xt770r9m3f2n https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt770r9m3f2n/data/mets.xml Young, Bennett Henderson, 1843-1919. 1897  books b92e241b65y64018972009 English Morton : Louisville, Ky. Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Blue Licks, Battle of the, Ky., 1782. United States --History --Revolution, 1775-1783 --Campaigns. Kentucky --History --To 1792. Kentucky --History --Revolution, 1775-1783. History of the battle of Blue Licks text History of the battle of Blue Licks 1897 2009 true xt770r9m3f2n section xt770r9m3f2n 
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Battle of Blue Lick
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HISTORY

- OF T H E    

B ATTLE OF B L U E L ICKS

BENNETT

H . YOUNG

A uthor o f " H i s t o r y of the Constitutions of K e n t u c k y , " President of the P olytechnic S ociety o f K e n t u c k y , Member of the Filson Club

"He who dies for a good cause never dies in

vam"

LOUISVILLE JOHN P MORTON AND COMPANY

1897

  
  
PREFACE.
H E R E is no monument at the battle-field of the Blue A L icks to commemorate the valor and chivalry of those who, on its rugged hillsides and in the Valley of the L icking, gave their lives for the protection of the settlements then scattered over the three counties into which K entucky was divided. T his conflict was the last battle of any consequence In i n K entucky between the settlers and the savages.

i t, some of the most brilliant and courageous men who l ived i n that period of the world, poured out their blood for the common defense. A n association has been organized at Carlisle, Kentucky, for the purpose of erecting a monument to the men who, on that eventful day, perished in that conflict. T he history of the Battle of Blue Licks, contained i n the succeeding pages, was written at the request and for the use of the Filson C lub, of Louisville, Kentucky, as a sequel to the history of the Siege of Bryant's Station, a nd i t is a part of the Twelfth Volume of the Filson C lub P ublications.

  
Preface.
B y the courtesy of the Club, through its president,

C olonel R. T. Durrett, this account is published in separate form and with the hope of creating an interest in an effort to erect a fitting memorial on the battle-field. T he officers of the Blue Licks Monumental Association a re: G. R. Keller, President; Bennett H . Young, VicePresident ; F. B. Lindsay, Second Vice-President; H . M . T aylor, Secretary and T reasurer; R ev. H . M . Scudder, D . D ., Hanson Kennedy, Thomas Hunter, J. T . S. Brown, R. T . Durrett, Directors, and they have u ndertaken to secure a fund for the purpose of placing over the common grave of the heroes who perished there a stone of lasting and appropriate remembrance.

  
INDEX.
Appendix, Attack on Bryant's Battle Battle of B l u e Station, Summary of, . ... . . . Licks   Durrett's Licks   Sequel Statement and Note, Station,     69 1 2 81 2 85 91 89 46 43 13 ... . . . 78 81 93 80 100 64 85 Benjamin Har85 100 101

of B l u e L i c k s     B r i t i s h P l a n of, to B r y a n t ' s

B a t t l e of B l u e

B a t t l e of B l u e L i c k s     B o o n e , C o l o n e l D a n i e l , S t a t e m e n t , B a t t l e of B l u e L i c k s     T o d d , C o l o n e l L e v i , A c c o u n t of, B a y o n e t against T o m a h a w k , B e g i n n i n g of t h e B a t t l e Black-letter Year in Kentucky, B l u e L i c k s B a t t l e     C a l d w e l l , C a p t a i n , A c c o u n t of, Blue Licks Battle   Logan, Blue

B a t t l e of B l u e L i c k s     C a m p b e l l , C o l o n e l A r t h u r , C r i t i c i s m of,

B l u e L i c k s B a t t l e     M c K e e , C a p t a i n A l e x a n d e r , A c c o u n t of, C o l o n e l B e n j a m i n , A c c o u n t of, . . L i c k s B a t t l e     T o d d , C o l o n e l L e v i , A c c o u n t of,

B o o n e , C o l o n e l D a n i e l , A c c o u n t of a n d i n t h e A c t i o n , 34, 37, 50, Boone, C o l o n e l D a n i e l , E s c a p e to H i s O w n Station, B o o n e , C o l o n e l D a n i e l , A c c o u n t of B a t t l e , Boone, Colonel Daniel, Letter rison (same), B o o n e , Israel, Boone, Samuel, to Governor

