Mendenhall-Boone Indian Massacre`MENDENHALL-BOONS INDIAN MASSACRE, LEE COUNTY VIRGINIA
By Leo E. Rasor
FOREWORD
It has to be noted, that in researching for the true story of
the fate of our ancestors, John and Richard Mendenhall, I was over
come by the amount of conflicting information that was in all the
research material I had looked at. Some writers could not -even agree
on the date of birth for Daniel Boone. Therefore the following is an
account of what I have determined happened. I'll apologize now for
any errors ths�.t slid by me.
How ever I would like to look on the positive side and list the
things most of them did agree on.
(1) There was an Indian attack on a party of people who were
helping Daniel Boone, in an attempt to make a settlement in Kentucky.
(2 ) The date of the attack, the morning hours, of the 10th of
October, 1773 .
(3) The place of the attack, along the wilderness road, near the
head waters of Wallens Creek, now renamed Indian Creek.
(4 ) Some of the names of those who were killed in that attack.
Daniel Boone's son James Boone is always mentioned. If the account
goes into a little more detail it will list Henry Russell, Richard
Mendenhall, but most of them are not sure who the other Mendenhall
was, Some call him Robert, some say John. Thanks to information from
"History of the Mendenhall Family" by T.A Mendenhall, and the Hinshaw
Quaker records, I have been able to identify the other Mendenhall as
John, son of Steven & Sarah (Martin) Mendenhall. John and Richard
Mendenhall were cousins.
Most accounts of the slayings, refer to John and Richard
Mendenhall as being "youths".
Richard Mendenhall, son of Mordecai and Charity (Beeson)
Mendenhall, was born 9 mo. 1 day, 1737. Richard Mendenhall married
24, June 1758, Jane (Thornburg). At the time of his death he was 37
years old and left a widow and eight children. One of the surviving
children, Joseph Mendenhall, born 12mo. 18day, 1770, was my gr. gr.
gr. grandfather.
John Mendenhall, son of Steven and Sarah (Martin) Mendenhall was
born limo. 18day, 1748. It is not known who John Mendenhall married,
however John had descendants living at Mooresville, Morgan County,
Indiana, in 1912. (History of the Mendenhall Family, by T.A.
Mendenhall, 1912). At the time of Johns death, he was 25 years old.
Why, John and Richard Mendenhall were helping the Boones move,
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still remains to be answered. One thought was they were willing to go
along so they could scout the location, with the thought of moving to
Kentucky in the future. Were they just being good neighbors as
neighbors did at that time and helped each other move.?
Second, was there any marriage connection, through the Boones or
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the Bryans? There are rumors that the Mendenhall's and Daniel Boone
-2?
are relation. Thomas Mendenhall married August 12, 1649, Joan Stroud
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at Marriage Hill, England. Morgan Bryan married Martha Stroud (date
and place unknown.)
Just recently I have come across information that adds more
fuel to that thought. Mary Boone, daughter of John Boone (b. 1727 Pa.
d. 1762 N.C.) and Rebecca Bryan Boone (b. 1735 d.1820) married John
Mendenhall. This John Boone is a son of Benjamin Boone, brother to
Squire Boone. Which makes John a 1st cousin to Daniel Boone. This
information came from the "Genealogy of Benjamin Boone and his
Descendants" As there were no other dates, I can not at this time
identify this John Mendenhall. Is this the John Mendenhall that was
killed in the Indian attack on Boones party? Any information on this
theory will be welcome.
Third, in the time period of 1735 to 1750, Morgan Bryan and
Mordecai Mendenhall were neighboring land owners in what is now
Berkeley County, West Virginia.
After paying a visit to Southwest Virginia, and seeing first
hand how rough the terrain is, I question the time schedule that is
quoted for the Boone -Mendenhall party to reach Wallens Creek from
Castles Woods. Scaling the mileage on a map, it is at least 90 mile,
from Castles Woods to Wallens Creek as a crow would fly. Castles
Woods is located toward the northeast part of Russell County, after
leaving Russell County, they would cross Scott County into Lee County
Virginia, to the site of the massacre, which is ten mile east of
Cumberland Gap, Historical Marker)
Davie Count, .publi
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MENDENHALL-BOONE INDIAN MASSACRE LEE COUNTY VIRGINIA
EARLY LIFE OF DANIEL BOONS --PART ONE
An Abbreviated History
Daniel Boone, born Berks County Pennsylvania, 2 November 1734.
(a) . Son of Squire Boone (b .1690,England, d. 1765, North Carolina)
and Sarah Morgan (b.1700, d. 1777 North Carolina ) . (b) Squire Boone
had a Weaving business in Exeter, Pennsylvania, with five looms.(c)
The Boones were Quakers and had emigrated from England in 1713, for
religious freedom. In 1748, the Friends Meeting expelled Square Boone
after his son Israel married a "Worldling". In 1750 the family
decided to emigrate to the south. By 1751, Daniel being 17 years of
age, they settled in Rowan County (now Davie County) North
Carolinia.(c).
