Chapter 4: 1795-1803, Kentucky Presbyterians

When the War for Independence was finally over, many Americans became very interested in the lands on the other side of the mountains, and Robert and Mary Dickey were among them. After his father’s death, his brother David inherited their father’s lands and homeplace, and he had little appetite to stay there and fight over the meager scraps that remained. There was a new Promised Land awaiting them in Logan County, Kentucky; and Robert and Mary were eager to stake their claim to a piece of it.

2 They arrived there in time for the birth of their last child, a daughter they named Eliza. Although the work was hard, they had a large family to assist with those burdens. It also helped that there was a large community of like-minded Presbyterians who had settled in the area.

3 As in South Carolina, almost all the initial buildings were constructed out of logs. After they had completed their homes, the first order of business was to erect meeting houses so that they could gather together for worship. And, there were sufficient numbers of them, that several such meeting houses were erected within a short period of time.

4 Now necessity and availability dictated the building materials which they used, but there was something about the stark simplicity of logs that especially suited a Presbyterian meeting place. There was nothing to distract the eye from the preaching – no decorations or embellishments of any kind. Indeed, the only thing that really distinguished them from the surrounding homes was the fact that people gathered there for worship each Sabbath.

5 As an elder, folks naturally turned to Robert for guidance and advice, and he was often called upon to give them a word of encouragement as there weren’t many other elders or ministers available for that task. Robert didn’t mind. He had a heart for service to God and others, and life quickly settled into a comfortable and predictable routine of farm work and ministerial duties.

6 In 1797, however, all that abruptly changed. Like one of the prophets of old, the Reverend James McGready came amongst them and nothing was ever the same again. He was possessed of a missionary’s zeal, and he had the heart of an evangelist. After visiting the meeting places at Gasper River, Red River and Muddy River, he was appalled by the lethargy and wantonness he observed there.

7 “These people are dead!” he declared. “Wake up, the time is at hand! Repent ye and believe the gospel!”

8 With that, several people dropped down to the floor of the meeting house and laid there as if they were dead. Robert was astonished. He had never seen anything like this in his life, and things were about to get even stranger.

9 One of the prostrate people suddenly sprang to her feet and began shouting, “Christ has come, Christ has come!” “Sweet and precious Jesus!” she continued as tears of joy fell down her face. The woman looked as if she had been transported instantly to heaven. “Why was I so blinded to him before?” she demanded. “Why couldn’t I see how willing he was to save me?”

10 The service lasted for almost three hours, and Robert felt exhausted when it was all over. He and Mary quietly slipped out of the meeting house and loaded into their wagon for the trip home.

11 When they had traveled about a mile, he had finally recovered enough from the experience to speak. “I’ve never seen people act like that before!” he confided to his wife. “Nor have I,” she agreed.

12 For Reverend McGready, the Lord had “graciously poured out his Spirit” on the place and a “general awakening” had ensued. Nevertheless, for many of the lifelong Presbyterians sitting in his pews, the whole service had been a spectacle. A worship service that exhibited so much emotion and participation from the audience was wholly foreign and repugnant to many of them.

13 And, although the revivals continued, more than a few families objected to Reverend McGready’s methods and began to boycott attending his services. “It’s not so much that he’s preaching heresy as it is the way he’s preaching,” Robert tried to explain to one of the other elders.

14 Even so, the revival had elicited an interest in the Presbyterian Church that Robert could not gainsay. In fact, two of his sons had declared their intention to join the ministry of their father’s church.

15 To say that Robert was pleased that William and James had expressed an interest in becoming ministers would be the understatement of the century. Nevertheless, the struggle within the Presbyterian Church over the issue of slavery made him worry about their future within the slave state of Kentucky.

16 “We’ve earned our bread with our own hands, not with the hands of others,” he had often reminded them over the years. Indeed, the Dickey family was proud of the fact that they had made their homes in the wilderness and sustained themselves without the aid or assistance of any slave labor.

17 However, some of their brethren within the Presbyterian Church did own slaves, and the leaders of the church had been grappling with how to handle the issue for years. The Reverend David Rice lobbied the Presbytery of Transylvania to take a strong stand against slavery, but church leaders were reluctant to alienate their slave holding members.

18 Nevertheless, the Presbytery did finally issue a strong statement on the subject in 1796. They said: “We are fully convinced of the great evil of slavery, but we find that the remedy belongs solely to the civil powers.” They also decided that they did not have “sufficient authority from the word of God” to exclude slave owners from church communion. Still, they did go on to urge them to emancipate their slaves and “prepare them for the enjoyment of liberty.”

19 “There are too many people with an interest in preserving this vile institution for the civil authority in Kentucky to ever do away with it,” William told his father and younger brother. “Yes, I don’t see some of these folks ever being willing to emancipate their slaves,” James agreed.

20 In 1802, the presbytery issued William a license to preach the gospel. A few years later, they also issued a license to his younger brother, James. “I am so proud of you,” Robert told them both. And, as with many of their ordained brethren, the brothers began their missionary work across northwestern Kentucky and southwestern Ohio almost immediately.

21 In the meantime, three of Robert’s children had married children of his best friend, James Ross. John Dickey had married first to Margaret Ross. A few years later, William Dickey married Rebecca Ross. And, lastly, Mary Dickey had married young Robert Ross in August of 1803. John and Mary, along with their spouses, eventually followed James Ross south to establish a new life for themselves in what was shortly to become Giles County, Tennessee. William’s and Rebecca’s destiny, however, lay north of the Ohio River.

Chapter 3: 1785-1792, An American inventor goes to London

“I have arranged for you to be appointed to the post of superintendent of the Potomac Canal Company,” General George Washington told James Rumsey. “Thank you, sir, you know that I will do my very best, but I must have time to work on my steam engine,” James replied.

2 “This station will provide you with the income necessary to prosecute your mechanical interests,” Washington reassured him. “Again, sir, I thank you,” James smiled as he shook the general’s hand.

3 Even so, it wasn’t long until Rumsey was complaining to his wife about the distraction which the job had proven to be. “There is no time for my engine,” he told her. “I spend all of my time now begging for money and supplies,” he explained. “James, we have to live,” Mary reminded him. “If this is successful, we would never have to worry about money again!” he insisted.

4 Then, in November, a rival inventor from Connecticut visited General Washington at Mount Vernon. His name was John Fitch, and he told Washington that he had a plan for a steam engine of his own.

5 “General, I am here to ask you for a certificate to recommend my engine to the public,” Fitch told him. “I have already granted Mr. James Rumsey a certificate for steam navigation,” Washington replied. “I am sorry to hear that,” Fitch snarled.

6 Washington wrote to his friend as soon as Fitch had left his home. “I urge you to give your mechanical boat to the public as soon as you can conveniently do so,” he told him. “I perceive that there is a real danger that some mechanical genius will hit upon your plan (or something very much like it) and disturb your prospects of benefiting from this discovery,” he went on to explain.

7 Then, without naming the individual in question, he told James that he had just turned down a request for a certificate related to the same enterprise. Rumsey resigned from the Canal Company a few months later.

