The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-03-03

1
The Passion of st. John is read ON
this day.
In ancient time. Holy Saturday
was the great Easter vigil, or
watch service. held only in the late
thours of the Saturday. and termi-
mating before midnight. Nowadays,
there occurs the blessing of the
holy fire, the. Easter candle and the
holy and baptismal water.
| The late Columbus Ballard, whose
obituary recently appeared in The
Free Press, had an ancestral history
| of more than usual interest. His
great grandfather, Bland Ballard, was
! a native of Virginia, and served with
| distinction in the Revolutionary war
and for these services received a
military warrant for 1000 acres of
land on Tick Creek, Kentucky, which
was afterwards known as Ballard
Station. His eldest son, Captain
Bland w. Ballard, born near Freder-
icksburg, Va, October 16, 1861, pre-
coded the rest of the family to Ken.
lucky, arriving there in 1879 and was
a companion Of the famous Daniel
Boone. When mere youth, Bland
w. joined the Virginia militia, and
with his company had served in many
of the military campaigns of the
Revolutionary war. On his removal
to Kentucky he soon developed into
one Of the most celebrated scouts
Of that region in it's pioneer days and
was the hero of many perilous adven-
lures.
In the fall of 1881 while a number
Of families were moving from Squire
BOCne's station, near Shelbyville, KY,
under the escort Of militia com
pany under Colonel Floyd, to stations
on Bear Grass, the party was am
pushed by large band of Indians at
Boston Hill, near Long Run, and
Floyd's company completely routed.
Captain Billiards. sister and her hus-
band with others were made captives
by the Indians and taken in an east
erly direction, the savages making
presumably for the Businesses of the
Kentucky river. Captain Billiards. Sis
ter marked the trail by tearing her
apron to pieces and hanging the
shreds on the bushes, also bending
the twigs to indicate the direction
taken. Captain Ballard, hearing of
the disaster, started alone in pursuit
and followed this trail and overlook
the savages and their captives, near
Six Mile Creek, east Of Bagdad. He
perceived that nine Indians were
guarding his relatives and that all
were seated on a log in front of
fire, the guns being stacked against
til he caught the eye of his brother
in-law and signaled him to meet
him at the tree, which he did. Bal
lard fired his own gun and shot one
Indian, and then, before the enemy
could recover from their consterna-
ton, he and his brother-in-law opened
fire with the guns found at the tree.
Five Indians were killed and the rest
fled into the forest.
Next morning Captain Ballard re-
turned home with his rescued rela-
tives.
AT another time while Captain Bal
lard was acting scout for Mad An
thony" Wayne, he and an Indian saw
each other simultaneously. Each
fired, missed and took to tree,
where both loaded as rapidly as pos
sible, but each was afraid to peer
from behind his cover Ballard drew
the Indians fire by putting his coon
skin cap on the end of his ram
rod and exhibiting it, and then step
ped out and shot the Indian before
he could reload
In 1888 when Captain Bland w.
Ballard was in Louisville for the pur-
pose of entering his younger brother,
James, columbus grandfather) in
school, the Indians attacked Ballard
Station and murdered their father,
stepmother, two sisters and broth
er, being all the family then at home
Captain Ballard never recovered
from this horrible butchery, but ever
afterwards had an Unsuitable desire
for revenge upon their murderers. He
scalped the Indians killed by him in
battle and those who knew him said
he had in his writing desk several
dozen scalps.
After the Indian troubles were over
and the war of 1912 with England
was declared, Captain Ballard raised
a company in Shelby county, Ken
lucky, which served under General
Harrison
The rescued sister of Bland w. and
James Ballard lived beside a brook
across which was thrown a board to
cross to the barn. Late one night, dur
ing the Indian wars, they heard slight
splash of the water as the spring
ing board touched it from the weight
of some one crossing on it, Then
came the sound of several like
splashes, indicating that there were
several persons in the party. She
walked her husband and they took
positions at the loophopes. The hus-