Special Collections: Draper Manuscripts -- Draper's Interview Notes with Ephraim Sowdusky [Sadowsky] (DM 11CC141) Transcribed and contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Diana Lehman, dlehman@ix.netcom.com ********************************************************* USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb ********************************************************** The following are transcribed from microfilm copies of the original documents in the Draper Manuscripts Collection of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Madison, WI. * * * * * Draper Manuscripts 11CC141 Printed: Filson ___ History Quarterly, 8:220-228 (October 1884) 7.E. Sowdusky. Fayette. 7. Ephraim_Sowdusky. A great infidel. (Has a bro Jas: a Reformer Jas: living in Jessamine. Think E. does also - but part of his farm may be in Fayette) (E.S. in Jessamine, near Germantown. Germantown only a place where Billy George has a blacksmith shop, and a good many hands abt. him)(___) Jos:Lowry wrote out a part of Sowdusky's statement (Jos: Lowry, Lex:) for him: Perhaps he has it all now. Jacob Sowdusky was camped down by Higbee's Mill, (Jacob Sowdusky in June 1774. It was a wet time, and they were 1774) washing and drying there. Jacob heard the Buffalos out on that flat, went out to kill some, and shot 3. He thought he could outrun them, they stood about so. (He met a drove coming into the Crick to water. They run about & stopped, as he went in among the flock, and shot them). Afterwd: he shot a young buffaloe bull in the nose, & he ran so, he had never seen the like. (After that, he thought it would take a horse to run in there.) Douglass the surveyor was killed. His heir was an (Douglass) only dau. All the estate fell into David (David Ross, Ross' hands. Thos:Carneal was Ross' agent. Tom Carneal) Douglass' dau. lost her virtue, and marrd: a worthless man, who thot only of her fortune, & after __id Ross easily found means of getting it from him. Douglass (Big Bone) had this survey at the Big Bone. My f. never got a cut till the agents came to get him to show them this corner. My f. sd. the estate owed him £40, and he never wo'd go, unless they wo'd give him half his wages, and also an overcoat, for one whh: had been buried, at a sugar camp, where they were making sugar. Tom f. of Tom. Carneal. David Carneal was partner w. David Ross, in (making salt Big Bone.(My f. went down, & superintended the at Big Bone) makg of salt, 1n 1797-8-&9-3 years. Carneal, however, had started these furnaces, and put up kettles before that time. (Douglass' John Smith 1. was the last of the surveying surveying party) party that died. 2. Isaac Hite. 3. Willis fr. Va. 4. Mordecai Batson, Matson 5. 6. 7. Jacob Sowdusky. Jacob Sodowsky These went down the river in 2 canoes. When they and party down got to the falls, they sent forward my f., and the Mississippi, Jno. Smith-to see if there were any signs of 1774 indns:, that wo'd prevent them making a portage. They came to a little path; the night previous it had rained-and there they saw the fresh tracks where the indns: had come down that morning for water. They knew the indns: encampment must be somewhere near in the bottom there. They just pushed off their canoes, got in, and went on down over the falls thinking if death was to be, it wo'd be preferable being drowned to being massacred. While they were on the bank of the Mississippi, at Orleans, they overhead 2 Miss captains, who were paddling along, in conversation. One remarked-they looked like people in distress. The other replied, there were __ds of such people hundreds along the Mpi:. Well, they were God's people, sd. the 1st captain, and he wo'd see who they were. He obtained from them a narrative of their adventures, took them on his vessel, and carrd:them round to N.Y. On their way, when they had gotten far around towds N.Y., they one day discovered an elephant's tooth, & spoke of it by its name. A scotchman, seeming to hold him in contempt, asked him where he had ever seen an Elephant's tooth? My f. replied that he had seen just No. 7. E. Sowdusky P. 41 Historical Collection such things at Big Bone. When the Capt. Jac. Sodowsky 1774 heard this, he took him into his room and obtained a full statement of the whole affair, relating to Big-bone. On their final parting, the Captain opened his chest of money, and told them just to take whatever they wo'd need. I don't know whether he ever got any thing back. The family had gotten news of the affair, and (gets homes never