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 61
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405
A COURAGEOUS WOMAN.
to discover the deception, and instead of producing any alarm on her part, she was satisfied that her husband had escaped uninjured.
After the savages had plundered the house of every thing that they could con- veniently carry off with them, they started, taking Mrs. Daviess and her chil- dren-seven in number-as prisoners, along with them. Some of the children were too young to travel as fast as the Indians wished, and discovering. as she believed, their intention to kill such of them as could not conveniently travel, she made the two oldest boys carry them on their backs. The Indians, in starting from the house, were very careful to leave no signs of the direction they had ta- ken, not even permitting the children to break a twig or weed as they passed along. They had not gone far, before an Indian drew his knife and cut off a few inches of Mrs. Daviess' dress, so that she would not be interrupted in traveling.
Mrs. Daviess was a woman of cool deliberate courage, and accustomed to han- dle the gun. so that she could shoot well, as many of the women were in the habit of doing in those days. She had contemplated, as a last resort. that if not rescued in the course of the day, when night came on and the Indians had fallen asleep, she would deliver herself and children by killing as many of the Indians as she could-thinking that in a night attack as many of them as remained would most probably run off. Such an attempt would now seem a species of madness; but to those who were acquainted with Mrs. Daviess, little doubt was entertained, that if the attempt had been made. it would have proved successful.
The boy who had been scalped was greatly disfigured. as the hair never after grew upon that part of his head. He often wished for an opportunity to avenge himself upon the Indians for the injury he had received. Unfortunately for him- self, ten years afterwards, the Indians came to the neighborhood of his father and stole a number of horses. Himself and a party of men went in pursuit of them, and after following them for some days. the Indians finding that they were likely to be overtaken. placed themselves in ambush, and when their pursuers came up, killed young Daviess and one other man; so that he ultimately fell into their hands when about twenty-one vears old.
The next year after. the father died : his death being caused. as it was sup- posed. by the extraordinary efforts he made to release his family from the Indians. An act of courage subsequently displayed by Mrs. Daviess is calculated to ex- hibit her character in its true point of view.
Kentucky, in its early days, like most new countries, was occasionally troubled by men of abandoned character. who lived by stealing the property of others, and after committing their depredations, retired to their hiding places, thereby eluding the operation of the law. One of these marauders, a man of desperate character, who had committed extensive thefts from Mr. Daviess as well as from his neigh- bors, was pursued by Daviess and a party whose property he had taken, in order to bring him to justice. While the party were in pursuit, the suspected individ- ual, not knowing any one was pursuing him. came to the house of Daviess, armed with his gun and tomahawk-no person being at home but Mrs. Daviess and her children. After he had stepped in the house. Mrs. Daviess asked him if he would drink something-and having set a bottle of whisky upon the table, requested him to help himself. The fellow. not suspecting any danger, set his gun up by the door, and white drinking, Mrs. Daviess picked up his gun. and placing herself in the door, had the gun cocked and levelled upon him by the time he turned around, and in a peremptory mauner ordered him to take a sent, or she would shoot him. Struck with terror and alarm. he asked what he had done. She told him he had stolen her husband's property, and that she intended to take care of him herself. In that condition, she ; eld him a prisoner, untit the party of men returned and took him into their possession.
Sallust says: "The actions of the Athenians doubtless were great, vet i believe they are somewhat less than faine would have us conceive them." Not so with the pioneers of Kentucky. But we may say of their exploits. as this author says of the actions of the Romans : "History has left a thousand of their more brilhant actions unrecorded. which would have done them great honor. but for want of eloquent historians."
In the fall of 1779. William Montgomery the elder. the father-in-law of Gen- eral Logan, with his family, and son-in-law. Joseph Russell. and his family, moved from Virginia to Kentucky, and took refuge in Logan's fort. Here they
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LINCOLN COUNTY.
remained but a few months, when, apprehending no danger from Indians, the old man, with his sons, William, John, Thomas and Robert, and his son-in-law, Rus- sell, built four log cabins on the head waters of Greene river, about twelve miles in a south-west direction from Logan's fort, to which they removed in the latter part of the winter or early in the spring of 1780. They had, however, been there but a short time, when the savages discovered and attacked the cabins. In one of the cabins lived William Montgomery the elder and wife, and his sons Thomas and Robert, and daughters Jane and Betsey, with two younger children, James and Flora. Mrs. Montgomery with her youngest child, Flora, were then at Lo- gan's fort : and Thomas and Robert were absent spying. William Montgomery, jr., his wife and one child, the late Judge Thomas Montgomery, son of a former wife, and a bound boy, occupied another. John Montgomery, then but lately married, occupied a third ; and Joseph Russell, his wife and three children, the fourth. These were all the white persons, but there were, besides, several slaves.
