Ohio History Journal


OHIO

OHIO

Archaeological and Historical

PUBLICATIONS.

 

 

SIMON KENTON.

 

PROF. R. W. M'FARLAND.

 

 

SECTION I.

 

PRELIMINARY NOTE.

It may seem to many people that enough has already been

written both of Boone and Kenton: the first having been the

most prominent early settler of Kentucky; the second having

been the scout who did probably more than any one else, not ex-

cepting Boone himself, to save the settlers from the tomahawk

and scalping knife of the Indian. By Boone's own account, it

appears that he, John Finley, John Stewart, and three others left

their homes on the Yadkin river, North Carolina "in quest of the

country of Kentucky. This was in May, 1769, and 'on the 7th'

day of June following, we found ourselves on Red river, the

northernmost branch of the Kentucky river."

The party continued hunting with great success throughout

the summer and fall, as late as December 22d. Soon after this

date, Stewart was killed by the Indians, the first victim to fall,

so far as is known. Estimates of the number of men, women,

and children killed by the savages from 1770 to 1790, vary from

fifteen hundred or two thousand. No one puts the number be-

low the smaller of these two numbers. Of course the exact

number can never be known; but it is an appalling list, viewed

in any light whatever.

Vol. XIII.- 1.          (1)