8 In the meantime, Joseph Barnes (Rumsey’s brother-in-law) had constructed a boat for James to use in trying out his steam engine. Moreover, a local blacksmith named Jacob Haynes made a boiler for the inventor to use. Nevertheless, many of the necessary parts had to be obtained from Baltimore at great expense (which served to delay the completion of the project). Thus, in spite of his job, James had managed to make significant progress toward the building of his engine.

9 In 1786, he finally tested his new boat against the currents of the Potomac. However, although the boat made some headway in the trial, so much steam escaped that it was clear to everyone that modifications were needed.

10 James and his team quickly made several improvements and tried again. And, although the boat once again lurched forward against the current, the momentum simply could not be sustained.

11 “We must contain this steam!” James shouted. “The heat was so great that it melted the solder on the joints,” Barnes pointed out. James nodded.

12 As usual, sufficient money to fund the venture proved hard to come by and delayed progress. Nevertheless, James persisted, and his engine and boat were ready for another trial at the end of 1787.

13 People from all over the region stood along the banks of the river to witness the event. “He will soon appear to the world as a genius or a buffoon,” one woman observed. Her friends giggled and shook their heads (they obviously regarded the latter verdict as the most likely outcome). A short distance away, General Horatio Gates waited with the others for the trial to begin.

14 James had previously invited several of the ladies present to ride on the boat. “It is time to take your seats ladies!” he announced. Then, as the boat was about to be launched out into the water, a little girl lurched forward. “I want to go with my mother!” she shouted. Rumsey smiled and lifted her on to the boat.

15 Then the boat was shoved out into the river, and James engaged the engine. They slowly moved out into the middle of the Potomac and began to move upstream against the current. “My God, she is moving!” General Gates shouted.

16 A few young boys ran along the bank and followed the boat up river. They were, however, soon unable to keep up with the steamboat. So, James turned the vessel around and chugged back down the river, and then turned around again and allowed the vessel to make its way back up stream. In fact, the trial continued for about two hours. When it was over, no one was calling James Rumsey a buffoon.

17 News of Rumsey’s success spread rapidly through the colonies, and James aided its dissemination by publishing a pamphlet on the subject early the following year. “Mr. Rumsey has appropriated my idea for steam navigation,” John Fitch declared.

18 “Mr. Fitch confided the idea to me over a year ago,” Andrew Ellicott confirmed. Although the testimony of the famous surveyor bolstered Fitch’s claim, Rumsey was soon to have some even more prestigious endorsements for his work.

19 In the meantime, one of John Howland’s descendants had been attending a convention in Philadelphia that was assigned the task of drafting a constitution for the new republic. Nathaniel Gorham of Massachusetts was one of thirty-eight men who signed the finished document in the fall of 1787. James Rumsey, however, remained focused on producing a viable steamboat. 

20 In the spring of 1788, Rumsey himself traveled to Philadelphia and presented his ideas to the American Philosophical Society. Among the people who expressed an interest in those ideas (and a willingness to support their advancement) was the most famous American inventor of the day, Dr. Benjamin Franklin. In fact, Franklin was so impressed with the Virginian’s ideas that he helped to organize the Rumseyan Society to finance a trip to England to obtain sufficient backing for the project.

21 “That is where the money and skill exist to perfect this project,” James explained to Mary. “I must go there to secure our future,” he told her.

22 However, when James arrived in London, he found himself facing the same apathy which had haunted him in America. He had a difficult time securing the interest and money that would be necessary to bring his plans to fruition. As a consequence, he spent most of the next four years there soliciting and trying to keep investors.

23 In 1789, Rumsey traveled to Paris to secure a patent in France. While there, he called on the United States’ ambassador to the country, Thomas Jefferson. “I will be happy to help you in any way that I can,” the ambassador assured him. However, although Jefferson introduced him to many wealthy French nobles, none of them proved willing to risk backing an “excentrique” American.

24 Finally, after years of struggling, James was able to secure enough funding to begin construction of a steamboat in England. Thus, as 1792 was drawing to a close, The Columbian Maid was nearing completion and would soon be ready for a trial run.

25 On the twentieth of December, he was summoned to appear before the mechanical committee of the Society of Arts to speak about one of his proposals for water wheels. “That was a fine talk, Mr. Rumsey,” one of the gentlemen commented when he had finished. “Now you must help us draft a pamphlet to explain your proposal to the rest of the world,” another added.

26 Suddenly, James raised his hand to his temple and said, “What a horrible pain!” Then he collapsed before them. “Take him to a room in the hotel,” ordered a doctor who happened to be present. “He is quite insensible,” the man reported after he had finished examining James.

27 Rumsey died a few hours later without ever having regained consciousness or securing his title as the inventor of the steamboat. His friends paid for his burial at St. Margaret’s in Westminster.

28 His family and friends in America were shocked when they received the news from London. James’ wife and children were left destitute, and others would eventually reap the rewards of his discoveries and patents.

29 Now these are the generations of James Rumsey:

30 James was the father of Susannah, James and Clarissa.

31 Susannah Rumsey married Adam Frailey and had two daughters: Mary Ann and Julia.

32 Mary Ann Frailey married James Thompson Harney, and they had children together.

Chapter 2: 1788, Lookout Mountain

It had been almost eight years since the Battle of King’s Mountain. The British were gone now, but their old Indian allies still roamed the forests of the North Carolina frontier. The most troublesome of the Natives were those Cherokee who belonged to the Chickamauga Band led by Chief Dragging Canoe. In August, they had attacked and massacred two large parties of White settlers.

2 Finally, some of the people who had gathered together as the “Overmountain Men” had had enough. Later that month, General Joseph Martin organized a militia to deal with Dragging Canoe’s warriors. Captain Joseph Bullard and Abraham Sevier (the brother of John) were among the men who volunteered to take part in the operation.

3 “This is the unfinished business of our war with Britain!” Joseph declared. “If we can kill that damned Indian and his warriors, it will be finished,” Abraham agreed.

4 Dragging Canoe expected John Sevier to retaliate, but he didn’t know that the Colonel was currently in North Carolina on other business. “I will ambush my old enemy when he comes out to avenge the death of his people,” he confided to his warriors.

5 The wily chieftain set his trap along a well-known trail that ran between the Tennessee River and Lookout Mountain. He chose a place where the path was narrow and snaked its way around rocks and boulders that had tumbled down the mountain. Dragging Canoe’s men hid among the rocks and trees on the high ground overlooking the trail and were armed with rifles.

6 Captain Bullard was leading the scouting party that fell into the trap. A blood curdling scream erupted above the party that was followed by a hail of bullets. Joseph and two other men dropped almost immediately, but the men behind them began firing in the direction of the scream and the Natives disappeared behind the bluff. The men then grabbed their fallen comrades and drug them back down the trail away from the site of the ambush.

7 By the time they returned to camp, Joseph was dead. “Those murderous bastards will be back with more warriors real soon,” the Colonel shouted. “We’ll have to leave them here and get back to Jonesboro as fast as possible,” he explained.

8 “We ought to give Captain Bullard and the others a decent burial,” one of the men protested. “Yeah, you know what those savages will do to them if they find their bodies,” another agreed. “Alright, you can bury them under that abandoned council house over there,” the Colonel relented. “But hurry, boys! We don’t want to join them,” he warned.

