The Adventures of Colonel Daniel Boone

J >> John Filson >> The Adventures of Colonel Daniel Boone


We held the treaty within sixty yards of the garrison, on purpose
to divert them from a breach of honour, as we could not avoid
suspicions of the savages. In this situation the articles were
formally agreed to, and signed; and the Indians told us it was
customary with them, on such occasions, for two Indians to shake
hands with every white-man in the treaty, as an evidence of entire
friendship. We agreed to this also, but were soon convinced their
policy was to take us prisoners.--They immediately grappled us;
but, although surrounded by hundreds of savages, we extricated
ourselves from them, and escaped all safe into the garrison, except
one that was wounded, through a heavy fire from their army. They
immediately attacked us on every side, and a constant heavy fire
ensued between us day and night for the space of nine days.

In this time the enemy began to undermine our fort, which was
situated sixty yards from Kentucke river. They began at the
water-mark and proceeded in the bank some distance, which we
understood by their making the water muddy with the clay; and we
immediately proceeded to disappoint their design, by cutting a
trench across their subterranean passage. The enemy discovering our
counter-mine, by the clay we threw out of the fort, desisted from
that stratagem: And experience now fully convincing them that
neither their power nor policy could effect their purpose, on the
twentieth day of August they raised the siege, and departed.

During this dreadful siege, which threatened death in every form,
we had two men killed, and four wounded, besides a number of
cattle. We killed of the enemy thirty-seven, and wounded a great
number. After they were gone, we picked up one hundred and
twenty-five pounds weight of bullets, besides what stuck in the logs
of our fort; which certainly is a great proof of their industry.
Soon after this, I went into the settlement, and nothing worthy of a
place in this account passed in my affairs for some time.

During my absence from Kentucke, Col. Bowman carried on an
expedition against the Shawanese, at Old Chelicothe, with one
hundred and sixty men, in July, 1779. Here they arrived
undiscovered, and a battle ensued, which lasted until ten o'clock,
A. M. when Col. Bowman, finding he could not succeed at this time,
retreated about thirty miles. The Indians, in the meantime,
collecting all their forces, pursued and overtook him, when a smart
fight continued near two hours, not to the advantage of Col.
Bowman's party.

Col. Harrod proposed to mount a number of horse, and furiously
to rush upon the savages, who at this time fought with remarkable
fury. This desperate step had a happy effect, broke their line of
battle, and the savages fled on all sides. In these two battles we
had nine killed, and one wounded. The enemy's loss uncertain, only
two scalps being taken.

On the twenty-second day of June, 1780, a large party of Indians
and Canadians, about six hundred in number, commanded by Col. Bird,
attacked Riddle's and Martin's stations, at the Forks of Licking
River, with six pieces of artillery. They carried this expedition
so secretly, that the unwary inhabitants did not discover them,
until they fired upon the forts; and, not being prepared to oppose
them, were obliged to surrender themselves miserable captives to
barbarous savages, who immediately after tomahawked one man and two
women, and loaded all the others with heavy baggage, forcing them
along toward their towns, able or unable to march. Such as were
weak and faint by the way, they tomahawked. The tender women, and
helpless children, fell victims to their cruelty. This, and the
savage treatment they received afterwards, is shocking to humanity,
and too barbarous to relate.

The hostile disposition of the savages, and their allies, caused
General Clark, the commandant at the Falls of the Ohio, immediately
to begin an expedition with his own regiment, and the armed force
of the country, against Pecaway, the principal town of the
Shawanese, on a branch of Great Miami, which he finished with great
success, took seventeen scalps, and burnt the town to ashes, with
the loss of seventeen men.

About this time I returned to Kentucke with my family; and here,
to avoid an enquiry into my conduct, the reader being before
informed of my bringing my family to Kentucke, I am under the
necessity of informing him that, during my captivity with the
Indians, my wife, who despaired of ever seeing me again, expecting
the Indians had put a period to my life, oppressed with the
distresses of the country, and bereaved of me, her only happiness,
had, before I returned, transported my family and goods, on horses,
through the wilderness, amidst a multitude of dangers, to her
father's house, in North-Carolina.

Shortly after the troubles at Boonsborough, I went to them, and
lived peaceably there until this time. The history of my going
home, and returning with my family, forms a series of difficulties,
an account of which would swell a volume, and being foreign to my
purpose, I shall purposely omit them.

I settled my family in Boonsborough once more; and shortly after,
on the sixth day of October, 1780, I went in company with my
brother to the Blue Licks; and, on our return home, we were fired
upon by a party of Indians. They shot him, and pursued me, by the
scent of their dog, three miles; but I killed the dog, and escaped.
The winter soon came on, and was very severe, which confined the
Indians to their wigwams.

