A History of the Daniel Boone National Forest 1770 - 1970

It is safe to assume that soon after his return to the Yadkin, Daniel Boone made a full and complete report to Judge Henderson of his exploration of the land of Kentucky, and of the wonderful country he found there. It would not be an unfair assumption that this glowing and detailed report by Daniel Boone did much to convince Judge Henderson that the land of Kentucky beyond the western mountains was the logical site to implement his long-cherished dream of colony or empire.

During the next two years, the haze-of-history obscures many of the details of Boone's life. We know that he farmed in summer and hunted in winter, as did most frontiersmen. A friend had a pack of bear dogs with which Boone hunted, returning frequently with pack horses loaded with bear skins. On one occasion he traveled as far as the French Lick on the Cumberland River where he met French hunters who came from the west, overland from the Mississippi. In 1772, there is a record of Boone living in Sapling Grove in what is now Tennessee where, in January of that year, a store account shows that he purchased, "2 qts. of rum" (undoubtedly for medical purposes). An account later in the year at a store in the same area shows that he purchased, "17-1/2 lbs. of low sugar."

It is pretty well established that during these years Daniel was traveling from one Cherokee village to another hunting with the braves and talking with the chiefs. He was approaching selected Cherokee chiefs, probably at Judge Henderson's suggestion, to see whether or not they would be willing to sell their title to the land called Kentucky. It appears that these discussions brought him to the conclusion that the Cherokees would sell their title to the land of Kentucky to the white men if the price were high enough. He undoubtedly reported his findings promptly to Judge Henderson, who appears to have been interested, but being occupied with judicial duties, he was not in a position to move on the project. Records show that he remained on the bench in North Carolina until 1773. This conclusion is further reinforced by a statement made several years later by Judge Henderson's brother, who stated that Judge Henderson had been, "Induced to attempt the purchase of Kentucky from the Cherokees through the suggestion and advice of the late Colonel Daniel Boone."

By 1773, Boone was becoming impatient to return to Kentucky. Early in 1773, in company with his kinsman, Benjamin Cutbirth and one or two others, he made a trip to Kentucky, occupying his old cave on Little Hickman Creek in what is now Jessamine County. As usual, he left a record of presence there by carving "D. B. — 1773" on the wall of the cave. He found that he was as well pleased with that part of Kentucky as he had been on his previous visit, going so far as to select a possible site for a future home. On his return to the Yadkin he discussed the situation in some detail with Judge Henderson, who advised him that he and his wealthy associates were not yet prepared to underwrite the venture financially and, as yet, had not determined a feasible procedure for obtaining legal title to the land. As far as they were concerned, the establishment of a settlement in Kentucky would have to wait for a more favorable time.

Boone argued that to delay was dangerous. Competition was already present on the ground. Surveying parties were traveling down the Ohio and up the tributaries of the Licking and the Kentucky rivers, becoming acquainted with the Indians and exploring the land to determine the location of the more desirable sites. In early June of 1773, two brothers, James and Robert McAfee, and two other explorers met at the mouth of the Kanawha River where they joined forces and traveled together meeting another party of explorers led by James Harrod, also seeking desirable land for settlement. In mid-August, the McAfees, on their way home overland, met Daniel Boone and gave him the news that three parties of land hunters had already been in Kentucky and surveyed for themselves the best lands they could find. News of this competition in Kentucky apparently brought Boone to a decision that he could no longer afford to wait for Judge Henderson's support. Daniel Boone decided to initiate a settlement in Kentucky on his own at once.

On his return from Kentucky earlier in the season, he had sold his farm and all household goods he could not carry with him, and had spent the spring and summer in preparing for the trip with the aid of Captain William Russell, the Clinch Valley pioneer.

Throughout his life Daniel Boone demonstrated a certain quality of leadership and an adventurous spirit which always attracted followers. In this case, it was his wife's relatives, the Bryans, who still lived on the Yadkin that joined him. In addition, five other families agreed to accompany him to Kentucky, all agreeing to rendezvous in Powells Valley just short of Cumberland Gap and to travel to Kentucky together.