9 The men quickly wrapped the Captain’s body in a blanket and buried him and the others in the floor of the old Indian council house, and then set it afire to conceal the graves. They then gathered up their belongings and began the long march back to their homes.

10 However, some of the Chickamauga warriors had been watching them from the tree line and had observed where they had buried the bodies of their comrades. They simply waited for the fire to burn out, and then they dug up the corpses. But when they unwrapped Captain Bullard’s body, a smile broke out on the face of one of the warriors.

11 “What is it?” one of his friends asked. “This is their leader, John Sevier!” the man proclaimed. “I saw him once at another battle,” he explained. “Dragging Canoe will be so pleased to take revenge on the body of his enemy!” the man agreed.

12 As they carried the corpse through the now darkened forest, a wolf howled somewhere in the distance. “We have killed their leader, and we will drive these people from our lands,” the warrior thought as he hurried into the night with a message that his chief and their people would welcome. He did not know that John Sevier was still alive and was destined to become the first governor of the new state of Tennessee in less than eight years.

Chapter 1: 1785, The Cumberland Gap

Matthews Flournoy and William Whitley had made this trip many times in recent years. Everyone in the party was carrying a heavy pack of supplies back to their family and friends in Kentucky. They had purchased the items in Virginia and crossed the mountains back into Kentucky by way of the Cumberland Gap.

2 Although these trips were necessary to sustain the new settlements within the territory, they remained a dangerous enterprise. Native Americans had seen how these land hungry White people had treated their brethren across the mountains, and they were relentlessly hostile to their presence on this side of the Appalachian range.

3 “Look,” Matthews said as he pointed to shapes moving among the trees. “They’ve been following us for a while now,” Whitley replied.

4 The entire party was winded now. They had been walking along a narrow and winding path which the Indians had used for centuries, and that buffalo and deer had made many centuries prior to that. When one was traveling on foot, it seemed like the trail would rise forever into the dark and near silent forest which covered these mountains. To be sure, it had a kind of beauty to it that almost everyone who had seen it could appreciate, but it also had a way of making one feel uneasy and vulnerable.

5 Suddenly, a blood curdling scream broke the silence and an arrow whizzed by Matthews and glanced off a small Chestnut tree that stood just beyond the trail. “Find cover!” Whitley shouted. Then the air was thick with arrows that seemed to be coming from every direction at once. “Keep moving and use these big uns for cover!” Whitley shouted again.

6 He had just fired his rifle and was busily reloading when he noticed that Matthews was standing frozen behind a large oak tree. “Goddammit, Flournoy, keep moving!” he bellowed. “I can’t,” he shouted back. “They got me in my knee,” he explained.

7 Just then, William saw a brave drawing his bow to release an arrow pointed directly at his friend. He raised his rifle and fired, but he was too late. Whitley killed the Indian, but his arrow had found its mark in the middle of Matthews’ chest. He was dead.

8 “Good God, what will his wife and children do,” William thought to himself. There wasn’t, however, any time to indulge such thoughts. The whole party was in mortal danger.

9 “Keep up your fire and move for those rocks,” he shouted to the others. Little by little, William and the others retreated down the mountain.

10 Fortunately, the Indians had business elsewhere and did not pursue them, and they managed to escape any further harm. They were all still shaking like leaves in a strong wind when they finally stopped and made camp.

11 “I can’t believe Matthews is gone,” one of them said. “Why didn’t he move?” another asked. “He’d taken an arrow in his knee,” William explained. “We ought to go back and bury him,” another said as he stared at the ground. “We’ll go back in the morning,” William replied. “It’s too dangerous right now.”

12 That night, no one got much sleep. William stared at the fire and listened to the wolves howling off in the distance. “I’m going to have to build a fortress if I’m going to live in Kentucky,” he thought to himself.

13 The next morning they returned to the Gap and found the place where they had been attacked the day before. The wolves, however, had eaten a great deal of Matthews’ corpse during the night.

14 “We’ll have to bury him right here,” William told them. So, they all set about the task of scratching out a shallow grave with sticks, hatchets and a small shovel. They then reassembled as much of his torn and dismembered body as they could find and covered it with stones.

15 “God bless Matthews and his family, and help us to live in this land,” one of the men offered in solemn prayer. Then they all gathered up what remained of their belongings and headed for Kentucky.

16 Now these are the generations of Matthews Flournoy, a man made in God’s own image:

17 Matthews Flournoy married Patsy Pryor, and they had a son named Samuel.

18 Samuel married Nancy Martin, and they had twelve children together.

19 Two of their sons, John and Samuel Martin Flournoy left home and floated down the Mississippi River on a flatboat.

20 Their daughter, Nancy, married Abraham Keel; and they had a daughter named Sarah.

21 Sarah Keel married Joseph McElwain, and they had a daughter named Frances.

22 Frances McElwain married James William Reynolds, and they had children together.

Wanderings (1785-1825)

And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years…until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness. (Numbers 14:33)

Chapter 13: July 1781, Fighting Tories in North Carolina and peace

James and Susanna McMasters had migrated to North Carolina with their Quaker friends to begin a new life, but they could not escape the conflagration which had now engulfed all of the colonies. At this point in the conflict, there was no middle ground. You were either a Patriot or a Tory. As a consequence, three of James’ and Susanna’s sons (David, Daniel and Andrew) had joined the North Carolina Militia to protect their family and friends from Tory depredations.

2 In July, David’s and Daniel’s company was out scouting the countryside for any signs of the Tory bands which had caused so much trouble of late. It was a hot, sunny day, and they were marching toward the ford where Sandy Creek meets the Deep River.

3 “Stay alert, men!” Captain David Brower shouted. “Wish we was already back home,” Lieutenant Daniel McMasters grumbled. “I ain’t leavin there for a month when we get home,” Captain David McMasters agreed.

4 However, as they approached the ford, no one had noticed that a company of Tory militia had occupied the bluff overlooking Sandy Creek. Suddenly, musket fire erupted from above. David saw Daniel drop, and then he felt a sharp pain pierce his abdomen. Men were scattering for cover. Captain Brower was also hit.

5 David was now lying on the creek bank and staring at the sunlight streaming through the leaves of a sycamore tree. His midsection felt wet, and he could feel his life draining away; but there was nothing he or anyone else could do.

6 In the meantime, those Patriots who had secured cover started returning fire; and the Tories began to slowly retreat. When the muskets finally fell silent, everyone was still in shock.

7 "Captain Brower and Captain McMasters are dead,” Daniel heard someone say. “Benjy’s dead too!” another shouted. “I’m wounded,” several groaned. Daniel would die from his wounds a few days later.

8 “I’m sorry to have to tell you that both of your sons were killed in an engagement with the Tories at Sandy Creek,” Colonel John Lutrell told James. James’ eyes could not see the man in front of him, but they could still shed tears. “I’m very sorry,” the Colonel repeated and quickly mounted his horse and rode away.

9 “David and Daniel both gone!” he whispered. “Jonathan, run next door and ask Brother Hobson to come over here as soon as he is able to do so,” he instructed one of his younger sons.

10 A few hours later, James heard a knock at the door. George Hobson, and his son Charles, swiftly strode across the room and embraced their old friend. “We are very sorry to hear of thy sorrow,” George told him. “Please pray for us,” James responded.

