USA > Kentucky > Fayette County > Lexington > History of Lexington, Kentucky : its early annals and recent progress, including biographical sketches and personal reminiscences of the pioneer settlers, notices of prominent citizens, etc., etc. > Part 6
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One charming day in April, Alexander McConnell took his rifle and went out from the fort to hunt deer, in the woods near where Mr. Frank McCallie now lives, on the Versailles turnpike. He soon killed a large buck, and re- turned to the station for a horse, in order to bring it in. During his absence, a party of five Indians, on one of their usual skulking expeditions, accidently stumbled on the body of the deer, and perceiving it had been recently killed, they naturally supposed that the hunter would speed- ily return to secure it. Three of them, therefore, took their station within close rifle shot of the deer, while the other two followed the trail of the hunter, and waylaid the path by which he was expected to return. McConnell, sus- pecting no danger, rode carelessly along the path which the two scouts were watching, until he had come within view of the deer, when he was fired upon by the whole party, and his horse killed. While laboring to extricate
*City Records.
+Ib.
.
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himself from the dying animal, he was seized by his ene- mies, instantly overpowered, and borne off a prisoner. His captors, however, seemed to be a merry, good-natured set of fellows, and permitted him to accompany them unbound; and, what was rather extraordinary, allowed him to retain his gun and hunting accoutrements. He accompanied them with great apparent cheerfulness through the day, and displayed his dexterity in shooting deer for the use of the company, until they began to regard him with great partiality. Having traveled with them in this manner for several days, they at length reached the banks of the Ohio river. Heretofore, the Indians had taken the precaution to bind him at night, although not very securely ; but on that evening he remonstrated with them on the subject, and complained so strongly of the pain which the cords gave him, that they merely wrapped the buffalo tug loosely around his wrists, and having tied it in an easy knot, and attached the extremities of the rope to their own bodies, in order to prevent his moving without awakening them, they very composedly went to sleep, leaving the prisoner to follow their example or not, as he pleased.
McConnell determined to effect his escape that night, if possible, as on the following night they would cross the river, which would render it much more difficult. He therefore lay quietly until near midnight, anxiously rumi- nating upon the best means of effecting his object. Acci- dentally casting his eyes in the direction of his feet, they fell upon the glittering blade of a knife, which had escaped its sheath, and was now lying near the feet of one of the Indians. To reach it with his hands, without disturbing the two Indians to whom he was fastened, was impossible, and it was very hazardous to attempt to draw it up with his feet. This, however, he attempted. With much diffi- culty he grasped the blade between his toes, and, after re- peated and long-continued efforts, succeeded at length in bringing it within reach of his hands.
To cut his cords was then but the work of a moment, and gradually and silently extricating his person from the arms of the Indians, he walked to the fire and sat down.
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ADVENTURE OF McCONNELL.
1781.]
He saw that his work was but half done. That if he should attempt to return home, without destroying his enemies, he would be pursued and probably overtaken, when his fate would be certain. On the other hand, it seemed almost im- possible for a single man to succeed in a conflict with five . Indians, even although unarmed and asleep. He could not hope to deal a blow with his knife so silently and fatally, as to destroy each one of his enemies in turn, without awakening the rest. Their slumbers were proverbially light and restless; and if he failed with a single one, he must instantly be overpowered by the survivers. The knife, therefore, was out of the question.
After anxious reflection for a few minutes, he formed his plan. The guns of the Indians were stacked near the fire; their knives and tomahawks were in sheaths by their sides. The latter he dared not touch for fear of awakening their owners; but the former he carefully removed, with the ex- ception of two, and hid them in the woods, where he knew the Indians would not readly find them. He then returned to the spot where the Indians were still sleeping, perfectly ignorant of the fate preparing for them, and taking a gun in each hand, he rested the muzzles upon a log within six feet of his victims, and having taken deliberate aim at the head of one and the heart of another, he pulled both trig- gers at the same moment.
Both shots were fatal. At the report of their guns, the others sprung to their feet, and stared wildly around them. McConnell, who had run instantly to the spot where the other rifles were hid, hastily seized one of them and fired at two of his enemies, who happened to stand in a line with each other. The nearest fell dead, being shot through the center of the body; the second fell also, bellowing loudly, but quickly recovering, limped off into the woods as fast as possible. The fifth, and only one who remained unhurt, darted off like a deer, with a yell which announced equal terror and astonishment. McConnell, not wishing to fight any more such battles, selected his own rifle from the stack, and made the best of his way to Lexington, where he arrived safely within two days.