knew but that they had all been killed, or S. Branch.) taken, till he had gotten within 3 or 4 __s of his place, on the S. Branch of the Potomac. His father was then killed by the indns:; his (family nghbhd:.) mother was yet living. Moorfield- Co: seat. The Hites, the Vanmetres, and the Inskips, were all on the South Branch. Andrew Sowdusky, my g.f., was watching a lick (Andw: Sowdusky, to catch their horses that were running at large my g.f.) in the mountains. Another man was w. him. When the indns: came on them, he saw a white man, whom he knew, and that he wo'd be safe with. That very man thwkd, and killed him = probably fearing he wo'd make disclosure on him. Before this time my f's older bro:, Saml: (w. the Saml Sodowsky rest of the family, his f., &c and 2 or 3 other (Adventure - dog) fams: being in a cabin) had a very fine dog, which my f. had been after him to kill-a great big dog. One morning between day-break & dinner, just as they were getting up, they heard the dog and an indn: There were only the g.f., my uncle Sam:, and another man. The last was so badly scared, he just stood stupid, as if frightened out of his senses. He codn't have done anything to keep the indns: off. The dog sprang on the foremost indn:, seized him by the throat, and actually pulled him down. All that they co'd do, they codn't hit the dog w. their thwks. At last tomahawks they made out, after shooting the dog through the loins to separate him from & to rescue the indn:. The dog survd: and died of good old age, but was never of any more service. This broke the attack. The cabin had a double door, upper & lower. g.f. shut the lower one, and stood in the upper door ready to fire. An indin behind some bushes, g.f. shot the parch cone out of. My uncle Sam: Saml. Sodowsky jumped; and in the hurry of the moment seized, by mistake, another man's gun, and codn't shoot well: (The gun of one of those who were absent.) a double barrel gun. He put it back, and got his own; and by this time the indns: had all gotten out of the yard. One was abt: 60 yds fr: the cabin, behind a dead oak. My uncle put a cap on the top of a ram-rod, and wo'd hold it out for him to look at, and fire where he found no one fired. The indn: still waited, and began to peep & then to put out his head more and farther, at length he got it out so far, Sam. fired and down the indn: fell. He was not hurt, however. Sam. had knocked the dry oak into his eyes. The ball struck above the top of his head and only went in the breadth of a bullit. 2 indns: picked him up under their arms, and carried him off. A frenchman came up in abt: 20 steps of the door, and put 2 bullits, a double load, into the facing of the door. My g.f. also fired, and missed. The frenchman, all the way out, said he had killed one damned great big Englishman. He dropped his knapsack in the yard: somehow let it fall No. 7. E. Sowdusky Fayette P. 45. and didn't take time to pick it up. It had 3 pair of moccasins besides other things, in it. Both had fired at the same time, the Frenchman and my g.f. My f. sd. Harrodsbgh: was settled 1st. (In (Hdsbgh:.) allusion to the controversy w. Busbgh:.) Jas: and Anthony Sowdusky were down in 1773. Came fr: the S. Br: of the Potomac. My uncles, (Jas: & Anthony (these were), Jas: and Anthony, were in the ex- Sowdusky.) pedition by Bowman. Marshall is wrong in com- plaining. The towns were strung along, up and down the r. for 5 ms:. Bowman failed to get Bowman's campn. round, according to arrangements, till just at Chillicothe town) day. They were to march round 1/2 way, and to lay May, 1779 in ambush, till they met Bowman. The indns: discovered them, and they were thus deprived of the advantages they wo'd have gained. A Negro brot in the report, that Girty was only 13 ms. off, at another town, w. all the warriors, and that an express had been sent for them. In- stead of Marshall's panic, (however) it was the failure to get around, that determined Bowman to withdraw. They got a great many horses, whh. they brot off in a hollow square. Keeping a co: of troop to drive off the indns:, when they came up - as the indns: did not want to fight, but only to delay the army. Anthony Sowdusky was saved at the Blue Lick Defeat, (Blue Lick Bat.) by Boone's son's death - He got young Boone's (Anthony Sowodusky) horse, and came off. Just as S. was starting, Aug 1782. he heard a man begging him to take him up, for God's sake not to leave him. When he had gotten him up, and come on to Licking, just as his horse jumped down