veyor's office. This was the engrossing subject of all men's thoughts; as eagerly and with as much avidity, amidst these hostile forests, as in any stock market of a commercial city. To propose a military expedition, demanded by the interests of the country, to men under such 'keen and potent excitement, would have been worse than useless. Should the more generous and gallant engage in it, they would leave the selfish and the grasping speculator behind, to despoil them of the richest fruits of the country, which they were defending. In this predicament, Clark proposed to Mr. G. May, the surveyor of Kentucky county, to shut up his office, and then all would turn their attention to the defence of the country. This Mr. May declared he had no authority to do; but if General Clark would issue such an order, he would be the first man to obey it. The General accordingly caused a written order to be placed on the door of the surveyor's office, notifying all persons, that the office was shut by an order from Brigadier General Clark, until after *an expedition could be carried on against the enemy. measure, and the high military popularity possessed by General Clark, commanded any number of volunteers, in addition to his own State regiment, which was garrisoning Fort Nelson at the Falls of Ohio. The expedition commanded by Clark, consisted of two regiments, one under command of Colonel B. Logan, and the other under that of Colonel William Linn. The point of rendezvous for both, was the mouth of Licking river, where they assembled with artillery conveyed up the river from the Falls. The force when all assembled, amounted to nearly a thousand men.t

This

The secrecy and dispatch, which had ever attended the movements of this efficient commander, continued to mark his progress on this occasion; the Indian town was approached without any discovery, and as soon assailed, when a sharp conflict ensued, in which seventeen of the enemy were slain, with an equal loss upon our part. The rest fled, the town was

When Colonel Clark arrived at the Falls, he received a letter from Governor Jeffer eon, advising such an expedition, written 19th of April, but not received till 11th of July, following.

† Captain Pattor. says nine hundred and ninety-eight,

then reduced to ashes, the gardens and fields laid waste; such are the melancholy means of carrying on war with barbarian tribes, who without the intervention of a large civil body of society, not partakers in the war, can only be made to feel its horrors, by bringing home to themselves the dreadful sufferings which they inflict.

From Pickaway, Colonel Benjamin Logan was detached against another Indian town, about twenty miles distant. This was, however, found deserted, and it was destroyed by our troops, as well as a store (British, it is presumed,) from which the Indians had been supplied with arms and ammunition. This latter object, indeed, formed the principal aim of the party. Owing to these offensive measures, Kentucky enjoyed some breathing time, while the Indians were engaged in rebuilding their habitations, and obtaining provisions by hunting, to supply the loss of their crops.

CHAPTER VIII.

Kentucky county divided into Lincoln, Fayette and Jefferson-Erection of Fort Jefferson on the Mississippi-Spanish and French intrigues at Paris against the western boundary of the United States-McKee and Girty-Attack on Bryant's Station-Battle of the Blue Licks-Expedition of General Clark to the Chilicothes in 1782-Early manners and state of the arts in Kentucky.

By the first of November of this year, the population of the State had advanced with such rapid strides, that the legislature of Virginia sub-divided the county of Kentucky into three parts; assigning different names to each. They were called Jefferson, Fayette, and Lincoln. The former embraced that part of the old county, which lay south of the river Kentucky, north of Green river, and west of Big Benson and Hammond's creek; the second beginning at the mouth of the Kentucky river, extended up its middle fork to the head, and embraced the northern and eastern portion of the present State on that side of the Kentucky; the residue of the primitive county was called Lincoln.

The establishment, however, of fort Jefferson, formerly mentioned, provoked an attack upon it by the Chickasaws and Choctaws, on whose lands it was built, without their consent. A purchase had, however, been positively instructed to be made of the Indians, by the Governor of Virginia; though the circumstances which prevented it are now unknown. In resentment it is supposed, of this threatening intrusion, Colbert, a Scotch gentleman who had ingratiated himself with these Indians, and the ancestor of the present chiefs of that name, appeared with all his warriors before fort Jefferson, in the summer of 1781. The attack, it is said by one, who was a boy in the fort at the time, lasted five days. The Indians principally encamped on the island opposite to the fort, now known as island No. 1, just above Mayfield's creek. The garrison not exceeding thirty men, under Captain George, (two-thirds of whom were sick with the ague and fever) were reduced to the lowest extremity. Pumpkins, with the blossom yet on them, afforded their principal food. On the sixth day Colbert and George met under a flag of truce, to agree upon terms of capitulation; but they were unable to effect it. As Colbert was retiring, he received a wound from *some of the Indians, who were with our men in the blockhouses, and fell. This treachery according to our own usages, enraged the Indians to the utmost pitch of exasperation: at night they collected all their forces, and made a furious assault upon the fort, endeavoring to take it by storm. When the Indians had advanced in very close order, Captain George Owen, who commanded one of the block-houses, had the swivels loaded with rifle and musket balls, and fired them in the crowd. The consequent carnage was excessive, and dispersed the enemy. At the same time General Clark, who was stationed at Kaskaskia, and had been sent for, arrived with provisions and a reinforcement, which effectually raised the siege, to the great relief of the garrison.