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Shortly afterward, Mrs. Eve Dunlap, who had been several months a prisoner among the Indians on Mad river, made her escape, and returned to her home at Lex- ington station. She reported that the survivor returned to his tribe with a lamentable tale. He relates that they had taken a fine young hunter near Lexington, and had brought him safely as far as the Ohio; that while encamped upon the bank of the river, a large party of white men had fallen upon them in the night and killed all his companions, to- gether with the poor defenseless prisoner, who lay bound hand and foot, unable to either escape or resist .*
A large pignut tree, under which McConnell was cap- tured by the Indians, was carefully preserved for a long time by the father of Mr. Frank McCallie, who subsequently owned the land upon which it grew.t
After the capture of McConnell, the Indians annoyed the stations in Fayette county greatly. They lurked in the canebrakes, waylaid the traces, stole horses, butchered cattle, and not unfrequently killed and scalped indiscreet settlers. Finally, the Indians became so bold and haras- sing, that it became necessary for hunters to go out in bands so as to be able to repel attacks.
One afternoon, about the 20th of May, William Bryant, at the head of twenty men, left Bryant's station on a hunt- ing expedition. They moved with caution, until they had passed all the points where ambuscades had generally been formed, when, seeing no enemy, they became more bold, and determined, in order to sweep a large extent of country, to divide their company into two parties. One of them, conducted by Bryant in person, was to descend the Elk- horn on its southern bank, flanking out largely, and occupy as much ground as possible. The other, under the orders of James Hogan, a young farmer in good circumstances, was to move down in a parallel line upon the north bank. The two parties were to meet at night, and encamp together at the mouth of Cane run.
Each punctually performed the first part of their plans.
#McClung's Sketches.
TMcCallie, F.
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ADVENTURE OF BRYANT AND HOGAN.
1781.]
Hogan, however, had traveled but a few hundred yards, when he heard a loud voice behind him exclaim in very good English, "stop, boys!" Hastily looking back, they saw several Indians on foot, pursuing them as rapidly as possible. Without halting to count numbers, the party put - spurs to their horses, and dashed through the woods at full speed, the Indians keeping close behind them, and at times gaining upon them. There was a led horse in company, which had been brought with them for the purpose of packing game. This was instantly abandoned, and fell into the hands of the Indians. Several of them lost their hats in the eagerness of flight; but quickly getting into the open woods, they left their pursuers so far behind that they had leisure to breathe and inquire of each other, whether it was worth while to kill their horses before they had ascertained the number of the enemy.
They quickly determined to cross the creek, and await the approach of the Indians. If they found them superior to their own and Bryant's party united, they would imme- diately return to the fort; as, by continuing their march to the mouth of Cane run, they would bring a superior enemy upon their friends, and endanger the lives of the whole party. They accordingly crossed the creek, dismounted, and awaited the approach of the enemy. By this time it had become dark. The Indians were distinctly heard ap- proaching the creek upon the opposite side, and after a short halt, a solitary warrior descended the bank and began to wade through the stream.
Hogan waited until they had emerged from the gloom of the trees which grew upon the bank, and as soon as he had reached the middle of the stream, where the light was more distinct, he took deliberate aim and fired. A great splashing in the water was heard, but presently all became quiet. The pursuit was discontinued, and the party, re- mounting their horses, returned home. Anxious, however, to apprise Bryant's party of their danger, they left the fort before daylight on the ensuing morning, and rode rapidly down the creek, in the direction of the mouth of Cane run. When within a few hundred yards of the spot where they
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supposed the encampment to be, they heard the report of many guns in quick succession. Supposing that Bryant had fallen in with a herd of buffalo, they quickened their march in order to take part in the sport.
The morning was foggy, and the smoke of the guns lay so heavily upon the ground that they could see nothing until they had approached within twenty yards of the creek, when they suddenly found themselves within pistol shot of a party of Indians, very composedly seated upon their packs, and preparing their pipes. Both parties were much startled, but quickly recovering, they sheltered them- selves as usual, and the action opened with great vivacity. The Indians maintained their ground for half an hour with some firmness, but being hard pressed in front, and. turned in flank, they at length gave way, and being closely pur- sued, were ultimately routed with considerable loss, which, however could not be distinctly ascertained. Of Hogan's party, one man was killed on the spot, and three others wounded, but none mortally.
