Crist and Crepps stood over him, keeping the Indians treed, while the release was made. The disaster to the crew was caused by this fatal fastening of the boat.

The battle had lasted an hour. Six brave men lay dead or dying in the gangway; Floyd, Fossett, and Boyer badly wounded; and Crist, Crepps, and Moore unhurt. The boat gradually neared the southern side of the river. On looking above, they saw some fifty of the enemy crossing the river to intercept them, some on logs and some swimming. With a large body of Indians on both sides of the stream, escape of the boat was now impossible. Spears, lying fatally wounded, had begged that the boat, when loosed, be carried immediately to the other shore, and all escape who could; which was then feasible. The survivors resolutely refused to abandon the wounded. The boat soon touched the southern bank, and the three wounded helped ashore, and to concealment in the brush. Crist, Crepps, and Moore now returned to assist the woman; but no entreaty could move her. The fright had so paralyzed her faculties, that she sat dazed and insensible to all around, with her face buried in her hands.

The Indians, having gained the south side, were seen rushing toward the boat, yelling like bloodhounds. The three surviving combatants charged the savages with a shout, on which they fell back to a ravine. The former pushed on to the forest in the hope of escape, when, as they passed, the savages rallied from the ravine and fired on them. Crepps received a ball in his left side, and Crist one through his foot, crushing the bones, while Moore escaped, and bore the tidings to the Lick of the catastrophe. Crepps was found and brought in, but died a few hours after.

Crist hobbled on the next day to the vicinity of Long Lick, when, sickened and faint, he laid down to die. Over the rocks and roots and thorns, his other foot gave out, and he could not walk. He bound his moccasins on his knees, and crawled. The second night out, he came in sight of an Indian camp-fire, and aroused the barking of a dog. Several red men arose up to look around, when he crept back to the bushes, and continued his slow journey. At night, managing to roll a log into the river, he crossed over on it, and resumed his journey. He knew he was some eight miles from Bullitt's Lick, which he wished now to reach. He could crawl a quarter or half a mile an hour. His moccasins wore out. Next his hat, his hunting shirt, and vest were consumed, as sandals for the knees and hands.

On the night of the third day, worn with hunger, want of sleep, acute pain, and raging thirst, he came in the neighborhood of the salt-works. But nature was once more exhausted, and he laid himself down again to die, and in sight of the many fires burning under the salt kettles in the distance. After a weary night, morning came, and with it the sound of horses' hoofs. He called out to the rider, but, to his dismay, the sounds went clattering away toward the Lick. It proved to be a negro, who, alarmed at the cry, had dashed away to the salt camp, with a report of Indians near. On close

NEW METHOD OF INDIAN WARFARE.

297

questioning, and on supposition that it might be some one escaped from the boat's crew, a party went in search, and found the despairing sufferer. A long year passed before Crist was well of his injuries.

The woman in the boat was carried a prisoner to Canada. Ten years after, Crist met her again in Kentucky, she having been ransomed by an Indian trader and brought into General Wayne's camp on the Maumee, and restored to her friends. She informed Crist that the body of Indians who made the attack on the boat numbered over one hundred and twenty, and that thirty of them were killed in the engagement. This statement was confirmed to Crist by Indians whom he met afterward, and who had been in the battle.

Crist described Crepps as a tall, fair-haired, handsome man, and, although of kindly spirit, brave and daring in every danger. While a gentleman in every bearing, he was possessed of all those striking qualities that made up the heroic manhood of pioneer life in Kentucky. He characterized him as the lion of the desperate combat in which he received his death wound. Crepps left a young wife and son. A posthumous daughter was born to her, who in years became the wife of Hon. Charles A. Wickliffe, afterward governor of Kentucky, and postmaster-general under President Tyler, besides holding several other important official positions, and whose son, Hon. J. Crepps Wickliffe, was United States attorney for the district of Kentucky, by appointment of President Cleveland.

Indian raids, with spoliations and massacres, were too numerous throughout the district to attempt to encumber the narrative of history with more than a moiety. Crab Orchard, Floyd's Fork, Drennon's Lick, Great Crossings, Blue Licks, Kenton's station, Hardin's settlement, and countless other places had been subjected to these ever-recurring and intolerable outrages.

They began a new method of warfare, which, for a time, was very harassing. Capturing a flat-boat on the Ohio, they manned and fortified it, and learned how to manage it. With this, they captured several family and trading-boats on the river, massacred those on board, and carried off their goods. Thus besetting the great avenue of ingress, they spread new alarm beyond the State limits to those desiring to emigrate, as well as among those near the Ohio.

