USA > Kentucky > History of pioneer Kentucky > Part 18
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The subject of the mountain population of Kentucky has always been a fertile field for speculation on the part of the sociologists. They have been said to be the descend- ants of the younger children of the Virginian aristocracy ; to be the Scotch-Irish of a later immigration than those settling in the Bluegrass; to be Bluegrass settlers whom accident or stress of circumstance forced to settle in the mountains. A minute study of history will show that the beginning of settlement in the mountain was along the roads that ran through the to the Bluegrass. Taverns and hostelries for the accommodation of travelers formed the nucleus from which the settlements expanded. The
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Wilderness Road was the first region to be settled. As for the settlers, they were essentially of the same rank and class as those in the Bluegrass. Early Kentucky rec- ognized no difference between mountain population and that of central Kentucky. Whatever difference exists today is due to the fact that the two sections have developed dif- ferently economically since their settlement.
Kentucky being settled from the frontier regions of the eastern States, did not display so much difference in classes as did the older States. The patrician element in the population was submerged in the overwhelming flood of the so-called plebians. Free land and the equal oppor- tunity for wealth soon leveled any imported distinctions, and Kentucky, instead of imitating the social systems of the south, originated a social structure of the west-where the wealth and power reposed in the hands of the middle class with the upper and lower classes conspicuously absent. The Maryland and many of the Virginian settlers brought slaves to Kentucky, and in 1790, out of a population of 73,000, 12,000 were slaves. Yet slavery in Kentucky was far different from what it was in South Carolina or even in Virginia. Negroes and white men, master and slave, worked together in the fields, marched together against the Indians, and after death slept side by side in the family cemetery. It would be no exaggeration to say that slavery as it existed in Kentucky was the mildest form of servitude mankind has witnessed.
Primitive Kentuckians, whether plebe or patrician, bond or free, lived very much the same kind of life. The houses were all of logs prepared by the very adequate method of felling trees, lopping off the branches and notching the ends of the logs so they would fit together when the house
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was raised.36 The logs were sometimes hewn square, but were quite often left round. The chinks between the logs were daubed with clay, making the house, for all its rough appearance, a place thoroughly impervious to the weather. Sometimes a stone chimney was built, but more often the chimney was of sticks lined with clay. They were, of course, always built on the outside. The floor of the cabin was commonly earthern and the roofs were made of boards rived, generally, of ash. The furniture and utensils within. the house were as rude as the house itself. The bed con- sisted of slabs laid across a number of poles and the chairs were slabs supported by legs made of sticks. The tables were of similar manufacture to the chairs and the eating apparatus that graced them was not inharmonious. Knives and forks were rare; two or three was the ordinary quota. to a family. The plates, etc., were wooden and the intro- duction of delft ware was seriously opposed on the ground that it would dull the knives. Cooking was done in the great fireplace which formed the most prominent part of the room.
The bill of fare was by no means unlimited ; it consisted for the most part of "hog and hominy," and varied little throughout the year. Johnnycake was at first the only kind of bread known to the Kentuckians; milk and mush was the usual supper-the latter often eaten with sweet- ened water. Game of different kinds was sometimes ob- tained and bear meat was regarded as a great delicacy. Tea and coffee were reserved for the sick and were consid- ered as a mark of effeminacy if taken by people in good. health.
36 Doddridge, Notes; Butler, Valley of the Ohio.
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Considering the nature of the remedies given for the various diseases which affected the early Kentuckians, it would seem that there was much inducement to remain well. All the diseases common to children were imputed to worms, and the remedies were heroic indeed. Salt, pewter, sulphate of iron or green copperas in huge doses was the prescrip- tion in all such cases. The bark of the white walnut tree peeled upward constituted a powerful emetic ; peeled down- word, it-formed a cathartic of wonderful power. If any- one was bitten by a snake, the flesh of the snake, if applied to the wound, was supposed to neutralize the poison. A fluid made of boiling chestnut leaves was also a favorite remedy. The great number of cures effected by these remedies may have been somewhat influenced by the fact that the Kentucky snakes (the copperhead excepted) are entirely harmless. Gun shots were treated with slippery elm bark, while erysipelas, or Saint Anthony's fire, was assuaged by the blood of a black cat. It is a matter of record that black cats were remarkably scarce in early Kentucky.
Domestic animals of any kind were not numerous in Kentucky. They were slain year after year by the Indians on their raids. Prior to 1780, when the population of Ken- tucky for the most part lived in forts, the horses and cattle were necessarily allowed to wander through the forests and were taken into the fort only in case of siege. The hogs thus running wild soon acquired a fierceness so great that the panthers and wild cats hesitated to attack them. It may also be observed that they developed a speed which, if properly directed, would have rendered them formidable competitors in the Derby. After the settlers left the forts and erected farmhouses the hogs and sheep were quite com-
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monly kept under the house if it were provided with a floor. Uneasiness on the part of the cattle was always regarded as an indication that Indians were near, and many a fort was saved in this way from destruction at the hands of its foes. For food the stock depended on the fruits of the forest or the cane and Indian corn raised by the settlers.