On the 30th of April 1753, 640 acres of land was transferred to
Squire Boone, for 10 shillings sterling, located on the south side of
Grants Creek. On 29th of December, another 640 acres of land was
transferred to Squire Boone, for 10 shillings sterling, located on
Bear Creek. (d) Grants Creek and Bear Creek both being tributaries of
the Yadkin River, located about eleven or twelve miles north of the
"Forks of the Yadkin." ( e) .
Daniel Boone was married, 14 August 1756, to Rebecca Bryan,
(b. 17399 d.1813, Mo .)(b ) They made their home on the land of Squire
Boone, and on the 12th of October, 1759, 640 acres of land on Bear
Creek, was transferred from Squire Boone and wife Sarah, to Daniel
Boone, for 50 "pounds".(f)
For the first two years, of their married life Daniel farmed,
and worked occasionally as a wagoner, and made fall and winter hunts.
The period from 1758 to 1760, saw the North Carolina border embroiled
in a series of Indian wars, brought on by the wanton murder of
several Cherokees by whites. Some of the Boones and Bryans took
refuge in Fort Dobbs. old Squire retreated to Maryland and Daniel
brought Rebecca and his two young sons, James and Israel, to Culpeper
County Virginia. -While in Virginia Daniel supported his family by
hauling tobacco to the market at Fredericksburg Virgina. By November
1760 the Cherokee nation had been broken and surrender was
inevitable. He was present, on 19th of November, 1760 at the ?_%
signing of the peace treaty at Fort Robinson, a newly constructed 2o
outpost on the Long Island of the Holston River, in eastern Tennesee.-I
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Daniel then headed a group of Yadkin men to hunt and explore more of.S? z
eastern Tennessee. He had no doubt heard stories about the lands =
beyond the mountains, called Kentuck, from contacts he had made while a -"
being a wagoner, soldier and hunter .(f )
Daniel then moved his family back to the farm on Bear Creek. But o c
his mind was on reaching Kentucky_ Settlement on, the Yadkin, was v V_;
increasing, and Boone had to range further and further for game. It •°'?
is interesting to note, a deer skin, weighing two and a half pounds, o
was worth one dollar, hence a "buck". A beaver pelt was worth about
two and one half dollars, and an otter pelt was worth three to five
dollars each. A pack horse could carry about one hundred deer skins,
worth about one hundred dollars and if it were loaded with beaver
pelts it would be worth five times that much, or five hundred
dol lays .(f )
Many early settlers, besides Boone , were looking for a way to
settle in Kentucky, and were willing to disregard the "British
Proclamation of 1763" which forbade them to settle west of the
Alleghenies.(f) The British had drawn an imaginary line, north and
south, which crossed the western tip of Virginia, just to the west of
Castles Woods, which was about the western most edge of the Virginia
frontier, Captain William Russell had located his Fort there.
The Proclamation of 1763 was untenable at the time of its
decree. The Carolinas, Virginia, Connecticut and Pennsylvania all had
charters whicil.granted them land west of the Allegheny Mountains. The
British previously had no uniform Indian policy and had left
negotiations and agreements up to each of the Colonies. The resulting
overlapping alliances and boundaries threw the actual ownership of
various tracts of land in doubt and made the Indians suspicious of
the whites true intention in the Ohio Valley. To many colonist it
seemed that possession would determine legal title in this
situation. An additional incentive to settlement in the forbidden
region was the growing discontent of people with their present lot.
New outposts sprang up rapidly as they sought a better life in the
west .(f )
Daniel Boone was no exception to this trend. From 1766 to 1768,
he had moved westward three times. He first moved sixty miles
northwest toward the headwaters of the Yadkin, then five miles
further up river, where he erected another cabin about a one half
mile up Beaver Creek. He finally settled on the southern bank of the
Upper Yakin just above the mouth of Beaver Creek.(f)
Daniel Boone and his wife Rebecca sold their farm of 640 acres
on Bear Creek for 80 pounds. 21st Feb. 1764.(d)
It was about this time that Daniel Boone was being sued for non
payment of debts as his "scratch" farming could barely provide for
his family. He was getting deeper in debt because of the legal fees
he owed the law firm of Judge Richard Henderson, who was himself
interested in western land speculation on a grand scale, and Boone
was gathering information in return for a profit on the deal .(f )
Boone would leave his wife and family, and be gone on extended
hunting trips, which sometimes lasted as long as two or three years_
Some times he had four or five companions other times, It would be
only Daniel and his brother Squire. They would put their pelts on the
back of a horse and Sqire would go to the nearest trading post and
bring back necessary supplies. This venture lead to several
encounters with the Indians who felt they were encroaching on their
hunting grounds, and as a result they took all their skins, and
warned them to not come back. On one occasion, Boone was captured and
taken by the Shawnees north across the Ohio River where he escaped_
The hunting had not been very profitable, as they had been robbed of
to many of their pelts_
In early 1773 Boone with Benjamin Cutbirth, and a few other mean
decided to explore Kentucky again. He was highly pleased with the
country and was determined to settle there. On their way back they
stopped at the home of Captain William Russell, a pioneer of Castles
Woods, in Clinch Valley. (Now Castlewood, Lee County Virginia).
