Qass r Book •]< ^ 3 4 6 R ICH AR 1 ) C H ENO \V KT 1 1 The Famous Pioucer Chenoweth Massacre Introduction /^■p^HIS historical account of the "Chenoweth IIL Massacre," near Ijouisville, in 1789, was ^^ read by its author, Mr. Alfred Pirtle of Louisville, Ky., at the meeting of the State His- torical Society on the third of October, 1911. It was listened to with profound attention by the large audience. A number of the Chenoweth descendants were present, and were gratified to hear an historical account of the terrible tragedy that to them had been a handed-down tradition. It will add another interesting book to our series. We combine with it the Petitions and Appeals of the Pioneers in Kentucky to the Honorable Continental Congress, 1780-1783. These Petitions were to have been read at thei meeting of the State Historical Society on the third of October, also, but were omitted on ac- count of the limited tim^e. These valued memorials were obtained for the Kentucky Historical Society from the Mss. of Con- tinental Congress, State Dept., Washington, D. C, by our valued contributor to the Register, A. C. Quisenberry, and are published for the first time, because of the value to Kentuckians of the list of names of the pioneers, from whom so many fami- lies in Kentucky are descended, and some of them are ignorant of the nationality of their ancestors, as many of them are of their sacrifices, their pri- vations and their splendid courage to found a home and an inheritance for their descendants in the then wildernesses of Kentucky, surrounded by savages and wild beasts. Mrs. Jennie G. Morton, Editor The Register. The Chenoweth Family Massacre BY ALFRED PIRTLE Louisville, Ky. 1909 SPRING HOUSE— SCENE OF THE CHENOWETH MAS- SACRE ON JULY 17. 1789. The Chenoweth Massacre /^mi^lilS event was the end of the organized \9\j inroads of the Indians into Jefferson County, Kentucky, and made a decided sensation at that date, but records of it, at this length of time, since its happening, are not full nor easy to find. The name Chenoweth is of uncertain origin, though known since 1700, in America, when John; Chenoweth came ov«r from Wales. Family tradi- tion has it that the name is a false pronunciation of the French word Chenevix, meaning originally, goose foot, a nickname given to one whose toes, two or more, grew united. There lives now one of the name, who says, as a matter of fact, the sec- ond and third toes of his father 's feet were united at the base, that his are, and some of his descend- ants. Be that the cause of the family name or not, the John Chenoweth, mentioned above, married in Maryland, a daughter of the third I^ord Balti- more, by whom he had two sons and two daugh- ters. Arthur Chenoweth, the eldest son, became the father of a large family, whom he reared in Maryland. Richard, the other son, born in 1718 or 1720, migrated about 1745 to Virginia, and not* a great while after married Margaret (Peggy) McCarthy. While the Revolutionary war was in progress, glowing accounts reached the family of The Cbenowetb Massacre the richness and beauty of the country beyond the mountains, becoming known as Kentucky, where lands could be had almost for the asking. The growing family had wants that must be supplied and Chenoweth realized that his knowl- edge of his craft as a carpenter and builder would be in demand in that new country, where the structures would largely be of wood, right from the forest in which the settlements were being made. Lt. Col. George Rogers Clark was in Virginia in the winter of 1777-8 urging on the governor his plans for the invasion of the British territory north of the Ohio river, contemplating a grand scheme of capture that would embrace Detroit, Kaskaskia and Vincennes, His plans were ap- proved and men and money provided. "We do not know how it came about, but Rich- ard Chenoweth, his wife, Margaret, and his chil- dren, Mildred, Jane, Thomas and James, em- barked with other families, at Redstone, now Brownsville, on the Monongahela river, and! under the protection of Clark and his force of] almost two hundred men, floated down to Fort Pitt (now Pittsburgh) and thence on the Ohio river, until May 27, 1778, they landed on Corn Island, in the edge of the falls of the Ohio. With the assistance of the soldiers, a small enclosure was raised on the island to protect the families, those soldiers who were selected to remain, and the military stores. Col. Clark had decided to, leave behind when he started on his wav down the The Cbenoweth Massacre Ohio, which he did June 24th.* The settlers imme- diately on their arrival had planted corn on thd island which gave it its name. When Clark sent dispatches from Kaskaskia, telling of his capture of that position he included in the message an order for the soldiers and set- tlers, to begin at once, and as soon as possible erect a fort on the main land. Richard Cheno- weth was the man selected to build the fort, which was located at a point on the highest bank of the river, near a spring, just where the Conrad Shoe* Company's factory now is, on the south side of Rowan street, not far east of Twelfth street. This fort, the first within the confines of Louisville, was about two hundred feet long by one lumdred wide, having eight log cabins on the east and west sides, the length of the enclos- ure, and four cabins across the ends. Although it was not entirely finished, it was sufficiently so to have a house-warming and the first dance given iri the new settlement December 25, 1778. In 1782 Clark, raised to the rank of brigadier general, began a fort some distance up the river bank from the first fort, and Richard Chenoweth is said to have been a contractor for work or ma- terials in its construction, and the State of Vir- ginia, not paying hun, he failed fimancially. ''The fort here mentioned** was in 1782, suc- ceeded by a larger one, built by the regular troops, ♦This date has been given as June 24th, June 26th and July 4th. The writer takes it that it was June 24th, because the cap- ture of Kaskaskia was early in July. **It was on the bank of the river, near what is now the Northeast corner of Twelfth and Rowan Streets. The Cbenowetb Massacre assisted by the militia from all the settled parts of the district. It was situaited between the pres- ent Sixth and Eighth streets, on the northern side of Main street, immediately on the bank of the River. In honor of the third Republican gov- ernor of Virginia, the fort was called Fort Nelson. Seventh Street passed through the first gate op- posite to the headquarters of General Clark. The principal militlary defence in this part of the country deserves a few more particulars. It con- tained about an acre of ground, and was sur- rounded by a ditch eight feet wide and ten feet wide, intersected in the middle by a row of sharp pickets; this ditch was surmounted by a breast- work of log pens or enclosures filled with the earth obtained from the ditch, with pickets ten feet high planted on the top of the breastwork. Next to the river, pickets alone were deemed sufficient aided by a high slope of the river bank. Some of the remains of these pickets were dug up in the summer of 1832, in excavating the cellar of Mr. John Love's stores on Main Street opposite to the Louisville Hotel. There was artillery in the fort, particularly a double fortified brass piece, which was captured by Clark at Vincennes. This piece played no inconsiderable part in the military operations of this period, insignificant as it may appear to the eyes of a regular military critic." This description is taken from BufJer's History of Kentuckv, edition 1836, pp. 63-64. Riichard Ohenowetli was more or less pronw- nent in the early history of the PaUs of the Ohio, afterwards called liouisville. He was the Sheriff 10 The Chenoweth Massacre of Kenitucky County, Va., at tihe time Clark bead- ed the expedition from Kentucky, that assembled at the m)Outh of Licking River, marched into Ohio, and did such severe damlage tio the homes of the Indians that fall of 1782, that the savages never again invaded Kentucky with as large and well or- ganized body of warriors, though they kept up the horrors of such warfare for about tien years. Th<: story goes that Clark seized a barrel of liquor, and took (it away on his boat that formed part of thd expedition from Louisville. TOiiaiti