11 “I was wondering if you might be willing to write a line or two for me to my Andrew,” he quickly came to the point. “We would be honored to do so,” Charles responded for both of them.

12 “We may not have an opportunity to meet again in this life,” James explained to his friends. The two men looked at each other and shook their heads.

13 Charles spread some paper on the table, retrieved his bottle of ink and quill from his pocket and began to write: “And now, my son, we are separated in body and may never have the opportunity of further conversation in this world.” He could feel a lump rising in his throat as he penned the lines.

14 “I want to tell him how important it is for both of us to spend whatever time we have left here seeking God and attending to our salvation so that we may at least meet again someday in His blessed kingdom,” James continued. Charles finished the letter with tears streaming down his face.

15 “I thank you for this kindness,” James said as his lifeless eyes stared at the wall before him. George pushed his stiffened limbs up out of the chair he had quietly occupied while his son was writing and crossed over to where his old friend was seated. He bent down and gently kissed James on the forehead.

16 “I pray that Andrew will come home to you,” he whispered. Then he and Charles left the McMasters’ household and went home and prayed. The prayers worked. Andrew came home.

17 That fall, they received the news that Lord Cornwallis had finally surrendered to General Washington at Yorktown. There would be a few more skirmishes and diplomatic flourishes, but the war was effectively over.

18 The British would soon acknowledge that their former colonies had indeed assumed that “separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God” entitled them. The United States of America was a reality that could no longer be denied. 

Chapter 12: January 1781, A child at Cowpens

Congress and General Washington had recalled Daniel Morgan from retirement. He had been at Saratoga when Burgoyne had surrendered and was a cousin to Daniel Boone. Sure, his hair was mostly white now, and his joints were full of arthritis; but Washington needed him alongside General Nathanael Greene to salvage the situation in the South after the disastrous defeats at Charleston and Camden.

2 Although the force assigned to him was small, it did not escape the notice of General Cornwallis. The British commander dispatched Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton to deal with that nuisance while he kept an eye on Greene. As a consequence, Tarleton had relentlessly pursued Morgan throughout the first part of January.

3 Stephen Camp, now almost ten years old, was one of the local boys who took care of feeding and watering Morgan’s Army’s horses. It was hard work, especially since they were constantly on the move; but Stephen wanted to do his part for the cause of American independence. After all, his older brother Thomas had made his contribution as part of a South Carolina artillery regiment.

4 Morgan decided to stop and face Tarleton at a place called Cowpens. It was only a short distance from Stephen’s home and the site of the battle at King’s Mountain.

5 As its name suggests, Cowpens was a place where cattle usually grazed, and it was mostly level and open. There were a few trees here and there, but the cattle had taken care of most of the underbrush. Hence, the two armies would be forced to face each other and slug it out – there would be no place to run and hide.

6 The night before the battle, General Morgan hobbled around the camp and encouraged his men. “What do you think of our plan?” he would ask them. Then, after he was sure that they understood that plan, he would praise their skills and assure them of his confidence in their martial abilities.

7 “Are the horses scared?” the old man asked as he approached Stephen. “No, sir,” the boy answered. “They’ll do just fine tomorrow,” he smiled as he patted one of the animals on its neck.

8 “I’m sure they will,” Morgan smiled back. “And you’ll have a grand story to tell your parents and the young girls!” the General continued. Stephen blushed. The old man patted him on the shoulder and moved on to the next campfire.

9 The next morning, the Americans formed their lines and waited for the British to make the first move. They didn’t have to wait too long. Tarleton sent his cavalry against them first, but the American marksmen easily repulsed their charge and then fell back to their designated places.

10 The British kept coming, but the Americans kept firing into their advancing lines. Finally, Morgan gave the signal for America’s cavalry to join the battle, and Stephen moved forward to get a better view of what was happening.

11 Just then, a stray bullet hit his right arm. “Ouch!” he cried out in pain. In the next instant, he felt warm blood trickling down his arm. He was dizzy, and he stumbled back to the rear of the American lines.

12 Fortunately, one of the other boys who had been tending the horses had the presence of mind to wrap some cloth around the wound and stop the bleeding. “Hold it there,” the boy instructed.

13 “Woo-hoo! We whipped their asses!” an excited soldier shouted as he darted past the boys. A little later, General Morgan spotted Stephen holding his arm. “Are you alright, son?” he asked. “I think so,” the boy almost whispered.

14 “That just might earn you a kiss or two from a pretty girl, heh?” the old man smiled. Stephen blushed again, and he knew that everything would be fine. After all, it was now clear that the Americans had won a tremendous victory over their enemies. 

Chapter 11: September-October 1780, King’s Mountain

A rugged, independent and self-reliant group of people had settled on the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains. And, their very presence in that territory placed them in opposition to the King of England. After all, George III had declared those lands closed to settlement by his American subjects in 1763.

2 Hence, it should have been clear to everyone that the life circumstances of these folks made them Patriots. In other words, the British should have known that they wouldn’t find many Loyalists among them.

3 Nevertheless, Lord Cornwallis (General Sir Henry Clinton had returned to New York after the capture of Charleston) was attempting to build a Tory army to complete the subjugation of the Southern Colonies. Toward that end, he had sent Major Patrick Ferguson into the Carolina backcountry to recruit Loyalist Americans into the British Army and subdue any Patriot resistance he might encounter along the way.

4 At first, Ferguson’s efforts were rewarded with great success. Loyalists flocked to his side, especially after Cornwallis’ victory over the Americans at Camden. However, with his confidence buoyed by the numbers that had swelled his ranks, Ferguson overreached.

5 He sent a blunt message to the settlers on the other side of the mountains: “You will immediately cease to offer any resistance to Britain or her allies; or I will march over these mountains, hang your leaders, pursue your people with the sword and burn their goods with fire!”

6 The message was not well received on the western side of the mountain. Joseph Bullard was chopping firewood for the winter when a messenger on horseback from John Sevier approached his cabin on Limestone Creek.

7 “Colonel Sevier wants you to come to Sycamore Shoals as soon as possible,” the man blurted out. “Them Redcoats is gonna try to cross the mountains and attack us, and he wants to git a group of us together and whup them first,” he explained.

8 Joseph planted his axe in one of the stumps nearest to him. “Let me git my gun and my coat, and I’ll ride with you,” he replied.

9 Bullard returned a few minutes later with his horse and another younger looking man. “This is my boy, Isaac,” he explained. “He’s goin with us.” The boy nodded and quickly mounted his horse without uttering a word.

10 They arrived at the designated meeting place on the banks of the Watauga River in short order and found a large number of frontiersmen already assembled there. “Hello, John,” Bullard called out when he spotted his friend.

11 “Joe, you ole rascal, sure is good to see you here,” Sevier replied. “Where else would I be?” Joseph asked with a smile.

12 “We’ve got to teach these people a lesson, friend!” John exclaimed as he handed him a copy of Ferguson’s letter. “Now you know I can’t read,” Joseph protested.

13 Then the Colonel proceeded to tell his old friend about what the British commander had written. “Yeah, we’re goin to have to teach him a little lesson,” Joseph grinned.

14 “By the way, the men have elected you as their Captain,” John informed him with a slap on the back. “Well, look at me!” Joseph exclaimed.