Of the many captures on the river, Spaulding, in his "Early Sketches of Catholic Missions in Kentucky," gives an intensely-interesting account of that of John Lancaster and several comrades, at the mouth of Miami. They were carried off to a village seventy miles back, and very rudely treated for a time. Finally, Lancaster was adopted into an Indian family and treated as one of them, until he happened to be left in the care of another Indian, in the absence of his foster brother, who became very threatening and brutal. In fear of his life being taken, Lancaster made his escape, and, though pursued, with a pack of dogs on his trail, he managed to reach the Ohio river, make a raft of logs tied together with bark, and float down,

by night, to Louisville. But we must not now dwell further on these recitals of carnage and cruelty.

Before the close of 1788, another tempter came to pay court to the maidenly young doweress of the West. Dr. Connolly, the same whose British loyalty cost him the confiscation of two thousand acres of land on the site of Louisville, appeared in Lexington, professedly to ascertain the possibility of recovering his lost estate. He was direct from Quebec, and accompanied by Colonel Campbell, of Louisville. They called on Colonel Thomas Marshall and Judge Muter, and afterward on General Wilkinson. The doctor was authorized to say, in confidence, that Great Britain stood ready to guarantee the same protection to Kentucky as to Canada, if she would ally. herself in any way with the empire, and that the navigation of the Mississippi would be secured to her. To enforce this assurance, there were four thousand British troops in Canada ready to be sent down the Mississippi tocapture New Orleans, if need be. A rumor got out in the community that a British spy was in town, and very strong indications of summary violence were manifested. Meeting with a cold reception from Marshall, Wilkinson, and others whom he had approached, and learning the state of public feeling, Connolly was extricated by being privately conveyed to Maysville, on his return to Canada. The intense resentment toward England for her continued incitement of the Indians to murder and pillage the settlers was such, that an agent, on such a mission, was really in imminent danger of personal violence. His views and plans were but partially exposed.

This year the site of Cincinnati was first surveyed and laid out for a city. Matthias Denman purchased of Judge Symmes nearly eight hundred acres of land, lying opposite the mouth of Licking, for five hundred dollars in continental money. He resold two-thirds to John Filson and Colonel Robert Patterson, who, with a party of fifteen, came down from Limestone and surveyed and staked it off in lots, and gave it the name of Losantiville. Filson, who was the first historian of pioneer Kentucky, venturing too far from camp, was killed by Indians.

The Legislature of Virginia created the counties of Mason and Woodford, and chartered the towns of Maysville, Danville, and Hopewell, now Paris, this year.

EVENTS OF THE PERIOD FROM 1790 TO 1795.

CHAPTER XX.

(1790-95.)

Treaties with the Indians.

Whitley's exploits.

Last Indian raids.

Big Joe Logston's fight.

Chapman's station.

Last incursion in Mason county.

The population of Kentucky in 1790 was sixty-one thousand one hundred and thirty-three whites, twelve thousand four hundred and thirty slaves, and one hundred and fourteen free blacks, a total of seventy-three thousand six hundred and seventy-seven. On account of the rude treatment and neglect by the Government, and the indifference to the results, no vote was cast in the district of Kentucky in January, 1789, for electors for president and vice-president, the first national election. The third act of separation was passed by Virginia, with clauses very objectionable to the people of Kentucky. These required of the latter the payment of a portion of the domestic debt of Virginia, after they had defended the frontiers at their own cost, and also that both the continental and State soldiers of Virginia should locate their lands under warrants in Kentucky.

1 In July, 1789, the eighth convention met at Danville, and rejected these conditions, and memorialized the Legislature to abolish them. In December, this memorial was complied with, and the objectionable provisions expunged by a fourth act of separation on the part of Virginia. This latter act required a new convention to assemble on the 26th of July, 1790, to determine their wishes for separation; and added the conditions that Congress should release Virginia, prior to the 1st of November, 1791, from all her Federal obligations, arising from the district; that the proposed State shall, on the day after separation, be admitted into the Union, and that such day of admission be after the 1st of November, 1791. On July 26, 1790, the ninth convention-elect met at Danville, and accepted the modified terms of the last act of the General Assembly, and fixed on the 1st day of June, 1792, when Kentucky should become a State separate from, and independent of, the government of Virginia. Afterward, an address to the Legislature was adopted, and also a memorial to President Washington, praying Congress and the president to sanction the proceedings, and expressing a feeling of admiration and loyalty for the form of government established. Finally, it was resolved that, on the respective court days of the several counties, in December, 1791, delegates be elected, who should, on the first Monday in April, 1792, meet in convention at Danville, and there frame a constitution for the anticipated Commonwealth, and a proper code of laws, to remain in force until substituted by subsequent legislation.

In February, 1791, Congress, in session, passed the act to admit Kentucky as one of the States of the Union, to have effect on the 1st of June, 1792. All obstacles being now removed for the free action and expression of the people of Kentucky, they proceeded in December, 1791, to elect delegates who, on the 3d day of April, 1792, met and proceeded to adopt 1 Marshall, Vol. I., p. 360.