&b^?$lfr**>
B r y a n s or Bryants Bryant's Bryant's not i n the Station. (See F i l s o n C l u b . ) of t h e S i e g e o f, . . . . Station, Colonel D . Boone's Story S t a t i o n , S i e g e o f, b y A l e x a n d e r McKee,

is85 81

  
v

i

Index.
. . . . . . 78 .80 99 9   35 4 78 . . 4, Letter to Governor Benja71 . 101 100 36-37 28 Station, 4-5 32 33 66-67 . 59 41-42 27-28 56 iv 1 00 23-24    . . 64, 100 .     76-77 . . Station, 91 95 72 19

B r y a n t ' s S t a t i o n , S iege o f, b y C a p t a i n C a l d w e l l , Bryant's S t a t i o n , S i e g e o f, b y C o l o n e l L e v i T o d d ,

Bulger, Captain John, Burney, Simon, B uffalo at t h e B l u e L i c k s Caldwell, Captain W i l l i a m Caldwell, Captain W i l l i a m , L e t t e r i n the H a l d i m a n d Papers, C a m p b e l l , C o l o n e l A r t h u r , o n t h e B a t t l e of B l u e L i c k s , C h i c k a s a w I n d i a n R e a s o n s f or t h e W a r , C l a r k , C o l o n e l , L e t t e r to G o v e r n o r B e n j a m i n H a r r i s o n , . Clark, General George Clark, General George min Harrison, Cooper, Benjamin, Corn, Esau (Evan?), C o u n c i l of W a r o n t h e L i c k i n g Damage Day's at B r y a n t ' s D a t e of t h e a t t a c k o n B r y a n t ' s March by Kentuckians, Day's M a r c h by Indians D e a d of t h e B a t t l e i n O n e C o m m o n G r a v e o n t h e F i e l d , . D e s e c r a t i o n of B o d i e s of t h e S l a i n at B l u e L i c k s , D r e s s of K e n t u c k y M i l i t i a , Duncan, S. M . , Durrett, Colonel R. T., Eads, W i l l i a m Elliott, Captain Matthew, Ellis, Captain William, E x t r a c t s of L e t t e r s     D i s s a t i s f a c t i o n i n K e n t u c k y M i l i t i a , D i s o r g a n i z a t i o n of the M i l i t i a M a r c h i n g o n B l u e L i c k s , . Rogers Rogers,

  
Index.
F a m i l i e s of t h e S l a i n i n t h e B a t t l e F a y e t t e C o u n t y Officers, L e t t e r rison, Ferguson, Charles . C o u n t i e s i n 1782 at t h e B l u e at t h e B l u e Licks, Licks, . . . .
I

v ii
3 69
1 0 0

to G o v e r n o r B e n j a m i n H a r -

Field, Ezekiel, Fighting M e n in Kentucky F i r s t S i g h t of t h e I n d i a n s F i r s t F i r e of t h e E n e m y Floyd, Colonel John, Folley, John F o o d of t h e I n d i a n s at R u d d l e ' s F o o d Rations Foster, Daniel, Fry, John, v ... . J . .. . . ....... . . Prepared F o r t s i n F a y e t t e C o u n t y i n 1782, Station, Station at B r y a n t ' s

100 4 36 4 -4
2

4 100 21 32 ' . 4 100 100 58 20-21, 24-25 99 100 101 101 100 1 00 (Note), Station, . . 11, 14-15 6 99 101 1 00 101

Fugitives     Escaped Givins, Lieutenant Graham, James, Grant, Squire, Greggs, Daniel, Green, Jervis,

T h r o u g h the W o o d s , William,

G i r t y , S i m o n , N o t i n C o m m a n d , S k e t c h e s o f, G r a h a m , J a m e s ( little),

Haldimand, Sir Frederick H a r l a n , Silas, Harget, Peter, Harris, W i l l i a m Hayden, Benjamin, Hinson, Lieutenant

H a r r o d s b u r g A d v i s e d of t h e S i e g e o f B r y a n t ' s

(Henson?),

99

  
Vlll

Index.
62 Station Siege ? . . . . 2 49 49-50 iv 31 32 . . . . 35 44 95-96 19 1 00 iv iv Licking Bottom, at B l u e L i c k s , 35 44 50 50 90 45, 49 96 101 99 . 76, 85 91 78 71 72 68 93 . .

