BAELY EXPLORAnON OF lURREN COUNTY, KENfTDCKY
By
FRAi'IK M. THOMAS 1898#
4 The discovery and exploration of that section of Keatucky
Icnown as the Green river country, was no accident of hunter's
chase or result of explorers enthusiasm* It was an integral
part of the great colonial expansion ^ich manifested itself between the years 1765 and 1783. In a local sketch it would
be out of place to set forth the causes of this westward imi-
gration. Sufficient is to say that the treaty of 1765 between
Great Britian and France extended the dominion of the former
over a vast territory west of the Allaghanies, and restless
Anglo-Szxon spirit turned in this direction for the purpose of
conquering nature in her wilder moods.
In 1750 Dr. Walker, a prominent Virginian, in cou^any with
several others made a visit to Kentucky, entering by way of
Powell's valley and a gap in the Laurel Mountain. Descending
the mountain, they found a river, flowing south westerly, on the other side, '^he doctor gave the name Cumberland to both the mountain and the river, which they yet bear, in honor of England's "Bloody ^uke of Cumberland.** (Smith, History of Kentucky, p. 3).
In 1766 that remarkable and redoutable character Colonel
James Smith made a daring trip into the western wild. In his
Life and Travels, written by himself, he says, "I set out about
the last of June 1766, and went in the first place to Holstein
River, and from there I travelled west*mrd in company wi'tti Joshua
Horton, Uriah Stone, William Baker and Jaaies Smiiii, who came from near Carlisle* There were only four white men of us, and a mulatto
slave about eighteen years of age, that Mr. Horton had with him.
We explored the country south of Kentucky, and there was no more
sign of a white man there then, than is now west of the headwaters
of the Missouri, We also ex lored Cumberland and Tennessee rivers, from Stone's river down to the Ohio," )p, 118).
In 1766, then we have iriiite men in less than fifty Tidies of the territory now comprised in the limits of V/arren County, '%e glowing
accounts which they brought back of the beauty and richness of the
country induced others to venture on hunting and e3q)loring trips.
On the 2nd day of June, 1769, a con5>any of hunters from North
Carolina assembled on Reedy Creek, They were John Rains, Kasper l&insco (or Mansker), Abraham Bledsoe, John Baker, Joseph I>rake,
Obadiah Terrel, l^riah Stone, Henry Smith, Ned Cowan Gordan and sev
eral others, Uriah stone was probably the guide, having been with
Smith on his trip. Passing the south fork of the Cumberland, they
selected for a place of rendezvous a spot knovm as Princes* Meadow, near a flowing spring, about six miles from Monticello, in liVayne
County, and made a cati^ and depot for their supplies and skins, which they agreed to deposit every five weeks* %ey hunted far
out to the south and west over the country, much of which was cov ered with prairie grass, and with great success. They found no
trace of human settlements, but many human bones under mounds and
stones erected, and in caves, Gordem, Baker, Sfejasco and seven others, loaded two boats and two canoes v/ith skins and wild meat, and embarked down the Cumberland and Mississippi to the Spanish fort, Natches, and thence home. Others were lost in the wilderness, or reached home aftsr great perils and privations." 3
Many years ago, there stood in Allen County on the Sulphur
Fork of Bay's fork of Big Barren River, a beech tree with these words cut in the bark, "James McCall died Hera on his way to Natchez, June the 19th, 1770." Who was het Probably one of the "Long Hunters* lost in the wilderness and tryin;^ to make his way to Natchez.