The severity of this Winter caused great difficulties in
Kentucke. The enemy had destroyed most of the corn, the Summer
before. This necessary article was scarce, and dear; and the
inhabitants lived chiefly on the flesh of buffaloes. The
circumstances of many were very lamentable: However, being a hardy
race of people, and accustomed to difficulties and necessities,
they were wonderfully supported through all their sufferings, until
the ensuing Fall, when we received abundance from the fertile soil.

Towards Spring, we were frequently harassed by Indians; and, in
May, 1782, a party assaulted Ashton's station, killed one man, and
took a Negro prisoner. Capt. Ashton, with twenty-five men, pursued,
and overtook the savages, and a smart fight ensued, which lasted
two hours; but they being superior in number, obliged Captain
Ashton's party to retreat, with the loss of eight killed, and four
mortally wounded; their brave commander himself being numbered
among the dead.

The Indians continued their hostilities; and, about the tenth
of August following, two boys were taken from Major Hoy's
station. This party was pursued by Capt. Holder and seventeen men,
who were also defeated, with the loss of four men killed, and one
wounded. Our affairs became more and more alarming. Several
stations which had lately been erected in the country were
continually infested with savages, stealing their horses and
killing the men at every opportunity. In a field, near Lexington,
an Indian shot a man, and running to scalp him, was himself shot
from the fort, and fell dead upon his enemy.

Every day we experienced recent mischiefs. The barbarous savage
nations of Shawanese, Cherokees, Wyandots, Tawas, Delawares, and
several others near Detroit, united in a war against us, and
assembled their choicest warriors at old Chelicothe, to go on the
expedition, in order to destroy us, and entirely depopulate the
country. Their savage minds were inflamed to mischief by two
abandoned men, Captains McKee and Girty. These led them to execute
every diabolical scheme; and, on the fifteenth day of August,
commanded a party of Indians and Canadians, of about five hundred
in number, against Briant's station, five miles from Lexington.
Without demanding a surrender, they furiously assaulted the
garrison, which was happily prepared to oppose them; and, after
they had expended much ammunition in vain, and killed the cattle
round the fort, not being likely to make themselves masters of this
place, they raised the siege, and departed in the morning of the
third day after they came, with the loss of about thirty killed,
and the number of wounded uncertain.--Of the garrison four were
killed, and three wounded.

On the eighteenth day Col. Todd, Col. Trigg, Major Harland, and
myself, speedily collected one hundred and seventy-six men, well
armed, and pursued the savages. They had marched beyond the Blue
Licks to a remarkable bend of the main fork of Licking River, about
forty-three miles from Lexington, as it is particularly represented
in the map, where we overtook them on the nineteenth day. The
savages observing us, gave way; and we, being ignorant of their
numbers, passed the river. When the enemy saw our proceedings,
having greatly the advantage of us in situation, they formed the
line of battle, represented in the map, from one bend of Licking to
the other, about a mile from the Blue Licks. An exceeding fierce
battle immediately began, for about fifteen minutes, when we, being
over-powered by numbers, were obliged to retreat, with the loss of
sixty-seven men; seven of whom were taken prisoners. The brave and
much lamented Colonels Todd and Trigg, Major Harland and my second
son, were among the dead. We were informed that the Indians,
numbering their dead, found they had four killed more than we; and
therefore, four of the prisoners they had taken, were, by general
consent, ordered to be killed, in a most barbarous manner, by the
young warriors, in order to train them up to cruelty; and then they
proceeded to their towns.

On our retreat we were met by Col. Logan, hastening to join us,
with a number of well armed men: This powerful assistance we
unfortunately wanted in the battle; for, notwithstanding the
enemy's superiority of numbers, they acknowledged that, if they had
received one more fire from us, they should undoubtedly have given
way. So valiantly did our small party fight, that, to the memory of
those who unfortunately fell in the battle, enough of honour cannot
be paid. Had Col. Logan and his party been with us, it is highly
probable we should have given the savages a total defeat.

I cannot reflect upon this dreadful scene, but sorrow fills my
heart. A zeal for the defence of their country led these heroes to
the scene of action, though with a few men to attack a powerful
army of experienced warriors. When we gave way, they pursued us
with the utmost eagerness, and in every quarter spread destruction.
The river was difficult to cross, and many were killed in the
flight, some just entering the river, some in the water, others
after crossing in ascending the cliffs. Some escaped on horse-back,
a few on foot; and, being dispersed every where, in a few hours,
brought the melancholy news of this unfortunate battle to
Lexington. Many widows were now made. The reader may guess what
sorrow filled the hearts of the inhabitants, exceeding any thing
that I am able to describe. Being reinforced, we returned to bury
the dead, and found their bodies strewed every where, cut and
mangled in a dreadful manner. This mournful scene exhibited a
horror almost unparalleled: Some torn and eaten by wild beasts;
those in the river eaten by fishes; all in such a putrified
condition, that no one could be distinguished from another.