In the month of March, 1780, at night, a small body of Indians surrounded the cabins, which were built close to each other, and rather in a square. On the suc- ceeding morning, between daylight and sunrise, William Montgomery the elder, followed by a negro boy, stepped out at the door of his cabin. They were imme- diately fired at and both killed by the Indians, the boy's head falling back on the door-sill. Jane, the daughter, then a young woman, afterwards the wife of Col. William Casey, late of Adair county, sprang to the door, pushed out the negro's head, shut the door and called for her brother Thomas' gun. Betsey, her sister, about twelve years of age, clambered out at the chimney, which was not higher than a man's head, and took the path to Pettit's station, distant about two and a half miles, An Indian pursued her for some distance, but being quite active, she was too fleet for him, and reached the station in safety. From Pettit's a mes- senger was immediately dispatched to Logan's fort.
From some cause or other, probably the call of Jane for her brother's rifle, which was doubtless overheard by the Indians, they did not attempt to break into the cabin. William Montgomery, jr., on hearing the first crack of a gun, sprang to his feet, seized a large trough which had been placed in his cabin to hold sugar- water, placed it against the door, and directing the apprentice boy to hold it, grasped his rifle, and through a crevice over the door, fired twice at the Indians, in rapid succession, before they left the ground, killing one and severely wound- ing another. John Montgomery wa's in bed, and in attempting to rise, was fired upon through a crack, and mortally wounded, his door forced open, and his wife made prisoner. Joseph Russell made his escape from his cabin, leaving his wife and three children to the mercy of the savages. They, with a mulatto girl, were also made prisoners.
'The Indians commenced an early retreat, bearing off their wounded companion, and taking with them their captives. A few minutes after their departure, and when they were barely out of sight, the Indian who had pursued Betsey Mont- gomery returned, and being ignorant of what had occurred in his absence, mounted a large beech Ing in front of the younger William Montgomery's door, and com- menced hallooing. Montgomery, who had not yet ventured to open his door, again fired through the crevice, and shot him dead.
As soon as the messenger reached Logan's fort, General Logan, with his horn, sounded the well known note of alarm, when, in a few minutes, as if by magic, a company of somie twelve or fifteen men, armed and equipped for battle, were at his sile. They instantly commenced their march, passed the cabins where the attack had been made, and took the trail of the Indians. By the aid of some signs which Mrs. Russell had the presence of mind to make, by occasionally breaking a twig and scatt ring along their route pieces of a white handkerchief which she had torn in fragments, Logan's party found no difficulty in the pursnit. After traveling some distance, they came upon the yellow girl, who had been toma- hawked, scalped and left for dead ; but who, on hearing the well-known voice of General Logan, sprang to her feet. and afterwards recovered.
The Indians, as was known to be their habit when expecting to be pursued. had a spy in the rear, who was discovered by Logan's party at the same instant he got his eyes upon them, and a rapid march ensued. In a few minutes they came in sight of the savages, when Logan ordered a charge, which was made with a shout, and the Indians fled with great precipitancy, leaving their wounded
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407
FIGHT WITH INDIANS.
companion, who was quickly dispatched. A daughter of Mrs. Russell. about twelve years of age, upon hearing Logan's voice, exclaimed in ecstacy. " there's uncle Ben," when the savage who had her in charge struck her dead with his tomahawk. The remainder of the prisoners were recaptured without injury. As the force of the Indians was about equal to that of the whites, Gen. Logan, now encumbered with the recaptured women and children, wisely determined to return immediately ; and reached the cabins, in safety, before dark on the same day.
The particulars of the foregoing narrative have been received from the Mont- gomery family-but principally from Mrs. Jane Casey, who was an actor in the drama.