As Boone and his companions well knew, this was a dangerous adventure. Basically, it was in violation of British policy, as the Royal Government had forbidden western settlement. The Royal Governors of Virginia and North Carolina were already concerned at the wholesale violation of this Royal edict, and were considering legal measures against the violators. In addition, no agreement had been reached with the Indians who were sure to object, as Boone's previous experience in Kentucky had demonstrated. The Cherokee nation claimed ownership of that portion of Kentucky where settlement was contemplated, and all legal rights supported this claim. With the usual disregard for the niceties of the law, Daniel Boone and his companions were determined to go ahead. In later years, Daniel Boone told John Filson, "I returned home to my family with a determination to bring them as soon as possible to live in Kentucky, which I esteemed a second paradise, at the risk of my life and fortune." On September 25, 1773, the group of settlers started their travel to the land of Kentucky. At that time, the group consisted of six families from the Yadkin and an additional 40 men who had joined the party at Powells Valley, which lay approximately 150 miles from their destination in Kentucky. In his book, Kentucky, Dr. Thomas D. Clark reminds us that in later years, the folk artist, Caleb Bingham, "Was to portray Daniel Boone as an optimistic frontier Moses, leading his domestic band through Cumberland Gap to the promised land beyond."

As this caravan got underway, it certainly set the pattern for America's concept of the settlement of the successive frontiers during the next 100 years. Like nomads, they drove their livestock with them, milk cows, young cattle, and swine, which were to form the nucleus of the livestock herds they planned to develop in their new location. The country beyond Cumberland Gap through which this party must travel was such as to have discouraged any but truly frontier people. Since there were no roads, wagons were out of the question. Horses and pack horses were the only transportation. Those without horses were compelled to walk. Not only were there no roads, but there were no cleared or well-marked trails. This little column would be compelled to wind in and out among the trees and over rough terrain, following hunter trails wherever these existed and seeking game trails through thick underbrush and cane patches. One can imagine the difficulties of driving cattle and swine on such a trip as this. Add to this the constant danger of Indian attack and we cannot help but wonder, in this modern day, how anyone, much less families, would be induced to undertake such a trip. Truly, the desire for new land and the freedom of a new country must have been strong in these people to fortify them against the rigors of the trail, the threats of Indians, and the work, dangers and privations of establishing themselves in a wilderness country.

As the Boone settlement party left their assembly area in Powells Valley and moved slowly toward Cumberland Gap, no one anticipated Indian trouble, particularly before passing through the Gap into Kentucky. Travelers returning from that area had encountered no difficulty with the Indians. They had found both the Shawnees and the Delawares friendly enough.

After a few days' travel, Daniel Boone decided that he needed more flour and farm tools and sent his oldest son, James, back to Captain William Russell's place to get them. Since the party was still fairly near the settlements, the boy rode off alone without thought of danger. He contacted Russell, procured the needed supplies and equipment, and started back to rejoin the column accompanied by Russell's son, Henry, a boy of about 17, two slaves, and a couple of white workmen. Having failed to catch up with the column at the end of the day, they camped the night of October 10, 1773 on Walden's Creek at a spot only three miles behind the main body. Being experienced woodsmen, they spread their blankets and went to sleep unconcerned by the normal night noises of the wilderness around them. Just before dawn, a party of Indians fired into them shooting Henry Russell and James Boone through the hips and killing most of the others. One man of the party escaped to the woods and was never seen again, although a skeleton reported to be his was ultimately found some distance from the scene. He had probably died of his wounds alone in the forest. One of the Negro slaves managed to slip into a pile of driftwood by the river where he lay concealed and witnessed the horrors that followed with abject terror.

The two boys had been rendered helpless by their wounds and were unable to move. The Indians proceeded, with great pleasure, to torture them to death.

