man living among them, was about thirty killed and several wounded. The whole number of savages was about two hundred, of whom some were women.

After the first alarm, they were rallied and brought back to the contest by a fearless chief, who inspired courage wherever he moved. This was the undaunted Tecumseh, afterward king of the Shawanese. This war party consisted of about one hundred and fifty warriors; and had it not been for the courage of their chief in checking the flight, and in rallying them by his authority and example, they would have been routed by less than one fourth of their number of "hunters from Kentucky."

The tents and markees in possession of this party were doubtless those which had been lost by Harmar and St. Clair in their disastrous defeats in 1790 and 1791.

The next important partisan enterprise within the limits of Kentucky was conducted by Captain Kenton. In June, 1793, a party of Indians had attacked and captured "Morgan's Station," from which they had retired rapidly across the Ohio to their towns upon the Yoctangee, or Paint Creek. Captain Kenton immediately raised a party of thirty men, and moved rapidly across the country to intercept them near the Scioto. Having reached Paint Creek at "Reeve's Crossings," he discovered the "fresh signs" of a large party of Indians. Pursuing the trail down the creek until close upon them, he halted his party, and, in company with Michael Cassady, proceeded to reconnoiter the enemy's camp. He found the Indians encamped upon the bank of the creek, with three fires; many were carousing and singing, with other indications of mirth and conscious security. Having viewed their position, he deferred the contemplated attack until just before daylight next morning. It was made in three opposite directions, and carried forward with a vigorous assault by three divisions of ten men each. The Indians were routed in great consternation, with the loss of four warriors, including a white man who had been captured when a child, and who to all appearance was an Indian. Kenton and his troop reached home in safety, having lost only one man, Joseph Jones, in the assault.*

Incursions by marauding parties still continued occasionally

* M'Donald's Sketches, p. 258, 259.

to annoy the settlements of Kentucky, and Kenton was ever ready to engage in any hazardous enterprise connected with the defense of the inhabitants. The regular spies had discovered the trail of twenty Indians, who were advancing through the country in quest of horses and plunder, and it fell to Kenton's lot to raise a company for the pursuit and capture of the depredators. With a party of seven men, among them Cornelius Washburn, he crossed at Limestone, and proceeded down the river to Holt's Creek. Here, on the south side of the river, he found the Indian canoes concealed in the bottom, and withdrawing his men to the opposite side, he patiently awaited the return of the Indian marauders, with their horses and plunder. On the fourth day three Indians returned with six horses, which they drove across the river. After the horses had been passed over, the Indians raised one of the canoes and followed them. As the canoe approached the shore where Kenton's party laid in ambush, perceiving that one of them was a white man, he directed his men to spare him. The first fire killed both Indians as the canoe struck the shore. To the surprise of all, the white man refused to be taken, and they were compelled to shoot him in self-defense. His ears were slit, his nose bored, and he otherwise possessed the marks of an Indian. On the same day, four hours afterward, two more Indians and one white man, with five horses, arrived, and the horses were crossed over in like manner. Another canoe was raised, and the whole party passed over in it. As they approached the shore, one simultaneous discharge killed every soul.*

During the night the main body of the party arrived, with thirty horses stolen from Bourbon county, and gave a signal by hooting like owls. The signal not being answered from the opposite side, suspicion was awakened, and, after a cautious reconnoissance, one Indian silently swam the river, and approached in the rear of the ambuscade. Suddenly he gave the signal to his party by three deep and long yells, when, in his native tongue, he warned them of the lurking danger, and bade them escape for their lives, for a party of white men were in ambuscade. The words were well understood by Kenton and several of his men, who were familiar with the Indian tongue. At the signal the Indians fled precipitately in the dark, leaving

* M'Donald's Sketches, p. 260.

all their horses in the hands of their enemies. In less than one hour a detachment of militia from Bourbon county arrived, in hot pursuit of the fugitives.

Such is the character of the daring and perilous encounters to which the frontier settlers have been exposed in innumerable instances.

CHAPTER VI.

66

POLITICAL CONDITION OF THE DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY," FROM 1783

UNTIL ITS ADMISSION INTO THE FEDERAL UNION AS AN INDEPENDENT STATE.-A.D. 1783 To 1794.