In the spring of the year 1784, three young men-DAVIS, CAFFREE and M'CLURE -pursued a party of southern Indians, who had stolen horses from Lincoln county ; and were resolved, if they could not previously overtake them, to proceed as far as their towns on the Tennessee river, and make reprisals. They had reached, as they supposed, within a few miles of the Indian town called Chickamango, when they fell in with three Indians, traveling in the same direction with them- selves. By signs the two parties agreed to travel together; but each was evi- dently suspicious of the other. The Indians walked upon one side of the road and the whites upon the other, watching each other attentively. At length, the Indians spoke together in tones so low and earnest, that the whites became satis- fied of their treacherous intentions, and determined to anticipate them. Caffree being a very powerful man, proposed that he himself should seize one Indian, while Davis and MeClure should shoot the other two. He accordingly sprung upon the nearest Indian, grasped his throat firmly, hurled him to the ground, and. draw- ing a cord from his pocket, attempted to tie him. At the saute instant, Davis and McClure leveled their rifles at the others. MeClure fired and killed his man, but Davis' gun missed fire. Davis, MeClure, and the Indian at whom the former had flashed, immediately took trees, and prepared for a skirmish, while Catfree remained upon the ground with the captured Indian, both exposed to the fire of the others. In a few seconds, the savage at whom Davis had flashed, shot Caf- free as he lay upon the ground, and gave him a mortal wound, and was instantly shot in turn by McClure, who had reloaded his gun. Catfree, becoming very weak, called upon Davis to come and assist him in tying the Indian, and instantly afterwards expired. As Davis was running up to the assistance of his friend, the Indian, now released by the death of his captor, sprung to his feet, and seizing Catfree's rifle, presented it menacingly at Davis, whose gun was not in order for service, and who ran off into the forest, closely pursned by the Indian. MeClure hastily reloaded his gun, and taking up the riffe which Davis had dropped. fol- lowed them for some distance into the forest, making all those signals which had been concerted between them, in case of separation. All, however, was vain ; he saw nothing more of Davis, nor could he ever afterwards learn his fate. As he never returned to Kentucky, however, he probably perished.
MeClure, finding himself alone in the enemy's country, and surrounded by dead bodies, thought it prudent to abandon the object of the expedition and re- turn to Kentucky. He accordingly retraced his steps, still bearing Davis' ride in addition to his own. He had scarcely marched a mile, before he saw advancing. from the opposite direction, an Indian warrior. riding a horse with a bell around its neck, and accompanied by a bey on foot. Dropping one of the rifles, which might have created suspicion, Met lure advanced with an air of confidence. Fr- tending his hand and making other signs of peace. The opposite party appeared frankly to receive his overtures, and dismounting, seared himself upon a ing, bad drawing out his pipe, gave a few puffs himself, and then handed it to MeChe.
In a few minutes another bell was heard, at the distance of half a mile, and a second party of Inhans appeared upon horseback. The Indian with Met'lure now coolly informed him by signs, that when the horsemen arrived, he ( Met lure) was to be bound and carried off as a prisoner, with his feet tied under the horse's belly. In order to explain it more fully. the Indian got astride of the fog. and locked his legs together underneath it. MeCture, internally thanking the follow for his excess of candor, determined to disappoint him, and while his carmy was busily engaged in riding the log and mimicking the actions of a prisoner, he very
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408
LINCOLN COUNTY.
quietly blew his brains out, and ran off into the woods. The Indian boy instantly mounted the belled horse, and rode off in an opposite direction.
MeClure was fiercely pursued by several small Indian dogs, that frequently ran between his legs and threw him down. After falling five or six times, his eyes hecame full of dust, and he was totally blind. Despairing of escape, he doggedly lay upon his face, expecting every instant to feel the edge of the toma- hawk. To his astonishment, however, no enemy appeared ; and even the Indian dogs, after tugging at him for a few minutes, and completely stripping him of his breeches, left him to continue his journey unmolested. Finding every thing quiet, in a few moments he arose, and taking up his gun, continued his march to Ken- tucky. He reached home in safety.