In the fall of 1771 and spring of 1772, !t&.nsco with another party returned to the birgin hunting ground and penetrated as far as Big Barren river, -vrtiere they met with another corps of hunters, at whose head were Col» James Knox and Skaggs. Ihey built a house for the deposit of their skins about nine miles east of Greens- burg, near the site of Mt. Gilead Church, in the direction of Colum bia. From the center, they penetrated the prairie country as far as
Barren, Hart and adjacent counties* Some of these bold backwoodsman returned to the settlements in 1772, while the others remained. So long were they absent that they were known in after history as the
**Long Hunters
In the meantime, Boone and others had not been idle in the eacploration and settlement of eastern and central Kentucky. Daniel and his brother, "Squire Boone, spent portions of the years 1769 and 1770 in exploring that section of Kentucky between the headwaters of the Cumberland and the Ohio Rivers. From 1771 to 1773, the Boones tarried at their homes in North Carolina, trying to persuade their families to move to the new country, •jrtiich they described as a second paradise. In Sept. 1773, Boone vdth his o»n, and five other families set out for Kentucky. In Powell's Valley, he was joined by forty other men who accepted him as their leader. At Cumberland Gap, they were surgrbsed by Indians and lost six men, one of whom was a beloved son of Boone. This so disconcerted the party, that in spite of the Boones who were for pushing on, it was determined to winter on the
Clinch River in southwest Virginia. In June of the same year, 1773,
four narties from Virginia, led by Captain ^o^nas Bullitt, Captain
James Harrod, James Douglass and the McAfee brothers came down the
Ohio, ^ey separated at the mouth of the Kentucky River. Captain
Bullitt, with Jamos Harrod, John Smith, Isaac Hite, Jacob Sandusky
and others, reached the Falls of the Ohio, July 8th, and pitched
their ceo^ above the mouth of Beargrass Creek»**
** In the summer of 1774, other parties of surveyors and hunters
followed} and during this year, James Harrod erected a log cabin upon
the spot where Harrodsburg now stands, which rapidly grew into a
station, probably the oldest in Kentucky. During this year. Colonel
Richard Henderson purchased from the Cherokee Indians the whole
country south and west of Kentucky river. This purchase irets subse
quently declared to be null and void by the legislature of Virginia,
which claimed the sole right to purchase lands from the Indians
within the bounds of the royal charter, but great activity was dis
played by Henderson in taking possession of his new entire, and
granting Isinds to settlers, before the act of the legislature over
turned all his schemes. Daniel Boone was eiq)loyed by him to survey
the country, and seledt favorable portions; and early in the spring
of 1775, the foundation of Boonesborough was laid, under the title
of Henderson. From the 22nd of March to the 14th of April, Boone
was actively engaged in constructing the fort afterward called
Boonsborough, during which time his party was exposed to four fierce
attacks from the Indians. By the middle of April, the fort was com
pleted, and within two months from that time, his wife and daughter
joined him and resided in the fort, - the first white women who ever stood on the banks of the Kentucky River. From this time. Boons- borough and Harrodsburg became the nucleus and support of emigration and settlement in Kentucky." This purchase of lands from the ^hero- kees of Colonel Henderson took place at Sycamore Shoals on the Wantage, the 17th of March, 1772. There were present with Henderson. Col. Nathaniel Hart and Daniel Boone, The price paid for what now consti tutes the larger part of three states was about $50,000 worth of blankets, rifles, beads, and other trinkets." The lands bought indluded all the country lying within the natural limits of the Ohio, the Kentucky and the Ciaaberland rivers. In 1784, Boone said to Filson, "I can now say that I have verified the saying of an old Indian, who signed Colonel Henderson's deed at the Wautaga treaty# Taking me by the hand, at the delivery thereof, he said, "Brother, we have given you a fine land, but I believe you will have much trouble in settling it. My footsteps have often been marked with
blood and therefore, I can fully subscribe to the original name. Two darling sons and a brother have I lost by savage hands, which
have also taken from me forty horses and an abundance of cattle. Many dark and sleepless nights have, I been a companion for owls, and often scorched by summer's sun, and pinched by the winter's cold — an instrument ordained to settle the wilderness.^ Immediately after the purchase, Boone left Wautaga to open
a trace or road from a point on the Holston river, not far from Wataga to the mouth of Otter Creek on the Kentucky River, the
future site of Boonesborough. On his way there, he had several
severe conflicts with the Indians, losing seven men. He despatched messages to Colonel Henderson, saying that if he would hold the country, he must hasten with all the forces he could command to the aid of the men in Kentucky# The first of -April, Boone reached the site of Boonsborough, and began the erection of a stockade. On the 20th of April, Col, Henderson arrived, and at his insistance, the fort v;as christened Boonsborough#
A land office was opened and warrants issued under the title in the name of the "Proprietors of the Colony of Transylvania.*
The price of lands, until July 1, 1776, was fixed at thirteen and one third cents per acre.
We quote from Henderson's journal, as it supplies connecting links in the discovery and exploration of Warren County,
**Wednesday, May 3, 1775,- Capt, John Floyd arrived here, con ducted b one Joe Drake, from a camp on i^ick^s river, where he had
Isft thirty of his company from Virginia and said that he was sent by the company to know on what terms they might settle ourlands»
"V/as much at a loss to account for this gentleman's arrival and message, as he was surveyor of Fincastle County, under Colonel
Preston (a rival jurisdiction),
"Sunday, I&y 7th— West into the woods after a stray horsej stayed all night, and our return found Captain Harrod and Colonel
Slaughter, from Harrodstown, on Dick's river# It is, in fact, on
Salt River, and not on Dick's River, Slaughter and Harrod seemed very jocose and in great good humor,
"Monday, 8th— Was very much embarrassed by a dispute between the above. The last mentioned gentleman, with about forty men, settled on Salt River last year (1771), was driven off by the Indians, joined the army under Colonel Lewis that fought the battle of Point
Pleasant, October 10th, with thirty of his men, and being determined to live in the country, had come down this spring from the Monogehela, accompanied by about fifty men, most of them young men without fam
ilies. Biey had ccane on Harrods* invitation, and had possession
some time before we got there.
