with such force, that. missing the dodging Indian, the gun, now reduced to the naked barrel, was drawn quite out of his hands, and flew entirely out of reach. The Indian now gave an exulting "ugh!" and sprang at him with all the savage fury he was master of. Neither of them had a weapon in his hands, and the Indian, seeing Logston bleeding freely, thought he could throw him down and dispatch him. In this he was mistaken. They seized each other, and a desper- ate struggle ensued. Joe could throw bim down, but could not hold him there. The Indian being naked, with his hide oiled, had greatly the advantage in a ground scuffle, and would still slip out of Joe's grasp and rise. After throwing him five or six times, Joe found that, between loss of blood and violent exertions, his wind was leaving him, and that he must change the mode of warfare, or lose his scalp, which he was not yet willing to spare. He threw the Indian again, and without attempting to hold him, jumped from him, and as he rose, aimed a fist blow at his head, which caused him to fall back, and as he would rise, Joe gave him several blows in succession, the Indian rising slower each time. He at length site- ceeded in giving him a pretty fair blow in the burr of the ear, with all his force, and he tell. as Joe thought, pretty near dead. Joe junge d on him, and thinking he could dispatch him by choking, grasped his neck with his left hand, keeping his right free for contingencies. Joe soon found that the Indian was not so dead as he thought, and that he was making some use of his right arm, which lay across his body, and on casting his eye down, discos- ered the Indian was making an effort to unsheath a knife which was hanging at his belt. The knife was short, and so sunk in the sheath, that it was necessary to force it up hiv press- ing against the point. This the Indian was trying to effect, and with good success. Joe nept his eye on it, and let the Indian work the handle out, when he suddenly grabbed it, jerked it out of the sheath, and sank it up to the handle into the Indian's breast, who gave a desti groan and expired.
"Joe now thought of the other Indian, and not knowing how far he had succeeded in kill- ing or crippling him, sprang to his feet. He found the crippled tadian had crawled some distance towards them. and had propped has broken back against a log and was trying to raise his gun to shoot him, but in attempting to do which he would fall forward and had to push against his gun to raise himself again. Joe seeing that he was safe, concluded that he had fought long enough for healthy exercise that day, and not liking to be killed by a crippled Indian, he made for the fort. He got in about nightfall, and a hard looking cast he was-food and dit from the crown of his head to the sole of his foot, no horse, no hat. no gun, with an account of the battle that some of his comrades could scarce be have to be much else than one of his big stories, in which he would sometunes indulge. He told them they must go and judge for themselves.
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331
GREENUP COUNTY.
"Next morning a company was made up to go to Joe's battle ground. When they ap- proached it, Joe's accusers became more confirmed, as there was no appearance of dead Indians, and nothing Joe had talked of but the dead horse. They however found a trail as if something had been dragged away. On pursuing it they found the big Indian, at a little distance, beside a log, covered up with leaves. Still pursuing the trail, though not so plain, some hundred yards farther, they found the broken backed Indian, lying on his back with his own knife sticking up to the hilt in his body, just below the breast bone, evidently to show that he had killed himself, and that he had not come to his end by the hand of an enemy. 'They had a long search before they found the knife with which Joe killed the big Indian. They at last found it forced down into the ground below the surface, apparently by the weight of a person's heel. This had been done by the crippled Indian. The great efforts he must have made, alone, in that condition, show, among thousands of other instances, what Indians are capable of under the greatest extremities."
The concluding paragraph of Mr. Renick's sketch of Logston, must have refer- ence to the frontier of Illinois, and not of Kentucky, as we have the best authority for saying that Joe left Greene county for the then territory of Illinois. The fol- lowing is the paragraph :
"Some years after the above took place, peace with the Indians was restored. That frontier, like many others, became infested with a gang of outlaws, who commenced stealing horses and committing various depredations. To counteract which, a company of regulators, as they were called, was raised. In a contest between these and the depredators, Big Joe Log- ston lost his life, which would not be highly esteemed in civil society. But in frontier settle- ments, which he always occupied, where savages and beasts were to be contested with for the right of soil, the use of such a man is very conspicuous. Without such, the country could never have been cleared of its natural rudeness, so as to admit of the more brilliant and ornamental exercises of arts, sciences and civilization."