James Boone had immediately recognized one of the Indians, a Shawnee known as "Big Jim" who had often visited at his father's cabin. The hidden slave, from his concealment in the pile of driftwood, distinctly heard James Boone repeatedly beg his father's friend to spare his life. The Indians were intent on torture and were not about to forfeit the pleasure. The hidden slave heard James Boone screaming for mercy time after time begging that he be tomahawked at once and allowed to die quickly. Again, the Indians refused and the torture lasted until at last the two boys died with their nails torn out, their palms squashed in their futile efforts to turn the blades of the Indian knives aside with their bare hands, and their bodies slashed to ribbons. It had been premeditated and prolonged torture of the most painful kind.

Early the next morning a deserter from the main body, slipping back along the trail, came upon the scene of the torture just after the Indians left. As he stared speechless, Captain Russell came up from the other direction on his way to join Boone's party. The party with Captain Russell started immediately to dig graves, sending one man ahead to warn Boone of what had happened and of the presence of Indians.

News of death and torture at the hands of the Indians were not new on the frontier. Immediately on learning the situation, Daniel Boone placed his party in a defensive position, the women and children sheltered in a large hollow under the roots of a beech tree, outposts were established for an immediate attack. Despite the possibility of an Indian attack, Rebecca Boone insisted on sending back one of the few linen sheets they possessed in which to wrap her son and keep the dirt from his body. After some time, the Indians attacked. But due to the settler's strong defensive position and finding the settlers ready for them, they fell back apparently waiting for a more favorable situation. The settlers remained on the defensive all that day and through the night. During the night, the Indians were again discovered creeping up on the camp but, learning that the settlers were ready for them, they again drew off. Boone and some of the men followed the Indians downstream, coming upon the Indians gathered around a fire. As their rifles cracked, the Indians vanished into the forest.

Once it was determined that the Indians had definitely withdrawn, a general discussion was held in which it was decided that the majority of the settlers were too frightened to go on. The death of the men in the rear party and the torture of the boys indicated that there might be more Indians in the vicinity probably lying in wait along the trail. Gathering their scattered cattle, the entire party returned to the settlements. After resting up at Snoddy's Fort, the majority of them moved back to their homes in North Carolina. Boone's first attempt to establish a settlement in Kentucky had failed before getting well underway. The Boones, without a home and having spent most of their resources on equipment for the new settlement, settled down for the winter at Snoddy's Fort on the Clinch River. Despite these misfortunes and the death of his son, Daniel Boone's enthusiasm for settling in Kentucky had not be dampened.

Bakeless quotes a pioneer speaking about Boone during this period as saying, "I have a distinct recollection of seeing Boone at my father's camp on Reedy Creek of Holston — I think it must have been in 1773. Boone was dressed in deerskin, colored black, and had his hair plaited and clubbed up, and was on his way to or from Powells Valley." It is said throughout most of his life Daniel Boone wore his hair clubbed up.

In May of 1774, Daniel Boone traveled alone to Powells Valley to visit his son's grave. Although Indian troubles were increasing and travel extremely dangerous, Boone insisted on visiting the graves to see that they were properly cared for. Following the usual custom, logs had been laid above the graves to keep off the wolves, but wild animals of some type had pawed a part of these logs aside, and had dug partway down to the bodies. Boone opened the graves to make sure that the bodies, which he now saw for the first time, had not been touched, carefully covering them again and restoring the log protection.

As he finished covering the graves, a violent storm broke making it impossible to travel. Boone waited under the shelter of the trees for the storm to pass. The howling of the wind, coupled with the gloom of the storm and the dreadful associations of the spot where his son had been tortured to death to amuse the savages, created in his mind a deep melancholy which he later stated was the worst he had encountered in his life. After the storm had cleared Boone moved a short distance away to camp for the night hobbling his horse and attaching a horse bell so that he could find the animal in the morning. As he was waiting for sleep to come, his keen ear detected Indians creeping up on the camp. Without appearing to be alarmed, he slipped out of his blankets and quietly caught his horse, which he led along slowly, so that it would appear to the Indians to be the noise of the horse grazing. As they reached a safe distance from the camp, Boone silenced the bell, mounted the horse, and rode for his life, leaving the Indians to attack the empty camp. If it had not been for the storm which delayed the Indians, they would have probably killed Daniel Boone on the very same spot where they had killed his son and the story of the early settlement of Kentucky might have been materially delayed and altered.

