Ella Barnwell | Page 2

Europe. The birth place of this
renowned individual has been accredited to several states, by as many
writers; but one, more than the rest, is positive in asserting it to have
been Bucks county, Pennsylvania; and the year of his birth 1732; which
is sufficient for our purpose, whether strictly correct or not. At an early
period of his life, all agree that he removed with his father to a very
thinly settled section of North Carolina, where he spent his time in
hunting--thereby supplying the family with meat and destroying the
wild beasts, while his brothers assisted the father in tilling the

farm--and where he afterwards, in a romantic manner, became
acquainted with a settler's daughter, whom he married; and whence, in
the spring of 1769, in company with five others, he set out on an
expedition of danger across the mountains, to explore the western wilds;
and after undergoing hardships innumerable, and losing all his
companions in various ways, he at last succeeded in erecting the first
log cabin, and being the first white settler within the borders of
Kentucky. To follow up, even from this time, a detail of his trials,
adventures, captures by the Indians, and hair-breadth escapes, to the
close of his eventful career, would be sufficient to fill a volume;
therefore we shall drop him for the time--merely remarking, by the way,
that he will be found to figure occasionally in the following pages.
From the first appearance of Boone in the wilds of Kentucky, we shall
pass over a space of some ten or twelve years, and open our story in the
fall of 1781. During this period, the aspect of the country for a
considerable distance around the present site of Lexington, had become
materially changed; and the smoke from the cabin of the white settler
arose in an hundred places, where, a dozen years before, prowled the
wolf, the bear, and the panther, in perfect security. In sooth, the year in
question had been very propitious to the immigrants; who, flocking in
from eastern settlements in goodly numbers, were allowed to
domiciliate themselves in their new homes, with but few exceptions,
entirely unmolested by the savage foe. So much in fact was this the
case, that instead of taking up their residence in a fort--or station, as
they were more generally called--the new comers erected cabins for
themselves, at such points as they considered most agreeable; gradually
venturing further and further from the strongholds, until some of them
became too distant to look hopefully for succor in cases of extreme
necessity.
Among the stations most prominent at this period, as being most secure,
and against which the attacks of the Indians were most frequent and
unsuccessful, may be mentioned Harrod's, Boone's, Logan's, and
Bryan's, so called in honor of their founders. The first two named,
probably from being the two earliest founded, were particularly
unfortunate in drawing down upon themselves the concentrated fury of

the savages, who at various times surrounded them in great numbers
and attempted to take them by storm. These attacks not unfrequently
lasted several days, in which a brisk fire was maintained on both sides,
whenever a foe could be seen; until wearied out with fruitless
endeavors, or surprised by a reinforcement of the whites, the Indians
would raise the siege, with a howl of rage, and depart. One of the
longest and most remarkable of these on record, we believe, was that of
Boonesborough, which was attacked in June, 1778, by five hundred
Indians, led on by Duquesne, a Frenchman, and which, with only a
small garrison, commanded by Boone himself, nobly held out for eight
days, when the enemy withdrew in despair. But, as we before remarked,
it not being our purpose to enter into a general history of the time, we
will now proceed with our story.
It was near the close of a mild, beautiful day, in the autumn of 1781,
that a young man, some twenty-two years of age, emerged from a wood
into an open space or clearing, at a distance of perhaps fifteen miles
eastward from Lexington. The general appearance of this individual
betokened the hunter, but at the same time one who followed it for
pleasure, rather than as a means of support. This was evident from his
dress, which although somewhat characteristic of the time, was much
superior to that generally worn by the woodsman. He had on a woolen
hunting frock, of fine texture, of a dark green color, that came a few
inches below the hips. Beneath this, and fitting closely around his
shoulders, neck and breast, was a scarlet jacket, ornamented with two
rows of round, white metal buttons. A large cape, with a deep red
fringe, of about inch in width, was attached to the frock,