The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1889-12-21
A BRILLIANT CONQUEST
How the Original States 40.
quired the Ohio Valley.
Interesting and Concise Account of =
Most Remarkable and Successful
Campaign - The Brave and
Heroic Leader Long
Since Forgotten.


The cruel warfare waged by Brant
and Butler, so damaging to the New
York frontier settlements and SO fatal
to the Six Nations, was part of desul.
tory conflict which ragged at intervals
from north to south along our whole
western border, and resulted in the to-
tai overthrow of British authority be-
yond the Alleghenies.
The vast region between these noun
tains and the Mississippi rivera ter
ritory more than twice as large as the
German Empire-was at that time al
most an unbroken wilderness. A few
British posts at Natchez, Kaskaskia
and Cahokia, on the Mississippi river,
at Vincennes, on the Wabash and at
Detroit, sufficed to represent the sover-
eighty Of George III, and to exercise
. doubtful control over the wild tribes
that roamed through these primeval
solitudes.
When the thirteen colonies declared
themselves independent of the British
crown. the ownership of this Western
territory was for the moment left un-
decided. Portions of it were claimed
by Massachusetts. Connecticut, Vir-
ginia. North Carolina and Georgia, ON
the strength of the old charters which
had granted to these colonies lands
stretching westward to the Pacific
ocean. Little respect, however, was
paid to the quaint terminology of such
charters. framed in an age when al
most nothing was known of American
geography. and it was virtually left for
circumstances to determine to whom
the western country should belong.
1t was now very fortunate for the
United States that the policy of Pitt
and the generalship of Washington
had wrested this all-important terri.
tory from the French. For to conquer
from the British enemy SO remote a
region was easy, but to have sought to
obtain it from power with which we
were forming an alliance would have
been difficult indeed.
The commanding approach to this
territory was by the town and fortress
OF Pittsburgh, the gateway of the
West" from which, through the Ohio
river and its tributary streams, an
army might penetrate with ease to any
part of the vast Mississippi Valley.
The possession Of this gateway had for
some years been subject of dispute
between Pennsylvania and Virginia.
In 1880 the question was amicably set
tied in favor Of Pennsylvania, but, for
the present. Virginia. which had the
longest arm. kept its hold upon this
citadel.
To Virginia its possession was a
matter of Importance, for her popula-
ton had already begun to overflow its
mountain barriers. and pressing down
the Ohio Valley, had made the begin
hings OF the State of Kentucky.
Virginia and North Carolina, living
further westward than any of the other
old States. were naturally the first to
send colonies across the Alleghenies.
Shortly before the beginning of the
war. Daniel Boone had explored the
Kentucky river. and Virginia surveyors
had gone down the Ohio as far as the
site of Louisville.
Conflicts eusued with the Indians, 90
fierce and deadly that this region was
long known as the Ozark and Bloody
Ground" The massacre of the whole
family Of the friendly sachem, Logan,
and the pathetic speech OF the be-
reaved chieftain have afforded a favor
lite theme OF romance.
In 1775 Richard Henderson, of North
Carolina purchased from the Chero-
KEGS the tract between the Kentucky
and Cumberland rivers, and, at the
same time, Boonesborough and Har-
rodsburg were founded by Daniel
Boone and James Harrod. As party
OF these bold backwoodsmen were en-
camping near the sources of the south
srn fork of the Licking, they heard the
news OF the victory which ushered in
the War of Independence, and forthwith
gave the name of Lexington to the
place OF their encamBment, on which
thriving city now stands.
The new settlements were not long
In organizing themselves into State,
which they called 'fransylvania."
Courts were instituted. laws enacted
and militia enrolled. and delegate
was sent to the Continental Congress,
but finding that Virginia still claimed
their allegiance, they yielded their
pretentions to autonomy. and were
organized - q county Of their mother
State.