The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-30
MISCELLANY.
A KENTUCKY ROMANCE.
How Three Young Girls were Cap
tured and Rescued Ninety-nine
Years Ago.

lay in drowsy stiffness on the bank of
the Kentucky river Daniel Boone
and his friend and associate, Richard
Galloway, had been absent since early
in the morning: and the good wives,
sharers in the toll of the early pioneer
days, were enjoying the rest that the
Sabbath brought even to the unbroken
wilderness. In the grateful shade of
tree in one corner of the inclosure, sat
three young girls, giving an unwonted
charm to the rough evidences of civiliz-
alton which had but recently forced
themselves upon the primitive harmony
of the surrounding scenery.
The oldest of these maideDs was
Elizabeth Galloway. The experiences
of life rather than the Observance of ma
ture seem to have given turn TO the
thoughts and tastes of the early settlers,
so, while the euphonious name of Bessie
might have harmonized well with the
murmuring river and the soft and Ian
guild aspect of nature, in her summer
garb, the hard, very-day life of the ad-
venturous dwellers in the dark and
bloody ground seemed to comport best
with the harsher name of Betsy. So
Elizabeth was known simply as Betsy
Callaway-not name suggestive or ro-
mantle, yet she was withal gentle and
loving girl, and had maiden fancies that
gave the deep color of romance to one
of the incidents of her life in the will
derness. She was just turned to six
teen. The other girls, younger by two
years, were Fanny Galloway, fairer than
her sister Betsy, and Jemima Boone.
Though but fourteen years counted the
lives OF the two girls each had lover
who was a hardy pioneer. As evening
drew near, one of the girls proposed
that they should go a short distance be-
low the fort to where canoe was lying,
and drift out upon the river to catch
the rising coolness of the evening.
Hardly were they seated and prepared
to push from the shore, when they de-
tected slight rustic in the brush, and
in moment more five stalwart and hid
eously painted Indians leaped to the
side of the canoe. What girl of six
teen could be equal to such an emer-
gency? Betsy Galloway, without mo-
ment's hesitation, determined to defend
the honor and the lives Of herself and
her young companions, and wrote her
name in the annals of Kentucky.
Standing erect in the canoe, she seized
the paddle, and at single blow laid
open to the bone the head Of the fore
most savage. The other Indians press
ed on, but, still undannted, the brave
girl fought them. Finally exhausted, p,
she sank to the bottom of the csnoe,
and with her trembling sister and friend
was dragged ashore and hurried off to
meet whatever fate might be in store
for them.
The CONSERVATION at the fort can well
be imagined. The fathers of the girls
soon returned, and, before the night
closed in, Daniel Boone, at the lead of a
party on foot, and Richard Galloway, at
the head of party on horseback, were
off in pursuit. In Boone's party were
Samuel Henderson, John Holder and
Flanders Galloway. As Henderson
strobe along he was thinking of the
olive-cheeked heroine, Betsy Galloway;
and Holder .clenched his hands and
ground his teeth when he thought of
poor little, frightened Fanny; and Flan-
ders Galloway almost forgot his kith
and kin when thinking of his captured
Jemima Boone. We can easily smile
over it now, but let any man put him
self in the place of these young men,
and ask himself how he would feel in
such pursuit.
When the Indians started with the
girls they made the younger ones take
off their shoes and put on moccasins,
but Betsy refused to take off her shoes,
and as she walked along she ground her
heel into the soil to leave trail. Motto
ing this, the Indians made the whole
party walk apart and deviate from the
course, so as to wade through the water
and destroy the trail. Then the un.
daunted Betsy broke off twigs and drop,
ped them along the road; and when the
savages threatened her with uphfted
tomahawk if she persisted in this, she
secretly tore off PORTIONS of her dress
and dropped them on the road.
Boone's party soon found the trail
and followed it rapidly, fearing that the
girls might grow weary and be put to
death. All Sunday night and all Mon
day the pursuit was kept up. On Tues
day morning a slender column of smoke
was seen in the distance and the exper
fenced eye of the hunter detected the
camp Of the Indians. A serious diff
Guilty now presented itself. How were
the captives to be rescued without Civ
ing the captors time to kill them? Their
was but little time for reflection, as tn,
Indians must quickly discover thei
presence. The white men were sur,
shots and SO they picked their men. free
upon them, and then rushed into the
camp to the rescue. At the moment o
attack the girls were sitting at the foo
of tree; Betsy with red bandanni
handkerchief thrown over her head
while the heads of Fanny and Jemim;
were recliIing in her lap. Betsy div
complexion came near serving her ba'
turn at this juncture, for ape of the res
cuing party coming suddenly upon he
mistook her for an Indian, and wa
about to knock her brains out with tn
butt of his rifle when a friendly ham
intervened and saved the girl from
meeting her death just at the momen
Z when she saw liberty within her reach
The fathers and gallants carried thei
loved ones home in triumph, and thi
romance Of real life in Kentucky cen
tury ago would not be complete withou
the information that the dreams of Low
and happiness that were 40 cruelty dis
turbed, were subsequently all realized