The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1881-05-13
REMINISCENCEs
ar stanford ""a Li"oo'" County.

families left the Walauga aud IIolston an,
the Clinch under Donelson aud Medley ans
: othera, hound Tor the little Fort near wher'
Nashville now stands. One party undei
ponelson, near kinsman Of A. J. Donaldson
adopted son Of Jackson, prepared them
selves with boats and descended the lIol
sion aud Tennessee and up the Ohio anC
Cumberland, until they reached the Fort
heset by Indians on their route and expos
ed TO perilsof unknown water. Amonl
lthis party we're several brave and heroi,
women, and their families Of the noblesl
blood u the land. Among them Mary
Purnell and her family, whose descendants
yet live in that country re.cured from saw
age wildness by these pure pioneers The
other party came BY land. They lefi the
banks Of the lIolston in November, 1879
came the old Boone trace through Cumber.
land Gap, passing Whitley's Station,
through stanford, then a canebrake and
wilderness almost, passing Carpenters
Station, spending this, the coolest Winter
ever known, in the wilds Of Kentucky
among bowling Wild beasts, not resching
the little Fort near Nashville until the
Spring of 1850. Among this party was
another Mary, daughter Of Medley, brave
and heroic young woman, who, sometime
after their arrival at the Fort, having gone
into the wilderness to take sna1 to her faith
er, wa captured by the Indians, her father
killed and he carried a captive through
Kentucky 20 Canada. During their jour
ney through the wilderness this noble girl
suffered much, sleeping on the ground in
the Winter, with no covering but hides
and the snow, amid the Indian camp
She was held a captive Coz some time, but
| by the assistance Of kind-hearted French
woman, ron whom she got milk for the
Chief aud his wife, she made her escape
travelling through the forests part Of the
time she had the company Of party Of
emignnts with whom he met. Cro-sing
the Ohio in % canoe she met with her
brothers who had been on her trace, and
they reached Carpenter. Station, where
short time afterwards, she married
George spcares, aud many descendants Of
thee noble PIONEER, still live in Kentucky,
and one d the turnpike road Of Lincoln
county bears part Of her maiden name,
Neeley. What hardship. lhese heroic
women endured the reader can imagine
camping in the Wild woods and on unknown
waters, With the aysge veil and Wild
beast howl on every side, and ia the cold
est Winter ever known, when corn
was from ihy dollars to one hundred and
siSiy.fve dollar per bushel in Kentucky.
Such were some Of our early pioneers,
aud the names Of Mary Puinell and Mary
Neeley will be remembered by the yirtu.
Gus aud pure for their heroism aud daring
in assisting Ia the settlement Of this and
the country around Nashville a. long a.
the Hermitage stand. or the memory Of
the little Fort near Nashville remains.
Like their pure namesake Of Scripture, for
their families, their home and country
they wer willing to brave every danger
and face every peril. And shall not men
ton the name Of the sisters Of George
Spears, the husband Of Mary Medley
Catharine Carpenter, tue to her country
and duty, shared the dangers Of pioneer
life; at one time she was attacked BY two
Indians while making soap, but with
heroic daring. -he threw hot soap in their
eyes and hy tlsetness Of foot escaped TO the
Station.
Another sister Of George speare, married
Christopher Rife, and after the marriage
her husband built a small cabin near the
bank Of Green River, and he aud hi young
wife moved To- il. but they were forced
by Indians to return to Carpenters Station,
and the 'avages pillaged the cabin and
scattered the contents. Rifle returned with
a squad Of men and pursued the Indians
aud defeated them. lie after this bought
additional lands adjoining his settlement,
and the same was decided lo him BY the
family Of our sssassinated President.
Lincoln
About this time toe Indians made an
attack on Montgomery Station, killing
Montgomery and carrying of his niece, a
young aud beautiful girl, and scalping her
short distance of but the daughter
escaped and bore the sad news Of her
fathers death and her cousins capture to
McKinney's Station. These incidents and
bloody conflicts with the savages call 10
our minds the perils aud struggles Of early
frontier lie in this part Of Kentucky. We
should do something Ia keep the records
OF the valor Of our ancestors from decay
and ioigetfulness.
TRAVELLERS REsr. AND 1919.
From these incidents in our early pioneer
life | wish To call the attention Of the
reader To another distinguished character
in our early history the first Governor OF
Kentucky; and to his beautiful farm
Traveller. Rest The life Of Isaac Shelby
and his actions aud achievements ia
military aud civil life, and his gallasl
conduct during the war of the Revolution
and the war Of lsl2, occupy a wide space
in the history Of KentuekYs early struggle
and with that history our people arr
familiar. Isaac Shelby under the leader
ship Of his father, participated in IN,
memorable battles Of Kanawha aud Point
Pleasant, and commanded his lalheri
company after the fall Of the Colonel, an,
the father took eomman Of the forces
lie also took an active part in the battle
under his father at Chickamauga, and il
the battle of July 2Otb, l77G, with tn
Indians, in what Is now Fast Tennessee
Az a meeting Of the pioneer settlers a
Waiauga, Old Field, or sycamore Shoal,
As stated heretofore, a treaty was mad
with the Cherokee Indians, by which sai,
Cherokee Indians, In council 10 the nun