Captain Russell was enthralled with Boones description of Kentucky,
and agreed to join him in his attempt to settle, in Kentucky, and to
furnish supplies, such as flour, seeds, farm tools, and some accounts
say he furnished some livestock. (Some historians believe that Capt.
William Russell organized the party that was to move into Kentucky,
and that Boone was to serve as their guide. Other sources say Captain
William Russell was interested in obtaining farm land in Kentucky for
his son Henry.) About August 12th 1773, on his way back home , Boone
met James and Robert McAfee. -who told Boone that James Harrods party
was staking out land in Kentucky, now Harrodsburg Kentucky. In fear
that all the best land would be taken before he got under way, Boone
redoubled his efforts to get home and complete the necessary
preparations .(c )
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PART TWO: ATTACK ON THE FRONTIER
The stage was all set. It was during the American Revolution and
the British and the American Patriots were fighting for control of
the Nation. The Shawnee, Chickasaw, and Cherokees Indians were all
upset for fear of losing Ahunting grounds to the white settlers,
and Daniel Boone was upset, because he could not be the first white
man to settle in Kentucky in order that he might have the choice
land.
Up on arriving home he made arrangements to sell what property
that he could not move with him. Every thing had to be carried on the
backs of packhorses as the trail was only wide enough for one horse.
He then went back to the forks of the Yadkin River, where he
persuaded some of his wives family, the Bryans, to join them.
He was joined by his brother Squire and his wife Jane and their three
children, along with Benjamin Cutbeard and his wife, who was a niece
of Daniels. Making a total of five or six families, along with about
40 men, who I presume each had a horse or two to help carry all the
supplies.
Among these 40 men were John and Richard Mendenhall. Richard
(b.1737, d. 1773, Virginia) was the son of Mordecai and Charity
Beeson Mendenhall. Richard was married to Jane Thornburg and they had
eight children whom he left behind for this trip. Richard was 36
years of age .(h )
John Mendenhall ( b.17487 d. 1773, Virginia) was the son of
Stephen and Sarah Martin Mendenhall. Stephen was a younger brother of
Mordecai, which would make Richard and John 1st. cousins. (h) A
letter found in "HISTORY of the MENDENHALL FAMILY" by T.A.
Mendenhall, 1912, gives evidence of decedents of John which leads us
to believe John was also married, with children, at this time. John
was 25 years of age.( i)
We can only guess, at this time, why the Mendenhall cousins were
along on this trip.
The emigration party left the Yadkin on the 25, September 1773.
Travel was slow as the trail was only wide enough for the pack
horses, walking single file, and all who was able bodied had to walk.
When they reached Wolf Hills, now Abingdon, Virginia, Daniel sent his
seventeen year old boy James along with John and Richard Mendenhall
to go to Castle Woods, which was off the trail to the north about 25
miles. They were to pick up the supplies and meet the main party on
further west, as.the main party would follow the old wilderness
trail, through Moccasin Gap, over Wallens Ridge at a point about 10
miles east of the Cumberland Gap, where they would make camp and
leave the women and children rest till James and the Mendenhall party
overtook them .(j) . As they feared if the Indians would attack it
would be in that area and for protection they wanted the party all
together.
Upon arriving at Captain Russells Home, on the Clinch River,
Henry Russell, the seventeen year old son of Captain Russell, a man
by the name of Isaac Crabtree, and two Negro slaves named Charles and
Adam, joined James Boone and Richard and John Mendenhall, to help
out with the supplies and farm tools. Captain Russell himself said he
must follow along later as he had some necessary work to do at home
before leaving. He would join David Gass who lived eight miles down
the Clinch raver where he had laid claim to 435 acres of land in the
Sinking Creek vicinity on the south side of the Clinch River.
James Boone and the Mendenhall party set out on October the 8th
1773, following the old Fincastle trail down past David Gass place
and crossed Clinch River at Hunters Ford, now Dungannon. From that.
point they passed through Rye Cove, and took the Wilderness trail
over Powell Mountain to the head waters of Wallen's Creek.
James and his companions could see signs, probably made by his
father's party; he knew that the place of rendezvous was but a few
miles ahead. However, darkness overtook them and, fearing they might
lose their way, went into camp the evening of October 9.