It happened that Bryant's company had encamped at the mouth of Cane, as had been agreed upon, and were unable to account for Hogan's absence. That, about daylight they had heard a bell at a distance, which they immediately rec- ognized as the one belonging to the led horse which had accompanied Hogan's party, and which, as we have seen, had been abandoned to the enemy the evening before. Sup- posing their friends to be bewildered in the fog, and unable to find their camp, Bryant accompanied by Grant, one of his men, mounted a horse and rode to the spot where the bell was still ringing. They quickly fell into an ambus- cade and were fired upon. Bryant was mortally, and Grant severely wounded ; the first being shot through the hip and both knees, the latter through the back. Both being able to keep the saddle however, they set spurs to their horses and arrived at the station shortly after breakfast. The In- dians, in the meantime, had fallen upon the encampment and instantly dispersed it, and, while preparing to regale themselves after their victory, were suddenly attacked, as we have seen, by Hogan. The timidity of Hogan's party
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CLERKS AND SHERIFFS.
1781.]
at the first appearance of the Indians, was the cause of Bryant's death. The same men who fled so hastily in the evening were able the next morning, by a little firmness, to vanquish the same party of Indians. Had they stood at first, an equal success would probably have attended them, and the life of their leader would have been preserved .*
During the summer, and in the midst of trials and blood- shed the organization of the government of Fayette county was completed. Governor Jefferson, of Virginia, appointed John Todd colonel, Daniel Boone lieutenant-colonel, and Thomas Marshall surveyor of the county .; John Max- well was made coroner. Levi Todd was chosen as clerk of the county court, and held the office for twenty-five years after.|| The successors of Todd were John D. Young, 1807; James C. Rhodes, 1817; James A. Grinstead, 1845; Sanders D. Bruce, 1849; Joseph R. Gross, 1862; Ernest Brennan, 1863; Allie G. Hunt, 1866.
The justices of the county court were successively sher- iffs of the county until the law was changed in 1792.§ The first sheriff under the succession rule was Charles Carr. Mr. Carr was a native of Virginia, and emigrated to this state when he was but ten years of age. He was a private soldier in the American army, under General Anthony Wayne, in 1794, and took an active part in his celebrated campaign against the Indians.
In the war of 1812 he served as captain, and was at one time a prisoner. Subsequently he was a member of the state legislature. He died in Fayette county, at an ad- vanced age. His successors as sheriff's were Thomas Clarke, J. C. Richardson, Leonard Young, A. Young, James Wood, W. R. Morton, Edward Payne, John Bradford, G. W. Morton, Waller Bullock, A. Thomson, Oliver Keene, T. S. Redd, R. S. Todd, T. A. Russell, M. Flournoy, J. R. Sloan, Moses Ellis, J. B. O'Bannon, Waller Rhodes, Abraham Dudley, Joseph Gross, C. S. Bodley, Thomas Nichols, W. W. Dowden, R. S. Bullock.
*McClung's Sketches. +Marshall, 140. ĮKy. Gazette.
|County records. ¿ Marshall.
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HISTORY OF LEXINGTON.
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The proposition of the trustees of Lexington to the county court was accepted, and in December, 1781, "the trustees agreed to pay the commissioners appointed by the court a sum sufficient to build a court-house, prison, and office to answer the present necessity, and grant one square for that purpose."*
But the "present necessity" was such that the court could not wait until buildings were erected, and its sessions for some time were held in one of the cabins within the station. The next house used was a log one, erected about two years after this, on the corner of Main and Broadway, now known as " Yeiser's corner." It was still standing in 1796, and was used at that time by William McBean, as a dry goods store .; A small stone court-house was erected about the year 1788, on the square granted by the trustees, and where the present one stands. Levi Todd, the first county clerk, had his office separate from this building, and used a little 12 by 15 one which stood on what is now called the Wickliffe farm, on the Richmond turnpike. This was destroyed by fire on the night of January 31, 1803, and with it most of the records of the county .¿ The following commissioners were appointed by the governor, "with full powers and authority, to meet at some convenient place, and adjourn from time to time, as they shall think fit, and to summons, hear, and examine witnesses, at the instance of any person who has been or may be injured by the de- struction of the records of county courts," viz: Thomas Lewis, Robert Todd, Henry Payne, Thomas Bodley, James Trotter, John A. Seitz, Walker Baylor, John Bradford, John Richardson. This calamity, and the rapid growth of the city, now necessitated the erection of a larger building, and in 1806 the present brick court-house was built. About the year 1814 it was remodeled and the town clock was put up, and now altogether constitutes the venerable disfig- urement at present so unpleasantly prominent upon the public square and so disgraceful to the county. The court- house can boast of nothing but its associations. Its walls
*City records. ¡Old Gazette. ĮGazette.