In the year 1781 or 5, near the Crab Orchard, in Lincoln county, a very singu- lar adventure occurred at the house of a Mr. Woods. One morning he left his family, consisting of a wife, a daughter not yet grown, and a lame negro man, and rode off to the station near by, not expecting to return till night. Mrs. Woods being a short distance from her cabin, was alarmed by discovering sev- eral Indians advancing towards it. She instantly screamed loudly in order to give the alarm, and ran with her utmost speed, in the hope of reaching the house before thein. In this she succeeded, but before she could close the door, the fore- most Indian had forced his way into the house. He was instantly seized by the lame negro man, and after a short scuffle, they both fell with violence, the negro underneath. Mrs. Woods was too busily engaged in keeping the door closed against the party without, to attend to the combatants ; but the lame negro, hold- ing the Indian tightly in his arms, called to the young girl to take the axe from under the bed and dispatch him by a blow on the head. She immediately attempted it; but the first attempt was a failure. She repeated the blow and killed him. The other Indians were at the door, endeavoring to force it open with their tomahawks. The negro rose and proposed to Mrs. Woods to let in another, and they would soon dispose of the whole of them in the same way. The cabin was but a short distance from the station, the occupants of which having discov- cred the perilous situation of the family, fired on the Indians and killed another, when the remainder made their escape.
In 1793, a number of families removing to Kentucky, were attacked near the Hazle Patch, on the Cumberland road, by a strong party of Indians. A portion of the men fought bravely, and several of them were killed. The others ran away, and left the women and children to be made captives. The fate of the prisoners is not mentioned by the historian .*
In the year 1780, Captain Joseph Daveiss, (the father of Colonel Joseph H. and Captain Samuel Daveiss,) residing at that time on Clark's run, while break- ing up the ground in a field lying near the creek, turned up fourteen conch shells, quite smooth, and of a larger size than any now imported into the country. Sev- en of these shells were in a perfect state of preservation-the others somewhat decomposed. A portion of them were used, for many years, by the family of Captain Daveiss, for summoning the hands to their meals.
In the month of May, 1781. a hail storm passed over this section of Kentucky, of a remarkable character. The hail, which fell in great quantities, was gener- ally about the size of hen's eggs, but some measured nine inches in circumference. The dark cloud, which overhung the heavens, the vivid flashes of lightning. the terrible rattling of hail, and the deafening roar of thunder. produced general con- sternation. The destruction was complete to the growing crops, while a large portion of the young animals, both domestic and wild. in the route of the storm were destroyed.
In the year 1786, Colonel John Logan, of Lincoln county, received intelli- gence that one of the inhabitants of the county, by the name of Luttrell, Hrad been killed by the Indians on Fishing creek. He immediately collected a small
* Murshall.
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VIT-LAND, KY.
409
LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
militia force, repaired to the place of the outrage, and getting upon the trail, par- ward the Indians across the Cumberland river into their own territory. Here ho overtook the marauders, and a conflict ensued, in which the Indians weer speed- ily defeated-several of their number being killed and the remainder dispersed. Colonel Logan retook the property which the Indians had carried off from the white settlements, with all the furs and skius belonging to the camp, and returned bomne in triumph.
General BENJAMIN LINCOLN, in honor of whom this county received its name, was a native of Massachusetts, and an eminent American revolutionary general. In 1776, when he had attained his 42d year, the council of Massachusetts appointed him a brigadier general, and soon after a major-general of urilitia. The congress subsequently, by the recommendation of General Washington, conferred on him the appointment of major-general of the continental forces. He served as second in command under General Gates, at the capture of Burgoyne's army, where he was severely wounded. In 1978, he was designated by Congress to conduct the war in the southern states. He continued in command of the south- ern aniny until the capture of Charleston in 1780, where he was made a prisoner of war. In 1781, having been previously exchanged, he commanded a division at Yorktown, and was honored by General Washington with the office of receiv- ing and directing the distribution of the conquered troops. In October of the same year, he was appointed by Congress secretary of war, which situation he held till 1784, when he retired to his farm. He was afterwards instrumental in suppressing the insurrection of Shays in Massachusetts ; and filled several im- portant appointments under the national and state governments. He was also a member of several learned societies. He died in 1810, aged 77 years.
LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
LIVINGSTON county was formed in 1798, and named for the Hon. Robert R. Livingston, of New York. It is situated in the extreme western part of the State, lying on the Cumberland, Tennessee and Ohio rivers-bounded on the north by Crittenden and the Ohio river ; on the east by Crittenden and Caldwell ; on the south by Marshall, and on the west by the Ohio river. SALEM, the seat of justice ; Smithland, the chief town-the former about two hun- dred miles from Frankfort. The general appearance of the county is undulating. but hilly and broken in places, interspersed with sandstone and limestone, and mostly well timbered-river bot- toms remarkably rich. Staple products. Indian corn, tobacco, Irish potatoes and oats. Exports, horses, cattle, sheep and hogs.
