Daniel Boone: The Pioneer of Kentucky
the wilderness through adventures surpassing the dreams of romance, he
had passed many years amidst the most wonderful vicissitudes of quietude
and of agitation, of peace and of war, on the settlement of which he was
the father, at Boonesborough, in the valley of the Kentucky river.
Robbed of the possessions which he had earned a hundred times over, he
had sought a temporary residence at Point Pleasant, in Virginia. And
now, as he was approaching the termination of his three score years, he
was prepared to traverse the whole extent of Kentucky, from the
Alleghany border on the east, to the mighty flood of the Mississippi,
which then upon the west rushed with its turbid flood through an almost
unbroken solitude. It was a long, long journey.
We can only surmise the reasons why he did not float down the Ohio in a
flat boat. It may be said that he was entirely unaccustomed to boating.
And as it does not appear that any other families joined him in the
enterprise, his solitary boat would be almost certain to be attacked
and captured by some of the marauding bands which frequented the
northern banks of the Ohio.
Colonel Boone was perfectly at home in the wilderness. He could always
find a path for himself, where there was no trail to follow. And but few
Indians now ventured into the interior of the State. We have no record
of the journey. He reached the Mississippi safely, crossed the river
into what is now the State of Missouri, and found a warm greeting in the
cabin of his son Daniel M. Boone, who had established himself upon the
western banks of the river, near where the city of St. Louis now stands.
CHAPTER XIII.
_A New Home._
Colonel Boone welcomed by the Spanish Authorities.--Boone's Narrative to
Audubon.--The Midnight Attack.--Pursuit of the Savages.--Sickness in the
Wilderness.--Honesty of Colonel Boone.--Payment of his Debts.--Loss of all
his Property.
At the time when Colonel Boone crossed the Mississippi and entered
Missouri, the Spanish Government, then in possession of that territory,
being anxious to promote the settlement of the country, gave a very
cordial welcome to all emigrants. The fame of Colonel Boone, as one of
the most bold and valuable of pioneers, had preceded him. The Lieutenant
Governor under the Spanish crown, who resided at St. Louis, received him
with marked attention, and gave him the assurance that ample portions of
land should be given to him and his family.
Colonel Boone took up his residence, with his son, in what is called the
Femme Osage district. The Spanish authorities appointed him Commandant
of the district, which was an office of both civil and military power.
His commission was dated July 11th, 1800. Remote as was this region from
the Atlantic States, bold adventurers, lured by the prospect of
obtaining large tracts of land, were rapidly pouring in. Instead of
collecting together, they scattered wildly over the vast domain. Don
Charles, the Spanish governor, gave Colonel Boone eight thousand acres
of land on the north side of the Missouri river. By the law of the
province he was bound to build upon some part of this land a house
within the year, and also to obtain a confirmation of the grant from the
representative of the Spanish crown, then residing in New Orleans. Both
of these precautions the simple-minded man neglected to adopt. To visit
New Orleans required a journey through the wilderness of more than a
thousand miles. Though he might float down the stream in his boat he
would be exposed continually to attacks from the Indians on its banks,
and when ready to return he could not surmount the rapid current of the
river in his boat, but would be compelled to traverse the winding banks,
often through almost impenetrable forests and morasses. His duties as
_syndic_ or justice of the peace also occupied much of his time, and the
Lieutenant Governor at St. Louis agreed to dispense with his residence
upon his lands. In addition to this, Colonel Boone had no doubt that the
country would soon come under the power of the United States, and he
could not believe the United States Government would disturb his title.
Soon after Boone's emigration to Missouri, the Emperor Napoleon, by
treaty with Spain, obtained possession of the whole of the vast region
west of the Mississippi and Missouri, then known as Louisiana, and the
region was transferred to France. It is a curious fact in the history of
Boone passing through such wonderful adventures, that he had been a
subject of George II., George III., a citizen of the United States, of
the temporary nationality of Transylvania, an adopted son and citizen of
the Shawanese tribe of Indians, a subject of Charles IV. of Spain, and
now he found himself a subject of the first Napoleon, whose empire was
then filling the world with its renown.
Not long after this, the Emperor sold the country, as we have recorded,
to the United States, saying with that prophetic wisdom which
characterised this extraordinary man, "I have now given England a rival
upon the seas." The fulfilment of this prophecy has since then been
every hour in process of development.
Colonel Boone seems to have been very happy in his new home. He still
enjoyed his favorite pursuit of hunting, for the forests around him were
filled with game and with animals whose rich furs were every year
becoming more valuable. The distinguished naturalist, J. J. Audubon,
visited him in his solitary retreat, and spent a night with him. In his
Ornithological Biography he gives the following narrative which he
received from Boone, that evening as they sat at the cabin fire. We give
the story in the words of the narrator:
"Daniel Boone, or as he was usually called in the Western country,
Colonel Boone, happened to spend a night with me under the same roof,
more than twenty years ago. We had returned from a shooting excursion,
in the course of which his extraordinary skill in the management of the
rifle had been fully displayed. On retiring to the room appropriated to
that remarkable individual and myself for the night, I felt anxious to
know more of his exploits and adventures than I did, and accordingly
took the liberty of proposing numerous questions to him.