the bank, bullits were -7 or 8 fired into his clothes, and only one graissed the skin. (Who was this?) He was run down (the man was, & before getting to Licking?, or who was it?) and cod'nt run any further. Just reached his hand out as he walked along, and caught the bridle. The indns: were in sight. Boone's being killed, saved him. He had gone to get his horse, where he was hitched, and 2 indns: were there untying him. He thot his horse had been (was) wounded, he stood so long, when he jumped down. When the army reached the Blue Licks, they saw 3 indins: passg. up the opposite bank - smoking their (the council.) pipes. A council (where the indns: were seen to be encamped) of the officers - Trigg, Todd & McGary, was held. Boon's opinion was asked. He sd. as a private man, he co'd go where any man co'd. But as an officer, his advice was, not to act. He didn't think it was prudent. McGary said, the greater the danger, the greater the glory: any man that was not a coward to follow him. Mrs. Blackford sd. there was scarcely a house in in Hdsbgh:, that had not lost a f., bro:, or (_Hdsbgh:) husband. She sd. she had never seen such a time (Mrs. Blackford) in her life. She was a dau: of Anthony S. Jacob Sowdusky, came down in Co: w. the surveyors, Jacob Sowdusky) Jas: Douglass, Hite & Floyd. He carrd: the ^ survey (chain for that^) on whh: Wm: Levy now lives. Douglass offered him a 000d acres of land, there, For his summer's hire, & he wodn't take it. He sd. it was so far off, and he didn't know whether he wod ever be back: Clark's campaign ^ was in 1780. (__ the Pickaway Clark's Pickaway Towns^). The fall after the hard winter. Every Campn. /80) 5th man in KY. staid to protect the setts: The rest about a 000d in no.,- went on the campaign. Clark's Campaign They scraped corns in KY. and made bread, before July-Aug 1780 they started. The season was remarkably forward. Clark passed up the r., w. the main army, on this side. Col: McGary led a coy: on the opposite side. When they had gotten nearly up to now Warsaw, McGary came upon ^ 19 paddles (about^) & McGary attacked more in the process of being made. And indns b___. The indns: themselves had retreated. Orders came fr: Clark, for them all to come over. (They had started on that side, at Louisville.) No. 7. E. Sowdusky P. 46 Historical Collections One company came over; the last was to come yet, Clark's Campaign about 18. The indns:, after they had discharged July-Aug. 1780 their guns on them, came down on them w. thwk: & knife. My f. had gotten his of 3 canoes full 1st.; and was just going to push out backwards, (his mother had told him never to suffer himself to be shot in the back,) when the volley came, and they all jumped out into the river. One man was pursued by an indn: w. thwk:, and as the man wo'd dive or rise, the indn: wo'd strike him in the head or __tt. The man was sent to Louisville, to the Hospital, and died in consequence of the probe running into the scull. 500 guns, I suppose, were shot from the Ky. shore, when the indns: made this attack. The army took the village, cut up their corn, destroyed their towns, and came back w. about 18 only lost. The battle was on the 1st of August. When Clark came in sight, the indns: appeared calm & composed, walking or standing about in perfect order. Clark ordered Major Harrod to occupy that point of woods off to the left. My f. said he was mightily pleased, when he heard the order to Harrod. He didn't want to go where those indns: were so composed. (Were only 200 indns:) They tho't that in the point of woods, they wo'd be pleasantly situated. On getting there, they were sur- prised to find indns: The 1st they knew, a gun fired, and killed one man. The action was then bro't on. The indns: possessed a ground full of ridges, about a gun shot off, they fired, and then run, till they got another opportunity to fire. The firing, after all, did but little execution. As the army retd:, they heard of the intention (Fort Washington) to build Fort Washington. My f. helped to cut & lay the logs of the 1st. Block-house, that was ever built where Cti: now is. They crossed & recrossed at that place. Jacob See, John Shelp, and John & Joe McNeill, &c., all came over on to this side of the river to hunt; and made their encampmt: in the head d__ans of Clear Creek. Shelp's wife's pre- vious name was McNeill - these 2 young McNeills were ^ step:sons (Shelp's^). See came ^ over these ridges (out^) and met w. a strange dog, whose ears were cropped, and whh: he took to be an