HISTORY: Lexington Light Infantry

Transcribed from History of Lexington Kentucky
Its Early Annals and Recent Progress
By George W. Ranck
Publ: Cincinnati, Robert Clarke & Co, 1872

Pg. 155-161

The Lexington Light Infantry, of glorious memory, and the oldest military
company in Kentucky, and perhaps in this country, was organized in 1789.  Its
formation was due to a threatened Indian invasion, and to the martial passion
of General James Wilkinson, who was chosen its first captain.  Its first
ensign was John Fowler, afterward postmaster of Lexington.  Since that time a
host of stirring associations have clustered about the simple name "Old
Infantry", for it has been connected with victories and defeats, conflicts and
massacres, and with some of the most brilliant military achievements recorded
in the annals of Kentucky.  It was led by Wilkinson in successful expeditions
against the Indians; shared in the disastrous defeats of Harmar and St. Clair;
bore a gallant part in the victorious campaign of "old Mad Anthony" Wayne
against the Sciota and other Indians, and, in 1792, escorted Governor Shelby
into Lexington, then the capital of the state, and assisted in the ceremonies
of his inauguration.  These were the days when the "Old Infantry" delighted in
flint-look muskets, and in tinder-boxes and steel.

In 1803, the company was called out by President Jefferson to go to Louisiana,
but the purchase of that state by the government superseded the necessity.  It
was about this time that the well-known and historic uniform suit of the
company was adopted.  It consisted of a blue cloth coat, with cuffs, breast,
and collar faced with red and ornamented with bell-buttons.  The pantaloons
were of blue cloth, the hat black, and the plume red.  The favorite parade
ground of the company, at this time, was a beautiful level spot back of, and
belonging to the property of Mrs. John Carty, on Broadway.  Subsequently, the
Maxwell Spring grounds were used.  A "turn-out" of the Old Infantry in early
days was a grand event in Lexington, and was always witnessed by a large and
admiring crowd of natives of all ages, sexes, colors, and conditions.

The Lexington Light Infantry was one of the first companies to volunteer in
the war of 1812, it having organized for the campaign on the 11th of May of
that year, with N. S. G. Hart as captain.  The "silk-stocking boys", as the
members of the company were then often called, were attached to the Fifth
Regiment of Kentucky Volunteer Militia, commanded by Colonel William Lewis,
and marched for the Northwestern army in August, 1812.  On the march to Fort
Wayne an incident occurred, which, amusing as it may appear, speaks volumes
for the principles which actuated the men.  A member of the company having
stood manfully up under the severe fatigues of the march until the last day,
at length sank on the grass of the prairie through which the company was
marching, and, whilst his comrades were passing rapidly on, he shed bitter
tears at his condition.  An officer approached him, in company with one or two
others, to aid him to one of the few wagons that attended the march, and on
inquiring the cause of his tears, he earnestly exclaimed, "What will they say
in Lexington when they hear that James Huston GAVE OUT?"

The glorious share which the "Old Infantry" had in the terrible battle and
sickening massacre at Frenchtown, on the river Raisin, in this campaign, is
told in our chapter on the year 1812.  At that river of death, the heroic band
lost half its members in killed, wounded, and prisoners; the brilliancy of
their uniform causing the men to be readily picked off by the enemy.  The
gallant captain of the company, who was wounded and disabled in teh battle,
was barbarously murdered by the savages after having trusted himself to the
protection of his pretended friend, Captain Elliott, of the British army, who
infamously abandoned him to the mercy of the Indians.

The heroic death of Charles Searles, another gallant member of the Light
Infantry, wounded in the battle of the 18th, should never be forgotten.  On
the morning of the 23d, by strong exertion, he was able to walk, and so to
conceal his wound, that he was allowed to accompany his captors unmolested,
until they stopped for the night.  No doubt the fatigue, aided by the
sufferings from his wound, at length revealed to the savages his disabled
condition, and marked him out as a victim.  He, with several other prisoners,
was seated on the ground, partaking of some food, when one of the savages rose
up, and drawing his tomahawk, approached Searles from behind.

The prisoner marked the movement, and apprehending his intention, watched the
descending blow, and tried to catch it in his hand, but only partially
succeeded, the weapon inflicting a deep wound in the shoulder.  Rising to his
feet, he seized his antagonist, who was unprepared for such a bold resistance,
and snatching the tomahawk from his hand, was about to inflict a deserved
vengeance on his cruel assailant, when Dr. Bower, of the regiment, told him
that if he struck the Indian all the prisoners would be murdered, and his
death, now inevitable, would not be prevented.  As soon as he found that he
might endanger his comrades by resisting, he dropped the uplifted arm, let
fall the weapon, and, without a murmur of a complaint, waited until the
astonished savage picked up the tomahawk, and coolly and deliberately
dispatched his victim.

Can Roman or Grecian annals display a more sublime instance of manly
generosity and magnanimity than this?