H e r o i n e s W h o W e n t for W a t e r , Historic Importance of B r y a n t ' s H o r r o r s of t h e R e t r e a t f r o m t h e L i c k s , H o r s e s of K e n t u c k i a n s M o u n t e d b y t h e P u r s u i n g I n d i a n s , Hunter, Thomas, I n d i a n S i g n s n o t H i d d e n as t h e y R e t r e a t e d t o w a r d B l u e L i c k s , Indians did not A v o i d Pursuit, Indian Scouts W a t c h e d the K e n t u c k y M i l i t i a A d v a n c e , Indians U n d e r T r e e C o v e r t s at the B l u e L i c k s , I n v a s i o n of I n d i a n C o u n t r y t h e W a y to S u b d u e T h e m , J e a l o u s i e s of P i o n e e r K e n t u c k i a n s , Johnson, Captain Samuel, Keller, G . R., Kennedy, Hanson Kentuckians Reach Kentuckians Meet Defeat

-.

K e n t u c k i a n s K i l l e d a t F o r d of L i c k i n g , K i l l e d Crossing the L i c k i n g , K i l l e d on the H i l l , K i l l e d i n the R e t r e a t Kincheloe's Station Destroyed Kincaid, James, Kincaid, Captain Joseph, L e t t e r of D a n i e l B o o n e , L e t t e r of C o l o n e l A r t h u r C a m p b e l l , L e t t e r of C a p t a i n C a l d w e l l , L e t t e r of G e n e r a l G e o r g e R o g e r s C l a r k , L e t t e r of C o l o n e l S. C l a r k , L e t t e r of F a y e t t e C o u n t y Officers L e t t e r of C o l o n e l B e n j a m i n L o g a n ,

  
Index.
L e t t e r of A l e x a n d e r M c K e e , . L e t t e r s of C o l o n e l L e v i T o d d , L e t t e r s of A n d r e w S t e e l e , L i n c o l n V o l u n t e e r s t h e G r e a t e s t S ufferers , 81, 85 80, 8 9 7 4. 97 64

Watto^'fa^*
List"of K i l l e d at t h e B l u e L i c k s ( K e n t u c k i a n s ) ,

rt, ft.
. . . o f, 60 60 61 65 66 93 93 ' Station, . . 100 28-29 101 100 99 100 1 00 101 . 39, 41, 87, . 100 81 81 101 100 ioi M e n t i o n of 5, 22, 23, . 99-100 1 00-101

L i s t o f S u r v i v o r s of t h e B a t t l e of t h e B l u e L i c k s ,

L o g a n , C o l o n e l B e n j a m i n , of L i n c o l n M i l i t i a , S k e t c h e s L o g a n ' s A r r i v a l at B r y a n t s , Logan's Logan's Logan's Logan's Start to the B a t t l e - F i e l d , M e e t i n g the Fugitives, F i n a l R e t u r n to Station, L e t t e r to G o v e r n o r H a r r i s o n

4 , 6 0 , 61, 6 5 , 6 6 , 93

Logan's Second Start to B l u e L i c k s

L o g a n ' s A c c o u n t of t h e B a t t l e , Marshall, Gilbert, M a n n e r o f M a r c h of M i l i t i a f r o m B r y a n t ' s May, William, McBride, Francis, McBride, Captain William, McConnell, Andrew, M c C r a c k e n , Isaac, McCullough, James, M c G a r w M a j o r H u g h , S k e t c h a n d A c t i o n s of, M c K e e , Alexander, Personal McMurtry, Ensign John Miller, H e n r y Morgan, James, . .