indn: dog. He found also a piece of Wampum. He sd., in fact, he tho't he cod: smell indns:. He went back to the encampment, & told to Shelp his apprehensions. Shelp read: them in perfect jest, and wod treat them in no other way. This produced a coolness between them. and See, w. the sulky indifference peculiar to these reckless times, determined to share the danger of whatever fate might be impending. After lying in wakeful mood, a long time, he heard sounds whh: he knew not whether were indn: or wolf steps. A surly growl of his dog was heard, and then the retreating footsteps of the sound. See now got up, put on his hunting shirt, tied his belt around him, w. knife & shot pouch - and taking his gun, lay w. it in his arms, the muzzle down between his legs, & the britch in his arms. In this attitude, he fell into a quiet sleep. About the time the owls begin to hollow, ^ just before day, he heard footsteps all around him, approach where they lay, but was unable to rouse himself from his slumbers. Suddenly a dozen (great no:) of guns fired in upon them, and scattered the fire all over them. See jumped up, and ran off the distance No. 7. E. Sowdusky Fayette p. 47 of 70 yds., w. all his strength. Somehow, however, he had the impression that he was shot in the hips; and stopped at 70 yds. in his course, on the opposite of a large tree, to ascertain the extent of his wound. While standing there, 2 indns:, who had seen him start, and were in pursuit, came up behind the same tree, stood a moment to listen, and then passed on. See finding his wound not dangerous, or rather that he co'd run, for he had no wound at all, left his 2 friends further to pursue their course alone, while he sho'd turn aside, and reach the other side of the encampment, to get the horses. (He stopped the bells on the horses and cut loose the hobbles. (Had he done this, and tied them up, on the 1st. alarm?)) He un- tied them, and made off wt. delay for Hdsbgh. Jos: McN., the elder of the 2 boys, got out, and got into a tree top. Next morning he sd. he co'd hear the indns: whooping and hallowing about the camp, till at length they went entirely off, and the ^ noise (sound of this^) died away in the far distance. After the indns: had left awhile, J. McN. sd. he heard See's dog - passing all around through the woods, howling & moaning; and discovered at length, that he encircled the spot where he was, coming nearer every round, till at last he came and looked into the very tree in whh: he was, and on seeg: him, fondled on him w. great delight. Finding the indns: were now finally gone, McN. left his retreat, and dire__ted his course towds: Hdsbgh:; striking the Ky. R. at __ the mouth of Shawnee Run. The dog here got on the chase of some elk in the bottom, and it being too late to cross the r., McN. went on up the bank to seek a place of lodgg: for the night. He found some projecting cliffs, w. recesses in the rocks, into one of whh: he crept. While he there lay, he saw distinctly 2 wolves pass the mouth of the cave. A 3d. came along, and had gotten 1/2 way along, when it turned its head, and accidentally saw the boy. Starting back, it gave a bark, and then bounded in. The boy screamed, and the wolf was still frightened & kept at bay. In the meantime the dog came to his rescue, the boy crept farther in, and the dog and the wolves were snapping at each other all that night. The next morning he crossed the _ipp_ at the mouth of Shawnee Run, and came on, striking the Harrodsburgh trace-This wo'd h. led him straight; but he took the wrong end. (on reaching it^) The dog started the other way, & wo'd go some distance. The boy then called to him, and coaxed him on. The dog wo'd come, jump up, and fondle on him, but all at once w'd fall down, & run off, w. his tail hanging down, until nearly out of sight. They got into H'dsbgh: that night. The 1st thing See knew of his dog, was a salutation, w. every expression of joy, as See met the dog on the next morng: after the dog came. McN. got up and run, when See did; and the indns: seeing See run, didn't go up to the camp immedy:, but waited till morning. McN. sd. when he got up to run, he saw Shelp bleeding at the breast. But See tho't Shelp had started to rise before the indns: had yet seen him. Shelp was scalped. His head had been found down in this nghbhd:, w. the marks of the scalping knife on it, since I've been here. When the dog circled the camp, every time he came near the tree top, into whh: the boy had jumped, he wo'd lift up his head & smell.