The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1907-10-23
THRILLING ACCOUNT
OF Early Times in This
Section of Country.
HARTFORD IN THE LONG AGO
Graphic Narrative of Danger
GUS Travel and EncOunt-
ers With Indians.

MI. join II. mCE1euIy, Ji', hdu IhO
following account, published in the old
Louisville Journal, dated the first of
April, 1860, of early times in Ohio
county and adjoining region:
. Some time in the year 1856, there
died in Ohio county, Kentucky, at
his residence, six miles north of Hart
ford Mr.. Stephen Stateler, aged about
SO years. He was at the time of his
death the Oldest resident of the coun-
ty, having first gone there the spring
of 1890. He was man of most ex-
traordinary constitution, and the
writer OF this remembers distinctly
to have seen him In the harvest field
on the 4th of July previous to his
death, handling a scythe with the
alertness of young man. He was
from Pennsylvania and of German par
entage. His original name wasStradler
which, for the sake of euphony, was
changed to Stateler
The following account of his early
trials and tribulations will, no doubt
be read with great interest by those
} persons who were acquainted with
Mr.. Stateler or other persons whose
names are mentioned in the nara
tive:
In Collins History of Kentucky
there is mention made OF several
incidents, concerning which l have
often heard this old gentleman speak,
and from whom, no doubt, that IL
tteresting information was obtained.
Some years before his death, he
gave an account of his adventures
to friend, who wrote them out for
publication. His statement. for the
truth of which 1t is scarcely neces-
sary to vouch, is as follows:
Mr.. sTArELER's ACCOUNT.
7 In the winter of 1889, gentleman
by the name of Kendall, who lived
in Virginia, had contracted with a man
to furnish him with part of a boat
load of buffalo meat, and Kendall
was to bring barrels and salt in the
boat down the Kanawha river and
take in the meat at the mouth Of
the river Iq1was at the point from
which the boat was to start, and,
desiring to go down to the mouth of
the river, went on board the boat and
came down, intending at the time only
to the mouth; and, If the buffalo
meat had been furnished according to
contract, should not have gone any
farther; but, as the meat was not
forthcoming, Mr.. Kendall was driven
to the necessity of proceeding down
the river with what load he had, and
hired several persons, among others,
myself, to accompany him, and kill
game enough, as we journeyed along,
to complete his load. AS we were
floating down, we discovered buffalo
signs, and several of us left the boat
in a large perogue to hunt on shore.
We met with but little success, how
ever. and reached Mr.. Kendall in a
few days at Louisville. II was
thought by some that buffalo could
be killed below Louisville, and Mr..
X. accordingly concluded to pursue
his journey and complete his load With
buffalo meat and skins below the
falls, If possible; so we launched out
on the broad bosom of the Ohio on
our way to New Orleans.
On March 18th, 1870. Levi Whit
sell, Samuel Davis and myself left
the boat short distance below "Red
Banks"-where the city of Hender-
son now stands-and went on shore
on the Indiana side, for the purpose
of killing bear and buffalo, expect
ing the boat to await our return. We
started into the forest, which had
scarcely ever before been trodden by
a white man, but we had not pro-
ceeded far when we discovered
i'blazes," which whitsell said were
Indian signs. and insisted on our re-
IuTuluk " bhC bo1b. Wv OOJSNSNN
and Whitsell left us. Davis and in
a short time found bufflao, wound
ed a fine bull, and in pursuing 1t
were led several miles from the river.
We were very successful in our hunt
and did not return to the river UNI
til the evening of the third day. Inn
agine our horror when we discover
ed that the boat had left us.
afterwards learned that Whitsell
had returned to the boat the same
evening and reported that we had
been killed by the Indians. Mr.. Ken
dali waited for us until the next
morning, and, as we did not return,
believed us dead, and proceeded on
the journey
We determined to make a raft of
logs and follow the boat as far as
Diamond Island, hoping to catch up
-x.s3h 4t,ox,, ~ thof r,o{rf Wa ooff1-i