They built a fire and ate a scanty meal. * Then, lying down
beside the fire, they tried to sleep. Although weary from the long
hard walk, they couldn't sleep for the incessant howling of wolves
evidently disturbed by the fire light.
The Mendenhall's were so alarmed at the weird howling that they
walked up and down, listening and making no effort to conceal their
fear. Isaac Crabtree, although he also may have been afraid, joked
about the howling.
"You fellows are cowards," he said. "Might as well get used to
such noises. Over in Kentucky where we're going, wolves - and even
buffaloes - will howl from the tree tops."
The fire died down: its light dimmed. The howling reached
further and further into the forest. Little by little day dawned.
The men sat up, stretched, listening. For a while there was no
sound but the whimper of the waters of Walien's Creek and the eerie
whisper of the wind in the trees.
But, suddenly, on that morning of October 10, 1773 the calm was
broken by the war whoop of Indians who rushed up with knife blades
raised and guns cracking.
A man by the name of Drake and one of the Mendenhalls were
killed out right, the other Mendenhall crept off mortally wounded.
Henry Russell was shot through the hips and brought down. Then
an Indian attacked him with a hunting knife and began to stab him.
He grabbed the knife blade with his bare hands, trying to protect
himself. But he failed. Soon he lay dead. Yet, the Indians shot
arrows into his body . ( k )
James was immediately attacked by a big Indian who he knew to be
Big Jim, a Shawnee, who had roamed the Yadkin Country and had
pretended to be a friend of his father. Big Jim seemed to delight in
whacking James with a knife and pounding him with a tomahawk.
Instead of killing the boy instantly, the big Indian prolonged the
torture.
The Negro Adam who had escaped to a pile of driftwood heard
James cry out, "Oh, Big Jim, please don't! I'm your friend. I
thought you were my friend, too. Oh, Jim, have mercy on me!"
But Big Jim, gloating in his savage attack, continued to torture
helpless James until he screamed out in agony, "Kill me, Big Jim!
Quick! Get it over with!"
Big Jim was intent upon making death come with all the torture
possible, and he continued to whack away with his knife. James
would, like Henry Russell, grabbed onto the blade until his hands
were cut to shreds_ Even after death the slashing went on until the
Davie County NOW UOC8q
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bodies were horribly mutilated. Then, leaving a war club on the
scene, the Indians slunk away into the forest. The dead had not been
scalped. The Indians would not bring a white scalp into their towns
in time of peace.0 )
All in the party were killed save Isaac Crabtree and the two
Negroes Slaves, Adam and Charles. Adam, after watching the massacre
from the driftwood, ran into the woods, tried to find his way back to
Castle's Woods but got lost -and wandered alone several, days before
finding his way out.
Charles was taken prisoner and forced to travel with his
captors. About forty miles from the scene of attack, two Indians
quarrelled over possession of him, each wanting to take him North to
sell him. Unable to settle the dispute, the leader of the party slew
Charles with a"tomahawk; and, then, the disputants ceased to argue.
Isaac Crabtree might have continued on the trail to tell Daniel
Boone what had happened to his son; but, instead, he took to the
woods and returned to Castle's Woods. Because of the outrage he
became deeply embittered toward all Indians and swore revenge; and
later he did stir up trouble, which only made Indian threats on the
settler more pronounced.
Later in the day Captain Russell, Captain Gass and their small
party came upon the murder scene. A runner was sent forward to warn
Daniel to watch out for a possible attack on his people. Others
began to dig graves.
Upon receiving the bad news, Daniel Boone hurried his little
crowd of people into a ravine for protection. They put out sentinels
and scouts.
The shocked and grieved Rebecca Boone could do nothing for her
slain son, but to show her respect. She sent a runner back with a
clean linen sheet in which to wrap his body and keep it off the
ground.
Some writers say that Daniel pursued the attackers down a creek
and then returned to camp to help defend the people there. At night
a few of the Indians stole toward the camp, but Boone's defenders
shot at them and chased them away. Upon scouting the premises next
morning blood was found, indicating that some of the bullets had hit
their marks.
Although members of the party were alarmed, Daniel Boone still
wanted to continue the journey. Captain Russell, however, persuaded
him to take his family to the neighborhood of Castle's Woods and
await a change in the warlike behavior of the Indians. Boone had
sold his possessions on the Yadkin and could not well return there.
So, he took Captain Russell's advice and went with him to the Clinch
River Halley. The remainder of the party returned to the Yadkin or
to the Holston settlements.