After much dispute about the respective claims of Slaughter and Harrod of lands to be apportioned to their respective companies,
in order to divert the debate on this irrating subject, a plan of
government by popular representation was proposed#
"The celebrated Transylvania Convention was passed into history as the first semblance of legislative government west of the Allegh-
anies. The delegates were: For Boonsborough—'Squire Boone, Danial
Boone, William Oooke, Samuel Henderson, William 'Joore and Richard
Callaway; For Harrodsburg—Thomas Slaughter, John Lythe, Valentine
Harman and James Douglassj For Boiling Spring—James Harrod, Nathan
Hammond, Isaac Kite and Azariah Davis; For St, Asaphs—John Todd,
Alexander Spottswood Danbridge, John Oloyd and Samuel Wood* On the 27th.of May, this celebrated body adjourned "until the first Thursday
in September, next, to meet at Boonsborough."
Collins, in the first edition of History (p. 541) says, **0n
the north side of Barren River, about three miles from Bowling Gy^en, and about a quarter of a mile above Van Meter's Ferry, there are some
beech trees which indicate the camping ground of a party, perhaps the "Long Hxmters", as they were called. In June 1775. The most
conspicuous tree has engraven on its bark on thennorth side, the names of "tiiirteen persons. !Ihe letters were handsomely cut with some
instrument adapted to that purpose. The highest name is about nine
feet from the ground, the lowest four feet. They stand in the follow
ing order, beginning with the uppermost and descending to the lowe-lst. to-wits T, Hewell or Neaville, E. Bulger, !• Hito, V. Harman, J.
Jackman, W, Buchannon, A. Bowman, J. Drake, N« Nail, H, Skag^s,
7* Bowman, Tho« Slaughter, T. Todd. Ihe date is thus given:
**1775 June the 13**» The apparent age of the marks corresponds with the date. About five steps south of the above named tree, gmd noar the verge of the river bank, stands a beech marked on the north side with the name of **liYm, Buchanan", and dated June
14yi:, 1775.** On the south side of the same tree, there is the name of **J, Todd**, dated June 17, 1775. About twenty steps north of the first tree, there stands a third beech, with the names of J* Drake, and Isaac Hite, engraved, and each with the date "15 June, 177511 Above the names the date "June 23, 1775" •
The names and dates on this tree seem to be as old as any, but made with a different instrument from that #iich cut the names on the first tree, and they are not so well executed. These dates from the 13th to the 23rd, prove that the party encamped at that place ten days.**
Several of our citizens (now living) saw this tree, and there can be no question of a doubt as to its being a genuine historical mark. It is strange that Collins seems in doubt as to the personell of the party. We have already seen who Thomas Slaughter was, ^hair- man of the Transylvania Legislature. Isaac Hite, Valentine Harman and John Todd were delegates to the same donvention. Ihe last named
Jno, Todd was with the exception 6'f George Rogers Clark, the most promising man in Kentucky. He was elected a member of the Virginia
House of Burgesse in 1777, 1780 and 1782. In 1776, he iisked his life to go after powder stored by General Clark on Limestone Creek. H© accompanied Clark on his expeditions to Kaskaskia, and is said by Collins to have been appointed County Lieutenant or Gover- norof the conquered territory. At the age of thirty, he led the brave band in pursuit of the Indians ijrfio attacked Bryant Station and vras one of the first to fall on the bloody field of Blue Licks#
E, Bulger was Edward Bulger, who accompanied Gen. Clark on the Kaskaskia expedition in 1778, and was mortally wounded in battle of Blue Licks. We find the name of Abraham Bowman of Fayett, as the member of the first Kentucky Legislature* Whether Bowman was Joseph ^owman, who was with Clark in the cair^aign of 1778, or the celebrated Col. John Bowman, we are unable to say. As to the identities of Beaville, Kail, Jackman and Buchanan, we have as yet been unable to find a clue.