This fort was some time afterwards abandoned, from the difficulty of supplying such remote and detached posts. It is worthy of remark, that the State of Kentucky, goaded to madness

* Captain Patton's papers.

as she has been by Indian outrages; submitted to the occupation of the south-western section of her territory by the Chickasaws, until their title was peaceably extinguished by the treaty of 1818, with that tribe. The fact offers an exemplary regard for aboriginal claims, which may well dictate a lesson of forbearance with the tribes of the forest, to all the members of the confederacy.

The opening of 1782 was marked by several successful enterprises on the part of the enemy, with more than usual fatality to the whites. They were the precursors to misfortunes of deeper dye, and more extensive calamity, than had yet befallen our Larassed countrymen. Among other calamities of the times Laughery's defeat should not be omitted. This officer was coming down the Ohio river, to join the Kentuckians with one hundred and seven men; he was attacked below the Great Miami, at a creek which still retains the name of the unfortunate commander, and the whole party was killed or captured.

*"In the month of May, a party of about twenty-five Wyandots, invested Estill's station, on the south of the Kentucky river, killed one white man, took a negro prisoner, and after destroying the cattle, retreated. Soon after the Indians disappeared, Captain Estill raised a company of twenty-five menwith these he pursued the Indians; and on Hinkston's fork of Licking, two miles below the Little Mountain, came within gunshot of them. They had just crossed the creek, which in that part is small; and were ascending one side, as Estill's party descended the other, of two approaching hills, of moderate elevation. The water course which lay between, had produced an opening in the timber and brush, conducing to mutual discovery; while both hills were well set with trees, interspersed with saplings and bushes. Instantly after discovering the Indians, some of Captain Estill's men, fired at them; at first they seemed alarmed-and made a movement like flight: but their chief, although wounded, gave them orders to stand, and fight-on which they promptly prepared for battle, by each man taking a tree, and facing his enemy, as nearly in

* Marshall, 1, 126.

a line as practicable. In this position they returned the fire, and entered into the battle, which they considered as inevitable, with all the fortitude, and animation of individual, and concerted bravery; so remarkable in this particular tribe.

"In the meantime, Captain Estill, with due attention to what was passing on the opposite side, checked the progress of his men at about sixty yards distance from the foe, and gave orders to extend their line in front of the Indians, to cover themselves by means of the trees-and to fire, as the object should be seen, with a sure aim. This order, perfectly adapted to the occasion, was executed with alacrity, as far as circumstances would admit, and the desultory mode of Indian fighting was thought to require. So that both sides were preparing, and ready, at the same time, for the bloody conflict which ensued: and which proved to be singularly obstinate.

"The numbers were equal; some have said, exactly twentyfive on each side-others have mentioned, that Captain Estill, upon seeing the Indians form for battle, dispatched one or two of his men, upon the back trail, to hasten forward a small reinforcement, which he expected was following him; and if so, it gave the Indians, the superiority of numbers, without producing the desired assistance, for the reinforcement never arrived.

"Now were the hostile lines within rifle shot-and the action became warm and general to their extent. Never was battle more like single combat, since the use of fire-arms; each man sought his man-and fired only when he saw his markwounds and death were inflicted on either side-neither advancing nor retreating. The firing was deliberate-with caution they looked, but look they would for the foe; although life itself was often the forfeit. And thus both sides firmly stoodor bravely fell-for more than one hour: upwards of one-fourth of the combatants had fallen never more to rise, on either side, and several others were wounded. Never, probably, was the native bravery or collected fortitude of men, put to a test more severe. In the clangor of an ardent battle, when death is forgotten, it is nothing for the brave to die-when even cowards die like brave men-but in the cool and lingering expectation L