The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1894-10-11
THE TRUE HISTORY
OF CAPTAIN JOHN SWIFT, AS ESPE-
ClALLY CONCERNS
His Mining Operations for silver in what
is Now known rs the Mountainous
Part of Eastern Kentucky
Interesting Reading.
WRITTEN BY ONE WHO KNOWS.
TCoNCLUDED.1

\ Memorandum of Captain John swifts
Travels To and From the Mines.
The following pages are verbatim cop.
les Of a journal as given by Capt. John
Swift direct from his own hand:
cleft Alexandria, Va, June %, l7Gl;
came to Leesburgh, from Leesburgh to
Winchester, from Winchester to Lyttles,
from Lyttle's to Tumbalston's, from
Tumbalston's to Fort Pitt, (now Pitts
burgh), from Fort Pitt to headwaters of
Wheeling, from Wheeling to Little Ka-
nawha. from Little kanawha to Big ka-
nawha, from Big Kanawha to Guyan-
dotte, from Guyandotte to Sandy, from
Sandy to Longrdge, from Longridge to
river, name not known. from unknown
river to large rocky creek Supposed to
be Licking River, from large rocky creek
up Il smaller creek, NOW Red River), to
the place where we staid from the 18th
of July until '27th of October When
left took the same road back to the set.
Element. On the 18th saw six Indians,
but concealing ourselves, got clear of
them. On the 30th was pursued by the
Indians for some distance, but altering
our course, got away safe. Nothing hap.
pened till 9th of November; on that day
the Indians fired upon us. We returned
the fire and made them retreat. We
Travelled hard the remainder of the day
and camped on the Kanawha, after which
nothing happened until we arrived at the
settlement, which was the I'd of Decem.
Der.
april Is, 1862, started for and arrived
I, 6 ..l.
any difficulties except the loss of gallon
of rum, which was a loss to us in our sit.
uation. We stayed until lst of August,
ut night, camp at Spot Camp, and on the
2nd was alarmed by the Indians but got
clear; camped on the creek; came through
the gap and left valuable prize. mark
ing some trees with curious marks, from
which place we went To Cassel'S woods,
and from thence into Virginia, where
we stayed until the year 1854.
May LIST, 1864, started for same and
came by New River, from there to Hol-
ston River, from there to Cumberland
Valley, crossing the mountains we set
our course. Arrived at the place 18th of
June and stayed until LIST of September,
when we started and went through Cas-.
sells woods, and man living there by
the name of Castleman with whom we
stayed five days. From there we went
to the settlement, arriving home 18th of
October.
Started from home on lst of October, !
1867; arrived at the place the 18th of No
vember, where we stayed until lst of
April, l76S, when we started for home;
went by way of Sandy, meeting with |
nothing material on our way home, where |
we arrived 9TH of May.
1--WE started back to same place 4th of |
June same year; arrived safe at the place
9Th of July, where we stayed until 25th |
of October, when we started for home |
and went by way of Sandy. and at the
forks lost two of our ponies, they being
stolen by the Indians, which caused us
to leave two horse loads, which was
great loss to us, but was thankful we es-
capped with our lives. We arrived home
on LIST December.
"In the year 1869 was at the same place
again. made three other trips which |
kept no particular account of. We did
no work scarcely on those trips, only re-
main I'd short time get our loal of metal
and start back. In our trip of 1869 we
came back by the route where we had
left two valuable prizes in '62. We first
left about thirty thousand dollars and
crowns on a large creek running near
south course. Close by the spot we
marked our names, Mundy, Swift, JEFF
ferson, and one other name, on beach
tree, with compass, square and trowel,
About twenty or thirty poles from the
creek stands a smart rock, and betwixt it
and the creek you will find small rock
of blueish color, with three chops made
with gritstone by rubbing il on the rock.
BY the side of this rock you will find the
prize we left at three different times
No great distance from same place we
left fifteen thousand more, marking three
or four trees with curious marks. Not
far from these trees, near forked white
oak, we left the prize two feet under
ground, laying two large stones across it, I
At the forks of Sandy we left two horse
loads. Close by the forks is a small rock |
house with spring in one end of it. !
Betwixt it and a small branch we hid it
under the ground. Ii was in plate. We
valued ii at six thousand dollars. We
likewise left several hundred dollars in {
the rock house. One of the furnaces we
were in we hid money in the cracks of
the rocks
Description of the country adjacent |
10 the creek the furnaces are on: The q