to Kaskaskia, dared not remove from the island on which they landed, so long as Vincennes was occupied by British troops, and their savage allies. The conquest of this place was, therefore, to them the mandate of liberation from their insular position, and an invitation to remove to the Kentucky shore. Hence the origin of the settlement on the site of Louisville. Colonel Clarke afterwards established his head quarters here. (1)

Among those who composed the army of Colonel George Rogers Clarke, and whose active, enterprising spirit fitted him to follow such a commander, was Simon Kenton, one of the most celebrated and daring of the pioneers of the west. After the capture of Kaskaskia, he was sent with others to Kentucky, by Colonel Clarke, with dispatches. On their way they fell in with a camp of Indians, with horses. They broke up the camp, dispersed the Indians, took the horses, which they sent back to Kaskaskia, and pursued their route to Vincennes. Entering that place in the night, they traversed several of the streets, and departed without being discovered or alarming the British garrison, after taking from the hostile inhabitants two horses for each man. When they came to White River, a raft was made on which to transport the guns and baggage, while the horses were driven in to swim across the river. On the opposite shore, a party of Indians were encamped, who caught the horses as they ascended the bank. Such are the vicissitudes incident to border war! The same horses had been in a daring manner, taken only the night before, from the interior of a garrisoned town, and were lost by being driven, accidentally, by the captors, into a camp of the enemy. Kenton and his party now found themselves in great peril.— They permitted their raft to float down the stream, returned themselves to the western shore, concealed themselves until night, when they constructed another raft, on which they crossed the river at a different place, reached Kentucky in safety, and delivered the despatches of Colonel Clarke, as directed.

At another time he accompanied Colonel Daniel Boone, in an expedition against an Indian town on Paint creek. After crossing the Ohio, Kenton being at some distance in advance of the main body, was suddenly startled at a loud laugh in an adjoining thicket, which he was just about to enter. Instantly halting, he took his station behind a tree, and waited for a repetition of the noise. In a few minutes two Indians approached the spot where he was concealed, both mounted upon a small

horse, and indulging merrily in loud conversation and laughter. Having permitted them to approach within rifle shot, he raised his gun, fired, and both Indians fell; one was killed, and the other severely wounded. The frightened horse ran back into the thicket, giving the alarm to the rest of the Indian party who were some distance in the rear. Kenton instantly ran up to the wounded Indian, and was about to put an end to his struggles, when he beheld two Indians about twenty yards from him, very deliberately taking aim at his person. A quick spring to one side, on his part, was instantly followed by the flash and report of their rifles, and the balls whistled close to his ears without doing him any injury. Retreating to an adjoining wood, and taking shelter behind a tree, he soon found himself surrounded by a dozen Indians.— At this critical instant, Colonel Boone and his party appeared, opened a brisk fire upon them, and compelled them to retreat with the loss of several wounded.

From the small number of Indians engaged, Colonel Boone concluded that most of the warriors were on their march to attack Boonesboro'. He instantly retraced his steps, and marching night and day, reached home on the seventh day. On the eighth, the enemy appeared in great force. There were nearly five hundred Indian warriors armed and painted, and conducted by Canadian officers, skilled in the usages of modern warfare. The British colors were displayed, and an officer sent with a summons to surrender. Colonel Boone took time, consulted his men, and then from the gate of the fortress announced to Captain Du Quesne, the British commander, his determination to defend the fort to the last extremity. Du Quesne then offered to enter into a treaty with the garrison, if nine of the principal inhabitants would come to his camp, and then to instantly depart without further hostility. This was agreed to, and the treaty was concluded. Du Quesne then informed Colonel Boone that it was the custom with the Indians, in the conclusion of treaties with the whites, for two warriors to take hold of the hand of each white man. Although suspecting this Indian mode of cementing friendship, he signified his willingness to conform to it.Instantly two warriors approached each white man, with the word "brother" upon their lips, but with the expression of the hyena in their eyes, and grappling them with violence, attempted to bear them off. All, at the same moment, sprung from their enemies, and ran to the fort under a heavy fire, which fortunately wounded only one man. The attack was instantly commenced by a heavy fire upon the fort, and was returned with fatal accuracy by the garrison. Finding that his fire upon the fort

