The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1892-09-20
JUDGE PETERS "REMINISCENCES

we nave no luIOfInaJJOn Lndt Sdpt.
Ashby after he returned from the
Braddock war engaged in any enter
prise or business, except farming, con-
Meeting with it rearing and racing
thoroughbred horses, until IVA. BY
the proclamation of the King of
England in 1853, the soldiers who
served in the Braddock war in his
army were to be paid in wild lands in
Kentucky, and to avail himself of the
benefit of that proclamation we know
from tradition that he came to Ken
lucky in person to locate his lands,
and we know from the patent to him
dated the 10th day of November,
ITO, for 1000 acres of land on Bear
grass, in Jefferson county, Kentucky,
and the one for 1000 acres in Wood
ford county, kentucky, that he sur
veyed the first named tract on the 9Th
day of June, 1774, and the other sur
vey was made on the 23d of June,
1774. These facts we know are true,
because they are recited in the pat
ents for the lands, and we have Off
cial copies of said patents now before
us. These two tracts as also recited
in said patents, were granted to him
for military services in said war, and
were held by devisees. He also leca-
ted another tract of very fine land on
the Ohio River above, Mays
vile, in what is now Lewis county,
and including Firman's Bottom, one
of the richest bottoms on the Ohio
River. This land was lost to his de-
visees by negligence. Twenty years
of adverse possession defeated his de-
visees.
Upwards of 1000 acres OF land in
what is now Woodford county, be-
tween Versailles and Midway, and il
better tract of the same quality OF
land can be found in the State of Ken
lucky the writer does not know where
it lies. His devisees settled on it at a
very early date, and held every part
of it. The survey and patent were
the Oldest, if, indeed, there were ever
any others on it.
Besides, my uncle N. Peters, re-
moved on the land from Virginia
about 1870, and permitted no one to
enter or settle upon any part of said
land unless they entered and held pos
session under him as their landlord,
so that there could be no adverse
holding to his claim. We suppose
Capt. Ashby went from Beargrass to
Woodford, and made his location,
because there are only fifteen days
difference in the dates of the two sur
veys, and it is probable that the sur
vey in Lewis county followed soon
after the one in Woodford. But l
have no copy of the patent to that
land. 1t, however, was lost to the
old Captains devisees by an adverse
holding of occupants under inferior
titles. The devisees of the Beargrass
land brought suit against the tres
passers on it in time to bar the run
ming of the statute, and they held it.
All the land located by Capt. Ashby
on that trip is believed to be worth
now half million Of dollars.
After having located the land in
Lewis county the company, Ashby,
Porter and Wells, went to the falls of
the Ohio River, and, having passed
below the falls, landed at point
where they designed to locate other
lands. Very shortly after landing
their pirogue they were fired upon by
several Indians, but none of them
being struck, they FASTENED back to
their vessel, and rowed it toward the
opposite shore. They had not more
than reached the middle of the stream
before they discovered number on
the opposite shore. The Indians con-
tinued to fire on them, but missed
them continually, except that they
Knocked Ben Porter's hat of into the
stream.
Down the current with as much
speed as possible they glided, keeping
as near the middle as practicable,
while all along for miles and till near
dark, the Indians continued to shoot
at them, without doing any damage.
They were scattered upon either
shore, trying to keep pace with the
canoe as it passed along.
Two days and nights they labored
at their oars and watched constantly,
seeing Indians on one or the other
Of tho ehoras Ueuarallv on both fear