Draper Manuscripts:Timothy Downing - Maryland to Mason County, Kentucky, 1863

Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Carmen J. Finley
<finleyc@sonoma.edu>
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Draper Manuscripts: Timothy Downing - Maryland to Mason County,
Kentucky, 1863
Copyright c 2000 by Carmen J. Finley. This copy contributed for
use in the USGenWeb Archives.  finleyc@sonoma.edu
*****************************************************************

      Timothy Downing - Maryland to Mason County, Kentucky

(Draper, Lyman Copeland.  Draper manuscript collection.  Chicago:
filmed by the
University of Chicago Library, [197?], series BB vol. 4, Simon &
Kenton papers,
1755-1836, p. 31.)

January 26 1863

Mr. Draper - sir, I received your letter baring date January
12(?) questions of
which I cant answer but few.  My father was born in Maryland but
what part I dont
know - he has kept no register - being a man of no learning.  I
now will give the
place where he was taken prisoner - at the crossing of Licking
river where the
rode crosses leding from Maysville to Lexington fayett county.
When the Indians
caught father, they stript his shirt off and an Indian put it on
- when Kenton
attacked the Indians at the Ohio river: this Indian was kild that
had the shirt
on - it was sent home to mother with 16 bullet holes in it.  You
wish to know
where father struck the Ohio - it was at the mouth of the Sciota
river - the
young mans name that come to father, I never heard - he took
father across to the
bote and gave him something to eat, and then put him on the
Kentucky shore - he
then struck across the country home.  I forgt to mention the
place where father
livd in pensilvania.  it was near Brownsville - then cald Red
Stone Fort.  My
father had three brothers - John, Robert and James.  John and
Robert lived in
Mason county, Kentucky.  James never came to the West - he was a
spy after the
Indians - that is about all I now of him - father had one scrape
after he got
home from captivity.  The Indians crost the Ohio river and stole
some horses -
father with others followed them into Ohio, and crept upon them
in the night
secured the horses - and then fired upon the Indians in their
camp then ran,
finding the Indians too strong.  That was his last scrape.  After
that he was
elected a mility captain - then a major - and a colonel he lived
and died two and
a half miles north-west from Washington, Mason county.  I now
give all I can
remember - being very old and infirm - now 75 years of age I now
will close.  I
remain your ??


     John Dowing







c:\docs\kentucky\draper2.txt