liquor had not been paid for, when Clark returned, and the citi- zen who owned the liquor, got out some kind of a papei" for the sheriff to serve on Greneral dark, but the sheriff was too wily ib try to take the gen- eral before the court, and directed one of his depu- ties to serve the paper. General Clark said he took the liquor in the public service, for the use of men defending the home of the owner, and lie was ready to go to court if the deputy could t^ke him. amd he had bettler not try it. The deputy was convinced that he could not take the General, under the circumstances. This incident is mentioned to show that Richard Chen- oweth was well known then. Not long after the retfurn of Clark's expedition, Chenoweth, about 1785, became a part owner of a fine tract of land on one of the tributaries of Floyd's Fork, not far from Col. Floyd's station or fort. Jefferson County at that time had quite a num- ber of small forts or stations, as some of them were called. They were none of them forts in the usual semse of the term, because the most 11 The Cbenoweth Maaaacre part of themi was usually wood, cut by the wood- man from the trees felled for the purpose, aind made into rude cabins or stockades, which were logs split, sharpened at the upper end, tall enough to keep a foe from climbing over unless assiisited by a ladder, and put so close together that the edges miet, and the wood was hea\y enough to stop the rifle balls then in service. Such fences were of no avail against cannon, but it was a fortunate thing for tihe early settlers that artillery did not accompany but one incursion ot the savages into Kentucky in the long years that such warfare was so cruelly waged. Ohenoweth's lands were on a rolling country bordering a small stream, not more than two mliles, or three, perhaps, east of Middletown, and some mjiles northwest froim Floyd's Station. He built a substantial and for that time a good sized log cabin, erected a stone spring house over the spring nearest the house, making it a kind of fortress in oaisie of attack by the Indians, and putting in rafters, made a loft to it, and en- 'tered from below by a ladder, or by a window from the outside, if one could scale the wall. He cleared considerable land, and was raising crops the summer of 1787. A great-grandson now liv ing. Dr. W. J. Chenoweth, of Decatur, HI., says : "The family had now been living at their cabin long enough to plant corn, sow wheat and rye and build fences, and feel secure from In- dians. ' ' A daughter Naomi was bom after they settlled in Louisville, but the date is not obtain able, and she was at least about six years old. 12 The Chenoweth Massacre Dr. Chenoweth says: ''One morning in June, 1787, after a shower of rain in the night, they (the family) discovered that their horses were not in the barn. Seeing plain tracks along fhe road, they followed them about a mile when they discovered the animlals grazing at the jmiction of the corn field and a field of rye, and VhUe leis- urely approaching them were suddenly shot at from a sink hole not many feet distant. James Chenoweth, grandfather of Dr. Chenoweth, then ton years old,* accompanied his father and uncle in their hunt for the horses and seeing the In- dians as they arose from their hiding places, struck out for home, the Indians following, evi- dently intending to capture him,. But finding he ran too fast for capture, shot at him with bow and arrow, the arrow carrying an iron head. Pull- ing the arrow from his hip while rimning, he imet Ms mother (who had heard the report of the guns) with tiwo guns in her armls speeding lo meet her husband. Jim, as he was called, cried out to her : ' ' They killed Dad and Gid, but they didn't catch me." He had mjade what he claimed in telling the story, "a stiraight shErt tail" — his only clothing was a tow linen shirt. When Jaanes pulled the arrow from his wound after being shot, as before stated, he did not realize that part of the head remained in the wound, which for a long timje pained him so severelv that he was convinced that something *Born in Berkley County,, Va., May 17, 1777. 13 The Cheaoweth Massacre had been left in his hip, and Dr. Knight from Louisville was oailled in to remove whaitever (might be tJh'e object. The following account given by him to a grandson, shows how dreadfully our ancestors suffered when a surgical operation was i.)er- formied. "The doctor placed him on a chair, with his face to the back of it, and without giving an opi- ate or miaking any attempt to alleviate the pain, cut dovm to the object and removed an iron ar- row head which had penetrated to the bone, and turning, was coursing its way out. The wound healed rapidly and he soon became stronger than he had ever l>een." He was mistaken; his father and uncle had evaded the Indians by hiding in the rye field, His mother had heard the shots, and divining the cause, had hurried out to give aid. Thomas Chenoweth, the boy older thatn James, (some timie before the adventure of James \Vith the Indians), was riding one day homeward from the mill with the meal made from the com he had taken to be ground, mounted on a gentle horse to which he was so mfuch accustom ed that he was lying back on the bag of xfxet\\ with his legs stretched out towards the horse's head. Though barefooted, he had fastened a pair of spurs to his ankles, which were hanging on each side of the neck of the animal, which stumbled, throwing Thomas forward onto the horse's neck. Instinctively Thomas clasped his legs aroimd the neck, causing the spurs to gouge the horse, 14 The Chenoweth Massacre whicli sprang foi"ward, depositing the boy on the ground. Kising to pursue the horse, Thomas found several Indians around him, who mjaide him their prisoner, and took him to the home of their tribe in Ohio, where he remained for years until exchanged for an Indian chief, who had been held in captivity by the whites some time. Thomas therefore, could not have been at home when the Indians made their foray upon it. He had be come so much of an Indian in manner and habits that it required years of residence among the whites to remove the miost of the traces of his life aonong the savages. It is far from easy to extract from the vari- ous accounts preserved and tbld, the story of what happened to his family two years after the attack stated above. Let u'si see if we can imagine the famlily at supper on July 17, 1789. Richard Chenoweth and Peggy, his wife, Mildred, James, Jane, «n.d Naomi, and a man nam'ed Bayless, who with John Rose, a well known man in the neighborhood, were either guards or working men. There were, besides, several slaves on the place, for the hard work of farming was largely done by the negroes who im- migrated with their masters' families from Vir- ginia. You must never lose sight of fhe fact that all the face of the country was covered by great trees that had to be remioved with hard labor, be fore buildings could be built', roads opened or fields made ready for farming. We of the pres- ent day cannot estimate the arduous, never end- is The Chenoweth Massacre ing, continuous struggle waged by our ancestors to give us the land we live in, under the skies of Old Kentucky. The negroes are not mentioned in the accounts of the attalok and resulting dis aster to them save mlosit casually, as if they were units only in the general result. While the family were at supper on the even- ing of July 17, 1789, lingering over the table, they were suri)rised by a party of sixteen Shawnee In- dians, suddenly opening the door and nishing in. As the door swung back, Mr. Rose jumped behind it, and in the dreadful confusion he slipped out un- discovered and escaped. The children, except Naomi, who was in bed, and the rest of the party, struggled out of the house at various points. Rich- ard Chenoweth and Millie were wounded, the girl in the arm, but they made their way to the spring house, or into tihe woods. What became of Jane, does not seem to have been recorded. James was asleep in a chair near the door, leaning againsc the wall, but he was thrown tlo the floor, and he fled, but not before the Indians had given him a terrible blow with a tomahawk, making a wound from the hair almost down to his cheek. Dr. Chen- oweth hiah printed a brief statement of the tradi- tion given him by his grandfather, James (the boy). *'He first hid in a log-heap of fire wood, and an Indian dog walked over the woodpile evidently scenting him, but finally left without finding him. After the Indians had left the cabin he got from his hiding place and started for the block house at Middletown, but lost his way, and crouched be- tween the rooitls of a} large beech tree. He had 16 The Chenoweth Mass&cre l^een tliere but a, few inlinutes until his do^ came up and licked his hands and face. Putting hia hand tio his face to ward off the dog he discovered his face wtas so covered with blood, that he was certain he had been cut with a scalping knife ; put- ting Ms hand tk) his head, expecting to come in contact with the raw surface of his skull, he was greatly relieved to find his scalp had not been ftiaken. When daylight enabled him to find the road, he started for the fort. He had gone but a short distance when he miet an armed company, going tto look for the dead at the scene of the mas- siacre. ' ' Mrs. Chenoweth (Feggy) had been shot with an lairrow as she fled and fell some distance from the house in the direction of the spring hou-se. It becomes necessary now to bring in here an account of the awful torture of this remarkable woman, which the writer of this sketfeh found in an unfinished manuscript now in the hands of Col. E. T. Durrett, written by the late Gov. Charles Anderson who lived at and founded the town of Kuttawa, Ky., and was for years a member of the I^lson CEub. (See Appendix.) He intended to write the life of his father, Richard Clough Anderson, of Virginia, whose family have been so illustriously connected with the history of Kentucky and Ohio, but it seems Gov. Anderson, either did not complete the work, or the manuscript has been partly lost. In 1789, Riclmrd Clough Anderson lived in a fine double log cabin, at a place he named ** Sol- dier's Retreat" about two miles west of Middle- 17 T/w Chenoweth Massacre town, which would make it nearly five miles from Ohenoweth's station, as that spot was northeast of Middletown about three miles. Gov. Andersion tells the story in the sityle peculiar to his pen, in such an interesting man- ner, that it is all introduced here. The letter he speaks of is one to some member of the fa/mily back in Virginia. From an unfinished manuscript left by tfhe late Ex-Grovemor Charles Anderson, of Koittawa, Ky.: "This letter contains another perhaps val- uable historic point — the massacre at Chenoweth 's Station (some two miles northeast of Middle- town on "the divide" between Beairgrass and Floyd's Fork.) By this letlter we discover that its date was just before August 22, 1789.* My father led the company to attack the savages if access- ible and to rescue and to save, if possible, the captives or wounded. "Tlie Battle of Blue Licks (Aug. 18, 1782) closed the epoch of great warfare between the Indians aind the pioneer settlers in Kentucky. Occasional forays by small volunteer parties of Indians still for a few years continued to alarm, plunder and often to nmssacre our people. .Such a party in the summer of 1789 had penetrated the Pond settlement and with Little Mischief had re crossed the Ohio River above Salt River. An- other like savage foray was miade in the Pond settlement. They were pursued into Indiana Ter- ritorv bv Col. Wm. Christian (the beloved *The official report to the Government makes it July 17, 1789. 18 The Ch»DOwetb Massacre brother-in-law of Patrick Henry) with Alexander Scott Bullitt and dtHier friends. In this unfortu- nate expedition the gallant, generous and pure- minded philafnthropist and hero, Col. Christian, was slain. Col. (Major!) Hardin marched with a small body of volunteers to punish that party and they killed two Indians and returned in safety. The former event was a tragic and grievous one to our nearest neighbors and best friends, tlie mourning Christian and Bullitt families. But this expedition to i. e. Chenoweth Station came still closer to Col. Anderson's family. William Clark then sixteen (?) years old, was an appren tice in the surveyor's business in his offjce. ''Lit- tle Billy" as his sister calls him in her contem- porary letter, volunteered and was permitted by his governors to march in this hazardous affair. But a betJter fortune than the Christian expedition ensued, and so it turned out that Master Billy's very red scalp was saved to invite the admiration of the Indians long afterward from the mouth of the Missouri River to that of the Columbia. The hero of the Lewis and Clark expedition has told the writer that Wis red hair was often fingered and felt by warrior hands to discover if its wonderful color was painted or real, and their mouths seem- ed almost watered at the thought of lifting such a scalp-trophy as that. Of all their many and grand surprises of this pioneers' expedition of civilization, its cannon, etc., nothing so amazed and delighted all these nations clear to the mighty Oregon, "which hears no sound save his own dashing," excepting alone Captain Clark's black 19 The CbtDowetb AfAssacre slave (York), as did these gloriously red scalp locks. They often imitated its brilliancy by ver- milion paints^n the horse hairs of their calumets but, thank God, the genuine article was permitted by a special Providence to be worn on the honored head of this most genial and kindliest of uncles to his honored tomb at St. Louis on Sept 1, 1838. And tfhis brings us to the Chenoweth Massa- cre of our letter. It must have occurred, as before noted, in July or August, 1789, and wais probably the very last! of these tragic disasters in Ken- tuicky. I give as much of the tradition as I can recall. My father was then living in a double log house at Soldier's Retreat. A little before mid- night his vigilant wife heard moccasins approach- ing the door and awakened her husband with the alarm of "Indians!-' He took his rifle from its rack at the head of the bed and demlanded "Who's there." The instant rejyly was (as I remember it) "John Rose." The inquirer knew the voice, but being a little doubtful whether Rose as a pioneer of an Indian party might not be overawed by his captors in order to save his own life, to gain free admittance for them, started to cross question his neighbor, when Rose cut short all doubts and fears by vehemently exclaiming "For God's sake, Col- onel, let me in. I am just from Clienoweth's Sta- tion where the Indians have massacred every Hv- ing soul." There was a traveller from Virginia, one William Elliott, asleep upstairs. He was in- stantly awakened and liis horse ordered, and he was sent to some more distant station down the Creek — Floyd's or Stlurges, perhaps — and Rose 20 The Chenoweth Mass&cre was sent afoot to Lynn's station at the Big Spring, soane half a mile away across the Va^lley. Tihe county records claim the name of Lynn's Station for my father's purchase of the 900 acres from Col. Peyton Short. Nevertheless the then actual station was at the site afterwards and so long owned and occupied by his brofther-in-law, Ensign Robert Tompkins and his charming family. In a few hours the little j>arty of rescuers or avengers were on their march for the expected dreadful scene of carnage, and being only some four miles distant they reached it about' the morning dawn. As they were approaching the clearing they dis- covered a little fugitive boy of some six years old trying to hide or escape from; tlhem. My father recognized little Jimmy even through the matted blood on his hair and face. He had a horrid gash from a tomahawk which extended from the roots of his liair, through his forehead and down per- haps across his cheek. He calmed the child's fears, who was only afraid, he told them, that sup- posing him for an Lidian boy from his red face the white soldiers would kill him. My father took him on the pommiel of his saddle and rode on to the station. There was a scene of more silent desolation. The cows and calves, dogs and hogs, were apparently slaughtered. The house had been set on fire but the flames had died out. I have no recollection (strange to say) of the corpses, if any, seen there. I miust refer to the hisltories. if any, to settle their numbers, but my recollection, contrary to the statement in such matters later, was that the man killed or captured was a travel- 21 The Chenoweth Massacre mg soldier wlio had reached