, 1906-03-14
Continued
CHAPTER H.
The Lincolns Leave Kentucky For

"Nf1oMAS LlNtoLN WIS oohio-
thing of Il waterman. In the
frequent changes of occupation
he could not resist the tempta-
ton to the career of a flatboat man. He
had accordingly made II or, perhaps,
two, trips to New Orleans. 1t was
therefore very natural that when in
the fall of 1916 he finally determined
to emigrate he should attempt to trans
port his goods by water. He built him
self a boat, which seems to have been
none of the best, and launched it on
the Rolling Fork at the mouth of Knob
creek, half a mile from his cabin. Some
of his personal property, including car
penter's tools, he put on board, and the
rest he traded for 400 gallons of whis-
ky. With this boat and singular cargo
he put out into the stream alone and,
floating with the current down the
Rolling Fork and then down Salt river,
reached the Ohio without any mishap.
Here his craft proved somewhat rick
ETY. when contending with the difficult
ties of the larger stream, capsiZed, and
the lading went to the bottom. He fish
III up u lev" VI thC tooio Ii iiOot VI
the whisky and, righting the little
boat, again 1oated down to a landing.
Here he sold his treacherous boat
and, leaving his remaining property in
the care of a settler, trudged off on
foot to select "a location" in the wilder
pess. He found 8 place that he thought
would suit him only sixteen miles dis
70 MT ft.nroa fl1n ~itrn VIn thna t1JrpnI
about and walked all the way back to
Knob creek, in Kentucky, where he
took a fresh start with his wife and
her children. OF the latter there were
only two, Nancy Tor SARAH, nine years
of age, and Abraham, seven. Mrs. Lin
coin had given birth to another son
some years before, but he had died
when only three days old. After leav-
ing Kentucky she had no more chill
dren.
This time Lincoln loaded what little
he had left upon two horses and pack
ed through to Posey's." Besides cloth
Ing and bedding, they carried such
cooking utensils as would be needed by
the way and would be indispensable
when they reached their destination.
The stock was not large. 1t consisted
of "one oven and lid, one skillet and lid
and some tinware." They camped out
during the nights and of course cooked
their own food. Lincoln's skill as a
hunter must now have stood him in
good stead. Where he got the horses
used upon this occasion it is impossible
to say, but they were likely borrowed
from his brother-in-law, Krume of
Breckenridge county, who owned such
stock.
When they got to Posey's. Lincoln
hired a wagon and, loading on it the
whisky and other things he had stored
there, went on toward the place which
has since become famous as the Lin
coin farm" He was now making his
way through an almost untrodden will
derness. There was no road and for a
part of the distance not even a foot
trail. He was slightly assisted by a
path of a few miles in length which
had been "blazed out" by an earlier
settler. But he was obliged to suffer
long delays and cut out a passage for
the wagon with his ak
AT length, after many detentions and
difficulties, he reached the point where
be intended to make his future home.
1t was situated between the forks of
Big Pigeon and Little Pigeon creeks, a
mile and a half east of Gentryyille.
Everything but Water.
Lincoln laid off his curtilage on a
gentle hillock having a slope OF every
side. The spot was very beautiful, and
the soil was excellent. The selection
was wise in every respect but one.
There was no water near except what
was collected in holes in the ground
after a rain, but it was very foul and
had to be strained before using. At a
later period we find Abraham and his
stepsister carrying water from a spring
situated a mile away. Dennis Hanks
asserts that Thomas Lincoln ''riddled
his land like a ~honeycomb" in search
Of good water.
Here Lincoln built "a half faced
camp" a cabin inclosed on three sides