CHAPTER XXV

Nicholasville—Assembly of birds—Shafts to salt spring—Millersburgh—Capt. Waller—State of the country at first settlement—Massacre of the American militia under Col. Todd by the Indians—Astonishing plenty of game—Mode of killing the buffaloe—Their extirpation—Canes—Paper mill—Johnston’s—North branch of Elkhorn—General Russel.

Friday, twenty-first July, we arose early and proceeded on our journey. At about two miles from Blue Licks we passed a tavern, a double log gaol and a court-house in a very solitary situation, dignified with the name of Nicholasville, it being the seat of the county courts of Nicholas county. In one spot on the road were two crows, two doves, four red birds, and four partridges, assembled as if in council. They all took wing at our approach except the partridges, which in this country are wonderfully abundant, and very tame. They will walk quietly to the side of the road and look at the passing traveller with innocent confidence.

There were but one or two houses in the next six miles, which are through a stony defile between barren hills. The country then becomes better inhabited and the soil gradually improves to Millersburgh, a village of about thirty houses, thirteen miles from Blue Licks.[118]There is on the road an old shaft where an attempt was made to come at a salt spring {156} without success, but a little further they succeeded in finding a very strong one, which was rendered useless by some springs of fresh water flowing into the salt, at such a depth as to render the turning them away if not impracticable, at least too expensive.

We breakfasted at Capt. Waller’s tavern, at Millersburgh.[119]Our host was an obliging and sensible man, and possessed of good general information relative to this country: he was not destitute of some particular also. We collected from him, that when he first arrived in Kentucky, about twenty-three years ago, there was not a house between Limestone and Lexington, and at the latter place were only a few log cabins under the protection of a stoccado fort.—That there was not half a mile of the road between the two places unstained by human blood.—That in 1782, on the heights above the Blue Lick, 2000 Indians drew 1500 Americans into an ambush, by partially exposing themselves, and so tempting the latter to attack them. The American commander, Col. Todd, and six hundred of his men were killed, and the whole party would have been destroyed had the remainder not saved themselves by throwing themselves into the Licking and gaining the opposite bank, to which the Indians did not chuse to pursue them, satisfied with the slaughter they had made.[120]He said that buffaloes, bears and deer were so plenty in the country, even long after it began to be generally settled, and ceased to be frequented as a hunting ground by the Indians, that little or no bread was used, but that even the children were fed on game; the facility of gaining which prevented the progress of agriculture, until the poor innocent buffaloes were completely extirpated, and the other wild animals much thinned: And that the principal part of the cultivation of Kentucky had been within the last fifteen years. He said the buffaloes had been so numerous, going in herds of several hundredstogether, that {157} about the salt licks and springs they frequented, they pressed down and destroyed the soil to a depth of three or four feet, as was conspicuous yet in the neighbourhood of the Blue Lick, where all the old trees have their roots bare of soil to that depth.—Those harmless and unsuspecting animals, used to stand gazing with apparent curiosity at their destroyer, until he was sometimes within twenty yards of them, when he made it a rule to select the leader, which was always an old and fat female. When she was killed, which rarely failed from the great dexterity of the hunter, the rest of the herd would not desert her, until he had shot as many as he thought proper. If one of the common herd was the first victim of the rifle, the rest would immediately fly. The males sometimes exceeded a thousand pounds weight, but the females were seldom heavier than five hundred. He said that the whole country was then an entire cane brake, which sometimes grew to forty feet high, but that the domestick stock introduced by the settlers have eradicated the cane, except in some remote and unsettled parts of the state. He described that plant, as springing up with a tender shoot, like asparagus, which cattle are very fond of.

Millerstown has been settled about ten years, but it is not thriving, though it seems well calculated for a manufacturing town, from its situation on the bank of Hinckson’s fork of the Licking, which is a good mill stream, and over which there is a wooden bridge.

Several strata of lead ore, parallel to the surface, and from three inches to a foot in thickness, have been discovered in the town, and neighbourhood; and about a year ago, a Mr. Elliot, erected a furnace and made sixteen tons of pure lead, but for want of funds to prosecute the business to effect, he was obliged to cease exertions, which, with proper encouragement, might have been a source of veryextensive traffick to {158} this state, independent of the keeping in it a considerable sum of the circulating medium which is now paid for that useful metal, with which it is supplied from St. Genevieve in Upper Louisiana, at a profit of one hundred per cent.[121]

From Millersburgh we travelled about seven miles, over a fine soil, but not much improved on account of the uncertainty of titles. We then turned out of the main road into a path through the woods, which we were informed would shorten our road two miles to Baylor’s mills, where Mr. A—— had business, but after losing ourselves in a labyrinth of cross paths, and riding five miles instead of two, we at last found ourselves at Col. Garret’s fine stone house and extensive farm,[122]where a young lady from an upper window, gave us directions, by the aid of which we soon found Mr. Baylor’s.

We had to regret the absence from home of young Mr. and Mrs. Baylor,[123]as Mr. A. was personally acquainted with them, and we had promised ourselves a musical feast, from the performance of Mrs. B. on the piano forte, on which instrument she is said particularly to excel. They not being at home, we declined the invitation of a younger Mr. B. to alight, but taking a glass of milk and water on horseback, we proceeded across Stoner’s fork of the Licking, towards Lexington, leaving the town of Paris about three miles on the left.[124]

Our ride now was on a charming road finely shaded by woods, with now and then a good farm, five miles to Johnston’s tavern, where we fed our horses and got some refreshment. Capt. Johnston is most comfortably settled on a fine farm, having a son married and settled on an equally good one, on one side, and a daughter equally well situated on the other. He and his wife are good looking, middle aged people, {159} and both in their persons, and in every thing around them, have the appearance of being possessed of the happyotiumof life. He had a quantity of last year’s produce in his granaries, and his wheat, his corn and tobacco fields, with a large tract of meadow, were smiling in luxuriant abundance around him.

