Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-04-11
our Agents.
THE FIRST REBELLION IN KEN
lucky.
Breckenridge, Ny, News


breckenridge, Ny, News.l
In the winter OF 1855 the legislature
of Virginia erected a new county out
of a portion of the territory OF the
county OF Lincoln, in what was then
known as the district of Kentucky.
The new county was m alter
James Madison, a young man then
prominent IN Virginia politics, who
subsequently, became president OF the
United States. On the 18th day OF
August, 1856, by special invitation all
the prominent citizens of the n
embracing the new county, assembled
al the house of Major George Adams,
about FIVE miles southwest of where
the present town of Richmond stands,
for the purpose of "orgauizing" county
court and appointing the other neces-
sary officials. The following gentle
men were chosen justicesof the county
court at this meeting: Major George
Adams, Col. John Snoddy, Captain
Christopher Irvine, Captain David
Gass, James Barnett, John Boyle,
James Thompson. Archibald Woods,
Nicholas George and Joseph Kennedy.
These in the capacity of court, APP
pointed Colonel William Irvine their
clerk and invested JosephKennedy with
the dignity and powers of the shrieval-
ty. The court, being thus organized
and equipped for business, then and
there, in the house of Adams, held
their first term. The second term was
held at the house of Captain David
Gass, the south end of whose domicil
was appointed" by order OF the
court, "tbe public, goal of the county
until the next court" The third term
was again held at the house of Captain
Gass, at which session it was ordered
that "the court house be erected at
the place zeal where Captain Gass'
path leaves the great road near Tay-
lor's Fork on Silver Creek" AS the
crossing here of Taylor's Fork was on
the road Tor trace) leading to Hams
mill, it was universally known as the
"mill ford" and when the location OF
the court house at that point caused
. little village to spring up about 1t,
nothing could be more natural thai 1t
should assume the name OF Milford
The court house was q small, square
structure built of stone, and every
thing was progressing finely with the
new county and its little capital until
1882, when Kentucky was separated
from Virginia and formally admitted
to the sisterhood of states as an indie
pendent commonwealth. Inc first
legislature of he new state created q
lot of new counties and made several
changes in the geography, and so forth,
OF a lew of the old ones. One OF its
acts shifted the location of the shire
town OF Madison county from Milford
to Richmond, u village located and set
tied eve years previously by John
Miller, gentleman, and named by him
after the capital Of Virginia, his native
state This act ordered "Thomas
/. Clay, Green Clay and Robert Rhodes,
the justices of the court of quarter ses-
sions, to assemble at the court house in
Milford i'll April, 1898, and adjourned
to Miller's new stable in the town OF
Richmond" This act and the removal
OF the county seat it legalized, stirred
up the bitterest opposition in the south
western portion of the county, known
as the Paint Lick section. Old Tom
Kennedy headed the anti-removal par
ty. He was a man who enjoyed the
reputation of never turning his back
upon his word or leaving a threat un-
He held his own life cheap
in a quarrel, and, if anything, held the
lives of others cheaper still. He at once
set about recruiting a force to prevent
the removal of the court and its records
from Milford, and on the day set apart
in the act for the removal to be con-
summated, marched upon Milford with
a force of three hundred armed and
determined men
or course the conrt was kept fully
advised OF Kennedy's movements and
intentions, and their one desire was to
full the 5ehest of the law without q
conflict with the desperate Paint Lick
els. The only way 10 accomplish that
would DE fGr them 10 anticipate the
arrival of old Tom and his force.
Accordingly the three justices above
named, accompanied by the high
sheriff of the county. MIR. Archibald
Woods, repaired TO Milford before day.
light on the appointed day, with a
wagon belonging to Green Clay to
haul away the archives to the new
shiretown. Just at sunset they ell
tered the court house, when Sheriff
Woods made the usual proclamation
that the court was now open, and the
justices promptly adjourned to meet
again i'll John MiIler's stable. The
records of the clerks office were quick
ly deposited in the wagon in waiting
and before the citizens of milford fair-
iy realized what was happening, CAPT
tai glory had departed from their
village forever. Two hours later.
shouting and yelling at the top of their
voices, Kennedy and his men marched
in ard took possession of the place.
Having established his headquarters
in the deserted court house, and en-
campeh his men in the square about
the building. his first act was to cross
over the read 10 the village tavern,
kept by Sam Estii, and order that
worthy host to supply his men with a
dram of WHISKY all round, for which
he (Kennedy) would pay him by the
gall II. He then made a public proc
lamaiion OF his determination to pre-
vent the court, ''at all hazards" meet
ing and a%djourning that day. Estill
took good care first to sell him all the
whisky required, and then informed
him Ofs.the action of the court that
morning. The excitement produced
among the ''rebels," as the justices of
the quarter sessions termed them in
their subsequent report to the grand
jury, can be more easily imagined than
described. Dave Kennedy, all athletic
younger brother Of Toms and recog-
nized as "the best man" ON Paint Lick,
swore that he could and would whip
any man in ailfoid who endorsed "the
mean and sneaking trick of them Clays
and old BIB Rhodes" while Tom de-
clared with many and mighty oaths
that he had a good notion to march
upon the new county-seat and burn
John Miller's one-horse town to the
ground. The Boosting of Dave and
the threats of old Tom finally so work
ed upon William Kerley, the young
blacksmith of Miltord-a stout and
fearless young blade he was, too-that
he declared his Willingness to fight
Dave, ''fist and SKULL" on these several
conditions. l. The combat to occur
in the stray-p pen, q friend of each t o see
fair play to be the only other parties
permitted within the enclosure. 2.
That both were to have their hair cut
short and heads creased. s. That if
he (kerley) won the fight the Ken
nedVs were TO march their army back
home and disband it, and 40 more