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FIRST LOT OWNERS.
1781.]
have echoed to the voices of Clay, Barry, Bledsoe, Crit- tenden, the Wickliffes, Menifee, R. J. and John C. Breckin- ridge, Thomas F. Marshall, and a host of other distinguished men both living and dead.
On the 26th of December, 1781,* the trustees of Lexing- ton station adopted a plan for the town, and the lots defined in it were disposed of by them to the inhabitants, who " were required to pay a proportionable part of the money neces- sary to build the public houses and expenses arising toward good order and regularity in the town."
The names of those who secured lots at that time are recorded as follows in " the Trustees' Book:" James Master- son, William McDonald, Henry McDonald, Samuel McMul- lins, David Mitchell, Thornton Farrow, Nicholas Brobston, James McBride, William Henderson, Samuel Martin, John Torrence, William Martin, Sen., John Clark, William Nib- lick, Francis McDonald, Francis McConnell, Daniel Mc- Clain, Robert Stanhope, John Wymore, Hugh Martin, Da- vid Vance, William Mitchell, Timothy Payton, Elisha Collins, John Morrison, Stephen Collins, Levi Todd, Eph- raim January, Alexander McClain, Caleb Masterson, Sam- uel Kelly, Joseph Turner, Samuel Kelly, John Wymore, William McConnell, John McDonald, Joseph Lindsey, Jane Thompson, John Todd, James Lindsay, Alexander Mc- Connell, Hugh Thompson, James Morrow, Robert Thomp- son, Hugh McDonald, James McGinty, John Martin, Sam- uel Johnson, James January, James Wason, William Haydon, Josiah Collins, Matthew Walker, James Mc- Connell, John M. McDonald, Michael Warnock, William Martin, James McDonald, Alexander McConnell, William McConnell, a clergyman, John Williams, Peter January, Joseph Waller, John Niblick, Charles Seaman, Francis McDermid.
*City Records.
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HISTORY OF LEXINGTON.
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CHAPTER IX.
Trouble with the Indians-Incidents-The War Closed-Lex- ington Incorporated-The Great Invasion-Siege of Bryant's Station-Aaron Reynolds-Battle of the Blue Licks-Ben- jamin Netherland-The Terrible Defeat-Burial of the Dead -Sorrow and Gloom-The Women of Lexington-James Morgan-Clark's Expedition-John Filson-Thomas Mar- shall.
THE year 1782 was one of excitements, stirring events, and mournful disasters to Lexington and Fayette county. The outlook, so bright with hope to others, was gloomy indeed to them. Far across the Atlantic, even from the commencement of the year, the British House of Commons had been ringing with eloquent demands for a termination of the war against the American colonies; but here, on this side of the great ocean, even while those cries for peace were going up, the tribes of the great Northwest were gathering their incensed and desperate warriors, to strike what they hoped would be a final and crushing blow at the frontier settlements. Numerous small scouting parties of Indians were ordered to Kentucky, and soon the woods teemed with savages, and no one was safe beyond the walls of a station. Late in March, a hunter from the fort at Lexing- ton was killed by some Indians in ambuscade near the present Lexington Cemetery,* and a few weeks after, an- other settler was shot and dangerously wounded in a field where the jail now stands, and his savage foe was running, knife in hand, to scalp him, when he was himself shot by a skillful marksman then on watch in the block-house, and
*Tradition.
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LEXINGTON INCORPORATED.