M c K e e , A l e x a n d e r , A c c o u n t of t h e B a t t l e of B l u e L i c k s ,

  
X Nelson, John, Netherland, Benjamin,

Index.
100 54, 56, 1775 to 1782, ... 101 48 4 17 46 42 99 S3. at B l u e L i c k s , at B r y a n t ' s . . . ~. and the L i c k s , . . . . . 99, . . . 100 48 7-8 100 . iii 58 9 7~98 101 17 41 Licks, 62 48 47 101 101 100 26 36 iv Described by A n d r e w Steele, . . . 97-98 1 00 1 00 from the B l u e L i c k s (Note), by Captain Bird,

N o O r d e r of R e t r e a t G i v e n n o r R e q u i r e d N u m b e r of K i l l e d i n K e n t u c k y f r o m N u m b e r s of t h e S a v a g e F o e s ( N o t e ) O fficers K i l l e d at t h e B l u e Licks, O r d e r of R a n k i n g C o m m a n d at t h e B a t t l e of t h e B l u e L i c k s , Overton, Captain Clough, Patterson, Robert P e r c e n t a g e of L o s s Polley, D r u r y Preface, .... Prisoners W h o Returned P r i s o n e r s T a k e n i n 1780 P e r c e n t a g e o f Officers

P r o p o r t i o n o f F i g h t i n g M e n S l a i n at t h e B l u e L i c k s , Q u e s t i o n of W a i t i n g for L o g a n ' s M e n , R a s h n e s s of H u g h M c G a r y , R e p o r t of M o r t a l i t y at B l u e Retreat the O n l y Course Retreat W i t h o u t Order Rose, Lewis Rose, James, Rose, Matthias Ruddle and Martin's Stations, S a l t of t h e B l u e L i c k s , Scudder, H . M Siege and Battle Smith, James, Smith, William at t h e L i c k s

  
Index.
Smith, John S t e e l e , A n d r e w , S k e t c h a n d A c t i o n s of, St. Asaph's Taylor, H . M . , Things Explanatory of t h e L i c k s , 1782, . . . . . . . 6, 7, 12, 5, 7, 9, 10, 10,     80, 89, T o d d , C o l o n e l L e v i , A c c o u n t s of, T o d d , C o l o n e l J o h n , A c c o u n t s of, T o d d and Boone T w y m a n , Stephen, Wilson, John W i l s o n , Israel, Wilson, Henry, Wyandot Indians, Henderson . . . . 15, Young, Bennett in C o u n c i l (Note), 11, 17, T r i g g , C o l o n e l S t e p h e n , S k e t c h e s of . . . 6 5 , 76, 9 8 , A d v i s e d of t h e S i e g e o f B r y a n t ' s

xi

101 101 6-7 iv 2-3 100 33 99 101 100 100 101 45-46 17, 4 2 , 9 9

  
ILLUSTRATIONS.

Bennett H . Young, B uffalo Trace U p the R i d g e to t h e B a t t l e - F i e l d , ... . P o i n t o f A t t a c k b y the I n d i a n A m b u s c a d e , T h e F o r d of the L i c k i n g ,

Frontispiece Opposite " " 36 41 33

  
THE

BATTLE OF THE BLUE

LICKS;

A SEQUEL

TO THE

SIEGE O F BRYANT'S

STATION.

BY COLONEL B E N N E T T H . YOUNG,
Member of the Filson Club.

T

H E R E is nothing more glorious or more heroic in all K entucky's history than the siege of Bryant's Station, The one

nor is there any thing more tragic or more dreadful in that same history than the Battle of the Blue Licks. was the sequel to the other. Hardly had the plaudits of the

pioneers for the women of Bryant's Station died on the stillness of the sultry August air ere summer breezes carried the story of the awful carnage a nd destruction at the Battle of the Blue Licks, from the valley of the L icking, by the buffalo traces, to the settlements on the K entucky R iver. T he learning, the eloquence, and the scholarship of our distinguished President have p laced in attractive and c harming narrative the story of Bryant's Station. You have heard w ith delight his beautiful and t hrilling account of the sublime courage of the pioneer Kentucky women on the 1 6 t h of August, 1 7 8 2 , and now to me has been assigned the task of giving this club some account of that terrible battle, which so left its impress on Kentucky

  
2

The Battle of the Blue Licks.

hearts and homes that a century has not been able to efface i t.* Before entering upon the history of the battle it is necessary to deal w ith a few historical facts and characters, so that you may more fully understand what that battle meant, and what was its cost to the people of K entucky.

jl^y^^^MM^
t

T he slain represented one ( t hirteenth / of the fighting men i n the three counties into which the S tate was then
V-

jf

d ivided.

