Kentucky -- History; Roads -- United States; Wilderness Road
As in the case of Nemacolin's Path across the Alleghenies, so now a
second westward Indian pathway was blazed for white man's use; and if
the Transylvania Colony can in no other respect be said to have been
successful, it certainly conferred an inestimable good upon Virginia and
North Carolina and the nation, when it marked out through the hand of
Boone the Wilderness Road to Kentucky. From Watauga the path led up to
the Gap, where it joined the great Warrior's Path which came down
through Kentucky from the Scioto Valley in Ohio. For about fifty miles
Boone's Road followed this path northward, whereupon, leaving the Indian
trail, Boone bore to the west, marking his course on a buffalo trace
toward "Hazel Patch" to the Rockcastle. The buffalo path was followed
onward up Roundstone Creek, through "Boone's Gap" in Big Hill; through
the present county of Madison, Kentucky; and down little Otter Creek to
the Kentucky River. Here Boonesborough was built for the Transylvania
Colony, which became the temporary center of Kentucky.
Felix Walker, one of Boone's road-making party, made an autobiographical
statement about 1824 of this brave attempt to cut a white man's path
into Kentucky. From this statement these quotations from De Bow's
_Review_ (1854) are pertinent:
"The treaty (at Watauga) being concluded and the purchase made, we
proceeded on our journey to meet Col. Daniel Boon, with other
adventurers, bound to the same country; accordingly we met and
rendezvoused at the Long Island on Holsteen river, united our small
force with Colonel Boon and his associates, his brother, Squire Boon,
and Col. Richard Callaway, of Virginia. Our company, when united,
amounted to 30 persons. We then, by general consent, put ourselves under
the management and control of Col. Boon, who was to be our pilot and
conductor through the wilderness, to the promised land.... About the
10th of March we put off from the Long Island, marked out our track with
our hatchets, crossed Clinch and Powell's river, over Cumberland
mountain, and crossed Cumberland river--came to a watercourse called by
Col.--Rockcastle river; killed a fine bear on our way, camped all night
and had an excellent supper. On leaving that river, we had to encounter
and cut our way through a country of about twenty miles, entirely
covered with dead brash, which we found a difficult and laborious task.
At the end of which we arrived at the commencement of a cane country,
traveled about thirty miles through thick cane and reed, and as the cane
ceased, we began to discover the pleasing and rapturous appearance of
the plains of Kentucky. A new sky and strange earth seemed to be
presented to our view.... A sad reverse overtook us two days after, on
our way to Kentucky river. On the 25th of March, 1775, we were fired on
by the Indians, in our camp asleep, about an hour before day. Capt.
Twetty was shot in both knees, and died the third day after. A black
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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