As to Drake and Skagg;s, vre can speak more surely. Joseph Brake as we have seen was a member of the first party of Long Hunters, and
Skaggs was with the party under Col. Knox. These two met in the wilderness near Greensburg in 1772. They disappear from history for the next two years. Ihey may have returned to the settlements in North Carolina, but is more likely that they remained in the western country hunting and trapping. As we have seen from Hender son's Journal, Drake appeared at Boonsboroug;h as the guide of Col«
Floyd through the country. Being at Boohesborough during the conven tion, he doubtless related to Slaughter, Todd and others his exper iences in the "Barrens", ^he result was the formation of a party for exploring and hunting pur::oses. It is morelikely "Uiat Drake and
Skaggs had ventured into its borders. One fact is evident, the two largest tributaries of Barren River above Bowling Green, bear the name, Drake's Creek, which flows through Allen, n^ar the Barren
County line. It is very fitting that this beautiful stream vrfiich 10
winds thro the eastern portion of the country should bear the namfl
of the intrepid hunter who was either the first white to set
foot on its soil, or guided the first body of "Pale faces" to
her hunting grounds. This cumulative evidence places the origin
of the names of these streams almost beyond the shadow of a doubt*
It is a matter of pride that no caven foot first disturbed
the soil of our beloved county. The group who first explored it was composed of the best blood west of the Alleghanies, They were men of intelligence, some of high breeding and at least two
died like heroes fighting for civilization.
The story of subsequent exploration is soon told, **The treaty
of Henderson had been declared void by the governors of Virginia
and North Carolina, but there still remained hope that Henderson
could perfect his title. The latter persuaded a large number of
inhabitants in the older states to emifjrate to the new countjry,
and we find, Donelson and others from Virginia acting in concert with Robertson, in 1778, or perhaps earlier,*
It was agreed between Robertson and Donelson that the ]a tter was to come by water from Fort Patrick ''^enry on the Holston, by way
of the Tennessee and up the Cumberland, Robertson was to go "tiirough
the country. He finally arrived on the Cumberland noar where Nash ville now is. Here he was joined by Kasper Mansco, one of the original Long Hunters, who after his journey down the river to t^atchez, had gone to North Carolina and returned to his former hunting grounds as a trapper. This is the party for whom Casper* s station in the Cx^terland settlement was named, Firom here, he hunted into southern Kentucky and as far as Gasper's river, irtiich stream bears his name. 11 On Filson's map made in 1784, it is spelled Caspar* -Aiaong the early settlers in the eight settlements on the Cumberland was Jonathan Jennings and his son, Edmund# ^he former was killed just above Hashborough about 1781. Hig son, Edmund, was spared to win undying fame as one of th© bravest of the brave. Phelan says. The marvelous tales of Cooper sink into commonplace when compared with
the wonderful feats and adventures of Spencer and ^dmond Jennings,
the son of the ill-fated Jonathan, and Castleman and Rains and Mansker#" "They were worth a hundred dragoons."
It was Ihis Jennings for whom the creek winding thro the out
skirts of Bowling Green, is named. A very reliable tradition says
that he w s in the habit of trapping along its waters and that the
beautiful cave, near big-pring whence it rises, was his temporary shelter and hiding place from the Indians. Thus have the missing links in the exploration of this fair county been gathered together at last. The tide of immigration toward the Ciaaberland settlements
soon made a road which skirted the eastern boundary of the county, and by the year 1784, the beauty and fertility of "ttiis section was published by John ^ilson to the world. Vfe can not better close this paper than in the words of this Kentucky's first Georgrapheri
"fireen river affords excellent mill flats, and a constant
stream. This is allowed to be the best watered part of i^entucky.
On its banks we find many bottoms, some first rate, but mostly second rate, and third rate lands? and at some distance, aany knobss, ridges and broken poor land. Below the creek called Sinking Creek, on this river, within fifty miles of the Ohio, towards Salt River, a great territory begins, called Green River Barrens, extending to the Ohio River. Most of this is very good land and very level. 12
It has no timber and little water, but affords excellent pasturage for cattle# On some parts of this river, we find abundance of cane, some salt licks and sulphureous and bituminous springs.
South of Green River, in the lands reserved for the continental and state troops of Virginia, an exceedingly valuable lead mine had been lately discovered. Iron ore is found on Rough Creek, a stream running into this river.
That part of Cumberland River, which is in the Kentucky country, traverses a hilly poor land, though in some parts we find good soil along its side. The other rivers I mentioned (vix. Great Kenhawa and Tennessee) are not in the Kentucky country, and therefore, do not come properly within my plan.
%e reader, by casting his eye on the map and viewing round the heads of Licking, from the Ohio, and round the heads of Kentucky,
Dick^s River, and down Green Kiv-3r to the Ohio, may view in that coD5)a8s of above one hundred miles square, the most extraordinary country that the sun enlightens with his celestial beams."