As soon as General Clark, then at the Falls of the Ohio, who was
ever our ready friend, and merits the love and gratitude of all his
country-men, understood the circumstances of this unfortunate
action, he ordered an expedition, with all possible haste, to
pursue the savages, which was so expeditiously effected, that we
overtook them within two miles of their towns, and probably might
have obtained a great victory, had not two of their number met us
about two hundred poles before we come up. These returned quick as
lightening to their camp with the alarming news of a mighty army in
view. The savages fled in the utmost disorder, evacuated their
towns, and reluctantly left their territory to our mercy. We
immediately took possession of Old Chelicothe without opposition,
being deserted by its inhabitants. We continued our pursuit through
five towns on the Miami rivers, Old Chelicothe, Pecaway, New
Chelicothe, Will's Towns, and Chelicothe, burnt them all to ashes,
entirely destroyed their corn, and other fruits, and every where
spread a scene of desolation in the country. In this expedition we
took seven prisoners and five scalps, with the loss of only four
men, two of whom were accidentally killed by our own army.

This campaign in some measure damped the spirits of the Indians,
and made them sensible of our superiority. Their connections were
dissolved, their armies scattered, and a future invasion put
entirely out of their power; yet they continued to practise
mischief secretly upon the inhabitants, in the exposed parts of the
country.

In October following, a party made an excursion into that
district called the Crab Orchard, and one of them, being advanced
some distance before the others, boldly entered the house of a poor
defenceless family, in which was only a Negro man, a woman and her
children, terrified with the apprehensions of immediate death. The
savage, perceiving their defenceless situation, without offering
violence to the family attempted to captivate the Negro, who,
happily proved an over-match for him, threw him on the ground, and,
in the struggle, the mother of the children drew an ax from a
corner of the cottage, and cut his head off, while her little
daughter shut the door. The savages instantly appeared, and applied
their tomahawks to the door. An old rusty gun-barrel, without a
lock, lay in a corner, which the mother put through a small
crevice, and the savages, perceiving it, fled. In the mean time,
the alarm spread through the neighbourhood; the armed men collected
immediately, and pursued the ravagers into the wilderness. Thus
Providence, by the means of this Negro, saved the whole of the poor
family from destruction. From that time, until the happy return of
peace between the United States and Great-Britain, the Indians did
us no mischief. Finding the great king beyond the water
disappointed in his expectations, and conscious of the importance
of the Long Knife, and their own wretchedness, some of the nations
immediately desired peace; to which, at present, they seem
universally disposed, and are sending ambassadors to General Clark,
at the Falls of the Ohio, with the minutes of their Councils, a
specimen of which, in the minutes of the Piankashaw Council, is
subjoined.

To conclude, I can now say that I have verified the saying of an
old Indian who signed Col. Henderson's deed. Taking me by the hand,
at the delivery thereof, Brother, says he, 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
truly subscribe to its original name. Two darling sons, and a
brother, have I lost by savage hands, which have also taken from me
forty valuable horses, and abundance of cattle. Many dark and
sleepless nights have I been a companion for owls, separated from
the chearful society of men, scorched by the Summer's sun, and
pinched by the Winter's cold, an instrument ordained to settle the
wilderness. But now the scene is changed: Peace crowns the sylvan
shade.


What thanks, what ardent and ceaseless thanks are due to that
all-superintending Providence which has turned a cruel war into
peace, brought order out of confusion, made the fierce savages
placid, and turned away their hostile weapons from our country! May
the same Almighty Goodness banish the accursed monster, war, from
all lands, with her hated associates, rapine and insatiable
ambition. Let peace, descending from her native heaven, bid her
olives spring amidst the joyful nations; and plenty, in league with
commerce, scatter blessings from her copious hand.

This account of my adventures will inform the reader of the most
remarkable events of this country.--I now live in peace and safety,
enjoying the sweets of liberty, and the bounties of Providence,
with my once fellow-sufferers, in this delightful country, which I
have seen purchased with a vast expence of blood and treasure,
delighting in the prospect of its being, in a short time, one of
the most opulent and powerful states on the continent of North
America; which, with the love and gratitude of my country-men, I
esteem a sufficient reward for all my toil and dangers.

Fayette county, Kentucke.

DANIEL BOON