Boone said he didn't want to crowd the families in either
Russell's or Moore's Fort, both of which were in the Castle's Woods
vicinity. He said he could support his family during the autumn and
winter with this trusty rifle; and, if he could find an abandoned
cabin, he'd take it -(j)
Fortunately, Captain David Gass had such a cabin on his farm
situated about half way between Hunter's Ford, now Dungannon, and
Castle's Woods, known as the Sinking Creek area. To this cabin Boone
took his family and settled down for the winter. patite GDUn14
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It was believed that the Indians guilty of this attack were
Cherokees and Captain John Stuart, British Indian agent among the
Cherokees, urged them to give up the murderers' and, as a result, one
Chief was executed and another escaped only by fleeing to the
Chickasaw tribe. It was learned later, however, that the marauding
band was composed partially of Shawnees because some of the books and
farming tools carried by the James Boone party were found and brought
in and delivered to the whites by the northern Indians as a result of
the treaty following Dunmore's war the next autumn.(j)
Daniel Boone, did however, lead a successful party to Kentucky,
in 1775, and founded Boonesburgh .
There is a Historical Monument, erected 10 July, 1951, by
descendants of. the Russell family, located on County Road 684, near
Indian Creek-
Page 88 BRISTOL HERALD COURIER Sunday, October 11, 1964
191 YEARS AGO YESTERDAY
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RESEARCH CHANGES STORY OF
1773 SLAYING OF BOONE'S SON
8y L.F. Addington
Wise, Va.-- A marker in Lee County, long thought to show the
spot of the massacre of James Boone and Henry Russell, is at least 40
miles off base, recent research indicates.
Boone, the son of Daniel Boone, and Russell son of Capt. William
Russell of Russell's Fort at Castle's Woods, were slain Oct. 10,
1773 .
Most of the lore and historical letters of the Southwest
Virginia frontier were collected by Dr. Laymen C. Draper long before
the turn of the century and deposited with the Historical Society of
Wisconsin, of which organization he was secretary. The Boone papers
of that collection have never been indexed and consequently it has
been difficult to find facts from it, unless a person went to
Wisconsin. But now microfilms have been made and at least two
libraries in Virginia have them. The University and the State
Library in Richmond.
Authentic Study
Without doubt, the "Life of Boone" written by Dr. Draper but
unpublished because he died before arrangements were made to get the
work into print is as authentic as could be done_ Dr. Draper
investigated the massacre of James Boone and Henry Russell and their
party very carefully. In the process he wrote to hundreds of people,
of these he cited about 20 he considered most authentic. And here's
how Dr. Draper tells the story (Chap. 9, pp 92-117):
The Boone party passed Clinch Mt, Powell Mt, and Wallen's Ridge
and had barely entered Powell Valley when they went into camp near
the western base of Wallen's Ridge. Here Boone and his party awaited
the arrival of the rear party, James Boone, his son, John and Richard
Mendenhall from Guilford, N.C., who had been dispatched from the main
company probably at Wolf Hills, now Abingdon across country to Capt,
Russell's at Castle's Woods for the double purpose of notifying him
of the advance of the Boone's Kentucky adventurers and procuring a
quantity of flour.
"Pack loads of flour were provided and Capt. Russell sent
forward his oldest son Henry, a lad of 17, two Negroes named Charles
and Adam with Isaac Crabtree, a youth named Drake with several horses
laden with farming utensils, provisions and other useful articles and
a few books.
"A small drove of cattle was also sent under their charge.
Capt. Russell himself remained behind to arrange his business and
then with Capt_ David Gass to hasten forward and overtake the others_
"His intention was to erect a comfortable domicile and open a
plantation and return to the Clinch for his family in the spring_
Davie County Pu* U01
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No Thought Of Danger
It was now the 9th of October and, little dreaming of danger,
the party under young Boone and Russell pushed on cheerfully and as
rapidly as possible endeavoring to reach the advanced party that
evening. Night overtaking them and probably not aware that the
company in front was only three miles distant, they encamped on the
northern bank of Wallen's Creek at the old ford near the head of that
stream, a southern tributary of Powell River.
"About daybreak next morning the little band of immigrants were
attacked by Indians killing some and wounding others. Young Russell
was shot through the hips and was unable to escape. The Indians
would run up with their knives to stab him and he would grab the
blades with hi`s hands and soon had them badly mangled.
Young Boone was also shot through the hips, breaking them both.
He recognized among the Indians Big Jim, a Shawnee who had often
accepted the hospitality of his father's house (Daniel's). James
implored Big Jim to spare his life, but to no avail. The savages
tortured young Boone as they had tortured Russell. They pulled out
his toe and finger nails. Then he besought Jim to put him out of his
misery at once.
Both the Mendenhall's and Drake were slain on the spot. One
man, mortally wounded, ran off into the woods and was never heard of
again. The Negro Adam escaped unharmed. He got away quickly and hid
in a pile of driftwood on the bank of the stream and watched the
torture of his comrades. In an attempt to reach Castle's Woods, he
got lost and wandered 11 days in the wilderness. Isaac Crabtree was
also wounded but escaped and was the first one to arrive back on
Clinch. Crabtree lived on the North Fork of the Holston about the
mouth of Little Moccasin Gap as proved by Thwaits and Kellog's
"Dunmore's War." Hence it seems logical to believe that James and
the Mendenhall's had left the main caravan at Abingdon and had been
joined by Crabree on the way.