In the spring of 1774, unrest pervaded the entire frontier. James Harrod, accompanied by a large group of settlers, traveled down the Ohio River, up the Kentucky, and then overland to the present site of Harrodsburg. Scattered throughout Eastern Kentucky were small parties of surveyors laying out lands for the proposed grants to soldiers in the French and Indian War. The presence of these groups obviously preparing for settlement and a greater invasion had aroused the Indians. In addition, during the winter white men had murdered the family of the famous chief that the Indians called Logan, who had been a friend of the white man and was widely known among both whites and reds. These factors combined aroused the Indians to a fighting frenzy which developed into Lord Dunmore's War. Indian attacks and atrocities raged along the entire frontier during the summer and fall of 1774. It was certainly no time to initiate new settlements in Kentucky.

As many of the surveying parties had been sent out by Lord Dunmore, he feared for their safety and instructed Captain William Russell of the Clinch Valley to select two competent woodsmen to carry a warning to these widely scattered survey parties in Kentucky. Captain Russell selected Daniel Boone and his lifelong friend, Michael Stoner. Both men were probably outstanding along a frontier noted for skilled woodsmen. Their instructions from Captain Russell were to search the Kentucky country along the Ohio River as far as the Falls of the Ohio, and to return along the Cumberland River and through Cumberland Gap appraising all survey parties and settlers they met of the imminent danger from the Indian War to the settlements. No one could tell Boone and Stoner just where these survey parties might be found, other than that they had been directed to make surveys at the Falls of the Ohio, in the Kentucky River Valley, along the Licking River (which was then known as the Salt Lick River), and along the Cumberland River.

Since the Shawnees were already blockading the Ohio River, it was necessary that the route of these two woodsmen would be overland along the route that Boone had planned to travel into Kentucky.

Boone set forth on his mission on June 27, 1774, and reached the new settlement of Harrodsburg in Kentucky by July 8 of that year. It is significant to note that his route of travel took him directly across the present Daniel Boone National Forest.

At Harrodsburg, Boone found Harrod and 34 men busily engaged in laying out the town, building cabins, and laying out 10-acre blocks of land for each. As Daniel was a settler at heart, Indians or no Indians he caught the settlement fever registering as a settler and confirming his claim by building a cabin. As a surveyor, Boone assisted in laying off the lots for the town. In spite of the warning brought by Boone, Harrod and his men remained and continued their work for some time until one man disappeared and two others had been killed by the Indians. The rest withdrew to the settlement, their buildings standing deserted but unharmed, through the winter, and were reoccupied when Harrod and his men returned the following year to establish Harrodsburg permanently in the spring of 1775.

Boone and Stoner followed the Kentucky River to its mouth, pushed on to the Falls of the Ohio, and then returned back to the Clinch Valley, having covered 800 miles of wilderness in 61 days. They had found and warned the greater number of the surveyors, most of whom got back to the settlement safely, although a few were killed by the Indians.

By the time Boone and Stoner returned to the settlement, Lord Dunmore's War was raging, and the governor was raising militia to defeat the Indians and reestablish peaceful conditions. Boone was immediately commissioned a lieutenant and directed to raise as large a company as he could for the defense of the frontier. Boone led several scouting parties and participated in a few small engagements which resulted in him being speedily promoted to the grade of captain on the petition of his immediate neighbors. These neighbors were not completely unselfish in this move, as they insisted on having a commander whose home was also in the community. This promotion gave him command of three frontier forts. Bakeless tells us that his commander reported that, "Mr. Boone is very diligent at Castle's Woods, and keeps up good order." In October, the frontier force under General Andrew Lewis defeated the Indians at Point Pleasant which ended Lord Dunmore's War. Captain Daniel Boone was discharged from the militia on November 20, 1774.