GREENUP COUNTY.
GREENUP county was formed in 1803, and named in honor of Governor CHRISTOPHER GREENUP. It is situated in the north-east corner of the State, and lies on the waters of the Ohio, and the Big and Little Sandy rivers : Bounded on the north by the Ohio river ; east by Virginia, south by Carter, and west by Lewis county. Greenup is rich in mineral resources-her iron ore be- ing of a very superior character, and the supply inexhaustible, while coal is found in great abundance. There are ten blast fur- naces now in the county, in successful operation, employing a heavy capital and a large number of hands. The water power of the county is not excelled in the State.
The taxable property of Greenup in 1846, was valued at $1,031,601 ; number of acres of land in the county, 256,027 ; average value of land per acre $2,20; number of white males over twenty-one years old, 1,404; number of children between five and sixteen years of age, 1,012. Population in 1830, 5,553 ; do. in 1840. 6.297.
The towns of Greenup are, Greenupsburg. Catlettsburg, Linn and Springville. GREENUPSBURG, the seat of justice, is one hundred and thirty-two miles from Frankfort-situated on the Ohio river, immediately above the mouth of Little Sandy river, on an ele- vated and beautiful bottom : contains a large brick court-house and other public buildings, one church, one school, three physi- cians, four lawyers, eight stores, six groceries and sixteen me-
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332
CHRISTOPHER GREENUP.
chanics' shops : population 250 : established in 1818. Callous- burg is a small village situated immediately below the month of Big Sandy, on the Ohio river, containing a tavern, post-office and store, and some four or five families. Linn is a small manufac- turing village, and contains two churches, two stores, two tan- yards, and a large number of shoe-makers, which fact induced the change of its name from Liberty to Linn. Springville is a small village on the Ohio, in the lower part of the county-con- tains a foundry and bedstead manufactory, gun shop, venetian blind manufactory, plow factory, tan yard and post office : Pop- ulation, 130.
On a beautiful bottom of the Ohio, in this county, and between the river and a spur of the adjacent cliff, is an old fortification-embracing, within the enclo- sure, about ten acres of land, in a square form, with two wings-one about three- fourths of a mile long, extending to the Ohio river on the north ; the other about half a mile long, and extending to a tributary on the south. The following dia- gram will enable the reader to comprehend the above description more fully :
The walls around the ten acres are constructed of earth -- the breadth on top is twelve feet, at bottom thirty. and in height ten North wing. S. wing. feet. The openings are twelve feet wide; the wings about six feet high. The ground within is a level plain, and covered with trees of the largest class-beech, sugar-tree, poplar, &c. The walls are covered with trees also. When or by whom this fortification was construc- ted, must forever remain a mystery.
Governor CHRISTOPHER GREENUP was born about the year 1750, in the then colony of Virginia. When the American revolution occurred, he was in the prime of youth. It was not in his nature to see his country engaged in such a strug- gle, without engaging in it himself. He accordingly devoted his youth to ner cause, and was one of the soldiers and heroes of that great conflict ; and passed through its scenes of trial and hardship, acting well his part, and winning no small share of that honor which crowned the triumph of the American arms. In the bloody war which took place between the pioneers of the west and the In- dian tribes, he also bore a part, and brought into active service against that for- midable foe. the skill which he had acquired during the revolution. To the dan- gers of such a warfare he freely exposed his life, and risked, with a manly and brave heart, all its perils. After thus gaining for himself considerable distinc- tion in arms, he settled in Kentucky, and on the 4th of March, 1753, was sworn in as an attorney at law in the old court for the district of Kentucky, established by an act of the Virginia legislature. On the 18th day of March. 1755. he was appointed the clerk of that court, which office he held during the existence of the court. In 1992, he was elected a member of Congress, and served as such aunit the year 179 ;. After this he filled the office of clerk of the senate of Kentucky to within a short time of his election as governor, which occurred in August. 1801. For four years, he discharged the duties of this office with high honor and credit both to himself and the State over which he presided. At the expira- tion of his gubernatorial term, he was elected to the legislature from the county of Franklin. In Iste, he acted as a justice of the peace for the same county. He served also many years as a director in the old bank of Kentucky : and. atter a long life of public service to his country, he died on the 27th of April, Ists, m the 69th year of his age.
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