The clothing worn by the Kentuckians was almost alto- gether of home manufacture. Each household possessed a rude tannery where the hides used in the making of shoes were tanned. Moccasins were commonly made of deer skins, and in winter were stuffed with grass and leaves to keep out the cold. The clothing, consisting of long trousers and a hunting shirt, was home spun and "store" clothing was practically unknown before 1780. A coonskin cap com- pleted the outfit. It must not be thought, however, that the dress of the pioneers was uniform; there were as many variations as there were inhabitants of Kentucky. The young men sometimes adopted Indian attire and appeared in public clad only in breech-clouts and paint. Quite commonly, too, the women and children went barefooted, wearing shoes only on special occasions.
Early Kentucky was as distinguished for its lack of schools as for its disregard of religion. There were, of course, no public schools in Kentucky and such private ones as there were could boast of little but the name.37 The teachers were generally Irish, and their principal qualifica- tion seemed to be a capacity for consuming "moonshine" in indefinite quantities. The alphabet was commonly learned from characters painted on a shingle and other knowledge was acquired in similar ways. Books were scarce, and, as a
37 E. A. Venable, in National Educational Association Report for 1889; Lewis, History of Higher Education in Kentucky.
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consequence, there was much studying together-a state of things resulting in much confusion, inasmuch as everyone studied aloud. The good students were often rewarded by the teacher passing around a bottle of whiskey or a "plug" of tobacco. Unremitting application of the rod was relied upon to remedy all defects physical, mental or moral. These schools were designated as Old Field Schools for the reason that the school building was erected on ground that had been exhausted and thrown out.
Kentucky was, in 1792, in appearance far different from the land of fifteen years before. The forests were fast disappearing from the Bluegrass. Fields of hemp, corn and tobacco dotted the face of the land. Settlement was spreading to the mountains and the Barrens. Indian fighting was rapidly becoming but a memory and of the old leaders only two or three were left. Logan was living quietly on his farm in Lincoln County, full of age and honors. Harrod was dead, treacherously murdered, it was whispered. Clarke was at Louisville, amusing an intemper- ate old age with fancies of future greatness in the service of France. Land sharks had compelled Boone to leave Ken- tucky. Henderson was dead; Todd was dead; Floyd was dead. The Pioneer Age of Kentucky history was at an end.
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INDEX
A.
Adventure, a motive for settle- ment, 27.
Allegewi, 30, 31, 32.
Animals, domestic, 247.
Ancient forts, 36.
Assembly, Transylvania, 91, 100.
B.
Baptists, 243. Barboursville, 44.
Barrens, 3.
Battle Run, 184.
Bedinger, Maj., 154.
Big Bone Lick, 9, 45.
Big Sandy, 6. Black Hoof, 13.
Bledsoe, 56.
Board of War, 228.
Boone, Daniel, comes to Ken- tucky, 50; capture, 52; meets Long Hunters, 55; with fam- ily to Kentucky, 62; with Stoner, 67; in Dunmore's War, 74; opens road to Kentucky, 86; returns to North Carolina, 98; returns to Kentucky, 99; recaptures girls, 104; a captain, 112; saved by Kenton, 115; captured at Lower Blue Licks, 132; life among the Indians, 135, 136; returns to Boones- borough, 136; court-martialed, 148; major, 149; at Lower Blue Licks, 190.
Boonesborough, building, 89; de- scription of, 94; attack upon, 115; great siege, 139. Boundaries, of Kentucky, 2, 170. Bowman, J., 112, 117, 119.
Bowman Expedition, 153. Bourbon County, 223. Brown, John, 220.
Bryant's Station, 152; siege, 184. Buffaloes, 9. Bullitt, Captain, 59.
Bullock, Leonard, 74. Byrd's Invasion, 163.
C.
Calloway, Richard, 86, 112, 114, 119, 137, 140, 142.
Cane, 4.
Carter's Valley Settlement, 69.
Carolina, Western, 24.
Catawa, 7.
Catawba, 7.
Catholics, 241.
Census, Harrodstown, 120.
Chartier, 11.
Chatteraway, R., 6.
Chenoa, 6.
Chenoka, 6.
Cherokees, 19, 32, 56, 75, 83. Chickamauga Expedition, 224. Chickasaws, 13, 162.
Chillicothe, 17, 133, 153.