It was at the battle of Frenchtown that a member of the "Old Infantry"
company, James Higgins, astonished even the boldest of his comrades by his
daring contempt of death.  Vain efforts had been made to dislodge a large
number of Indians from a barn, into which they had crowded, and from which
they were pouring a destructive fire into Colonel Lewis's command.  The
soldier we have mentioned asked permission to "smoke 'um out".  It was
granted.  He then coolly picked up a large blazing "chunk".  The barn was soon
one mass of flames, and the brave infantryman quickly had the satisfaction of
seeing all the Indians "smoked out".  The most remarkable feature of the case
was that the man had always been regarded at home as ridiculously timid, and
had often been imposed upon, both by his neighbors and comrades in arms.  But
after this bold deed, the past was forgotten, and it was not safe for any one
to say anything in the presence of the "Old Infantry" against the man "who
smoked out the Indians".  James Higgins, the hero of this glorious incident,
was born near Side View, Montgomery county, Kentucky, but removed to
Lexington, and was one of her citizens when he enlisted in the Old Infantry.
This gallant man died many years ago.

A few names of the killed of this company have been preserved, viz:  N. S. G.
Hart, Charles Searles, J. E. Blythe (son of President Blythe, of Transylvania
University), Jesse Cock, Alexander Crawford, Samuel Elder, William Davis,
Jesse Riley, Armston Stewart, George Shindlebower, Samuel Cox, and Charles
Bradford.

On the 11th of September, 1839, the Light Infantry celebrated in Lexington its
fiftieth anniversary.  At eleven o'clock A. M., a procession, consisting of
the Louisville Guards, Captain Anderson; the Volunteer Artillery, Captain
Trotter; the Mechanics Infantry, Captain Forbes; and the "Old Infantry", under
Captain G. L. Postlethwaite, marched to the beautiful woodlands of John Love
(now J. H. Mulligan's, adjoining the Maxwell Spring grounds), where an
exceedingly appropriate and interesting address was delivered by General John
M. McCalla, after which came a banquet, and then the survivors of the war of
1812 reviewed their hardships and dangers, and fought their battles over
again.

At the commencement of the war with Mexico, the Light Infantry again took the
field, under the command of Captain Cassius M. Clay, and was known in the army
by the remarkable name of the "Lexington Old Infantry Cavalry".  In that war,
the Kentucky cavalry used as its regimental flag the colors which the ladies
of Lexington had presented to the "Old Infantry", some years before, on an
anniversary of the battle of the Raisin.

In times of peace, the company amused itself with target shooting at Maxwell's
spring.  On one of these occasions, Captain Richard Parker, then commanding
the Old Infantry, but now one of our oldest citizens, was accidentally shot in
the hip, and he still suffers from the wound then received.

In 1860, the Old Infantry took its stand in the Kentucky State Guard, with the
following officers, viz: Captain, Samuel D. McCullough; First Lieutenant,
George W. Didlake; Second Lieutenant, S. W. Price; Third Lieutentant, J. B.
Norton; Ensign, R. H. Prewett; Surgeon, Dr. G. W. McMillin; Right Guide,
Charles Dobyns; Left Gudie, W. W. Dowden: Third Sergeant, B. W. Blincoe;
Fourth Sergeant, Charles Schultz; Fifth Sergeant, M. Hogarty.

In the memorable summer of 1861, just before Kentucky was drawn into the
gigantic civil contest then waging, the Old Infantry held a reunion in the
densely crowded Odd Fellows' Hall, on the corner of Main and Broadway.  The
company was conducted to the hall by those two noted organizations, the
"Lexington Rifles" and the "Chasseurs", headed by the splendid Newport band.
An opening address was delivered by Judge L. L. Todd, of Indianapolis, a
former captain of the Old Infantry, after which a new flag was presented to
the company by General Combs, in behalf of the donor, Mr. David A. Sayre.  The
old flag of the Old Infantry, which had gone through the leaden storm of Buena
Vista, was then unfurled, a roll of all the captains called, and the Star
Spangled Banner sung, after which the meeting adjourned.

Many of the members of the company served gallantly on either side in the
terrible war between the States, and fully maintained the ancient renown of
the venerable organization, which, for the credit of Lexington, should never
be permanently abandoned.

From the year 1789 to the present time, the Lexington Light Infantry has been
commanded by the following captains, viz: General James Wilkinson, 1789; James
Hughes and Samuel Weisiger, 1791; Cornelius Beatty, 1793; John Postlethwaite,
1797; Thomas Bodley, 1803; N. S. G. Hart, 1811-12; and since the last date by
Daniel Bradford, J. G. Trotter, Adam Beatty, William Logan, Levi L. Todd,
Robert Megowan, Richard Parker, G. L. Postlethwaite, T. P. Hart, Thomas Smith,
R. Morrison, John M. McCalla, Lawrence Daly, James O. Harrison, T. Monks, T.
W. Lowry, W. Allison, Lewis Barbee, F. G. West, Joseph Hoppy, G. L.
Postlethwaite, J. B. Clay, C. M. Clay, S. D. McCullough, S. W. Price.

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