The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1900-05-23
BOONE SBORO LONG
AGO.
AN ACCOUNT OF INDIAN TIMES IN KEN.
lucky. - DESCRIPTION OF A FIGHT
NEAR BOOaEsBoR0. -REScUlNG
STOLEN GIRLS.

| SiULEN GIRLS.
The ElizahethiOwn News says among
the cherished old papers held by Mr..
A. Brown, OF that city, is the follow
ing interesting letter written by John
Floyd to Col. Preston from BOOnes-
bOro i'm l776. John Floyd was an uncle
of J. w. Bowling of that city, and there
are ~ number OF his relatives through
out this part of the State
BOONESBORo, July 2l, l776.
My Dear Sir-The situation of our
country is much altered since l wrote
you last. The Indians seem determined
TO break up our settlement, and don't
doubt unless it is possible to give us
some assistance, that the greater part
of the people may fall prey to them.
Thew have, am satisfied, killed sever
al whom, at this time, / know not how
to mention. Many are missing who
some time ago went out about their
business, of whom we can hear moth
ing.
Fresh signs OF Indians are seen al
mOst every day. l think / mentioned
TO you before some damage they had
done at LeestOwn on the 7th of this
month. They killed one Cooper ON
Licking Creek OIL the l4lh, a man whose
name | know not, at your salt spring
on the same creek. Oh the same day
they took out of a canoe within sight of
this place, Miss Betsy Galloway and
| her sister, Francis, and a daughter If
Daniel Boone, the two last about IL and
| IA, and the other grown. The affair
happened late in the afternoon. They
left the canoe on the opposite side from
us, which prevented our getting over
for some time to pursue them. We
could not that night follow more than
five miles Next morning by day light
we we've on there track, but they had
entirely prevented our following them
by walking some distance apart
through the ihickest cane they could
/ find. We observed their course, aud on
which side they had left their sign, and
travelled upward of thirty miles We
tren supposed they would be less eau
tiOus in travelling, and making a turn
in order to cross their trace, we had
gone but few miles when we found
their tracks IN buffalo path, pursued
and overlook them IN going about ten
miles. Just as they were kindling a fire
to cook.
Our study had been how to get the
prisoners without giving the Indians
time to murder them after they discOv-
cred US. We saw each other nearly at
the same time; four of us fired and all
of us rushed on them, by which they
were prevented from carrying away
anything except one shot gun without
anv ammunition. Mr. Boone and my
self had each pretty fair shot as they
began to move of. l am well convinced
| shot one through the body; the one
he shot dropped his gun-mine had
none. The place was covered with
thick cane and being so much elated
on recovering the three little heart
bruken girls, We were prevented from
making any further search. We sent
;he Indians off almost naked-some
without their mOccasins. and none of
them with 60 much as a knife or toma-
! hawk.
After the girls caine to themselves
sufficiently 20 speak, they told lis there
were only five Indians-four Shawan-
nees and one Cherokee. They could
speak good English and said they
should then go to the Shawnee towns
/ The war club We got was like these
have seen of that nation. Several
words OF their language which the girls
retained were known to be Shawnees.
| They also told them that the Cherokees
had killed or driven all the people from
Wataga and Whereabouts and that II
Cherokees we're then on the Kentucky
waiting to- do mischief.
! If the war becomes general of which
there is the greatest appearance, our
situation is truly alarming. We are
HnT frnQr lssr f.,rf int
to keep possession of this place as long
as possible. They are, / understand, ,
doing the same thing at HarrOdsburg
and also on ElkhOrn, at the ROYAL
Springs.
The settlement on Licking Creek,
known by the maine of HinksLunes, has
been broken up. Nineteen OF the set-
tiers are now here on their way in-
HinkstOne among the rest. They all
seem deaf to ANYTHING We can say to
dissuade them. Ten at least of our own
people are going 10 join them, which
will leave us with less than thirty men
at this fort. L think more than 800 men
have left the country since came out
and uOt one has arrived. except a few
cabiners down the Ohio.
want to return as much as any per-
sOn can 10 OuG II leave the country
now there Is scarcely a single man who
will not follow the example. When |
think Of the deplorable condition few
helpless families are likely to be In,
conclude to sell my life as dearly as
possible in their defense, rather than
make an ignomlnious escape. l am
afraid il Is la vain to sue for any relief
from Virginia, yet the convention en-
cOuraged the settlement Of this couu-
try, aud Why should not the extreme
part of Fileaslle be as Justly entitled
to protection as any other part OF the
country? Ii an expedition were carried
on against those nations which are al
open war with the people In general
we might In MEASURE be reliey ed by
drawing tleiii oil to defend their towns
II anything under heaven can be done
FIR us, know OF no person who would
more willingly engage in Forwarding
us assistance than yourself. do, at the
request and on behalf of all the dis
tressed women and children and othe
inhabitants Of this place, implore have
il in his power to give us relief. / can
not write You can better guess at my
ideas from what ! have said, than car
express them. | am, dear sir. youn
| most atiectiOnately to my last moments
, JOHN FLOYD.
tn Colonei praeton