The Negro Charles was captured and led away. He was slain also
after walking about 40 miles into the wilderness by a chief who
thought this the only way to settle a quarrel other Indians had over
ownership of the slave. This story got back to the Cherokees among
whom Governor Dunmore of Virginia sent military officers to ascertain
the guilty parties. As a consequence some Indian chiefs were
executed by the Cherokees. At the close of Dunmore's war, some of
the stolen property, even books turned up in the far, far north.
Upon receiving the sad news of the massacre, Daniel Boone took
charge of his advanced party and threw up a hasty barricade for
protection. Meantime, Squire Boone, Daniel's brother went back with
a few men to bury the dead. James and Henry were wrapped in the same
shroud and buried together. Hence any finding of bones will surely
unearth the skeletons of the two others who were buried nearby, in
due course.
The incident which gave rise in the belief that the marker now
standing not far from Ewing was the place of the massacre was that a
skeleton was unearthed there about 1914 when a road was under
construction, so people of the vicinity say. But this finding of
just one skeleton should have been proof within itself that it was
not the correct scene.
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Most members of the caravan returned to the Holston and the
Yadkin in North Carolina, but Daniel Boone accepted the hospitality
of Capt. Gass who said he had an empty cabin on the Clinch River near
Castle's Woods.
The above news paper article was received from Wally Garchow,
6228 Manitoba Ave. Sacramento, Ca. 95841-2016.
It had been sent to Wally by'Charles Crabtree, 1901 Osprey Ct.,
Granbury, Texas.76048 (I have not been able to check on this
source)
The folloyting is from "History of the Mendenhall Family" By
Thomas A. Mendenhall, written in the year 1912.
FOURTH FAMILY OF JOHN LINE
THROUGH HIS SON JOHN
Richard, son of Mordecai the older, was killed by the Indians
while traveling from North Carolina to the west. and another
Mendenhall, John who was the son of Stephen, were attempting to
follow Daniel Boone across the mountains, at Cumberland gap. (P.150)
Letter from John D. Haworth to Thomas A. Mendenhall dated,
West Newton, Ind_, Jan. 4th 1909.
Dear Cousin: In looking over some of my papers, I saw your card
asking information about the Mendenhall's. As I am a Mendenhall on
my mother's side, I feel interested in the matter. I will give you a4
little history of that part of the family, with which I have been
interested. The first Mendenhall, of which I have known, was John,
who, with others, (Richard) took a journey to Ohio, perhaps from
North Carolina, and never returned. He was perhaps killed by the
Indians, at least, and probably others afterwards moved to Green
County, Ohio, bringing with him a large family of boys and girls. Of
the boys, Richard, who was my grandfather, Aaron, and Joseph and a
daughter, who married Anthanatius Barnett and moved to Marion and
Morgan Counties, Indiana, at a place now called West Newton, near
Indianapolis, Indiana. The other sons, William, Benjamin and Nathan,
remained near Spring Valley, Ohio. One daughter married Samuel
Walton, and I think another married an Adams, and another a Stanford;
all of these remained in Ohio. Of those who came to West Newton,
Joseph and Aaron died here, and Richard with most of his children
moved to Iowa, and a number of his descendants are living around
Earlham, Iowa. The Edward Walton Company, who perhaps live near New
Burlington, Ohio, may have the records that you would like to see.
Ira Mendenhall, a grandson of the Mendenhall who was killed by the
Indians, (John) still have descendants at Mooresville, in Morgan
County, Indiana and at Carmelin, Indiana.
Respectfully,
John D. Haworth (P.151)
Davie County Pu* Ubrm
MO&SAle, - NC
FROM; Draper Manuscripts, B-2 Series C. Vol. 6, Daniel Boone Papers_
Powel 1 's Valley Defeat. Oct. 1773
Note=--Every effort has been made to copy the following letters, from
the Draper Records, exactly as they were written. But since they were
copied from a photo copy taken off of microfilm, it was very hard to
read, therefore we apologize for any errors.
Wilmington, N. C. Dec. 1v 1773 .
We hear from Salisbury, that a number of people, who were going
from this Province to Pittsylvania [the new colony on the Ohio] were
attacked in their encampment on Louisa River, by a party of Indians,
who Killed John & Richard Mendenhall, from Guilford, a son of Daniel
Boone, and a son and negro fellow of Captain Russell of Rowan, beside
a sixth person whose name our intelligencer dial not know. Their
bodies were found ripped open, but they were not scalped, and a
parcel of painter hatchets, war clubs,etc, were laying near them, by
which it appears that the murders must have been in great haste.