T hey were related to nearly all the families

within K entucky's borders, and comprised in an unusual ratio the enterprise, the leadership, and the courage of K entucky defenders and settlers. The sacrifice that day made was the most costly which on any single occasion war's demand had ever exacted from the infant territory.
* T here has been more written about the Battle of the Blue L i c k s than any other event in Kentucky history. It is impossible to reconcile all the statements in these many accounts. A correct story of this battle has only become possible sincejr882. The issue of what is known as <     T h e Calendar of the V irginia S tate P apers " and the copying for the Canadian Archives'Jhe H aldimand P apers in the British Museum h ave u nfolded all the facts about t his event, parts of which had remained concealed for over one hundred y ears. T he publication of the t hird v olume of the V irginia C alendar was made i n 1883. Here first became public the Kentucky contemporaneous accounts of the Battle of the Blue Licks. The papers most important and interesting were: L etter of Andrew S teele to Governor Harrison, dated Lexington, Kentucky, A ugust 26, 1782. V irginia C alendar, volume 3, p age 2 69. R eport of Colonel Benjamin Logan to Governor Harrison, dated L i n c o l n C ounty, A ugust 31, 1782. V irginia C alendar, volume 3, page 2 80.

  
The Battle of the Blue Licks.
I t was not jo^rmoch that they had died.

3

Its commonness

h ad robbed death of its terrors to the Kentucky pioneer. I n the seven years i mmediately preceding this battle nine h undred people had been murdered in their homes or gone down to death in (the storm of) battle. the State. In this period as many had died by violence as now lived in It was the suddermess^ of the calamity which It came when every heart was gave it so many horrors.

full of pride at the heroic defense of Bryant's Station. W hen removed from the din and excitement of battle, the offering appeared so useless a nd so reckless, and it d id more to excite public fear, to unsettle public

confidence, and stimulate public alarm than the dreadful array of all the deaths which had marked all the years
since 7", 1775.

Letter of L e v i Todd to Governor Harrison, dated Lexington, Kentucky, S eptember 11, 1782, V irginia C alendar, volume 3, p age 3 00. R eport of c ivil a nd military officers of Fayette County to Governor H arrison, d ated Lexington, Kentucky, September 11, 1782. V irginia C alendar, volume 3, p age 3 01. D aniel B oone's letter to Governor Harrison, giving an account of the b attle, dated Fayette County, Boone's Station, August 30, 1782. V irginia C alendar, volume 3, p age 2 75. R eport of Major W i l l i a m C aldwell, the British Commandant, dated Wak'atamiki (now Zanesfield, Logan County, O hio), A ugust 26, 1782. Haldimand M anuscripts, S eries B, volume 123, p age 2 97. A lso r eport of Captain Alexander M c K e e , who was i n command of the I ndians, dated(same place?) August 28, 1782. Haldimand Manuscripts, Series B , volume 123, page 3 02. A l l these papers are given i n f ull i n the appendix to this article.

  
4

The Battle of the Blue Licks. lo&o
In 1 782 there were only about a thousand fighting of these Five h unand

men i n the entire State.

One hundred and

were in Fayette County; that is, all of the territory east of the Kentucky River and its middle fork. dred^ more were in L incoln C ounty, substantially bounded east and north by the Salt and Kentucky rivers; around the then town of Louisville. its boundary. the remainder were in Jefferson County, principally in and The vast t erritory comprised within F ayette County had only five forts w ithin Savage invasion had caused the Remainder
s

t o b e ; evacuated, and now only Lexington, MeGl  lIan's, M cConneil's, B ryant's, and Boone's were left to assert the demands of the whites for the ownership of the land. G eneral George Rogers Clark was at Louisville; he He had built The boat was the ranking officer in the territory.

the fort at the Falls of the O hio, and constructed a rowboat, on which were a few pieces of artillery. could be pulled up and down the O hio R iver by fifty    oarsmen, to__thejgoint where danger was most imminent.; J ohn Todd was commander in Fayette, Benjamin L ogan in L incoln, and John Floyd in Jefferson County. T here has been quite a difference of opinion as to the exact date upon which Caldwell, McKee, and E lliott, the B ritish officers, accompanied by Simon Girty, before George Bryant's G irty, and the Indian allies, appeared

  
The Battle of the Blue Licks.
S tation. A ugust.