Clarke, G. R., at Harrodstown, 97, 101; goes to Virginia, 103; secures powder, 105; major, 112; sends men to Illinois, 114; drafts militia accounts, 121; plans Illinois campaign, 122; raises troops, 124; builds block- house at Louisville, 127; builds Ft.Jefferson, 163; against Shaw- nese, 166; brigadier-general, 172; campaign against Detroit, 173; relieves Ft. Jefferson, 174; reprimanded by governor, 183; conduct in 1782, 196; dissatis- faction with, 205; expedition of 1787, 217.
Clothing, in early Kentucky, 248. Cool, Wmn., 50.
Convention, "second" for state- hood, 211; "third," 212, 214; "fourth," 216, 219; "fifth," 220; "sixth," 221; "seventh," 221, 226; "eighth," 226; "ninth," 227.
Corn, raising of, 234.
251
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INDEX
Crops, in early Kentucky, 234. County Government, 240. Court of Quarter Sessions, 119. Court, District, 241. Cresap, Captain, 66. Croghan, Geo., 49. Cumberland, gap, 28; river, 6; mountains, 5. Cuttawa, 7.
D.
Danville, 206. Dark and Bloody Ground, 78. Delawares, 17.
Delegates, to Virginia, about statehood, 215; to Congress, 220.
District, judicial, 206.
District Court, 241.
Dick, Captain, 55. Douglass, Jas., 63.
Drennon's Lick, 61.
Dunmore's War, 66.
E.
Education in Kentucky, 248. Election, first in Kentucky, 114. Enabling Act, first, 215; second, 219; third, 226; fourth, 226. Eskippakithiki, 11, 47, 50, 51. Estill's defeat, 180. Exploration of Kentucky, by Walker, 43; by Gist, 44. Evans, Lewis, 46.
F.
Farms, size of, 233. Fayette County, 170.
Ferry, on Ohio, 129; on Ken- tucky, 158; on Kentucky and Ohio, 223. Finley, John, 46, 50.
Floyd, John, 63, 90, 99, 119, 170, 209.
Food, pioneer, 246. Forts, frontier, 175, 201; ancient, 36.
Ft. Jefferson, 162, 174. Ft. Massac, 127. Ft. Pitt, 65, 110. Ft. Stanwix, 59, 82.
Franklin, State of, 225. French and Indian War, 47.
G.
Girty, Simon, 187, 195. Gist, Christopher, 44. Great Salt Creek, 8. Greathouse, 66.
H.
Hamilton, Henry, 109, 111, 117. Hancock, Stephen, 137, 143. Hard Labor Treaty, 83. Harmar's Expedition, 288. Harrod, James, 59, 92, 104.
Harrodstown, built, 63; reoccu- pied, 90; convention at, 102; memorial to Virginia, 103; siege, 113; county seat, 119; census, 120.
Hart, brothers, 74.
Henderson, Richard, 72; Wataga treaty, 80; to Kentucky, 88; holds convention, 92; returns to North Carolina, 98; grant from Virginia and North Car- olina, 106; at Boonesborough, 166; runs boundary, 171.
Henry, Patrick, 73.
Hite, A., 60. Hite, I., 64. Hogg, James, 74, 99, 101.
Holder, Joseph, 50, 105, 120, 153, 184. Houses, in early Kentucky, 245. Hoy's Station, 184.
I.
Indian Fields, 2, 12. Indian Expedition of 1787, 217. Indians, title to Kentucky, 82; English feeling toward, 28; northern, 16, 178; use by Eng- land, 200; take side of Eng- lish, 72, 108; officers, 110. Iroquois, 10, 82.
J.
Jefferson County, 170. Jefferson, Fort, 162, 174.
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INDEX
K.
Kenton, 95, 99, 114, 115, 138, 167. Kentucky, forests, 2; mountains, 5; rivers, 6; "licks," 8; game, 9; name, 15; origin of popula- tion, 21; roads into, 28; in 1792, 249. Kentucky County, 104. Kentucky River, 7. Knox, James, 55.
L.
Land, Proclamation of 1754, 229; Dunmore's Proclamation, 230; Transylvania policy, 85, 230; Act of 1776, 231; of 1777, 231; of 1779, 231; of 1781, 233; war- rants, 169 Land Court, 159. Laughrey's Defeat, 173. Leestown, 102. Lexington, 96, 151.
Limestone Creek, 60, 105.
Lincoln County, 170.
Lochaber, Treaty of, 83. Logan's Speech, 67.
Logan, Benj., 91, 112, 116, 119, 153, 167, 170, 192, 203, 209, 212, 218, 219.
Long Hunters, 54. Louisa River, 7.
Louisville, 61, 100; blockhouse, 127; fort, 151, 161; fortified, 202. Lower Blue Licks, 130, 189. Loyal Land Company, 43.
M.
Madison County, 223. Martin's Station, 165. May, John, 120, 161, 206. Mammoth Cave, 7. McAfee Bros., 59; Robt., 60, 90. McBride, Jas., 46, 47. McDowell, Samuel, 211. McGary, Hugh, 99, 189, 191, 193. Medicine, early, 247. Mercer County, 223. Methodists, 242. Miami Indians, 19.