The country continued fine, and more cultivated for the next six miles, hill and dale alternately, but the hills only gentle slopes: we then ascending a chain of rather higher hills than we had lately crossed, called Ash ridge, we passed a small meeting-house on the right, and Mr. Robert Carter Harrison’s large house, fine farm and improvements on the left, separated by the north branch of Elkhorn river from Jamison’s mill. We then crossed that river, and soon after, on a fine elevated situation, we passed general Russel’s house on the right, with a small lawn in front of it, and two small turrets at the corners of the lawn next the road. Thetout ensemblewanting only the vineyards to resemble many of the country habitations of Languedoc and Provence. I have little doubt, but at some future period, that feature will also be added to it, as in this climate and soil grapes would grow most luxuriantly; when therefore the population of this country becomes adequate to the culture of the vine, it will assuredly not be neglected.

Overtaking a gentleman on horseback, who had been overseeing some mowers in a meadow, he joined company with, and civilly entered into conversation with us. It wasgeneral Russel who had been riding round his farm. We discussed various topicks respecting the natural and improved state of the country, and the present state of political affairs. He had just returned from Richmond in Virginia, where he had been during the examination of Col. Burr, before the grand jury. He evinced much good sense, intelligence, candour and liberality in his opinions, {160} not only with regard to that extraordinary man, who has caused such a ferment throughout the union, but on the various other subjects which we conversed on. He obligingly accompanied us about five miles, as an afternoon’s ride, and at parting, he gave us a friendly and polite invitation to visit him at his cottage, on our return.[125]

He described the well where he has his spring house, as a great natural curiosity; there being a grotto under it which terminates in a cavern in the limestone rock, which has been explored nearly a hundred yards without finding the termination.

FOOTNOTES:[118]For sketch of Millersburgh, see F. A. Michaux’sTravels, vol. iii of this series, p. 198, note 38.—Ed.[119]Captain John Waller was one of the party from Virginia who were associated with Simon Kenton (1775-76) in laying out a station near Maysville, which later was abandoned because of danger from Indians. He had been a noted border-fighter and frontiersman during the early history of Kentucky. In 1792 he represented Bourbon County in the first legislature.—Ed.[120]The numbers as given here are greatly exaggerated. About sixty Americans were slain, and the attacking party was not over, at the most, six hundred.—Ed.[121]The lead vein near Millersburg was but small; it was worked again to some effect after the War of Secession.—Ed.[122]This was doubtless the residence of General James Garrard, a Virginian who had emigrated to Kentucky directly after the Revolution, and was second governor of the state, 1796-1804. He died at his home in Bourbon County in 1822.—Ed.[123]Daughter of Mr. Henry Weidner, of Pittsburgh.—Cramer.[124]For sketch of Paris, see Michaux’sTravels, vol. iii of this series, p. 37, note 29.—Ed.[125]General William Russell was a Virginian by birth, who had lived in the southwestern part of that state, and from boyhood had been accustomed to Indian warfare. He participated in the battles of King’s Mountain and Guilford Court House, and in the expedition against the Cherokees. After emigrating to Kentucky, he served with Scott, Wilkinson, and Wayne in their Indian campaigns, showing great military capacity. Again in 1811, and in the Western battles of the War of 1812-15, the services of General Russell were of much importance. In politics he was as prominent as in warfare, representing his county (Fayette) in the Kentucky legislature for thirteen terms, but finally suffering defeat as a candidate for governor (1824). The following year he died on his farm, where Cuming had met him.—Ed.

[118]For sketch of Millersburgh, see F. A. Michaux’sTravels, vol. iii of this series, p. 198, note 38.—Ed.

[119]Captain John Waller was one of the party from Virginia who were associated with Simon Kenton (1775-76) in laying out a station near Maysville, which later was abandoned because of danger from Indians. He had been a noted border-fighter and frontiersman during the early history of Kentucky. In 1792 he represented Bourbon County in the first legislature.—Ed.

[120]The numbers as given here are greatly exaggerated. About sixty Americans were slain, and the attacking party was not over, at the most, six hundred.—Ed.

[121]The lead vein near Millersburg was but small; it was worked again to some effect after the War of Secession.—Ed.

[122]This was doubtless the residence of General James Garrard, a Virginian who had emigrated to Kentucky directly after the Revolution, and was second governor of the state, 1796-1804. He died at his home in Bourbon County in 1822.—Ed.

[123]Daughter of Mr. Henry Weidner, of Pittsburgh.—Cramer.

[124]For sketch of Paris, see Michaux’sTravels, vol. iii of this series, p. 37, note 29.—Ed.

[125]General William Russell was a Virginian by birth, who had lived in the southwestern part of that state, and from boyhood had been accustomed to Indian warfare. He participated in the battles of King’s Mountain and Guilford Court House, and in the expedition against the Cherokees. After emigrating to Kentucky, he served with Scott, Wilkinson, and Wayne in their Indian campaigns, showing great military capacity. Again in 1811, and in the Western battles of the War of 1812-15, the services of General Russell were of much importance. In politics he was as prominent as in warfare, representing his county (Fayette) in the Kentucky legislature for thirteen terms, but finally suffering defeat as a candidate for governor (1824). The following year he died on his farm, where Cuming had met him.—Ed.

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