Special Collections:  Letter from the Draper Manuscripts, 22C35-36.

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Lehman, dlehman@ix.netcom.com

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Rebecca Boone (Grant) Lemond to Lyman C. Draper, August 23, 1845
Draper Manuscripts, 22C35-36 

Transcribed from microfilm copy of the original document from the 
Draper Manuscripts Collection of the State Historical Society of 
Wisconsin, Madison, WI.

Spelling and punctuation are as they appear in the original text.
Transcriber’s notes in {}

* * * * *

Trimble County Kentucky Aug 23, 1845 

Mr L C Draper

Sir – As I could not obtain any family record containing the dates of 
my Uncles birth and death I wrote to a gentleman of Frankfort from whom 
I hoped to obtain the proper information, and have waited untill the 
present time for an answer but have not received it.  If however these 
facts come within my knowledge you shall be acquainted with them.  My 
Mother often told me there was just two years difference between her 
and her brother D.
{Draper’s insert}  Daniel Boone {insert ends}
– he being her jun – and upon reference to my Father’s family record I 
find her to have been Feb 5 1733 which would bring his birth to ’35.  
They were both born in Pennsylvania between 25 and 30 miles from 
Philadelphia.

	In the Spring of ’49 my Grandfather Boone my Mother and Uncle 
Daniel with two or three other members of the family came out to North 
Carolina and made preparations for the removal of the remaining portion  
in the ensuing fall.  The settlement in which they lived was on the 
waters of Yadkin—Bear creek and Hunting creek – about 18 miles from 
___lisbury and I suppose this to be Boones settlement but am not 
certain.  My Father William Grant settled there several years previous 
to the Boone family, and married my Mother Elizabeth Boone in 1752.  
Although there was not to my knowledge, any regular engagement with the 
Indians, yet they became so troublesome that my Fathers family and a 
part of my Grandfathers moved to Virginia and remained some time when 
the Indians easing their hostilities, for a short time, induced him to 
return  Several years after this, the Indians again  broke up the 
neigh___  *my Father removed to South Carolina where he remained one 
year – from thence returned to North C a second time, where he 
continued to reside untill his removal to Ky 1779.
{Draper’s note at foot of page}
*Probably in 1776—L.C.D.
{Mrs. Lemond’s letter resumes}
A part of the Boone family removed with him each time, and ___ do not 
know the names, nor number of them, nor know what ___ of the remainder 
during my Fathers journeying  of course I cannot ___ anything about the 
part taken by Uncle Daniel.  Sometime previously but the date I do not 
know, he travelled through Florida in ___ of finding a spot he would 
like better for a home than NC ___ he never liked.  But being 
disappointed he returned to Carolina ___ stayed untill his first visit 
to Kentucky.  It has often pained ___ to read descriptions of him – 
making him to appear as a fierce ___ing savage, holding in repugnance 
the blessings of friends family ___ home!  His wanderings were from 
duty, his ferocity from necessity a___ isolation from compulsion.  No 
man loved society better nor ___ more ardently attached to his family 
nor loved society better ___ he – his noble daring not the dictates of 
his heart, prompting ___ to brave the wily Indian in his hunting ground 
or repel the m___ attacks of his tomahawk.  

	It is my belief that he was a Milita captain before he left 
___lina – at least I think my parents have so told me.  The anecdote 
___ has shining his “little girls” (the name he always gave his wife) 
eyes, is  as fabulous as it is absurd.

	With regard to Blue Lick battle, all I can remember is that the 
spies returned with inteligence of a large body of Indians ___ crossed 
the Ohio and being on the march to Bryants Station and to cut it off, 
Uncle Daniel with Col. McGarry and their respe___ companies were 
immediately on the march to meet them -–leaving Logan to collect a 
reinforcement and follow on.  They reached the ___ of North Licking 
without opposition, and halted to consider.  From Uncle ___ knowledge 
of the Geography of the country and of Indian warfare ___ found they 
were encamped on the hill sides which commanded ___ deep ravine just 
opposite the ford, and proposed crossing ___ river either above or 
below the ford and decoy the Indians into open battle.  But Col. 
McGarry a brave yet imprudent man and the Sen officer, rashly declared 
that “no man but a coward would refuse to fight.” My brother Wm who was 
standing by Uncle at the time has often told me that this unjust and 
cutting taunt deeply affected Uncle Daniel, that he actually burst into 
tears and after answering that no man before had ever dared to call him 
a coward, commanded his men to follow him, saying “come on we are all 
slaughtered men.”  No sooner had they entered they ___ the ___, after 
crossing the river, than the enemy opened their fire upon them from the 
clifts and cut them down by scores, or as some have remarked “shot them 
down like pigeons.”  Of course, they retreated in the utmost confusion 
– those crossing first “treeing” and defending the rest as well as 
possible.  The Indians pursued them nearly to Bryants Station -- those 
who fortunately saved the horses covering their retreat. Col. Logans 
company met them while retreating.  My 2nd brother, Israel, was in 
Logans company, but how many killed, their names, or how Uncle Daniel 
escape do not know – neither am acquainted with the particulars of his 
son’s death.

	My brother Col John Grant was born Feb 30, 1754.  He came to Ky 
in 79 and settled his station with ten or twelve families in the winter 
of 1780, four miles north of Bryants Station on what is now called the 
Ma___sville road.  In the  spring of the same year ’80 – when the gates 
were one morning opened to allow the men to go to their work, the 
Indians fired upon them and killed two men – Capt.  S___kers father and 
I think his uncle, and wounded a negro woman who was milking a cow.  I 
think these were all who were either killed or wounded.  The remainder 
of the men reached the station as quickly as possible and fired upon 
the Indians through the port holes nearly all day.  The number of 
Indians slain is unknown as they…

{text of letter ends here}