Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-09-02
Daniel Boone.
3 Ast Lonis Rennblicnn.l

nv RiSNt III 1COO, III Ills LSu-
tistigraphy7gives an account Of
his visit to Daniel Boone in 1919
in The "Boonslick Country" and
painting his portrait. From this
book, a copy ofwhieh is in Mer-
camille Library Hall, l extract
as below:
Tn 1S1S-19 Mr.. Harding fol-
lowed portrait painting in Ken
lucky with marked success, but
the tidal wave Of ifredcemable
paper money struck the country,
and he resolved to go to St.
Lonis.
After speaking of his difficult
ties and privations in making
the journey with his family,
which occupied ten days, he
SAYS:
az had letters Of introduction
to St. Louis. We went as far
as Louisville on a flat-boat, and
there found a steamboat ready
to take passengers, and in ten
days we were safely landed in
St. Louis. / presented one of
my letters to Governor Clark,
who was then Governor, Indian
Agent, &C., and he kindly help
cd me about getting a room for
a studio, and then offered him.
self as sitter. / was decidedly
happy in my likeness of him, and
long before / had finished his
head | had others engaged, and
for fifteen months | was kept
constantly at work. In June
of this year | made a trip of a
hundred miles or more for the
purpose of painting the portrait
of old Colonel Daniel Boone. l
had much trouble finding him.
He was living some miles from
the main road, in one of the cab
ms of an old block house, which
was built for the protection of
the settlers against the incur
sions of the Indians.
81 found that the nearer | got
to his dwelling the less was
known of him. When within
two miles of his house | asked a
man to tell me where Colonel
Boone lived. He said he did
not know any such man. why,
yes you do said his wife. 1T
is that white-headed old man
who lives on the bottom near the
river A good illustration of
the proverb that a prophet is not
without honor save in his own
country.
81 found the object of my
search cooking his dinner. He
was lying in his bunk near the
fire, and had a long strip of ven
sion wound around his ramrod
and was busy turning it before
brisk blaze, and using salt
and pepper to season his meat.
II at once told him the object
of my visit. l found he hardly
knew what / meant. l explained
to him, and he agreed to sit. He
was ninety years old and rather
inirm. His memory of passing
events was much impaired, yet
he could amuse me every day by
his anecdotes OF his early life. /
asked him one day, just after his
description of one of his long
hunts, if he ever got lost, having
no compass. No. said he, 4
can't say as ever l was lost, but
was beaCildered once for three
days
'HIIe was much astonished at
seeing a likeness of himself. He
had a very large progeny--one
granddaughter had eighteen chill
dren, all at home near the old
mans cabin. They were even
more astonished at the picture
than the old man himself"
The portrait of Daniel Boone
painted by Harding (Which ]
myself heard Colonel Rufus. Eas-
ton, Major G. w. Hunter and
Governor Clark speak of as a
faithful likeness) remained in
possession of Governor Clark
till 1888, when Mr.. Harding
painted a full-length portrait of
the Governor, which is now
hanging in the Library hall.
Mr.. Harding took the Boone
portrait, and after his death il
came to the possession of his
grandson, Mr.. William II. King,
of Springfield, Mass, who now
has it. JOHN NJ. KRUM.
|