15 Colonel Isaac Shelby had noticed the two men talking across the camp and had walked over to greet them. “Are all your men here, John?” he asked. “Yeah, yours?” “They’re here,” Shelby said.

16 “I’d like to get started first thing in the morning,” he continued. “We’ll be ready,” John nodded.

17 “You two could be brothers,” Shelby remarked as he observed the two men’s faces. “You really do look like each other,” he repeated as he turned to walk away.

18 By the twenty-sixth of September, over a thousand men marched out of Sycamore Shoals and headed over the mountains. They would ever after be known as the “Overmountain Men.”

19 When Major Ferguson learned that the frontier militia was on its way, he ordered his men to retreat towards Charlotte. Then he sent a message ahead to Cornwallis: “I am being pursued by a large group of mongrels and backwater men – a few hundred reinforcements should finish this business.”

20 The reports, however, that the Major continued to receive from his scouts were not encouraging. In fact, the numbers and speed of movement which they were reporting were alarming.

21 Finally, Ferguson realized that Cornwallis was still too far away, and that the wilderness militia would overtake him before any help arrived from that quarter. As a consequence, he decided to make his stand at a clearing atop King’s Mountain (near South Carolina’s modern border with North Carolina). “It will be easy to defend this position,” he reassured his nervous troops.

22 A cold rain was falling when the Patriot militia arrived at the foot of the mountain. Nevertheless, on the eighth day of October, they began to climb up the rock strewn and tree covered hillsides toward their enemies.

23 They made good use of the cover and were almost at the top when Ferguson ordered a bayonet charge and pushed them back down the mountain. The rugged woodsmen, however, were able to hold their own and quickly managed to stop the advance of the Tories and regain the ground which they had just lost.

24 The Patriots let out a war whoop, blew on conch shells and horns and swarmed over the crest of the hill into the open ground before them. Joseph, Isaac and about a dozen other men saw Ferguson rear up on his white horse and took aim. The Major tumbled off of his horse. He was dead before he hit the ground.

25 And, although the Loyalist militiamen quickly began to surrender when they saw their leader fall, the “Overmountain Men” continued to fire into their ranks. In fact, when the rifles finally fell silent, over three hundred Loyalists were lying dead or wounded on the battlefield.

26 Lord Cornwallis was stunned when the news of what had happened reached him. That group of backwater rabble had won a major victory over one of his best officers!

27 After the battle was over, Thomas Camp (who had returned home in the meantime) took his younger brother Stephen to look over the battlefield which was only a short distance from their homeplace. As the nine-year-old walked over the ground, he noticed a conch shell lying on the ground before him. He reached down to pick it up.

28 “One of the soldiers used that as a horn when we charged up the mountain,” Isaac Bullard explained to the youngster. “Can I have it?” he asked. “Sure,” Isaac smiled. Of course, Stephen had no way of knowing that day that his shell would one day end up on display in a museum in Washington D.C. (a city which did not yet even exist).

29 Joseph approached his son from the other direction and gently tapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s go home, son,” he said in a low almost wistful voice. Then they turned and walked slowly over the edge of the mountain and disappeared down the steep slope before them.

30 These are the generations of Joseph Bullard:

31 Joseph was the father of Mary and Isaac.

32 Mary Bullard married David Rutledge, and they were the parents of James.

33 James Rutledge married Lucinda Hill, and they were the parents of Alfred Franklin and John Overton Rutledge.

Chapter 10: March-May 1780, The Siege of Charleston and imprisonment

After over a month at sea being tossed about the Atlantic, the British fleet finally reached the Carolina coast. They came ashore about twenty miles to the south of Charleston and began to slowly move through the alligator and snake infested swamplands that separated them from the city. The soldiers from the North Carolina units arrived in Charleston in early March, just as the British reached the banks of the Ashley River (which delineated the western boundary of the peninsula that was home to the city).

2 Lieutenant Colonel Harney’s initial impression of the situation was not good. “The terrain favors a successful siege by the enemy,” he thought to himself.

3 Still, as the troops marched into the city, everything was a flurry of activity. Slaves and soldiers were busily working on strengthening its defenses. Within weeks, a series of redoubts and ditches had been constructed across the peninsula from the Ashley River on one side to the Cooper on the other.

4 General Lincoln didn’t waste any time in calling for a meeting with all of the officers now assembled to defend the place. “Do not worry, Gentlemen, we will be able to keep the enemy out of Charleston,” the General assured them.

5 “And we won’t be able to get out either,” observed one of the officers at the back of the room. “If the enemy threatens to overwhelm us, we can escape across the Cooper,” Lincoln shot back through clenched teeth. With that, the meeting was concluded. “I do not like this,” Selby whispered to his friend as they exited the room.

6 In the meantime, Thomas Camp had been busy helping to position the cannons along the line of redoubts that had been erected to defend the city. “I’d like to blow a hole a mile wide through those damn Redcoats!” he told William Gardner. “I’d like to blast them all the way back to England!” Will agreed.

7 By the end of March, the entire British army had crossed the Ashley and had begun constructing siege works across the peninsula. On April 5, they began shelling the city. A few days later, a little over a thousand Virginia Continentals streamed into the city. Now the British only had a two to one advantage over the Americans!

8 The arrival of the Virginia reinforcements, however, did not intimidate Sir Henry Clinton. In fact, it made the British commander more determined than ever to make sure that no one else would be permitted to enter or leave the city. “Colonel Webster and Major Ferguson will cross the Cooper and secure the roads and territory on that side of the river,” the General ordered.

9 They were accompanied by some cavalry headed by Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton (a name that would soon become synonymous with terror throughout the Carolinas). Thus, the small American force tasked with defending that sector was quickly defeated, and the last viable escape route out of Charleston was closed to the Americans.

10 There were only two choices left to General Lincoln: Defend the city or surrender. And the situation inside of Charleston was getting more desperate by the minute. Shells had killed scores of soldiers and citizens. Shards of shattered brick and chunks of charred and splintered wood littered the streets. The stench from the carcasses of bloated and rotting horses was everywhere. Food rations had been reduced to a handful of rice for each soldier.

11 The British dispatched a message to the American commander, and there was a brief respite from the shelling. General Lincoln summoned another council of war. “I don’t have to tell you all just how grim the situation is,” he began. “General Clinton has demanded the unconditional surrender of this city,” he continued. “I want to know what you gentlemen are thinking.”

12 “Any patriotic soldier would be happy to give his life for his country!” General Pinckney declared. “You have failed to protect this city from these devils!” one of the town fathers shouted. “I will refuse his demand if that is the consensus of all that are assembled here, but I don’t have to tell you that we cannot hold out against this kind of bombardment much longer,” Lincoln concluded.

13 As soon as the British received the news of Lincoln’s rejection of their demands, the shelling resumed. “Give them everything we’ve got!” Major Mitchell ordered his men. Thomas, Will and the rest of their crew swung into action.

14 Indeed, all along the American lines, the cannons roared to life. That night, the sky above them was ablaze with the artillery fire of both sides.

15 “It looks like the sky’s on fire!” Thomas declared. “Like the stars are falling,” Will whispered as he looked up.

16 Suddenly, there was the sound of a loud explosion at one of the redoubts to the east of their position. Shattered stones, brick, metal and wood flew into the air. Selby, along with two of the men who were standing closest to him, crumpled to the ground.

