Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1874-01-08
DANIEL BOONE.
BY MAURICE F EGAN.

Daniel Boone. the celebrated pi-
oneer. settler of Kentucky, was a
Pennsylvanian by birth. He first
saw the lightin Bucks County, in Feb
ruarv, 1735. His father, Squire
Boone, was an Englishman, and the
father of eleven children, OF whom
Daniel was the sixth.
Early in his hoyhood the future pi-
oneers s greatest pleasure was to wan
der through the woods, studying the
habits Of the wild animals and con
templating these natural. uncaitt
waited beauties of which the inhab
itants of cities know SO little, and
can hardly form an idea 1t was not
hard to crafty passion for sylvan
life in those days, especially around
the game-ahcunding and forest encir
cled spot where the Bcones then
lived-a settlement near Reading.
The settlers lived in fear OF Indian
assaults; and while making war on
the game and pursuing his woodland
studies, young Boone learned things
far more valuable than book kno~l
edge, of which he got little. He
learned self-control, selt-possession,
prcmptness-for at the moment he
deemed himself most secure, 1.-the,
willy red skins might app' ar from he
hind verdant screens and gnarled
trunks. Every hour Of his woodland
life was full of danger. But the dan
ger had glorious cempensations.
When Daniel was about eighteen,
the Boones removed to North Caro-
lima, and settled in the northwestern
part of that State. Here the mighty
hunter, having thus far escaped seri-
Gus hurt from Indian bullets and ar
rows, was pierced by sharper dat
than any red skin could send. The
archer was Cupid, and the young
hunter married Rebecca Bryan, whose
eyes, tradition says, were once mis-
taken by him for the soft, bright
eyes of q deer, as they peered at him
frcm the thick foliage.
Boone found North Carolina an un
congenial place of residence. The
governors were either Scotch or Eng
lish; they favored their own country
men. Extortionate taxes, law lees,
snobhish pretensions, and official op-
preston drove the more independent
and simple.living settlers from the
place; and when, in 1I6T, John Fin
lev, backwocdsman, brought glow
ing reports of The fertility of Ken
lucky, which he represented as hap
py hunting ground, Boone drank in
his words eagerly. His sons were
now old enough to manage the farm,
and his wife, Rebecca, thrifty mat
ron, was fully competent to oversee
them. Equipped for long and per
ilous journey into the wilderness, he
and five companions set out on the
Ist of May, 1869, Gin quest of the
country called *Kentucky," as he
says in his journal They encamped
on the banks of the Red River.
In December, Boone and Stewart,
who had gone out to reconnoitre,
reached the main stream of the Ken
tucky. Twilight was falling The
travel weary explorers had just
reached the brow of a small hill, and
we're thinking of welcome rest, when
number of Indians rushed from the
dark shade of a thick cane brake.
Having secured all the supplies of the
party, the Indians forced them into
the cane brake.
Boone's knowledge Of Indian char
acter now proved of great use to him.
With stoical self control, he mani
tested neither fear nor unessiness,
and made no attempt to escape. He
must have even deceived his willy
captors, for they set no watch on
their prisoners during the night
They doubtless intended to adopt
them to the tribe. Seven days passed
Boone waited, watched, and acted
his part. The Indians treated hin
and his companions with rude kind
ness. To run away after such treat
ment at their hands, would be re
garded as an offense never to b.
forgiven by the savages; but Boom
sKain- -tuck-ee. a shawnese word. signifyin
"at the head of the river"