As these unfortunate adventurers were in the hunting grounds of
the Delawares and Shawnee, they are supposed to be perpretators of
this evil massacre.
This account is said to have been received from some of that
party of emigrants who fortunately made their escape.
So. Carolina Gazette,
Dec, 14, 1773 .
FROM: Draper Manuscripts, Series C. Daniel Boone Papers.
6C p.20 1773-1774
Metamora Ind. April, 28, 1884_
L . C . Draper
Dear Sir;
Yours of inst rec'd,
Will give you what I remmer of hearing about Dan'1 Boone. 19st Boone
was not disposed to molest the Indians if he was not molested, that
the Indians would try divers manners to capture Boone by pretending
to be friendly, but he was equal to them in every emergency.' Boones
family remained in the fort while he [Boone] was out on
expeditions,At one time when the Indians attacked the fort
[Blackmore] [the. Indians] they killed a negro in the fort , and the
Indians supposing it was a bear skin set up to fool them said "set up
your bear skin again". At that time it was considered Boone
understood Indian Warfare better than any man living. He was born in
North Carolina, Boone's son was killed on Wal Ion's ridge .My father's
sister [Fannie Drapper] and five children were killed and scalped by
the Indians near Ft-Blackmore. I was born a few yards of the fort in
1801 and have just returned from a visit to my old birth place. the
ground where the fort stood is being cultivated_ A large apple tree
stands near the fort that my father set out, it is called to this day
the John Alley apple tree_
Yours pavie County Nu�i�ic wpr�
Samuel Alley Mo*svol8t NE
P.S. Another thing I might mention about Boone's family is this,
that once when Boone was gone some two or three years, his wife had a
child and she was wonderfully mortified over the matter, but on
Boone's arrival he acted as if nothing unusual had happend and played
with and tossed the little fellow up as though it was his own. The
little misshap never caused any family trouble as long as they lived
at Fort Blackmore. I have a hone [and had a razor, but it is lost]
that belonged to old Daniel Boone.
Samuel Alley
Note: Boones birth place is in error as he was born 22 October, 1734,
in Exeter Twp ..Berks Co. Penn. L .E .R .
FROM: Draper Manuscripts, Series C, Daniel Boone Papers.
6C2 P .69 1773-1774
Estiilville Scott Co. Va. April 18th. 84 [1884]
Before leaving home ,I received your last communication and as
soon as warm weather opens I shall again examine the gap of the ridge
and graves in company with Mrs. Bishop and write you fully and
particularly- At this place on yesterday, I met with Samuel Alley of
Metamora, Franklin County Ind. who is the son of Rev.John Alley who
he says forted at Fort Blackmore with Boone, that he has often heard
his father relate anecdotes of Boone and describe his personal
apperance, He says , he left here with his father in 1814, and was
then a boy 13 years of age, and that he had heard his father often
tell of Boone's long stay at Fort Blackmore in Scott [?] County.
He morever corralaborates Col. Speer in this that the fort
above spoken of was in those times known as the Settlement on Clinch
River- He says when they left here, his father had a razor & a hone
that formerly belonged to Boone and that he has the hone yet at his
home in Ind_ He could not give any light on the place Boone's son was
killed except it was in the gap of Wallen's Ridge -- His father stated
that his father told him that Boone's wife, during one of his long
stays from home, -gave birth to a child, and on Boone's return the
wife was greatly grief stricken over her conduct, but that Boone cut
all sort of antics, and did all he could to console his wife and made
light of the whole affair. Again he says that he repeatedly heard it
remarked that Boone remained at this Fort after his son was killed
until his final removal and never heard of him being at Castles
Woods.
A. L. Pridemore
Davie County Nb w'ofary
FROM: Draper Manuscripts,
6c P. 20 1773-1774
To Lyman C. Draper,
Series c, Daniel Boone papers.
Baltimore Md.
Hendersonville, Tennessee
February th17 1848
( from daughter of Gen. Wm. Russell)
Dear Sir,
Agreeable to your request I now address you on the subject
your letter previous to receiving yours I received one from my neice
in Virginia Mrs. V. Campbell on the same subject but as my health was
very delicate at that time as it is also at present her's still
remain unanswered, but as it is a subject in which I feel a deep
interest I will give you all the information I can though that is but
little, as I was a mere child, at the time of my Father fighting in
the Revoluntionary war (or as I think he did after his imprisonment
at Charleston) with the Indians I think after the death of my brother
Henry he fought untimely against the Indians.