5

L evi Todd and Daniel Boone both say that * / appeared on the morning of the 16th of j Colonel John Mason Brown has it on the 15th. Major C ald-

the Indians

A lexander McKee, one of the British officers, says they a rrived at Bryant's Station on the 18th. of the 15th. well, the British commander, says it was on the morning It is not probable that Caldwell and McKee, campaign, were able to keep very i n their wilderness

accurate diaries, and a careful calculation backward from the day of battle demonstrates that it was the 16th of A ugust when Caldwell and McKee, piloted by Simon They had surrounded it during They had They came like the pestilence that G irty, assailed the place. the previous night.

walks in the darkness, unexpected and unseen.

marched along the buffalo traces or stolen through the forests without having given to any one any notice of their i ntention. They had crossed the O hio R iver at the mouth of the L icking, a place where at this season it \ was fordable, and in a l ittle over two day's time they had reached Bryant's Station; no spy or scout had brought tidings of the coming storm, and when the morning light dawned on the 16th of August, as the men in the fort were about to emerge from the gates for the purpose of succoring H oy's Station, the crack of Indian rifles spoke to tell them that they themselves were besieged.

  
6

The Battle of the Blue Licks.
Before the smoke of the first discharge had ascended

so as to clear the scene for conflict, two gallant

and

courageous men had broken through the Indian cordon and, w ith the swiftness of the wind, carried the story to L exington that Bryant's Station was in peril. Colonel John Todd, the county commandant, was in L incoln County, but Major Levi Todd, his brother, instantly dispatched messengers to all the stations vwest' of L exington, and called upon the men of Lincoln to come quickly to the rescue of the beleaguered fort. ried the news to Harrodsburg, and a little later'to A saph's By St. the night of the 1 6 t h the hard riding pioneers had caror Stanford, and when the sun arose on the

morning of the 1 7 t h the men of Lincoln, under Trigg, H arlan, M cBride, and the Bulgers, were w ell under way toward Lexington in response to the call of their comrades, and when, on Saturday'night, the gates at Bryant's S tation were closed, one hundred and thirty-five of the bravest and most gallant of the men of Lincoln were w ithin its walls ready for consultation and to set out for the punishment of the invaders. W i t h the haste of a r apid courier John Todd had hurried from Lincoln to his own county, and was there now, ready for action as well as for counsel with those who had come to help his people in their dire distress.

  
The Battle of the Bhte Licks.

7
Fully one

One h undred and thirty-five men from L incoln a nd forty-seven from F ayette had now assembled. thircDof them were officers courage. tucky. who in many a combat and

on many an expedition had shown their s kill a nd their In those days, cowards did not come to KenMen who faced the dangers a nd difficulties of

pioneer life were not only heroic, but they were fearless, and of all the band assembled there that night there was! not a single officer or soldier whom death could alarm, I or who was not ready to face an Indian foe on any c all. W hite men then in Kentucky were b rothers; the peril of one was the peril of all, and none hesitated to rush to the defense of any station or cabin where the savage foe h ad come; and the camp-fires which Caldwell and his Indians had left kindled had not died out ere the chivalry a nd comradeship of the pioneers had brought them to the spot where danger a nd peril were thick on ever}' h and. T he situation was one which called not only for courage but for sagacious counsel. sultry and warm, and rendered i n large part in the This even and Saturday more so night, by the for

wooden inclosure surrounding this little army, was spent preparation consultation the morrow's work. A council of war was called, and by the lamps supplied w ith bear's grease, in the cabins and fort, these

  
8

The Battle of the Bhte Licks.
gathered for the purpose of

soldiers and these officers circumstances.