1782.]
fell dead upon the body of his wounded enemy .* It is strongly intimated by one historiant that the marksman who made this famous shot was the celebrated Daniel Boone himself. Certainly, the "picking off" of an Indian at such a distance, while he was kneeling above the fallen settler, and a shot so directed as to kill the one without injury to the other, was a feat not unworthy the grand old pioneer. In May, a courier brought the news to Lexington of Estell's defeat, a calamity which made a profound sen- sation in every settlement, and the more because the bold and masterly movement of the Indians which decided the fate of the day, indicated an advance in military science, which presaged no good to the settlers. Lexington and Bryant's stations were now the most exposed points in Kentucky, and as Estell's defeat confirmed the general im- pression that another Indian invasion was imminent, the settlers were weighed down with anticipations of evil.
At this gloomy juncture, the second board of trustees of Lexington received a copy of the law passed by the Vir- ginia Assembly, at Richmond, on the 6th of May, incorpo- rating Lexington į The law was entitled, "An act to establish a town at the court-house, in the county of Fay- ette,4 and was worded as follows, viz:
"WHEREAS, It is represented to this assembly that six hundred and forty acres of unappropriated land in the county of Fayette, whereon the court-house of said county stands, has been by the settlers thereon laid out into lots and streets for a town; and that the said settlers have pur- chased seventy acres of land lying contagious to the said six hundred and forty acres, being part of a survey made for John Floyd; and whereas, it would tend greatly to the improvement and settling of the same if the titles of settlers on the lots were confirmed, and a town established thereon :
Be it therefore enacted, That the said seven hundred and acres of land be and the same is hereby vested in fee simple in John Todd, Robert Patterson, William Mitchell, Andrew Steele, William Henderson, William McConnell, and Will-
*Boone's Narrative. t Bogart, 226.
ĮTrustees' Book.
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HISTORY OF LEXINGTON.
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iam Steele, gentlemen trustees, and established by the name of LEXINGTON.
And be it further enacted, That the said trustees, or, any four of them, shall, and they are hereby empowered and required to make conveyance to those persons who have already settled on the said lots, as also to the purchasers of lots heretofore sold, agreeable to the condition of the con- tracts, and may also proceed to lay off such other parts of the said land as is not yet laid off and settled into lots and streets; and such lots shall be by the trustees sold or other- wise disposed of for the benefit of the inhabitants of the said town, and convey the same in fee simple agreeable to the condition of the contract: Provided, always, that the lots in the said town which have been laid off and set apart for erecting thereon the public buildings of the said county shall be and remain to and for that use and purpose, and no other whatever.
And be it further enacted, That the said trustees, or the major part of them, shall have power from time to time to settle and determine all disputes concerning the bounds of the said lots, and to settle such rules and orders for the regular building of houses thereon as to them shall seem best and most convenient. And in case of the death, re- moval out of the county, or other legal disability of any of the said trustees, it shall and may be lawful for the remain- ing trustees to elect and choose so many other persons in place of those deceased, removed, or disabled, as shall make up the number; which trustees so chosen shall be, to all intents and purposes, individually vested with the same power and authority as any one in this act particularly mentioned.
And be it further enacted, That the settlers, as well as pur- chasers of lots, in the said town, so soon as they shall have saved the same according to the conditions of their respect- ive deeds of conveyance, shall be entitled to have and enjoy all the rights, privileges, and immunities which the free- holders and inhabitants of other towns in this state not incorporated by charter or act of assembly have and enjoy.
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THE GREAT INVASION.
1782.]
And be it further enacted, That the said trustees shall cause the survey and plat of the said town to be recorded in the court of the said county of Fayette, leaving to all persons all such right, title, and interest which they, or any of them, could or might have to the lands, or any part thereof, hereby vested in the said trustees as if this act had never been made."
The Indian invasion, so dreaded by the infant settlements, was now near at hand. Most of the summer following Estell's defeat had been spent by the savages in perfecting a plan by which they hoped to regain for themselves the possession of their lost hunting grounds in the West.
Early in August, detachments of Indian warriors from the Cherokee, Wyandot, Tawa, and Pottowatomie nations, as well as from several other tribes bordering on the lakes, assembled in grand council at Chillicothe, where they were met by Simon Girty, James Girty, and M'Kee, three rene- gade white men, who urged them to proceed at once to the step they so much desired to take.
The advice of the white savages was quickly acceded to, the council ended with a war whoop, and the Indians, with a few Canadian allies, took up the line of march for Ken- tucky, with the understanding that Bryant's station should be taken first, and then Lexington station, after which they were to act as circumstances should direct. The force in this noted expedition has been variously estimated from six hundred to one thousand.
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