The sketch I spoke to you about I have been unable to uncover
although I used every (excertia?) but think if there is any
remaining, my brother Samuel's widow has it -she resides in Greenville
Muhlenberg Cty Kentucky: it would not be much trouble to you at least
to write to her - the death of my brother I have heard related
differently from you as it seems from your letter I have always
understood that he with Daniel Boone's son and other familys
emigrating to Kentucky were surprized in the night at their
incampments and every soul massacured except one negro man called
Adam belonging to my father who escaped by some means and hid himself
in some drift wood on a creek close by he was it days getting to the
settlement. I do not remember to have heard anything of Mr. Crabtree
you speak of my father and Col Boone ( really Capt- Cap't David Gass
who had remained behind for two or three days - I do not exactly
remember which; came up to the encampment, and found all dead. It
was supposed it was the Cherokees but of what the evidence was I do
not know_ I think it very probable they had cattle as there were
many families together I do not know any of the names of the persons
killed. My brother I suppose must have been nineteen or twenty as I
think it was my fathers intention to settle him in Kentucky.
My fathers first wife [my mother's] name was Adams by who he had
thirteen children eleven of whom was raised to be grown I am the
youngest, and lost my mother when but six months old and was raised
by my oldest sister and third brother General Robert Russell who
lived near Lexington, Ky. Sometime after his return from the war, I
do not know how long, he married his second wife, the widow of
General Campbell,she was also a sister of Patrick Henry, by her he
had several children but only two came to years of maturity it may be
as well to mention that my step mother's oldest child by Genl
Campbell married Francis Preston of Virginia the father of the former
Senator from South Carolina William C. Preston_ I believe, sir, I
have given you all the information I am (------- ?) of and hope you
will gain a little information_ I was very young and have got all
from hearing that I know I am the only surviving child of my parents
and think I am about 73 years old with -------------? I remain yours
Chl 's Saunde ?
Davie County PU* _10"
motksvole, NC
Q
12-13-1995
Mr. Howell Boone
Piedmont Committee for Daniel Boone
371 North Main Street
Mocksville, North Carolina
27028
From: Thomas Fields
3946 State Hwy.Z
Cape Girardeau, Mo.
63701
Dear Mr. Boone,
I was born and raised in Lee County, Virginia near the mouth of Wallen's Creek. I
have been living in Missouri for the past 18 years.
I am writing a book about my family and home area. I recently read a book titled
DANIEL BOONE, written by John Mack Faragher, 1993 edition as part of my research.
From page 92 to the end of the chapter, this book describes the massacre of James Boone
and boys with him.
I have no interest in trying to prove anything. Yet, I have information which your
family may appreciate having.
I was suppressed to read in Mr. Faragher's book that James Boone was killed at
the mouth of Wallen's Creek. Our farm joined the creek. When I was a boy, I remember
limestone grave markers at the mouth of Wallen's Creek which had no writing. Today,
These stones are moved. People fishing have used the stones to sit their coffee pots by a
fire. I went home last summer and I walked to the graves. Only brush an earth are to be
seen.
My father is 81. He told me he discussed with his father about who was buried in
these graves. No one knew. This was odd as old graves can usually be connected to
someones family. Grandpa died at 93. I also talked with some of my older neighbors and it
appears no one knows who is in those graves at the mouth of Wallen's Creek.
I sent the information I am now giving you to the highway department as they
have a road sign near Ewing, Va. telling people James Boone is buried near that location.
A Mr. Lloyd Jones with the Virginia Dept. Of Highways sent me your address and a letter
you mailed him on 20 May, 1985.
Do what you want with this information or do nothing. However, I thought your
family might enjoy having this information as I am the last of a generation to know the
location of the graves at the mouth of Wallen's Creek.
Mr. Jones also sent me a paper which suggest Indian Creek near Ewing was once
known as "Walden's Creek". None of my older relatives have known Indian Creek as
Walden Creek. Also, old courthouse records in Lee County show property in the Ewing
Davie County Mlip 4iPF-pq
Mau;���
area as near Indian Creek. My Great Grandfather was in the area as early as 1833 and his
father was there before him. I seriously doubt Indian Creek was known as Walden Creek
by the locals. Also, when you read about the location of the massacre, you will see that
Wallen's Creek is in the right location as it comes from the East. Indian Creek comes into
the Powell River from the West.
The only way I know of to attempt to verify the people in the graves at Ewing and
the mouth of Wallen's Creek is to dig the bodies up and seek signs of trams as the wounds
were described in the military records. Dialogue on these records can be found in
Faragher's book. There is obviously a good possibility that James Boone is not buried near
Ewing, Virginia.
If you are interested, I can show you the location of the graves at the mouth of
Wallen's Creek. There were 4 unmarked limestones there when I was a boy. Others who
are old enough to remember these gravestones have also moved away from the mountains.
Again, the stone markers have been moved and nothing is left on this spot but earth.
Sincerely,
JZAI'Q J�Ci &
Thomas Fields
3/K-6;� j- /�0S