The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-05
A Treasure Contract.
THE NAME "KENTUCKY.v


Extract from "Boonesborough," in thu
Louisville Courer-Journal.
Both the country and the river that
now bear the beautiful name Kentucky"
were icalled so by the Indians ages be-
fore the coming of their white destroyers.
The Indians also called the river Che
noca," word which still distinguishes
mountain spur in Bell county, Kentucky
but the name they used by far the most
was Kentucky" In coming into use
among the whites early in the eighteenth
century, the word varied as to form and
pronuncia ton according to the users
knowledge of the Indian tongue. John
Sailing, who was a prisoner among the
Cherokees for some years before 1895. and
VINO must have been somewhat familiar
with their language, gives the name as
we now have 1t. when he says they took
him to the salt ticks of Kentucky" AL
exander Magnify, who had also been held
by the Indians, deposed in 1853 that they
captured him ''on the south bank of the
CaHtucky." and Col. George Croghan mot
the Maj. Croghan, of Fort Stephenson.
who was for so many years British agent
among the Six Nations, and an authority
in savage matters, speaks in his journal
OF 1862 of THE river Kentucky" DR..
Thomas Walker Q750), ignores the Indian
name, if he knew it. Christopher Gist
Q15D gives it in corrupted form as
"Cuttaway,"' and Lewis Evans Q755) VINO
only caught the name from traders nut
1t down on his map as "Cuttawa."
Kentucky seems never to have been
known by any but Indian names until "A
short time before IT'S, when Louisa"
came into liTnifah ne o..
The generally accurate Bradford helped
to perpetuate the error that the Kentucky
river was given the English name Lou
lsa by Dr. Walker, but not only does
Marshall declare that Walker did not
reach the interior of the country bur
later writer's assert that IL was a trfb.
utary of the Big Sandy-as given on JEFF
ierson's map-that the explorer OF 100
so named. 1t was some time after Wal
ker's tour before the name of. this trib-
utary was applied to the country itself.
ana then, fortunately It quickly subsidized
before the original and ancient Indian
name, which after many Vicissitudes
among the whites as to spelling and pro-
nunciation came into prominent use as
the Indians themselves pronounced II.
Kentucky"
Authors differ as 10 the meaning of the
name. According to Darlington, in EAR
~NNfN7 ~AAANA iNchht - 10 a MOHdWk WOf1,
sisnifying among the meadows" John
son, in Indian Tribes of Ohio" claims
1t as Shawanese. meaning at the head
OF river" and others give II still diff
ferent definitions. Probably the earliest
writer to give its meaning as 1.-THE Dark
and Bloody Ground" was Filson 07Sn.
who says the country was so denomlnated
by the Indians when Finley Travelled
through It about l767. This statement
Nxfae al faA l..r.a 4
came into use, though Filson gave no au-
thority for 1t, and there is nothing ex,
tant that this writer knows OF to sus-
tain it-certainly nothing from the In
dians themselves.
There II popular impression that this
phrase, THE Dark and Bloody Ground"
was used as the meaning OF the word
Kentucky by the Cherokees at the treaty
of Matauga in IT'S. but that is mistake.
On that occasion Dragging Canoe, who
was strongly opposed to the treaty. said
in that metaphorlcal style which distln-
gulshed his race that there was a dark
cloud'' over Kentucky. meaning by that
expression, o. he himself explained the
hostility Of the Northern tribes to it's oc-
cupancy by the whites. On the same &C. |
casion an Indian opposer Of the treaty
hoping to arouse the superstitious fears
OF the whites, said that rhe land desired
by Henderson & Co. was bloody coun-
try" but In neither case was reference
made TO the meaning OF the word Ken
lucky" What this last expression did
mean Is not clear. Certain writer's as
sumo that II referred to the supposed
bloody determination Of the Mound Build |
ers, but on that theory the phrase would
apply with even more force to Ohio and
other states Of the Ohio ana Mississippi
valleys One has as much authority. APP
parently, for calling Kentucky "The !
Meadow Land" as "The Dark and Bloody |
Ground"