the station only thai day and not a hired hand, but he may have been both soldier and a hired hand. And the other story was only colored into a proper romance by the free fancies of ns traditioners — white or black. In tHie house they saw a little girl, some three or four years old, sitting on a mattress on the floor in a comer of the room, with her pussy in her lap. Our tradition in order to make the tragedy as perfect! and charming as possible almost al- ways had it a tolmiahawked kitten. Some of the re- peaters of this "o'ertrue tale" kept pussy alive for better ending, but this little girl certainly did speak and say, "we are all dead here. Colonel, but me." Our worthy traditioners alwaj^s add "and my pussy," and this is how sihe escaped the universal fate, as she and Rose then believed. An Indian seeing the mattress on the flooj" but seeing no one on it lifted it by the neair edge, rip- ped it open with his scalping knife and threw it back, with its loosened enfranchiised feathers upon the floor. Tliis awakened poor little Jimmty (if that was his name) ; one vigorous slash of the tomahawk into his thin little skull sufficed to finish him as the warrior supposed, and his little scalp was too little to briag or dlalnce over. But as we have seen and shall soon see, little Jimmy was by no means finished by that blow. As for little Naomi his bed-fellow% she blissfully and therefore safely slept through it all and so was saved with or without her pussy, as the case may be, or other- wise, as the reader miay prefer the different mem- ories of these two factions in the respective ver- 22 The Cbenoweth Massacre sio'iis, and each reader m!ay se'lect for him or her- self. As for this historian, he spoils Naomi's speech in complete justice to those Indian heroes. He oould not in hisi childhood believe that they would leave any creature alive upon which they had their eyes, and, besides, is it not a most pa- thetic pidture that of Naomi's constancy in loving* and petting her dead "pussy?" But let the read- ers * ' take their choice. ' ' After some searching they found poor Mrs. Chenoweth lying more dead than alive in the upper story of a little spring house. She had been shot as she ran, with an arrow between her shoulder-blades and stlumbling, fell. The Indian, probably supposing her killed, drew out his alrrow and at once placing his foot upon her, began his triumphant work of the scalping, and as her full head of jet-black hair composed a grand trophy, he cut from her that entire crown of woman's glory and as she tlold my father, th^tt savage surg- eiy was executed by the very dullest and jagged- est knife she had ever felt. Douibtless she was imade to regret that the benevolent British Indian traders had not supplied the Indians with whet- stones along with their scalping knives of better metal. At last, however, this ''Love's shining circle" was finished throughout its ruby line just above her ears, and thereupon, taking his bloody blade between his teeth, he leaned his entire weight upon the foot upon the arrow-wound in her back and by mlain force of both hands inter- tAvined in her ''gory locks ^' he tore off and strip- ped away the entire scalp from her naked skull. 23 The Chenoweth Massacre He then struck it tVice with the butt of his tonia- hawk, and all this time of her flight, wounding, fall and scalping, this woman was more than per- fectly — she was vividly conscious of its every moment and she feared and suffered throughout all without a shriek or murmur to suggest to her foe that she was living. You may cant in your speeches or poetise in your writing, to the fullest extent of your enthusiasm or affectations of it, ye gushing orators and poets, but where amongst your male heroes ''from the Macedonian to the Swede" can you parallel the heroism of this back- woods woman! It was a rare instance, indeed, in all history! But it must not be forgotten that these pioneer forests shadowed perhaps many women of that type— her like though perhaps not her equal. My father, who is said to have occupied some of his "too much time" as a pioneer in studying medicine and surgery, dressed Mrs. Chenoweth 's and little Jimmy's wounds and speedily set forth with his little band in pursuit of the Indians. But they were too well aware of their extreme danger in so late and distant an expedition to delay much "in the order of their going." Indeed, they rather fled than marched in their shortest time to their own part of the wilderness, beyond the Ohio. Thej^ were easily pursued to the crossing of Floyd's Fork due north, where the footprints confirmed their other signs tliati their numbers were at least equal to those of their pursuers, and as the op- posite hills and thickets would give them the infinite advantage of a safe ambuscade should 24 The Chenoweth Massacre they desperately elect to delay for battle, the Colonel (piamfully remiembering doubtless not only the ambushment and destruction of his friend Floyd's party in that immediate neighborhood, but the still more recent and terrible massacre at Blue Licks) decided with un'atnimous votes of his followers (for such was then the usage of military discipline in pioneer warfare) that discretion **was here" the better part of valor. Wherefore, and (let us hope) being also urged by the prompt- ings of his ardent pity for the suffering woman and boy beliind him, decided on not a retreat but a re- turn. These sufferers were accordingly conveyed to "Soldier's Retreat" where under the surgical supervisions and prescriptions of the host and lov- ing nursing of his young wife, they were soon restored to their pristine health and spirits. But the woman was, and but for the early use of caps would have remained, a startling if not funny spectacle. Our Bible avers that the woman is the glory of miam, and if a woman have long hair "it is a glory to her." "It is a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven." But here had these God- less, impious savages shorn for her lifetime this, her crown of glory, as sleek as a peeled onion. The grotesque oddity of her appearance was said to hiafv^e been beyond any picturing by words. The first excitement and alanm from this bold and lately expected foray was both great and wide-spread. Partly from the extreme haste of these dus,ky warriors and in part, perhaps, from a sort of timed prudential policy, comparatively little harm was really done, but Rose's extrava- 25 The Cbeaoweth Maseacre gant panic was noiti singular. Our childhood's tradition assured us (amd what child at all doubts his own precious traditions?) that Milly Cheno- weth was at t(he cow-pen (ailways pronounced *'cuppen") with a beau as a guard, engaged in milking, when they heard the horrid onset at the house. Whereupon both fled in wildest terror to Soldier's Reiireat, where still bereft of their senses, they hid themselves in our spring house. Doubtless, this tradition, whether of blatck or white origin, with the customiary and native aver- sion of traditions to the truth, was a great ex- aggeration if not a lie cut out of the whole cloth. But the coining of it (if it were false) proves at least the extent of the first general terror, upon which the inventor of it relies for an easy credence. To finish for vafcrious kinsfolk our little romance — *'an o'er true tale", indeed — the Chen- oweths soon left Jeffe^rson Ooimty and settled in Lincoln, as I always heard, having* no idea then where ** Lincoln" was. I never recdved the pub- lished tradition, that my father in his trip to Vir- ginia, by a mere acicident! fell upon his early friend jamd patient in her far off Virginia home, though of course it may be true. She once certainly visited our later family, almlost within my mem- ory, but (and!) my eager romance-loving imagi- nation fondly pictures it as a personal memory. Naomi, now becomie an old maid, somehow and somewhere or other attracted the veteran love of an old neighbor, one of the most sensible, honest and worthy citizens of tlhe county near Bruners- town (JefPersontown, it is now more elegantly 2e The Cbenoweth Mtuasacre called) and they were mlarried. I suppose our pix)- bate records will show that one of the first suits my brother Larz had in his large law practice (Pirtle and Anderson) was in 'the settlement of her side of the good estate of that most