17 “Colonel Harney’s been hit!” one of the privates exclaimed. His shirt and trousers on the left side of his body were shredded to pieces, and a dark red wetness covered the material that remained.

18 “Help me carry him to the surgeon,” the man shouted to his colleagues. Together, they quickly scooped up the limp form before them and hurried toward the city proper.

19 “I think it missed his bowels,” the doctor began, “but his hip looks like his clothes on this side!” “If he survives this, he may never walk again,” he finished.

20 Mary Carter dabbed his forehead with a wet cloth. “I’ll clean this up and put a clean dressing on him,” the nurse told the doctor after he had finished removing all of the shrapnel he could find. “That will be fine – try to keep him comfortable,” he smiled.

21 On the eleventh day of May, General Lincoln finally ordered a white flag to be raised above the gates of Charleston. The following day, the Redcoats and Hessians marched into the city and took possession of it.

22 Though his clothing was dirty, Thomas Camp tried to muster as much dignity as he could as the Americans prepared to march out. He was barefoot, and his trousers were threadbare.

23 In fact, most of the American Army was in similar circumstances. They were all thinner, and their eyes were sunken and ringed with dark circles from lack of sleep. The long siege had taken its toll on the defenders.

24 Although General Clinton would not permit them to display their colors, most of the men held their heads high as they marched out past their enemies. They were hungry, tired and defeated; but most of them knew that there was no shame to be found in how they had conducted themselves.

25 At the first opportunity that presented itself, Thomas slipped out of the formation and into one of the swampy patches of forest that lined the main road. He crouched down and held his breath for a moment as his comrades and their captors marched by the brush that concealed him from their view. Within a few more minutes, he was headed for home.

26 In the meantime, Selby was being carried on a makeshift stretcher to what had been the American hospital at Haddrell’s Point. There were three rather large brick buildings where the interiors remained unfinished. The barracks were arranged in the shape of an inverted C. Two of the buildings faced each other with the third situated between them.

27 They carried the Lieutenant Colonel into the middle building and gently transferred him to one of the beds on the second floor. He was soon joined by a number of other officers who had been wounded in the siege. The other two buildings were packed with their colleagues who had been fortunate enough to escape the affair without any major injuries.

28 By the Fourth of July, Selby was well enough to watch the other officers celebrate the declaration of America’s independence from one of the windows near his bed. He even managed a whoop and a smile when a young captain fired his pistol into the air.

29 Their captors, however, did not appreciate their observance of a day which they regarded as hateful. Thereafter, Selby and his fellow officers did not enjoy the freedom of movement which they had previously been allowed to exercise. And, although they were not treated as harshly as the enlisted men who had fallen into the enemy’s hands, they would not regain their freedom until the war had ended.

Chapter 9: June - December 1779, Stono Ferry and Savannah

 The British had captured Savannah and were threatening Charleston. General Benjamin Lincoln was determined to keep Charleston and retake Savannah and pleaded for additional troops to help him accomplish those objectives. “We will attack the British garrison at Stono Ferry and drive them out of Carolina!” he announced to his subordinates.

2 His first move was to organize a small force and march them through the night to confront the enemy. Thomas Camp of the Fourth Artillery Regiment from South Carolina was among the soldiers in Lincoln’s army that day. Although the governor of the state had been derelict in supplying sufficient troops to defend the state, the ones present were determined to keep it out of the hands of the British.

3 They faced a combined force of Highlanders, Hessians and Loyalists under Colonel John Maitland; and the British had not neglected the defenses surrounding the Ferry. While the Americans had been preparing their assault, their enemies had been busy constructing mounds of earth in front of their positions and surrounding them with sharpened stakes to detour any attackers who might dare to challenge them.

4 “I don’t relish the thought of charging into those stakes,” one of the privates confided to Colonel Owen Roberts as they approached the British defenses that morning. “I’m sure that the General will use our artillery to soften them up a little before that happens,” Roberts reassured him.

5 A short distance away, Private Thomas Camp was helping to drag a cannon into place facing the enemy lines. As soon as it was in position, another soldier tossed a cartridge into the gun. Next, William Gardner inserted the rammer into the barrel and pushed the cartridge down toward its base. Then Thomas loaded a projectile into the gun, and the gunner inserted his pick into the priming hole and ripped open the cartridge.

6 “Stand back!” he shouted to the others as he poured a small amount of powder into the opening. He touched the fire to the hole, and the explosion caused the gun to recoil violently.

7 “Give me a hand!” Thomas shouted as the men moved the cannon back into position. The matross quickly plunged the worm down into the barrel and pulled out the debris from the previous cartridge. In a matter of seconds, he had dipped the sponge in some water and swabbed out the barrel to make sure that any leftover sparks were smothered. That process finished, they quickly reloaded the cannon and fired again.

8 After about an hour of that, Colonel Roberts and his men began their advance toward what was left of the ruined stakes before the enemy’s earthworks. The Highlanders continued to fire at the advancing troops, but it didn’t take long for the Americans to push them back deeper into their fortifications.

9 “Support those men!” Colonel Maitland shouted to the Hessians and Loyalists. Gradually, the British lines regrouped and began to push the Americans back to almost the same place where they had begun their assault.

10 “Have the men fallback,” General Lincoln ordered. In the intense heat and melee that followed, Hugh Jackson (the elder brother of the Andrew Jackson that would one day befriend Thomas Harney and become President of the United States) fell dead of exhaustion.

11 Unfortunately, he was not alone. When the fighting stopped, almost three hundred men from both sides lay wounded or dead on the battlefield, including Colonel Roberts. In the end, Lincoln and the Americans returned to Charleston, and the British withdrew to Beaufort.

12 Two months of intense summer heat and stalemate followed. “I’m so bored I could die!” Thomas declared. “We sure as hell ain’t gettin nothin done here!” William Gardner agreed.

13 In September, however, everything changed. A French fleet under Admiral Charles Hector D’Estaing arrived off the coast of Georgia.

14 “The admiral invites you to join him at Savannah,” the messenger had announced to General Lincoln. “Tell the admiral that we will be happy to meet him there!” the general replied.

15 Several of the American officers who witnessed the exchange looked relieved that something might finally happen to break the monotony of the past few weeks. In particular, Major Ephraim Mitchell noticed a broad smile on General Casimir Pulaski’s face. “He’s happy that his cavalry is going to see some action,” another officer whispered in Ephraim’s ear.

16 Nevertheless, while Lincoln and D’Estaing made their preparations to recapture Savannah, the British commander inside of the city was not idle. General Augustine Prevost immediately set about the task of strengthening the city’s defenses. He put his men and their slaves to work digging trenches, enhancing the redoubts which surrounded Savannah and constructing a wicked maze of abatis to encircle the whole. Then he sent word to Beaufort for Maitland and his forces to join him in defending the city.

17 Indeed, by the time that Lincoln and D’Estaing were ready to make their move against Savannah, Prevost was ready for them. The Americans could not penetrate the British defenses. Charge after charge was repulsed by the enemy, and dead American soldiers littered the battlefield.

18 “General Pulaski is among the wounded,” Mitchell informed Lincoln. “The admiral has also been wounded,” another officer volunteered. “Cease the attack!” Lincoln ordered. “Have the men gather the wounded and bury our dead,” he finished.