"The stature and general appearance of this wanderer of the western
forests approached the gigantic. His chest was broad and prominent, his
muscular powers displayed themselves in every limb; his countenance gave
indication of his great courage, enterprise and perseverance; and when
he spoke the very motion of his lips brought the impression that
whatever he uttered could not be otherwise than strictly true. I
undressed while he merely took off his hunting shirt and arranged a few
folds of blankets on the floor, choosing rather to lie there, as he
observed, than on the softest bed. When we had both disposed of
ourselves each after his own fashion, he related to me the following
account of his powers of memory, which I lay before your kind reader in
his own words, hoping that the simplicity of his style may prove
interesting to you:
"'I was once,' said he, 'on a hunting expedition on the banks of the
Green River, when the lower parts of Kentucky were still in the hands of
nature, and none but the sons of the soil were looked upon as its lawful
proprietors. We Virginians had for some time been waging a war of
intrusion upon them, and I among the rest rambled through the woods in
pursuit of their race, as I now would follow the tracks of any ravenous
animal. The Indians outwitted me one dark night, and I was as
unexpectedly as suddenly made a prisoner by them.
"'The trick had been managed with great skill; for no sooner had I
extinguished the fire of my camp, and laid me down to rest in full
security, as I thought, than I felt seized by an undistinguishable
number of hands, and was immediately pinioned as if about to be led to
the scaffold for execution. To have attempted to be refractory would
have proved useless and dangerous to my life, and I suffered myself to
be removed from my camp to theirs, a few miles distant, without uttering
a word of complaint. You are aware, I daresay, that to act in this
manner was the best policy, as you understand that by so doing, I proved
to the Indians at once that I was born and bred as fearless of death as
any of themselves.
"'When we reached the camp great rejoicings were exhibited. Two squaws
and a few papooses appeared particularly delighted at the sight of me,
and I was assured by every unequivocal gesture and word that on the
morrow the mortal enemy of the red skins would cease to live. I never
opened my lips, but was busy contriving some scheme which might enable
me to give the rascals a slip before dawn. The women immediately fell a
searching about my hunting shirt for whatever they might think valuable,
and fortunately for me soon found my flask filled with strong whiskey.
"'A terrific grin was exhibited on their murderous countenances, while
my heart throbbed with joy at the anticipation of their intoxication.
The crew began immediately to beat their bellies and sing, as they
passed the bottle from mouth to mouth. How often did I wish the flask
ten times its size and filled with _aquafortis_! I observed that the
squaws drank more freely than the warriors, and again my spirits were
about to be depressed when the report of a gun was heard at a distance.
The Indians all jumped on their feet. The singing and drinking were both
brought to a stand, and I saw with inexpressible joy the men walk off
to some distance and talk to the squaws. I knew that they were
consulting about me, and I foresaw that in a few moments the warriors
would go to discover the cause of the gun having been fired so near
their camp. I expected that the squaws would be left to guard me. Well,
sir, it was just so. They returned, the men took up their guns and
walked away. The squaws sat down again and in less than five minutes had
my bottle up to their dirty mouths, gurgling down their throats the
remains of the whiskey.
"'With pleasure did I see them becoming more and more drunk, until the
liquor took such hold of them that it was quite impossible for these
women to be of any service. They tumbled down, rolled about and began to
snore, when I, having no other chance of freeing myself from the cords
that fastened me, rolled over and over towards the fire, and after a
short time burned them asunder. I rose on my feet, snatched up my rifle,
and for once in my life spared that of Indians. I now recollected how
desirous I once or twice felt to lay open the skulls of the wretches
with my tomahawk. But when I again thought upon killing beings
unprepared and unable to defend themselves, it looked like murder
without need, and I gave up the idea.
"'But, sir, I felt determined to mark the spot, and walking to a
thrifty ash sapling, I cut out of it three large chips and ran off. I
soon reached the river, soon crossed it, and threw myself into the
cane-brakes, imitating the tracks of an Indian with my feet, so that no
chance might be left for those from whom I had escaped to overtake me.
"'It is now nearly twenty years since this happened, and more than five
since I left the whites' settlement, which I might never probably have
visited again, had I not been called upon as a witness in a law suit
which was pending in Kentucky, and which I really believe would never
have been settled had I not come forward and established the beginning
of a certain boundary line. The story is this, sir:
"'Mr. ---- moved from Old Virginia into Kentucky, and having a large
tract granted to him in the new State, laid claim to a certain parcel of
land adjoining Green River, and, as chance would have it, took for one
of his corners the very ash tree on which I had made my mark, beginning,