excellent man — she left no children. "VN^ien and where she died I do not know. But some time late in the fifties our little Indian-faced boy, Jimmy Cheno- weth, again suddenly emerges into the clean light of history. His son, a friend and client of the writer, brought his aged father, with no trace or shadow of the Beargrass life upon him except that tom'ahalwk gash in his forehead and cheek, to close his long life in the more welcome home of his excellent and pious son. And, strange ac- cident of chances, that home was on Pike Street, in Cincinnati, just opposite to the residence of my brother Larz. Unluckily for me — and a few readers may sunnise for themselves, also — I was absent in Texas during that interest- ing episode, but my brother and his crowd of little boys always athirst for '*real, sure Injun stories" most industriously pumped dry all the good old- man's memories and traditions about this tragedy of Chenoweth's Station. I have reserved for this connection one of these which I first gathered from this last memoir. After describing the gen- eral details pretty much as above given, old Mr. Chenoweth said that his mother often told him that she fully believed that her life was, after all, saved by the special interposition of Providence, in this wise : With her eyes almost blinded by the blood from her torn and naked skull, with her con- 27 The Chenoweth Maasacre sciousness for the first time greatly disturbed if not actually paralyzed by those hard blows of the tomahawk upon her head, then unshielded by hair or skin, and in a state of consequent half reckless despair, crawling along, she felt her dark, or dark red, way to her chosen hiding place over the spring house. But when at last, so wearily, faint - fully and painfully (for each stretching out of that arm or a leg gave a spasm of keenest pain to its wounded shoulder blade), she had reached the end of her narrow plank bridge, she found herself utterly unable to rise for walking above it or to crawl upon it over the rocky chasm. "What shall I do — what can I do — to save my life from these fiends in human shape?" she said to herself, (was her despairing but most silent last thought.) And there she lay in hopeless, blank despair, when two very different events startled her at- tention. The first was the wide flashing light from the kindling flames of the bed straw with which the Indians attempted to burn her beloved home, and their loudest war whoops with which they greeted this finishing of their deadly and tri- umphant devil's work. And the next event (for it became one) was as she now beheld in this liv- ing illumination that narrow pathway upon the plank and actually felt herself impelled by those horrid yells into a more resolved effort to escape over it. Just at this strange crisis between blind- ness and vision, between despair and a faint and fearful hope, without the least link or clue of as- sociation — there gleamed into her very soul a flash of memory, far brighter than the flames of 28 The Chfuowfth Massacre lier kindling home — these lines from a dear but forgotten old hymn — ' ' Jesus can make my path to shine" — and she ever said that she knew this was an inspiration from her Saviour, and therefore she firmly and as an act of faith, like Peter's walk upon the water, holding his Savior's hand, arose and safely walked that plank into salvation. Some of us lack the faith to accept hers. We may doubt, therefore, the divinity of that message or inspiration, but our coolest or most skeptical com- mon sense need not doubt that the natural influ- ence of these two conspiring events might have at •once encouraged and empowered her to undertake and perform that final effort. As for myself, I must think that this real heroine's explanation is by far the nobler of the two. Although in my other odd literary tastes I have a peculiar fondness for the exalted poetry of olden religious poems, I am and have been wholly unable to remember or to find this line from Mrs. Chenoweth's treasury. Neither did my brother remember it. It may be that my quot- ing of it from him is erroneous. His own memory •of words or in philology in general was so very wonderful that I know if there be an error in this repetition of it, that it must be my own, but I leave it for other living lovers of our old hymns to track up this now precious line to its native bed. It ought to be made classic with the devo- tees of Kentucky Pioneer History. Captain Chenoweth seems to have been one of the very first pioneers to the Falls of the Ohio„ I think be was w^ith Patton C. Bowman, etc., un- 29 The Chenowetb Massacre der Colonel George Rogers Clark in the encamp- ment on Corn Island. Of his fate the author knows nothing, but in order as usual, to connect the story of these times with as many families as possible, we add that this son of '^little Jimmy" married, besides other marriages, Julia Rogers, a daughter of our most worthy and eminent physi- cian, Dr. Coleman Rogers, Senior, and they left one daughter, but he had also one or two sons, and their descendants, wherever they are, if any survive, are the offspring from that Station Root." The last sentence ends the paper by Gov- ernor Anderson. Dr. W. J. Chenoweth, you will recall, is a grandson of Jimmy, of whom Col. Anderson speaks, and his narrative varies a little from the tradition in the Anderson family which Col. An- derson so graphically tells. You will remember that John Rose said the whole family had been killed, and that brings us to the further remarks of Dr. Chenoweth. "Tbey had no hope of finding anyone alive. The only person found was a little girl six years of age, sitting alone on the hearth, with petticoat thrown over her head. As soon as she saw that the intruders were not Indians, she asked them not to shoot her, and told them that everybody was dead. She had been asleep during the at- tack, and the Indians had pulled off the bedclothes from the bed on which she slept, rolling her to the floor. This did not wake her, so that she knew nothing whatever of the massacre of the family, only taking it for granted that their absence 30 The Chenoweth Massacre meant death at the hands of the Indians. Not finding anyone in the house, they searched the spring house, as before described, a stone build- ing two stories in height. The Indians had re- moved the ladder that was used to reach the up- per department, but on examining the lower, they found Peggy, as she was familiarly called, lying prone on the floor of the room with her hands raising water to her mouth, to quench the intoler- able thirst caused by loss of blood. Fortunate it was that their water supply was a spring instead of a well, for with blood flowing from seven knife cuts in her body, and the numerous blood vessels opened by loss of her scalp, it would have indeed been a miracle to have saved her life. At her best looking more like a girl of twelve than a woman of thirty, she had the endurance of a giant and the courage of a pioneer, who knew no such word as fear. She not only recovered with life, but with health and energy, and bore two children before the death of her husband in 1796." It will be noticed that the accounts of Gov- ernor Anderson and Dr. Chenoweth differ in some particulars, yet they agree on the general result, that the attack was sudden, unexpected and fatal to quite a number. The report to the Government at Washington* says three of the family were killed and seven wounded. Bayless, the compan- ion of Eose, was tortured and burned to death, somewhere between the house and spring house. Richard and Peggy Chenoweth, Millie, James ♦Indian Affairs, Vol. 1, page 185. 