determining that which was the wisest and best under all T he women and children joined in the excitement of the hour, and long after darkness brooded over the fort they mingled w ith the new comers and t old t hem of the incidents, dangers, and triumphs of the siege. T he day and night of this beleaguerment had made heroes of even the tots who clung to their mothers' hands, and the story of the courage and daring of all who had battled w ithin the wooden station was rehearsed w ith s ympathetic hearts and to appreciative ears. T he night had well advanced before any had sought repose on the rude beds of the pioneer cabins, or rested themselves w ithin the open square bounded by the palisades. John Todd, Stephen Trigg, and Daniel Boone were the ranking officers, and around and about them stood men who had spent a full share of their lives in this wilderness, encompassed warfare everywhere by the dangers which Indian experience introduced, and w ith an

which not only rendered them courageous and self-reliant but conscious of superiority as warriors and men. W hat night! a picture for a painter was presented that T he oldest and best versed of all in Indian war-

fare was Daniel Boone, who was then about fifty years of

  
The Battle of the Blue Licks.
age.*

9

T hirteen of these years he had hunted and fought Twice captured by the Indians, thoroughly

i n K entucky.

educated to all their methods and wiles; even then, his record for s kill a nd daring was unequaled by any man i n a ll this country, where every man was skilled and daring. H e h ad already given a brojther and a son to die for K entucky's freedom, and he came w ith another son in his company, and was ready to go where danger greatest a nd foes were thickest. L oved a nd respected by all, and chief in command, was John Todd, who, though only thirty years o ld, had already made a profound impression upon all men w ith whom he had come in contact. H e had been in the great struggle at Point Pleasant in 1 7 7 4 , and endured its baptism of b lood; he had ridden beside General Andrew Lewis as his A djutant General in the Scioto campaign; he had been a member of Henderson's Legislature at Boonesborough in
* T h e date of Boone's b irth is stated so differently that it is impossible to give his exact age. Collins s ays he was born i n 1731 ; F lint, 1 746; A merican B iography, 1735; Marshall, 1746. John M . Pfek, who visited B oone and gathered biographic facts from his own lips, in his life of him, i n the thirteenth volume of the Spark's Series, gives his b irth i n February, 1735. In the genealogical chart of the Boone family, made out by J ames B oone, the b irth of Daniel is given July 14, 1732. Boone himself, while d ictating to John Filson, his first biographer, the events of his life, does not seem to h ave t hought the date of his b irth of sufficient importance to be r ecorded, and     hence it does not appear in Filson's History of Kentucky i n 1784.

was

  
If)

The Battle of the Blue Licks.
he had been one of the men who had risked their he had explored Southhe

1775;

lives to go after powder in 1776;

western Kentucky as far as Bowling Green ' m^i 775; sessions i n Kentucky in 177^; House of Burgesses i n 1777 cennes in 1778 and 1779;

had been one of the judges at the first court of quarter he had been elected to the and 1780 and 1782; he had

been w ith George Rogers C lark at Kaskaskia and Vinhe had been valiant and true He was the most and brave i n all these years of campaigning, of fighting, of danger, of surveying, and of legislating. brilliant and best educated man in that distinguished O nly three years

assemblage, and, aside from rank, its recognized leader. Beside Todd was Stephen Trigg. before he had come to Kentucky as a member of the C ourt of Land Commissioners, but when he came he left all behind him; he made Kentucky his home, and he was ready now to give up his life for its defense. W i t h a h igh degree of intelligence, w ith a s plendid physique, and w ith a chivalrous bravery, he had become noted for his activity as an Indian fighter, and was now Lieutenant-Colonel of L incoln C ounty. He had been one of the trustees who l aid off Louisville, and had also been elected a member of the House of Burgesses as a representative from K entucky C ounty. He had been a Justice of L incoln C ounty; he was a member of a court organized in Har-

  
The Battle of the Blue Licks.
rodsburg in 1781, Stephen Trigg. Close by him stood Silas Harlan. active in war.