Argument. Retrospect of the political Condition of the District.-Causes for political Discontent. The People desire an independent State Government.-First Convention in 1784.-Second Convention in May, 1785.-Third Convention recommended.— Great Emigration to Kentucky in 1786.-Improved Condition of the Kentucky Settlements in 1786.-Measures adopted by the third Convention.-Action of the Virginia Legislature in favor of Separation.-Requisite Action by Kentucky unavoidably delayed.-Fourth Convention appointed for August, 1787.-First Newspaper in Kentucky.-Agricultural and commercial Prosperity in 1787.-Navigation of the Mississippi commenced.-Fifth Convention held in September, 1787.-Sixth Convention in July, 1788.-Diversity of political Sentiment.-Political Parties.-Action of the sixth Convention.-Prominent Men.-Corresponding Action of the Virginia Legislature.-Final Action of this Convention, and Application for Assent of Congress. -Assent of Congress granted February 4th, 1791.-Boundaries of the new State. -First State Governor and Legislature convened June 4th, 1792, for the organization of State Government.-Causes of the protracted delay of Separation.-A new Experiment in Political Philosophy.-Notice of political Parties.-Foreign Influence. -Spanish Intrigue.-Increasing Trade with New Orleans.-The fluctuating Policy of Spain with regard to the Navigation of the Mississippi.-Genet's Intrigue for the Invasion of Louisiana in 1793-94.-Measures taken by the Federal Government to suppress the contemplated Invasion.-Reluctance of Governor Shelby to interfere in the Plans of Genet.-Increasing Population of Kentucky in 1794.-New Countiesorganized.—Kentucky levies for the Campaign in the Northwestern Territory.—Advantages derived by Kentucky from Treaties of London and Madrid.-Last Efforts of Spain to detach Kentucky from the Union.-Progressive Wealth and Population of Kentucky.-Governors of Kentucky.

[A.D. 1783.] THE political relations of Kentucky had already become a source of great anxiety, as well as inconvenience and danger, to the people. Removed five hundred miles from the capital, their dependence upon Virginia was like that of a remote province, governed by laws enacted by strangers, too remote to appreciate their wants or their grievances. Such was the tardy intercourse between them and the state govern

ment, that months often elapsed before they could communicate with the executive authorities relative to civil or military affairs. They had a representation in the Legislature, but it was that of an isolated colony, and not of an integral portion of a great whole; they had organized county courts, with regular quarterly sessions, for the trial of misdemeanors, and persons charged with such criminal offenses as were punishable by fine and imprisonment; they might adjudicate civil cases involving an amount not exceeding twenty-five shillings; but for capital offenses there was no court of competent jurisdiction short of the state capital, and the prisoner, the prosecutor, and the witnesses must travel by land five hundred miles to Richmond, with delays and expenses which could not fail to be oppressive to all who came within the influence of the superior courts. In appeal cases the same difficulties presented, and the same delays were unavoidable.

During the existence of the Revolutionary war, it was esteemed fortunate if an order from the executive of the state reached its destination in Kentucky in less than three months; and military commanders were often unable to obey instructions, based upon certain emergencies, before it was too late. to accomplish their objects. In April, 1781, Governor Jefferson issued an order to Colonel Clark, directing a military expedition into the Indian country, and the order was not received at "the Falls" until the 11th of July. But delays of this kind were viewed as trivial inconveniences compared to other embarrassments under which the people of the "District of Kentucky" labored, as to their civil and military organization, during her colonial dependence upon Virginia. They had been compelled to rely almost exclusively upon their own unaided exertions for defense against the combined savages of the northwest.

Amid the incessant incursions of the hostile savages, and the continual dangers which surrounded all the settlements, their chief defense proceeded from their own voluntary efforts for the protection of their firesides and families. A few state troops, in small detachments, were occasionally sent to re-enforce a post or station, or to aid in a hostile invasion of the Indian country; but the most efficient and the most essential service in protecting the country was rendered by individual enterprise and patriotism, without the authority of the state,

and without any legal claims upon her for remuneration. The operations for the common defense fell unequally and oppressively upon the most patriotic, and the state was reluctant to assume and remunerate expenses incurred for private enterprise against the Indians.*

[A.D. 1784.] The attention of the people was first drawn forcibly to the imperfection of their military organization in the autumn of 1784. Martial law had now ceased to be paramount, and the civil authorities resumed their supremacy. Impressments for the public service could no longer be enforced with impunity. A year had now elapsed since military parade and martial law had prevailed, and citizens had mostly retired to the private walks of life, to reinstate their exhausted resources.

It was at this time that rumor represented a contemplated invasion of Kentucky by the hostile Cherokees from the South. The settlements were thrown into excitement and alarm, and Colonel Logan was urged to organize an expedition to invade the Cherokee towns. After due reflection and advice, it was discovered that the isolated community of Kentucky possessed no legal authority or military jurisdiction competent for the organization of a military expedition against the savages. Accordingly, it was deemed advisable to invite a meeting of representatives from the whole district during the succeeding month, to take into consideration the important subjects of political interest then agitating the district, in view of legislative relief to this portion of the state. This convention assembled at Danville, and after a short session adjourned, having adopted a written circular to each militia company in the district, recommending the election of one delegate from each company, to meet in convention at Danville on the 27th of December following, for the purpose of a full discussion of the subjects worthy of consideration. The delegates, twenty-five in number, convened accordingly; Samuel M'Dowell was elected president of the convention, and Thomas Todd clerk. After a session of two days, during which business was "conducted with great decorum," the convention adjourned sine die.

During the session there had been a free interchange of opinion upon the important subjects connected with the prosperity of "the District." To some it was evident that many of their grievances might be removed by suitable legislation on

*Butler's Kentucky, p. 117.