19 Thomas Camp was among the soldiers detailed to dispose of the dead. “What a miserable job this is!” he declared as he and another soldier tossed the corpse of one of their comrades into a pit. They were both ready to get back to Charleston. Boredom was better than this.

20 They didn’t have to wait long. By the end of October, they were back in Charleston; and D’Estaing would soon be on his way back to France. As 1779 drew to a close, the only thing that the American soldiers in Charleston had to celebrate was survival.

21 It was now apparent to General Washington that the focus of the war would shift to the South. General Sir Henry Clinton had put to sea and was probably headed in that direction. Lincoln needed help if he was going to hold on to Charleston. As a consequence, the Commander-in-Chief ordered the men from North Carolina to march to South Carolina that November.

22 Selby Harney’s unit had just taken part in the capture of the enemy fort at Stony Point, and they were beginning to get restless. “At least, we won’t have to suffer through another winter up here!” he confided to one of his comrades.

23 Now these are the generations of Thomas Camp:

24 Thomas Camp was the father of Thomas, Benjamin, Stephen and twenty-two other children.

25 Thomas married Nancy Tarpley, the daughter of James Tarpley of Williamsburg. They had a son named Burwell.

26 Benjamin Camp was the forefather of Arizona Senator John McCain.

27 Burwell Camp married Elizabeth Moore, and they had children together.

Chapter 8: 1778, Callaway, Boone and the Shawnee

“Boone is back!” Andrew Johnson announced after bursting into the room. “So, the prodigal son has returned?” Richard Callaway asked in disbelief.

2 “He says that he escaped, but who knows what that feller is up to,” Johnson replied. “He could be waiting for his Indian and British friends to arrive,” Callaway snarled.

3 “Chief Blackfish adopted him, and he lived with a squaw,” Johnson reminded him. Callaway wrinkled his nose in disgust. “He has a lot of nerve returning here!”

4 The two men weren’t alone in their skepticism about where Boone’s loyalties lay. Daniel noticed that several of the residents of Boonesborough either turned away from him or studied him with suspicious eyes. “I can’t worry about that right now – there’s too much work to do,” he thought.

5 “Listen to me, Blackfish is gatherin a large group of warriors together, and they intend to attack this place!” Daniel warned the settlers who had gathered around him.

6 “Why should any of us believe or trust anything you say?” Callaway shouted as he approached the growing crowd of people. “Hello, Richard,” Daniel smiled. “I’ve been livin among them – I’ve heard their plans from their own lips.”

7 “What are you proposin we do about it, Danil?” a man shouted from the perimeter. “We need to finish this stockade as quickly as possible, start diggin a well and gather enough supplies to withstand the attack,” Boone declared in a calm and reassuring manner. “Let’s get to work!” another man shouted.

8 In the weeks that followed, they completed the palisade around the fort and finished the blockhouses which stood at the corners and would provide the necessary platforms for the riflemen to defend the place. They also began digging a well within the enclosure to provide enough water for the settlers in the event of a protracted siege. Nevertheless, the enthusiasm for the work began to wane as the summer dragged on and the Indians did not appear as anticipated.

9 Then, one day, William Hancock walked out of the forest naked and bruised and staggered toward the fort. “What happened, Will?” Daniel asked him. “I escaped them savages and walked all the way back here,” Hancock replied.

10 “What have the Shawnee been up to?” Richard demanded. “We’ve been expecting them to attack us here,” he added before the man could reply.

11 “And that’s just what those bastards plan to do,” Will assured him. “Danil’s escape set them back a bit, but they’ve been gittin ready ever since.”

12 Daniel and Richard both wrote letters to Colonel Campbell of the Virginia militia informing him of their situation and requesting that he send reinforcements to Boonesborough as quickly as possible. They began gathering food and animals into the stockade, but another month passed without any sign of the Indians.

13 “I’ll take twenty or thirty men across the Ohio and see what they’re up to,” Daniel proposed. “We can’t afford to weaken our defenses right now,” Richard protested. “What if we’re attacked while you’re gone?” he demanded.

14 “We’re feelin around in the dark here,” Daniel argued. “We need to know what they’re doin and how big of a force Blackfish has been able to put together for this assault.”

15 Boone’s reasoning prevailed, and he led a small scouting party out of the fort the following day. They came into contact with some warriors as soon as they had crossed the Ohio, and it became clear to them that the greatest part of Blackfish’s force was already in Kentucky. Daniel and his men promptly recrossed the river and hurried back to Boonesborough.

16 “They’re at the Blue Licks,” Daniel reported matter-of-factly. “There are several hundred Indians, and it looks like the British have sent a pretty good-sized company of men from Detroit,” he continued.

17 Boone was disappointed to see that the reinforcements which they had requested from the Virginia militia had not arrived. Instead, a few men had trickled in from Harrodsburg and Logan’s Station to assist in the defense of Boonesborough.

18 Boone was outside of the stockade with his nephews when the Indians finally appeared. “You boys git back to the fort!” he shouted.

19 The boys dropped the buckets which they had been using to water the cattle and ran toward the fort. The gate was closed behind them. Boone watched the Indians move closer to the stockade, and then carefully made his own way back to the gate and slipped inside.

20 In the meantime, the Shawnee and their allies had assembled in the meadow in front of the fort. Within a few minutes, the Tory militia planted a British flag in the ground where they were standing, and the Indians began constructing an arbor in the settlers’ peach orchard.

21 Soon, a large Black man emerged from the Indian camp and approached the fort with a white flag. “Boone!” he yelled. “I’m here,” Daniel responded. “Chief Blackfish will accept the fort’s surrender now!” he declared.

22 “Now, why would we do that?” Boone asked. “Governor Hamilton will guarantee your peoples’ safety to Detroit,” the man continued. “They’ll scalp us the first chance they get,” Richard protested.

23 Just then, Daniel heard someone shouting his Shawnee name. “Sheltowee!” he heard again. “Blackfish wishes to talk with his son,” the Black man shouted.

24 “You men cover me – I’m goin out there,” Daniel declared. “Do you think that’s wise?” Callaway demanded.

25 “Blackfish will listen to me, and I may be able to find out more about what they’re wantin to do here,” Daniel responded evenly. “Well, just remember that you don’t speak for all of us, and we expect to be consulted on everything you discuss with that old heathen!” Richard snapped. Daniel nodded and turned to the other men gathered there, “Cover me!”

26 Boone walked out of the gate and stopped about two hundred feet from the stockade. Blackfish and several of his warriors walked toward him from the arbor. When the two men met each other, they embraced.

27 “I don’t understand how he can be so friendly to those savages,” Callaway observed. “I wish I could hear what they are saying to each other,” he added. Callaway paced back and forth while Boone parlayed with the Indians. “What’s taking him so long?” he thought aloud.

28 When Boone returned to the fort, he had a grim look on his face. Blackfish had given him a letter from the British governor guaranteeing their safe passage to Detroit if they surrendered, and he showed it to the other men.

29 “He said that he intends to take this fort, and that he will kill every man in here and take the women as his squaws if we refuse to surrender,” Daniel reported. Everyone knew that was what Blackfish intended, but it still shocked them to hear it spoken aloud. “He’s waitin for our reply,” Boone finished.