Miami Expedition, 196. Militia, 112, 158, 161, 183, 209, 224, 227, 238.
Millewakane River, 7. Mingoes, 9.
Mooney, James, 50.
Moundbuilders, 30, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37.
Mount Sterling, 180. Mountain, population, 247.
N.
Neely, Alexander, 53. Nelson County, 212.
Nepernine River, 6. New England and Kentucky, 221. New Orleans, 207. Northwest, 109.
0.
Ohio Company, 43. Quasiotos Mountains, 5.
P.
Paint Creek Expedition, 138. "Path" Treaty, 79. Patrol boats, 173, 204.
Pigeon River, 6. Pilot Knob, 45.
Piqua, 17. Point Pleasant, 68. Pontiac, 48. Presbyterians, 242. Preston, 63.
R.
Red River, 51. Roads, in Kentucky, 236. Rockcastle River, 44. Roger's Defeat, 160. Ruddle's Station, 164.
S. Saint Asaph's, built, 91; at- tacked, 115. Sandy Island, 32. Scott's Expedition, 228. Sedition, 209. Settlement, Motives of, 26.
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INDEX
Shannoah, 13. Shannopin Town, 45. Shelby, Isaac, 77.
Shawnese, 6; at Indian Fields, 12; in Ohio, 16; capture Boone and Stewart, 52; attack Boone, 62; title to Kentucky, 81; at- tack Boonesborough, 101; cap- ture girls, 104; capture Boone, 130; besiege Boonesborough, 135.
Shenandoah Valley, 24. Slavery, 245.
Statehood, 227. Stewart, 50, 52.
Stoner, Michael, 67, 89, 99.
Strode's Station, 152, 179. Supreme Court of Kentucky, 206.
Surveyors, Early, 58.
Sycamore Shoals, 76.
T.
Taylor, Hancock, 59, 63.
Tennessee River, 6.
Title to Kentucky, 81.
Tobacco, 235.
Todd, John, 105, 114, 119, 162, 170, 189.
Totteroy River, 6. Trails, Indian, 3. Transylvania Company, 75.
Transylvania Colony, boundaries, 78; land laws, 85; Assembly, 91; name, 92; population in 1775, 95; land office, 96; meet- ing of proprietors, 98; memo- rial against, 102; dissolution, 106.
Treaty of 1783, 199.
Twetty, Capt., 87. Twigtees, 19.
U.
Upper Blue Licks, 184.
V. Virginia, title to Kentucky, 81; aristocracy, 22; economics, 21.
W.
Walker, Dr. Thomas, 43, 171. War Road, 14.
Wataga, settlements, 69; treaty, 76.
Wilderness Road, 158.
Wilkinson, James, 209, 212, 213, 216, 221, 226.
Williams, John, 98, 99.
Winter, hard, 1779, 157.
Wyandots, 18, 179, 180.
Y.
Yadkin, 24.
254
INDEX
Shannoáh, 13. Shannopin Town, 45. Shelby, Isaac, 77.
Shawnese, 6; at Indian Fields, 12; in Ohio, 16; capture Boone and Stewart, 52; attack Boone, 62; title to Kentucky, 81; at- tack Boonesborough, 101; cap- ture girls, 104; capture Boone, 130; besiege Boonesborough, 135.
Shenandoah Valley, 24. Slavery, 245.
Statehood, 227.
Stewart, 50, 52.
Stoner, Michael, 67, 89, 99.
Strode's Station, 152, 179.
Supreme Court of Kentucky, 206.
Surveyors, Early, 58.
Sycamore Shoals, 76.
T.
Taylor, Hancock, 59, 63.
Tennessee River, 6.
Title to Kentucky, 81.
Tobacco, 235.
Todd, John, 105, 114, 119, 162, 170, 189.
Wyandots, 18, 179, 180.
Totteroy River, 6.
Trails, Indian, 3.
Transylvania Company, 75.
Transylvania Colony, boundaries, 78; land laws, 85; Assembly, 91; name, 92; population in 1775, 95; land office, 96; meet- ing of proprietors, 98; memo- rial against, 102; dissolution, 106. Treaty of 1783, 199. Twetty, Capt., 87. Twigtees, 19.
U. Upper Blue Licks, 184.
V. Virginia, title to Kentucky, 81; aristocracy, 22; economics, 21.
W.
Walker, Dr. Thomas, 43, 171. War Road, 14.
Wataga, settlements, 69; treaty, 76.
Wilderness Road, 158.
Wilkinson, James, 209, 212, 213, 216, 221, 226.
Williams, John, 98, 99.
Winter, hard, 1779, 157.
Y.
Yadkin, 24.
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