Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-09-28
Guoprt'5 1, lurksdllr aSfgiateg
DEATH OF 1 KENPGcKY PIo.
NEER.

DEATH OF l kEN FdCKY PI0-
NEER.
Tie Louisville papers announce the
Heath. on the 9th instant. at his residence,
in Shelby county, Ky OF Major Billiard.
in his s4th year, lie was born in Freder-
icksburg, Va, in August, 1859, moved
to Kentucky in 1879, served in the war of
the, Revolution and also in 1919, and was
repeatedly member OF the Legislature
Of Kentucky. The Louisville journal
says.
Major Billiard was an uneduca.ed man,
but We have rarely seen one who con-
versed more huently or described scenes
more graphically. We have often seen
him in the street dressed in his buckskin
hunting shirt, surrounded by crowds of
men and boys listening with breathless
attention to his wonderful stories. We
ourselves have listened to them many an
hour, and often through the iyelong night
without fatigue and wholly unconscious
of the approach of morning.
we,on heard him asked how many
Indians he had killed in one day. IL
kilt" g. i'd he &c six one morning before
breakfast, and it was not very good NOR
ming for the business either" This reply,
given in his peculiar, business-!ike style,
We will never forget. If we had not re-
Cured to the question we might have
thought that the old gentleman was spea
king of some morning hunt for squirrels,
deer or buffalo, so singuIarly calm was
his manner ; but, on this and on other
occasions, Major Billiard never exhibited
the slightest computations, on account of
his having killed Indians. His family
and he, in his own persons, had received
too many injuries from the savages for him
ever to feel the slightest sympathy for
them. He regarded them as faithless,
treacherous race. and the enemy of his
own, and therefore sorrowed but little
ever their probable extinction. But he
often spoke OF some of them US brave,
chiyalrous and generous, and for them
expressed the warmest admiration.
The history of Major Billiard abounds
in many thrilling adventures and anec-
dotes which we could relate, and which
might interest our readers, but which the
occasion forbids. We cannot however
close this sketch without referring to one
of them.
In 1888 the Indians attacked his faith
er's house situated near the little fort on
Tick creek, few miles northeast of Shell
byville. The attack was made early in
the morning, and began by the savages
shooting down his brother Benjamin, who
had gone out of the house for wood to
make FIRE. They then assaulted the
house. The inmates barred the
the door and prepared for defence. The
father of the subject of this sketch was
the only man in the house, and he and
one old man were the only persons in the
fort. Aroused by the guns. he snatched
up his own rifle and rushed to the defence
of his kindred. He fired and reloaded
and fred again as he ran with good eff
feet. In the meantime, the Indians broke
open the house and killed his father, his
mother, and two sisters, and tomahawked
the youngest sister, child, who recov
cred. When the Indians broke into the
house, his mother endeavored to escape
by the backdoor, but savage pursued
her, and he raised his tomahawk to strike
her, the subject of this sketch fred at him, !
not, however. in tine to prevent the fatal
blow; and they both fell and expired to-
gether. The Indians numbered about ff-
teen. but before they they completed their
work of death and fed, it is supposed that
the subject OF this sketch killed six or
seven of them.
But it was not merely as warrior and
soldier that Major Billiard rendered i'm
portant service to Kentucky, He frequent
ly represented the people of Shelby
county in the Legislature. The State, in
appreciation of his services. and to per-
petuate his name, have created the
county of Billiard, and already, in antici-
patton of his death, is his name inscribed
on the beautiful marble shaft erected in
her beautiful burying ground in honor of
her distinguished dead.
The generation now on the sphere of
action. and the millions who are to sue
coed them, will have but an imperfect
Idea of The character and services of the
bold. patriotic men who rescued Kentucky
from the forest and the savage. The de-
ceased was fine specimen of that noble
race of men. He was the last of his ia
TIERS family. His brother James. the
companion OF his youth. and the sharer
of most Of his adventures, preceded him
but few years.
GE fn u breach OF promise case, the