31 TJie Clwuoweth Massacre and a woman named Rachael and two others wounded. The Indians plundered the premises of everything they could carry away, making good their escape across the Ohio. Eichard Chenoweth fully recovered and fol- lowed farming and house building until he met his death in 1796, as has been mentioned, while raising a house for a neighbor. The heroic Peggy / lived for twenty years, bearing two girls to her husband, one of whom was called Tabitha; the name of the other is now forgotten. She lived af- ter her husband's death near a place called Big Spring, some five miles east of Shelby ville, Ky. She was not much larger than the usual girl of twelve years, and was always in a cap, for she was permanently hairless. Being very intelligent, she had a way of saying things to people that con- veyed a lesson or a criticism, in such terms as could not be taken as offensive, her smile and kind expression showing she was not angered. It was not possible to be neater in person or dwelling place than she — everything was in per- fect order. Tradition says nothing made her angry quicker than for anyone to enter her cabin with muddy shoes, Naomi, the baby of the massacre, married a Mr. Kalfus, and there she disappeared from the records. Tabitha in the 1840 's went as a mission- ary to the Indians in the West. James in time became a married man, and spent his early married life in the Big Sandy Country, but removed to Mercer county, where he 32 The Chenoweth Massacre lived many years. He died at the home of his son, John S. Chenoweth, in Cincinnati, January 10, 1852. The Shelby branch of the Louisville & Nash- ville Railroad passes very near the spring house so celebrated in this bit of history, and the 14th mile post from Louisville is right opposite the building. The writer of this was inside of it Jan. 27, 1909, and though it was one hundred and twenty years old, had had three roofs and the woodwork of the door and windows charred, the masonry was in good condition and the mor- tar very hard and strong. During the remarkable drouth of 1908 this spring supplied many families, some of whom came miles to get the cool, clear fluid. The sock- ets in the wall are plainly visible where the raft- ers were when Peggy threw herself down on the floor that the timbers bore in the little attic to the spring house. It is to be hoped that succeeding generations will always care for this humble little building, the reminder of the heroism and stoical endurance of that pioneer mother. 33 Appendix Charles Anderson was the seventh child of Richard Clough Anderson, Sr., and Sarah Mar- shall, both natives of Virginia. Born in Jeffer- son County, Kentucky, at his father's homestead, known far and wide as ''Soldier's Retreat," June 1st, 1813, he became so marked a man of genius, numerous talents, and admirable in every way, that it is not possible, in the space that can be de- voted to his history here, to give anything like a picture of the man, that will do his memory jus- tice. His father's home was visited by all the dis- tinguished men of the day, nay, even the chiefs of the Indian tribes made it a stopping place, in those days when its fame of hospitality was wide- spread. Little Turtle, the great chief of the Mi- amis of Ohio, was a guest there several times. Charles was brought up in the society of the highest type of men and women of the day, and through life maintained an eminent place in such surroundings. Alt thirteen years of age he went with his mother to Chillicothe, Ohio, remained there un- til he was sent to Miami University at Oxford, Ohio, where he graduated in 1833, going thence to Louisville, Ky., to study law in the office of his elder brother, Larz, who was in active practice there with Henry Pirtle, afterwards so dis- tinguished as Chancellor of Louisville. Charles Anderson was admitted to the bar in 35 The Chenowetb MassacrB 1835 and removed to Dayton, Ohio, wliere lie sub- sequently became prosecuting attorney, followed by election as State Senator. In politics, at that time, he was a Whig and a devoted follower of Henry Clay. He served several terms in the Leg- islature of Ohio. After his marriage he remained but a short time in Dayton, going to Cincinnati, where he formed a partnership with Rufus King, under the firm name of Anderson & King, which firm rapidly advanced to the front ranks of the Cincinnati bar. It is said that King attended to the preparation of the papers, while Anderson en- tered the forensic arena, soon becoming known for that eloquence of speech which afterwards made him famous. But he later developed asthma, which became a foe to his platform speeches for the remainder of his life, yet he made innumer- able speeches, though always burdened by the at- tacks of asthma. In the presidential campaign of 1856 he sup- ported Buchanan, rendering such valuable ser- vices in Kentucky and Ohio that he was tendered a foreign mission for his work, but had to decline because of his health, which became so indifferent that he was compelled to give up the law, remov- ing to the vicinity of San Antonio, Texas, to try the effect on his asthma of the change of climate, when he entered into live stock raising for occu- pation. Both changes proved to be successes. He kept out of politics in 1860, tho the next year became well known as a Union man. At the nullification meeting in Austin, he made so defi- nite a speech against the resolutions that he was 36 The Chenoweth Massacre arrested, being thrown into prison as a political prisoner. He was befriended by some Germans, assisted to escape, furnished with a hunting garb as a disguise, a rifle and an old gray horse. Shav- ing off his full beard, which he always wore, he darkened his sandy complexion, and made his es- cape into Mexico, thence he traveled to Havana and New York. After many adventures, his fam- ily finally reached him in Ohio. Not long after- wards he was sent by the United States on a con- fidential mission to England to that government, but did not remain long. In the summer of 1862 he was made Colonel of the 93rd Ohio Infantry, served gallantly and was severely wounded at Stone River Dec. 31, 1862. The next summer, he was nominated for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio on the ticket with Gov. John Brough, which was successful. Gov. Brough died early in his admin- istration and Gov. Anderson served the term un- til 1866. The next year he removed to Lyon County, Ky., for his health, where he founded and built up the prosperous town of Kuttawa, which name he gave it to perpetuate one of the Indian names for the state. He lived to see it developed into a fine little city, beautified by his taste in using the natural advantages given to the site. Gov. Anderson was a man to love and be loved — he was the friend of the public schools wherever he went, he befriended the negro race just as he found them, having been the author of the bill in the Ohio Legislature that first gave the negro the right to testify in the courts of that State, before the war. 37 The Chenoweth Massacre He was an eloquent speaker, a ready and fluent writer and one of advanced ideas. He was a member of a most distinguished family, wliich he never forgot, yet never brought that fact into disagreeable prominence. The Clarks, Andersons, Logans and their descendants in Kentucky and Ohio, all came from the same stock. Loved and admired by his town-people, sur- rounded by his children and grand-children, he died at Kuttawa, Ky., September 2nd, 1895. John Chenoweth came to America from "Wales, in the year 1700, and settled in Baltimore. He married a Calvert, daughter of Lord Balti- more. He had two sons, Arthur and Richard. They both acquired land: Arthur first in 174J, afterwards in 1747 ; Richard in 1746. Arthur was born in 1716 and died in 1802. Arthur's children, James, John, Abraham, Thomas, Arthur, Richard and William. Richard's children: Gideon, Thomas, Mil- dred, James, Peggy, Polly, Levi, Anna, ISTaomi, and Tabitha. He was probably born about the year 1718. Came to Kentucky in 1778. James .^C V. Oh'enoweth being at that time three years ^ /^old. This would make him sixty years of age when he landed at Corn Island. He was killed at a house-raising about the year 1793 or when 75 years of age. James Chenoweth was about ten years old at the time of the massacre of the family, which would make that event about the year 1788. And as his mother bore two child- 38 The Chenowetb Massacre ren after being scalped (Naomi and Tabitha), the death of his father was probably as late as 1793 or '95. Taken from information furnished by Dr. Wm. J. Chenoweth, Sr., of Decatur, 111., now in his 86th year, great-grandson of Eichard Cheno- weth. Dr. Chenoweth has been for years accumu- lating items in the family history and the prob- abilities are that this is as near correct as can be found at the present time. March 9th, 1911. ALFRED PIRTLE. 39 Petition of the Inhabitants of Kentucke READ AUGUST 23. 