Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1854-06-19
simon Kenton.


died Simon Kenton, one OF the worhest of the
Western Pioneers. Buried on d small grassy knoll
the head waters of Mad River, about i've
miles n. E. Of Belielontaine, in Logan county,
the only memorial over his grave, is, small slab,
the Inscription on which, so far as II reiates 10
place and date of birth IS at yatapce with the
lstatsment his bfographeis.
His biographers say that he was bern IN Fau-
quer county, Vas, on the 10Th May, 1906. The
following are the words on his tomb stone:
aIn memory of Simon Kenton who was born
April Sd. ri75, in Cuipepper county, Va, and
died April goth, 1896, peed 81 Years and 90 days.
him as the SIX pioneer early times, the
brave soldier npdthe honest man.,'
The parenthge OF Kenton was humble. Ills
father was an ltIslnnn; his mother OF SCOTCH de-
scent; and his education entirely neglected. Be-
lieying any Incidents sof his life womId, Mt tiis
time. beiipterssting, we have selected the follow
ing exttacts:s S f.
AT ;he early age of sixteen he became entang-
letf 10 the snares. of Young coquette, and soon
had severe combat with rival, named ,Leitch-
man, or as some accounts state, Veach. Suppcs-
ing that he had killed him, he fieaeto the Aneghe-
MES and the wilderness ofthe u1exptoped West,
and became one of the tboljest pioneers of the
dark and bloody grounds,,' and one of the bra
vest tliateyer encountered the wies of the n
dams. ~ II : Sfssfss 50 -
Ills FIRST yisitto Kentuckyswas aseariyla 1915,
but Tor few years he calnped, hnnted and trapped
on the banks of the Great Kailawha and Big San.
dy Rivers. In Mag, II TOO with a companion
named Williams, this pioneer of Northern KEN
lucky made discove Of the rich cane lands back
of MaySvilie, now the most Beautiful aud fertile
in the State built his cabin near the site OF the
present town of Washington, Mason county,
cleared ain actecf gtound, plhnted corn he hadte-
ceiyed from French trader in exchange for eits,
and III due season, ate the FIRST N asling earthat
grew in that state by the cafe of d white man. on
the north side OF the Kentucky Tiver. =
The; hupting grounds of ;Keutucky were soon
disputed territory. Kenson aud his friend did not
occupy 1t. inmolested! Hhe red man became fu-
TioUS at the intrusion OF the long knives into tile
cane brakes and around the Clicks of their cher
iShed "Kain tuck ee." The incursions upon the
infant Elements, bithe exasperated foe, were
frequent and bloody, and every station and block
house were holly besieged. Kenton saved the life
of Boon. aud, as spy and Indian fighter, bore
gallant and conspicuous part in all The enterprises
offensive and defensive, that took place up to the
peace OF Gresnyiile. s,'IefS
Dutihg these exploits his life was one OF event
lul incident. On being, oil one occasion, taken
prisoner by the Indians, he was eight times exposed
to the gauntlet-three times tied TO the stnketo be
hurnL and often thought himself on the -eyeof Il
terrible death, but at last he escaped.
Kenlon was with Gen. George Rogers Clarke
in The first Invasion of the Indians in Ohio, by the
| kentuckans, in any force III 1880, aud shared in
The dangers aud success that attended the attack
on the Indian tow of Chllicothe, on the Little
Mann river, and pickaway, or PIqaa, the birth
PLACE of Tecuniseh, ON the. Mad River, now New
Boston, five miles west OF Springfield. 81 ,
rsln the fall Gen. Clarke, to revenge the
disaster oil The Blue Licks, led another army, 1900
Strong olrom Kentucky, against the Indian towns
on this side of the Ohio which spread dest iucton
1dt md wide, and no formidable party of Intans
afterwards lnyadel keItucks;I Kenfoa command
ed company en- this OCCASION, aud was again;the
lpiot tor the army, his knowledge of the country
was unsurpassed, and his skill in woodcrait une-
lqualed., s .. = IN Nv n e 49,
On The 4th of November, 1852. as the expedi-
/ lion, ON lis retu n 10 Kentucky, were descending
atsa
prosperity city fCmcinnal- the pioneers, COM
Iposing il, enleret. into the romantic enlargement
that fifty years thereafter The, survivors shpiild
meet and talkoyer the affairs of tile campnisii,',
and the dangers and han0ships OF the beautiful
hill opposite the mouth oil The Licking river.