11

and no man commanded more of the

confidence and admiration of these hardy pioneers than H e had emigrated

to Kentucky eiglrt^ears before, and none had been more He had commanded a company of spies Six feet two with C lark in the Illinois campaign in 1779.

inches in height, of magnificent bearing, Clark had said of h im that he was one of the bravest and best soldiers that ever fought by his side. In 1778 he had built a stockade on S alt River, seven miles from Harrodsburg; he was one of the men who went w ith James H arrod for the five hundred pounds of powder which had been brought down the O hio R iver for the succor of the pioneers. 1 out on the 7th of J anuary, 1777, passing byfceorgeand B lue Licks, and they had been successful in their efforts to transport this most important of all supplies into the Kentucky forts. the pioneers against He had signed the protest of Company to the He came to KenHenderson and

V irginia H ouse of Burgesses i n 1775. experience he had no superior.

tucky w ith James H arrod in 1774, and in courage and in T hen close by him was Major Levi Todd. John, he was yet a real soldier. W hile

less b rilliant and not so well educated as his brother He had settled a station in

  
I2

The Battle of the Blue Licks.

Jessamine County, not far from Nicholasville, in 1779, and had moved in 1780 to Lexington for safety. H e had been Bryant's captain of the company from Lexington and

S tation in Bowman's expedition in 1779; he had been clerk of the court of/sessions at Harrodsburg m 1777, and sheriff of the county. In the absence of his brother he had hurIt was his inspiration and noble ried the messenger forward with tidings of the assault on B ryant's Station. example that had nerved the seventeen horsemen to break through the Indian lines and enter the fort during the afternoon of the 16th. He himself was on foot, and had been driven back to Lexington, but now he was at Bryant's again to endure all and bear a ll that awaited his fellowcountymen and their allies. M cGary and the Bulgers and McBride were there too. T hey had seen nearly all that was to be seen of the battles i n and about Kentucky, and though less k nown to history they were not wanting in that same high courage which marked the other leaders. T he year 1782 may be justly styled in Kentucky O nly seven years h ad elapsed of the Commonwealth, from the time when ' ' The Black Letter Year." reckoning permanent

since the permanent settlement settlement

women and children came into its borders, showing that the men who brought them had determined to establish

  
The Battle of the Bhte Licks.
here their ^ m e j ^ ^ ^ ^ h r i n e s ^ It was

'3

hardly two years

since the territory had been divided into three counties. A lready the influx of white men into these h unting grounds had alarmed the braver and more enterprising Indians of the Northwest, comprising now O hio, I ndiana, uM> M ichigan, a nd Wisconsin. The Southern Indians, less warlike, in their trading w ith H enderson had received a golden anodyne, and these l ooked w ith but l ittle concern on the peopling of Kentucky (with ) the pale-faced
1

race.

T wenty-two- months befor^ Ruddle's and Martin's stations had surrendered to "Colonel B ird a nd his Canadian and Indian army, backed by two pieces of artillery, and I F ayette was now to bear the brunt of other Indian inva- 1 ^ sions. Before the leaves h ad budded on the trees i n through the souls of all the pioneers, and 1 782 the news of Estill's defeat h ad sent a gloom and despondency scarcely had the horrors of this event passed from the minds and hearts of the settlers, when Captain Holder's misfortune, in his defeat at the Upper Blue Licks, pref pared the public m ind for another chapter of woes, a nd these were to be the forerunners settlers. In the months preceding 1 7 8 2 a new enemy had come to make incursions into Kentucky, and the name of these of the most horrible of a ll that had come into the lives of the struggling

  
'4

The Battle of the Blue Licks.

Indian warriors soon became a by-word and terror to its inhabitants. * T he Wyandot Indians were oftenest discovered making assaults on the Kentucky cabins and forts, and by their courage and cunning and s kill and their cruelty they made the terrors of wilderness life more disquieting than ever before. These Wyandots were a part of the Indians compos( ing the Western Confederacy; they had been known as a fragment of the Six Nations. They had fought the     M ohawks in earlier days, and a century and a half before they had lost their prestige temporarily in a great b attle fought in canoes on Lake Erie, near Long Point, and had been compelled to move further west. eastwardly and had repossessed lands on the Sandusky River. But before the close of the Revolution they had forged their way back themselves of their old The vicissitudes of one They had

) hundred and fifty years of war had thinned their ranks,