1780 VOL. 48. PAGE 347. RECORDS OF THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS. MSS. STATE DEPARTMENT. WASHINGTON. D. C. COPIED FOR A. C. QUISENBERRY IN 1892 PRESENTED TO KENTUCKY STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY BY A. C. Q. CHAPTER I PETITION OF THE INHABITANTS OF KENTUCKE READ AUGUST 23, t780 To the Honorable Continental Congress: The Petition of a number of the true and loyal subjects of the United States of America at large, most humbly Sheweth That your Petitioners having heretofore been Inhabiters of the different States of America since the commencement of the contest with Great Britain for the common cause of Liberty; have ventured their lives in a wild uncultivated part of the Continent on the Western Waters of Ohio called by general name of Kentuckey, where they have made improvements on what they allowed was King's unappropriated Lands, before the commencement of the said contest and that in the face of a savage enemy with the utmost hard- ships and in daily jeopardy of being inhumanly murdered — Your Petitioners further allowed that the Honorable Congress would allow them a Reason- able Retaliation in Lands for the sei'vices your Petitioners did in defending and settling, on their 43 Petition of Kentucky Pioneers own expense, the Country aforesaid to the weak- ening of the enemy and the strengthening the United States, whenever the common contest with Britain should be decided in favour of Amer- ica, — In the full assurance of which your Peti- tioners sold all their livings in the settled parts of the Cbntinent and have removed with their wives and families and all their effects to the Country aforesaid in order to take possession of their improvements aforesaid. — But when they came found almost all their Improvements granted away by a set of men which acted or pretended to act under the late Act of Virginia, which act also allowed large grants without any reserve of settling and improving the same. — By which means almost the whole of the lands in the Country aforesaid are engrossed into the hands of a few Interested men, the greater part of which live at ease in the internal parts of Vir- ginia, while your Petitioners are here with their wives and children daily exposed to the murders of the Savages to whom sundry of their Acquaint- ances has fell a sacrifice since their arrival though as yet but a short time. Again the late Alcts of Virginia require your Petitioners to take a new oath of allegiance to that State, renouncing all their Kings, Princes and States, and be true to the State of Virginia only, and the prospect of Military Government taking place shortly in this place give your Petitioners the greatest appre- hension of the most severe usage unless they com- ply with their mandates. — Your Petitioners considering all those griev- 44 Petition of Kentucky I'ioavers ances would gladly return into the settled parts of the Continent again, but having come seven hundred miles down the River Ohio with the ex- pence of the greater part of their fortunes find it impracticable to return back against the stream with their wives and children were they to suffer the most cruel death. Your Petitioners being drove to the extrem- ity aforesaid have but three things to choose. One is to tarry in this place, take the Oath of Allegi- ance to Virginia, and be true to that State only, and also become Slaves to those Engrossers of Lands, and to the court of Virginia. The other is to Remove down the River Ohio, and land on some part of Mexico and become subjects to the King of Spain. And the third to Remove them- selves over the River Ohio, with their wives, children and their small effects re- maining, which is now in possession of the Savage Enemy, to whom they are daily exposed to murders. The two former appear- ing to your Petitioners to have a Tendency to weaken the United States and as it were Banish the Common Cause of Liberty. Humbly pray the Honorable Continental Congress to grant them lib- erty of taking the latter choice and removing with their wives, families and effects to the Indian side of the Ohio and take possession of the same in the name of the United States of America at Large, where your Petitioners propose to support them- selves in an Enemy's Country on their own risque and expence, which they humbly conceive will have a tendency to weaken the power of the 45 Petition of Kentucky Pioneers Enemy, strengthen the United States at large, and advance the Common Cause of Liberty. Your Petitioners further pray the Honor- able Congress to allow them Liberty of making such Eegulations amongst themselves as they shall find necessary to govern themselves by, be- ing subject to the United States at large and no other States or power whatsoever — Your Petitioners humbly pray the Honorable Continental Congress to consider their case and grievances in their true light and grant them such Relief as they in their great wisdom shall see meet, and as your Petitioners in duty bound shall ever pray. Robt. Holmes Thos. Roach Allen Griffin George Power John Johnston Willm. Cumins Andrew Coin Richard Moore Jeremiah Johnston Albert Banta John Thickston Hugh Jackson George Coin Peter Demaree Jonathon Thickston John Banta Burgis White Jeremy Hardise William Sutherland William Drennen Robt. Brown John Shaw Edward Welsh Ephraim Gilding William Armstrong Jacob Banto Thos. Hart George Gilmore David Langhead James McElharton Thos. Cunningham Cornelius Banto Arthur Park James Burk George Cuavenston Anthony Jenkins Charles Mason Samuel Mason William Mitchell 46 Petition of Kentucky Pioneers Basil Stocker Willm. Galoway Jolm Glasher John Write Eduard Rewalno John Mitchell George Heal Jam«s Brown Charles Young Jas. Miller John Huewes William Brown Alex. Tutch William MitcheU Isaac Tun James Huard Lewis Hickman James Judy Samuel Kelly William Crenwell Philip Mjason Jas. Mathews John Galoway . Moses Williamson Mike T«ndenhasen John Ruth James Galoway Peter Young Abraham Bonta James Johnson Henry Woson John Brookil Samuel Griss Matthew Rogers John Cadlett William Mitchell Adam Row Hardy Hill Charles Black Patrick Gordon John William Province Frederick Bawfd Adin Harfcen William Sweden Edward Tyll David Johnson Evan Wilson John Borland Benjamin Lin Jacob Conaway Jeremiah Trefar Joseph Kenig Joseph Wm. Province John Williamson Benjamin Hook Joseph Vanmatar John Turner John Keath John Jail Samuel Harris Thos. Johnson Cornelius Henry Hoos John Redley Cornelius Vorhes John Miller 47 Petition of Kentucky Pioneers Henry Wade Stephen Han-is Joseph Green Michel Woods Jesse Crark John Mayhue Haris John Green Andrew Dodds Joseph Grifinwalt Harris Austen Miller Roeheb Kenedy Adam Grounds James Haris Samuel Mason Thomas Collings John Felty Thos. Welch Thos. Putnam Thos. Putnam John Williams Frederick Fox John Campbell Samuel Wadmes George Rays Jonathan Gunningham Charles Masterson Benjamin Caselman Francis Roach William Burnes Joseph Borth John Baley David Kirkwood Daniel James John Light Andrew Gradey William Weelweed William Lookn William Little Seneca McRakin James Gilmore James Delany Jonathan Harned James Adams Samuel Gilmore John Greenben Samuel Wells William Logsden James Logan Martin Stull Peter Newkirk David McQuale John Logan John Martin Tobias Newkirk William Lin John Massey Robert Gilmore Moses Cane Adam Money Fduard Poomes Jacob Westeroeb John Nelson Gerardis Rekid Peter Buszard John Jones 48 Petition of Kentucky Pioneers Ezekiel Hickman John Cline Jasyrk Greenwalt Thos. Applegate Thomas Banfield David Beach John Unsel Michol Paull Thomas Patten Thomas Stansbury Mikel Toetus William Irwin William Welch Joint' Vantreas William Onie Joseph Qurteronus Niclos Thirly John McGee John James Peter Pohone Mathew Logan Thomas Hargis John Capps Joseph Borth Samuel Felin John Moore Elisha Qurtermus John Light John McLam Henry Brenton Samuel Gordon James Dunbar tini Swell Reuben Blackford John Wilkeson Matthias Hbok Newkirk John Finn Dinis Davis George Hinch Nathan Sellad Jacob Funk Joseph McClintock James Steward Thomas Pownser Geo. Steward John Pringle Joseph Inlow Jacob Spears Abraham Rammod James Anderson William Bennett Abraham Powell James Johnson Joseph Kirkpatrick James Hamilton Mathew Jaferes Samuel Watkins John Moires Jacob Barkman John Kenedy John Hamilton Daniel Spears Edward Irwin John Miller William Ewing 49 Petition of Kentuckj Pioneers