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produced but little effect. Du Quesne resorted to a more formidable mode of attack. The fort stood upon the south bank of the river,

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within sixty yards of the water. Commencing under the bank, concealed from the garrison, he attempted to push a mine into the fort. The object was however, fortunately discovered by the quantity of fresh earth, thrown into the river, by which the water became muddy for some distance below. Colonel Boone instantly ordered a trench to be cut within the fort, in such a manner as to intersect the line of their approach, and thus frustrated the design. The enemy continued for eight days to exhaust all the ordinary artifices of Indian warfare, but were steadily repulsed in every effort. At length finding their numbers daily thinned by the deliberate, but fatal fire of the garrison, and seeing no prospect of final success, Du Quesne raised the seige on the ninth day and returned home.

Kenton did not accompany Colonel Boone back to Boonesboro' after the skirmish near the Indian town, but with a friend named Montgomery, went back to make discoveries. Approaching the village with a cautious and stealthy step, they took their stations upon the edge of a corn field, supposing that the Indians would enter it for green corn. They patiently remained there during the whole day, but did not see a single Indian, and only heard the voices of some children, who were playing near them. At night they entered the Indian town, took four good horses, made a rapid night's journey to the Ohio, which they crossed, and on the second day afterwards reached Logan's Fort in safety.

Scarcely had he returned, when Colonel Bowman ordered him to take his friend Montgomery and another young man named Clark, and proceed on a secret mission to an Indian town on the Little Miami, against which the Colonel meditated an expedition, and of the exact condition of which he desired to have certain information. They instantly departed, in obedience to orders, and reached the neighborhood of the town without being discovered. They examined it attentively, and walked around the houses during the night with perfect impunity. In their nightly promenade, they came across a number of Indian horses, in an inclosure. Each mounted a horse, but not satisfied with leaving the others behind, they attempted to take them along. This took them so long, and made so much noise, that they were at last discovered. The cry ran through the village that the "Long Knives"* were upon them, and old and young, boys and warriors, sallied to the rescue of their property. Kenton and his men discovered that they must ride for their lives. But they determined not to give up the The settlers in Kentucky, then Western Virginia, were called "Long

horses, and two of them rode in front, leading as many as they could, while the others brought up the rear, plying the whip from right to left. In this manner they dashed through the woods at a furious rate, leaving their pursuers behind them. They rode through the whole night without resting a moment, and halting for a few minutes at daylight, they continued their journey throughout the day, and the whole of the following night, and on the morning of the second day reached the northern bank of the Ohio. Crossing the river would now ensure their safety; but the wind was high, and the river rough and boisterous. It was determined that Kenton should swim the river with the horses, while Montgomery and Clark should construct a raft to transport their guns and baggage. Kenton, forcing the horses into the river, plunged in himself, and swam by their side. In a few minutes the high waves completely overwhelmed him, and forced him considerably below the horses. Being left to themselves, the horses turned round and returned to the Ohio shore, and Kenton was compelled to follow them. Again he forced them into the water, and again they returned to the same spot, until Kenton became so exhausted by repeated efforts, as to be unable to swim. They then hid the horses in a neighboring ravine, and took station in a wood near by, expecting the wind to cease before night. Here they remained during the day, but the wind at night blew harder than ever. In, the morning the wind abated, and the river became calm, but it was then too late. The pursuing Indians arrived, Montgomery was killed, Clark made his escape, and Kenton was taken prisoner.(1)

The Indians either knew Kenton or discovered from his bearing and his conduct on this occasion, that he was an extraordinary man; and while they exulted in his capture, they practiced upon him every possible cruelty. They taunted him with sarcastic compliments upon his love of horses, and assured him that he should ride one of their best animals. He was accordingly bound securely upon a vicious young horse, which was turned loose without a bridle, to follow the party. The animal reared and plunged, and dashed through the woods, endeavoring in vain to shake off its rider; until, wearied out, it became tame, and quietly fell into the rear of the other horses. Still the situation of Kenton was not less painful; for the horse, becoming accustomed to its burden, would often stop to graze, lingering until the party was nearly out of sight, and then dashing forward, would pursue them at full speed, dragging the lacerated body of the wretched pioneer under the over