This county abounds in iron-ore, of excellent quality ; and veins of bituminous coal have been found, but not worked to any extent. Possessing very superior advantages, from the border and central navigation-the Ohio river bounding it about forty miles on the north-west, the Tennessee about twenty-seven miles on the south- west, and the Cumberland passing through it-the facilities for the export of its raw materials, manufactures, stock and agricul- tural products, are equal to any county in the State.
Number of acres of land in Livingston. 146,996 : average value per acre, $2.97 ; valuation of taxable property in 1546. $1,052,- 409 ; number of white males over twenty-one years of age, 873;
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LOGAN COUNTY.
number of children between five and sixteen years old, 947. Pop- ulation in 1810, 9,025.
Smithland is situated on the Ohio river, at the mouth of the Cumberland,-contains a population of about 1000; with two churches, Episcopal and Methodist ; two schools ; fourteen stores, besides several small groceries ; four taverns, eight lawyers, seven physicians ; the most extensive tannery in the west ; one foundry, finishing and steam engine shop, and thirty mechanics' shops. Salem has a population of about one hundred-with two stores, one tavern, one school and two physicians.
ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON, a distinguished American statesman, was born in the city of New York in 1746. He studied and practiced law with great success. He was a member of the first general Congress ; was one of the committee which prepared the declaration of independence ; in 1780 was appointed secretary of for- eign affairs, and throughout the revolution signalized himself by his zeal and efficiency in the cause. He was for many years chancellor of his native state, and in 1801, was appointed by president Jefferson minister to France. He was a general favorite at the French capital, and in conjunction with Mr. Monroe con- dneted the treaty which resulted in the cession of Louisiana to the United States. After his return from Europe, he devoted his life chiefly to the cause of agricul- tural and general science -- was president of the New York society for the pro- motion of the fine arts, and also of the society for the promotion of agriculture. He died in 1813, with the reputation of an able statesman, a learned lawyer, and a most useful citizen.
LOGAN COUNTY.
LOGAN county was formed in 1792, and named in honor of Gen. BENJAMIN LOGAN, a distinguished pioneer. It is situated in the southern section of the State-bounded on the north by Muh- lenburg and Butler ; east by Warren and Simpson ; west by Todd, and south by the Tennessee line. RUSSELLVILLE is the county seat, one hundred and eighty miles from Frankfort. Red river passes through the southern part of the county, nearly parallel with the state line, and the whole is finely watered with large mill streams, over which have been erected about twenty substantial bridges. The surface is beautifully diversified by ranges of hills, covered with timber, with an occasional Indian mound to arouse the im- agination to scenes of former ages. There are several mineral springs in the county, some of which have become places of con- siderable resort. Wheat, oats, corn and tobacco are the staple products.
Number of acres of land in Logan county, 306,129 ; average value of land per acre, $5.49 : total valuation of taxabie property in 1846, $4,479,903 ; number of white males over twenty-one years of age. 2 050 ; number of children between five and sixteen years old, 2,5%s. Population in 1~40, 13.615.
RUSSELLVILLE is situated near the centre of the county, on the head waters of Muddy river, and on the state road from Louis-
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BENJAMIN LOGAN.
ville to Nashville. It contains a good court-house, one Baptist, one Methodist Episcopal, and one Union church ; one academy and three schools, eight lawyers, ten physicians, seventeen dry goods stores, three groceries, three taverns, two drug-stores. one iron store, one oil mill, one wool carding establishment, one print- ing office (the " Russellville Herald"), and about fifty mechanics' shops. Population 1200. Established in 1810, and named for General WILLIAM RussELL, a distinguished officer of the revolu- tionary army, and owner of the land. Adairville is a handsome village, thirteen miles south of Russellville, and contains one school, three physicians, four stores, two groceries, one tavern, and twelve mechanical shops. Established in 1812, and named in honor of General John Adair. Keusburg is a small village about sixteen miles south-west from Russellville, containing one Union church, three doctors, two schools, four stores, two taverns and nine or ten mechanics' shops,-named after the proprietor, John Keas. South Union is a small Shaker village, quite neat and attractive, about fifteen miles from Russellville.
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