/ Tins suggestion was made by Captain McCrack-
len, of the Kentucky Light Horse, who died from
the mortiliacailon tof a wound received while
i lighting beside Kenion in the attack on PiQua
towt) ON The present site of this city, where lie
party encanped, and buried along side OF the
j black house on the banks of the Licking river,
about where the Newport Barracks now are. - (
j To carry ont the request of the dying soldier,
Col. Floyd, from The Falls of the Ohio. brought
toward resolution which was adopted, andthe
the semi centennial meeting determined upon.
This was SIX years before any settlement was made
at this point. ssisf
4 All around was the unbfoken
wilderness, but as they bore the dying McCracken
1 down the hill above Cincinnati, The iuIure Stood
revealed TO his fast closing eyes-the cities aud
villas reoT led with tens OF thousands, crowning
Tie valleys and the hill tops, the noise OF abouid-
ing commerce---int the streets and on the rivers
building rising upon buIIding-palace and temple
and ALI lie panorama OF fifty years passed infevew
before him. The desire 10 link ones name with
ii tins greatness was partonable in him W no had
shed his blood in the struggle TO pchieve it. Tie
interesting day that was To witness the union of
the surviving heroes of 's2 ieIii upon the 3D. of
November, 1882. Among thesuryivots was Gen.
Simon Kenton, but from sickness and old age he
Il was unable 10 attend and he f4ky sod
lhathers of the w est.,' q 3 s7-i
Kenton returned after the disbandment OF the
rolunteelS at the mouth OF Licking, 10 Kentucky,
aud after some slight difficulties with the Indians
/ he saw the country around his early settlement
III Mason county filled up with gallant SET ofmen!
/ ksnton, as 6laior, ioined the army of General
\ w ayte, aud was conspicuous among the hardy
hunters of his army. ~ j -
1 After The peace of Greenvlie, emigration pour
ed in, and the lands oil Kenton, rose rapidly in
i prlce and Importance. ~
\ KeMton Yves considered 10 be as wealthy as any
Ole Ill The State, and desefy.dto be so, for he ha
purchasedit by many a bloody conflict and by
many incredible hardships. But behold the graft
tude of his couHtrymen! 81 s,,o
The crafty ohsprings otpeace, who slept in The
lap OF Eastern and security, while tins handy
pioneer was enduring the hardshlps of tie wilder
ness, and bIayingi tie gauntlet, and stake and
tonlahawi of the Indian, 10 redeem the soil of the
est, creep IN when the fight, the toll, and dam
ger were past, and by tIishonorable trick inise,a.
BILE technlcality and cunning procedure, iwrest The
| Possessions bought atsucll terrible price, from
the gallant, unletterel, simple hearted man, n
yersed IN the rascalty of civilization He lost his
lands, acre AFTER acre, the Suneriot Skiirot the
/ speculator prevailing over the simplicity and ig-
nofahce OF the hunter. What .asburning, deep
disgrace TO the West shat the hero who had sui
errd so much, lotight well, to win the soil of Ills
glorious 'cane land' Tom the savage, should,
when the contest was ended be Compelled 10 feave
It to those who never struck blow in its deienoel
Foget her with Boone and numerous other. brave
of the day. Kenton, like an old shoe, " as kick,
ed ASIDE when he was no longer of any use. or
had become too antiquated for tIs fashion of the
times. Kentucky treated her earliest and staunclI4
est defenders scarcely So well as tkey treated
their dogs. 'Afterrunnlng down the game, she de-
/ med Them the very otIal. '194 !,