30 “How many wants to surrender?” he asked. About half of the men who were present slowly raised their hands.

31 “I will personally kill the first man who tries to surrender!” Callaway exclaimed. “I say that we tell them to kiss our ass!” William Smith agreed. “I’m prepared to fight to the death,” Boone’s brother added.

32 Daniel looked from man to man and saw the determination on their faces. “Well, if that’s what everyone wants, I’ll die too!” Boone finally exclaimed.

33 “Even so, we need more time,” he continued. “There are a lot of Indians out there, and we need all of the reinforcements we can git,” Boone argued. Everyone agreed, and they sent Boone and Smith out to talk again with Blackfish.

34 “Will you surrender?” the old chief demanded. “Your offer is generous; but Detroit is many miles away, and we have women and children to consider,” Smith interjected.

35 “I brought horses along with me for them to ride on,” Blackfish pressed. “We will tell the leaders in the fort about your proposal,” Boone offered without accepting or rejecting the offer.

36 Neither man welcomed the uncertainty of war – too many things could go wrong. Nevertheless, Daniel sensed that his adopted father’s patience was wearing thin. Clearly, they didn’t have much time before the old man would make his move.

37 The Black translator approached Boonesborough again. “Chief Blackfish demands an answer,” he shouted. “Our people will not surrender!” Boone answered. “We have decided to fight to the death!” Callaway added.

38 A few minutes later, the translator returned with a request for another parley. “It’s a trap!” Will Hancock exclaimed. “It may be, but we may be able to delay them a few more days,” Daniel interjected. “If we’re going to do this, I want to be out there this time,” Richard asserted.

39 “Why don’t we send out a delegation?” Boone asked. “Wouldn’t that be too dangerous?” one of the men asked. “Not if you men are covering us,” Daniel assured them. “If they try to grab us, you men start shooting,” he continued. “Don’t worry about hitting one of us – there will be a lot more of them than there are of us.”

40 “We’ll talk with the chief by the big elm on this side of the creek,” Daniel shouted back to the translator. With the arrangements made, Callaway and Boone (along with seven other men) emerged from the gate and made their way to the elm. Blackfish and his warriors were waiting there for them.

41 “What right do you have to settle here?” the old chief demanded. “Henderson bought this land from the Cherokee at Sycamore Shoals,” Boone calmly replied.

42 “I did not know about this deal,” the old man protested. “Let me discuss this with my people.” Blackfish got up and retired a short distance away and began discussing something with the warriors who had gathered around him.

43 After a few minutes, he returned to the delegation from the fort and told them that this new information had altered the nature of his views about the settlement. “We must live here together in peace,” he told them. “Let the Ohio be the boundary between us, but you must swear your loyalty to the great chief of the British,” Blackfish concluded.

44 Boone and Callaway looked at each other for several minutes. “Agreed!” they both said at almost the same instant. “Now let us conclude this treaty between us with an embrace of friendship,” the old man said as he rose from the place where he was seated.

45 As the Indians reached out to embrace their White counterparts, Boone shoved Blackfish to the ground and shouted, “Run!” One of the warriors grabbed Callaway, but he managed to wriggle free. At that same instant, the men from the fort began firing into the Indians. Daniel, Richard and the others quickly took advantage of the confusion and ran back to the fort.

46 Somehow, they all managed to make it back inside without serious harm. Boone had suffered a superficial tomahawk wound on his back, and his brother had been hit by a rifle ball in the shoulder. With the gate secured behind them, the siege of Boonesborough had begun.

47 Rifle fire commenced in earnest on both sides. Bullets thudded into the logs of the palisade and splinters flew into the air outside of the wall. The smell of gunpowder filled the air.

48 The cattle within the stockade stampeded from one side to the other. Dogs barked and howled, and many of the children hovered in the corners, frightened and crying. On occasion, a stray ball would drop a cow or horse and added to the mayhem.

49 Then, suddenly, a large group of Indians emerged from their hiding places and charged across the open ground between them and the fort. Moreover, although the sustained rifle fire of the defenders eventually drove them back, the brazenness and numbers of the enemy almost unnerved the settlers on more than one occasion.

50 In the days that followed, the Tories and their Indian allies attempted several times to burn down the fort. On one occasion, they set fire to the settlers’ flax – hoping to ignite a fence which adjoined the superstructure of the fort. At other times, they fired flaming arrows into the palisade and onto the roofs of the buildings within. On numerous occasions, brave warriors would run up to the stockade and toss torches over the wall.

51 Nevertheless, all of their efforts to burn down the defenses of the American settlers failed. Women and men beat out flames and poured out buckets of water. The heavens even opened their doors once to quench the flames. Thus, in spite of persistent efforts on the part of the attackers, Boonesborough continued to stand against the onslaught; and a frontier version of the newly designed flag of the still infant American republic continued to fly over the fort.

52 Finally, on the morning of September 18, the area around the fort felt empty and quiet. As daylight broke over the horizon, the men on the wall could see that the Indians had abandoned their position in the peach orchard.

53 “Wait!” Daniel Boone had shouted. “It may be a trick.” So, the men waited until later in the day to venture outside of the enclosure.

54 When they did, however, it was soon discovered that their caution had been unnecessary. Blackfish, his warriors and their Tory allies were gone. The siege of Boonesborough was over!

55 A few days later, the Virginia militia arrived to relieve the fort and the other Kentucky settlements. “Daniel Boone should be tried for treason,” Callaway insisted.

56 He then proceeded to tell the officers of the militia about all of the stories that he had heard about Boone’s behavior among the Shawnee and British while he was Blackfish’s “prisoner.” “From what I’ve heard, he sounded more like a part of the chief’s family,” Richard finished.

57 A formal court-martial was held at Logan’s Station a few days later. Colonel Richard Callaway enumerated the charges against him: “Daniel Boone willingly surrendered his men at the Licks to the savages. He offered to surrender the people of Boonesborough to the British governor at Detroit. After he returned, Boone deliberately weakened the defenses of Boonesborough when an attack was imminent. And he exposed the leadership of the fort to capture by the enemy during our negotiations with them.”

58 “I surrendered those men at the Blue Licks to prevent an attack on Boonesborough,” Boone began. “I pretended to be friendly to the British to buy myself and the others some time,” he continued. “After I escaped, I did lead a few men across the Ohio to see where the Indians was at. And I made sure our men was always within rifle range of the fort.”

59 When Boone was finished, the officers withdrew to make their decision. They had already heard from a number of other people about everything that had transpired over the past several months. After deliberating for about an hour, the panel emerged to give their decision.

60 “We find Daniel Boone to be innocent of the charges leveled against him,” one of them announced. “And, in recognition of his bravery and efforts on behalf of the people of Kentucky, we recommend that he be promoted to the rank of major.”

61 The room erupted in cheers and slaps on the back. Richard Callaway was stunned. The ordeal was over, and Boone and Callaway never spoke to each other again.

62 Now these are the generations of Joseph Callaway:

63 Joseph was the father of Thomas, William, Joseph, Elizabeth, Francis, James, Richard, Ann and John.

64 Ann Callaway married Henry Bunch, and they had a daughter named Elizabeth.