Benjamin Doslie John Irwin Adam Wall James Boys George Black Elijah Hart Michal Thomas Joseph Sulavan John Sumet Thos. Spencer Michael Little Jacob Brennon Thomas Boyd Paul Humble John Seller Thos. Dillen Eudulph Hufenan Daniel Jones Nathan Sellers Jacob Huffman David Brinton Kobe Hamilton Christian Hufman Joseph Olden John Stuart Jacob Coseman Conrad Carito Jacob Salmon Jas. McLoughlin William Winter John Gross John Yery Samuel Lee John Beson Charles West Martin Colmore Jas. Dougherty Benjamin Ooselman John West Charles Crump TJlunik Heonbunk Elward Listen Martin Kurtz Jacob Dosson John Cleer John Liston Peter Bordmess Jacob Doom Josey Stuart Josiah Walis James Foye Samuel Glass John Averill John White Mickel Kintner John Little Peter Loves John Ainwin Peter Paul David Davis Denis Downing John Dongen John Williams James Hamilton Isaac Boulden Charles Davis 50 Petition of Kentucky Pioneers Herman Greathouse Thos. Whithedge Moses Speed Joseph Grundee Smith Harsborough David Hockins Joseph Tumblestone Wiliam Averall Jas. Brown Harrison Averall Joseph Little William Hopkins John Tumlinson William Collings Daniel Williams (2) William Collings Jesse Tumlinson George Grundy John Ligwald Thos. Phillips William Rice Thomas Stone Benjamin Tamlinson Thos. Senderson Thos. Cavet William Clave Cornelius Bogard Henry Campbell Joshua Cleaver Samuel Dunn John Puck Robert Brusler Francis Daves G d Campbell James McKee Robert Thirkman John Hase Samuel Thirkman Hector Simpson William Lawrence John Wager George Clark Isaac Froman Michal Kirkham Paul Froman George Taylor Joseph Mounts John Hunt Jas. McCollach James Campbell Petition of the Inhabitants of Kentucke Read August 23, 1780. 52 Petition of Kentucky Pioneers Spencer Collings Henry Richards -Cumfort Busier Robert Insworth Christian Schultz Thos. Dowdoll Henry Hanglan John Frigas George Reading James Purse Honkerson Ashby Joseph Brown Thos. Talbot Joseph Thompson Samuel Miller John Johnson Joseph Liston Thos. Pursel Frederick Dunpeld Reuben Cass Isaac White Aaron Rawlings Solomon Resiner Judiah Huntington Charles Bilderbok James Neavil Charles Dunkin Thos. Kennedy Jacob Bilder Ainasa Frisel George Crist Dinues Pursel Gabriel Melted William Houghland William Collings Benjamin Byard John Lee John Houghland I^enry Prayted John Townspend George Cueard Squier Boon John Rice Benjamin Patten Benjamin Cleaver John Heast Theophilus Coxe .. William Harker/v^^^ Thos. Hamilton Zachariah Holder Jas. Purseley Jacob Bilderbak Mashesh Carter David Hawkins Hugh Begarstof William Chraven William Greathouse Zacheric Dye Joseph Johnston John Thompson Charles Secomp John Hunter John Greathouse John Grundy Robert Sweny James Thompson 51 CHAPTER II MEMORIAL AND PETITION OF THE PIONEERS OF 1782-1783. To the Honorable President and Delegates of the Free United States of America in Congress assembled : The memorial and Petition of a number of Inhabitants of Kentuckey Settlement of the Low Dutch Reformed Church persuasion in behalf of themselves and other intended settlers. Humbly Sheweth That in the Spring of the year 1780 they moved to Kentuckey with their families and effects, with a view and ex- pectation to procure a tract of land to enable them to settle togeather in a body for the conviency of civil society and propogating the Gospel in their known language; when they arrived there to their sorrow and disappointment they were, thro' the dangerousness of the times by a cruel savage enemy oblidged to settle in Stations or Forts in such places where there was the most appear- ance of safety, notwithstanding all their caution numbers of them suffered greatly in their prop- erty, several killed and others captivated by the enemy, living in such distressed confined way al 55 Petition of Kentucky PioDeera ways in danger, frequently on Military duty, it was impossible for them to do more than barely support their families with the necessaries of life. by which means they are much reduced, and what adds more to their disappointment and af- fliction is that, contrary to their expectations be- fore their arrival and since, the most or all the Tillable Land has been Located and monopolized by persons that had the advantage of your Me- morialists by being acquainted with the country, and your Memorialists being strangers and con- fined as aforesaid, and being so reduced are ren- dered unable to purchase Land at the advanced price, and especially in a body conveniently to- gether agreeable to their wishes. Whereas, Providence has been pleased to prosper and support the virtuous resistance of the United States in the glorious cause of Liberty, which has enabled them to obtain an Honorable Peace whereby they have obtained a large extent of unappropriated Territory. And whereas, it is currently and repeatedly reported amongst its that Congress has broke or made void Virginia's right or claim to Land in Kentuckey Settlement. Your Petitioners therefore humbly pray (in behalf of themselves and other intended settlers of that persuasion) the Honourable Congress would indulge them with a grant of a Tract or Territory of Land in Kentuckey Settlemt. : if the Virginia Claim thereto should be made void, or otherwise in the late ceeded land on the North west side of the Ohio river ; whereto there is not any prior legal claim to enable them to settle in 56 Petition of Kentuckj Pioneers a body together, on such reasonable terms as Con- gress in their wisdom and prudence shall see just and reasonable, they complying with and perform- ing all reasonable conditions required, to enable them to put their intended plan in purpose and execution, they having principally in view the ''Glory of Gk)d," the promotion of Civil and re- ligious society, educating and instructing their rising generation in the principals of religion and morality; hoping the Honorable Congress will give all due encouragement to such a laudable undertaking. The premises duly considered. Your Petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray, &c. Inhabitens. Hendreck Banta John Vorhis, Jun. Benedick Yury Luke Vorhis Henery Yury Samuel Demaree Peter Demaree Peter Demaree, Jun. Cornelius Bogart Henry Shively John Demaree Saml. Demaree, Jr. Cornelius Banta John Vancleave Samuel Durie John Harris Albert Durie Peter Banta Marga widow Samuel Westervelt • ' Durie, widow Mary Westervelt (widow) Daniel Banta Saml. Lock Albert Vorhis David Allen Intended Friends ■ Armstrong John Voreis Samuel Banta William Seaboum John Vanasdale Simon Vunosdol James Cook Derrick Conine S7 Petition of Kentucky Pioneers Sophia Voreis (widow) John O'Bieanes Bergen Conert Francis Derrick Kooesen Aaron Rawlings Peter Wickoff John Ryker Henry Bogart Correlius Voreis James Westervelt Henry Banta, Jr. Tunes Vanpelt Abraham Banta, Jr. Andrew Shoe Peter Banta, Jr. Mattis Shoe John Banta Garrit Vanarsdale William Vancleave Joseph debaen Catherine Darling (widow) Abraham debaen William Jervel Lambert Darling Peter Seabourn Peter Banta John Monfort John Darling Oeorge Seabourn Cornelius Conzine, Jun.John Monfort, Jr. James Voreis David Seabourn John Conzine Francis Cossaart Johanna Seburn (widow) Lucas Vanarsdale Jacob Seabourn Albert Banta Jacob Cossart Barney Smock Simon VanArsdol Jacob Banta George Brinkerhof Abraham Banta Peter Monfoort James Stagg Garret Dorland George Burnett Jaquish Vantine Daniel Brower Francis Monfort Rulef Vorhis Samuel Demarest John Brewer John Knight Daniel Brewer, Jr. John Conrad Knight Henry Comminger John Comminger Martin Neavons Samuel Bogart 58 Petition of Kentucky Pioneers Peter Carmicle Jacobus Monfort John VanArsdol Cornelius Cosyne John Bodine Cornelius Vorhis John Smock Cornelius Tueb Maties Smock Laurens Tueb John Kip Lawrence Montfort Barney Kipp Abraham Abraham DeGraff Gilbert Brinkerhoff Thos. Johnson Luke Brinkerhoff Abraham Johnson Andrew Conine Andrew Johnson John Persyl Thomas Vantine Cornelius Demaree Brinkerhoff Cornelius D. Lowe Jacob Brinkerhoff George Hall John Oten Begun Spader Adrian Oten Jacob Orbacow John Oten Samuel Briten Peter Monfort, Senior Cornelius Oten Wilhelmas Houghtelin George Williamson Abraham Houghtelin Richer Berssly Hezekiah Hioughtelin John huls James Daniel Haris Charles Vantine Benjamin Sloot Mikel DeGraft Jacob Smock William De Graff Gilbert Lowe John Cownoven David Cossart Peter Vandyke Henry Stryker 59 l£Je12