pioneers of the old southwest-第16部分

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　thought　that　mine　is　the　joy　of　fear。　Logan　never　felt　fear。　He　will　not　turn　on　his　heel　to　save　his　life。　Who　is　there　to　mourn　for　Logan？　Not　one。〃*

*　Some　writers　have　questioned　the　authenticity　of　Logan's　speech；　inclining　to　think　that　Gibson　himself　composed　it；　partly　because　of　the　biblical　suggestion　in　the　first　few　lines。　That　Gibson　gave　biblical　phraseology　to　these　lines　is　apparent；　though；　as　Adair　points　out　there　are　many　examples　of　similitude　in　Indian　and　biblical　expression。　But　the　thought　is　Indian　and　relates　to　the　first　article　of　the　Indian's　creed；　namely；　to　share　his　food　with　the　needy。　〃There　remains　not　a　drop　of　my　blood　in　the　veins　of　any　living　creature〃　is　a　truly　Indian　lament。　Evidently　the　final　four　lines　of　the　speech　are　the　most　literally　translated；　for　they　have　the　form　and　the　primitive　rhythmic　beat　which　a　student　of　Indian　poetry　quickly　recognizes。　The　authenticity　of　the　speech；　as　well　as　the　innocence　of　Cresap；　whom　Logan　mistakenly　accused；　was　vouched　for　by　George　Rogers　Clark　in　a　letter　to　Dr。　Samuel　Brown　dated　June　17；　1798。　See　Jefferson　papers；　Series　6；　quoted　by　English；　〃Conquest　of　the　Country　Northwest　of　the　River　Ohio。〃　vol。　II。　p。　1029。


By　rivers　and　trails；　in　large　and　small　companies；　started　home　the　army　that　had　won　the　land。　The　West　Fincastle　troops；　from　the　lower　settlements　of　the　Clinch　and　Holston　valleys；　were　to　return　by　the　Kentucky　River；　while　those　from　the　upper　valley　would　take　the　shorter　way　up　Sandy　Creek。　To　keep　them　in　provisions　during　the　journey　it　was　ordered　that　hunters　be　sent　out　along　these　routes　to　kill　and　barbecue　meat　and　place　it　on　scaffolds　at　appropriate　spots。

The　way　home　by　the　Kentucky　was　a　long　road　for　weary　and　wounded　men　with　hunger　gnawing　under　their　belts。　We　know　who　swung　out　along　the　trail　to　provide　for　that　little　band；　〃dressed　in　deerskins　colored　black；　and　his　hair　plaited　and　bobbed　up。〃　It　was　Daniel　Boonenow；　by　popular　demand；　Captain　Boonejust　〃discharged　from　Service；〃　since　the　valley　forts　needed　him　no　longer。　Once　more　only　a　hunter；　he　went　his　way　over　Walden　Mountainpast　his　son's　grave　marking　the　place　where　HE　had　been　turned　backto　serve　the　men　who　had　opened　the　gates。



Chapter　VII。　The　Dark　And　Bloody　Ground

With　the　coming　of　spring　Daniel　Boone's　desire；　so　long　cherished　and　deferred；　to　make　a　way　for　his　neighbors　through　the　wilderness　was　to　be　fulfilled　at　last。　But　ere　his　ax　could　slash　the　thickets　from　the　homeseekers'　path；　more　than　two　hundred　settlers　had　entered　Kentucky　by　the　northern　waterways。　Eighty　or　more　of　these　settled　at　Harrodsburg；　where　Harrod　was　laying　out　his　town　on　a　generous　plan；　with　〃in…lots〃　of　half　an　acre　and　〃out…lots〃　of　larger　size。　Among　those　associated　with　Harrod　was　George　Rogers　Clark；　who　had　surveyed　claims　for　himself　during　the　year　before　the　war。

While　over　two　hundred　colonists　were　picking　out　home　sites　wherever　their　pleasure　or　prudence　dictated；　a　gigantic　land　promotion　schemeinvolving　the　very　tracts　where　they　were　sowing　their　first　cornwas　being　set　afoot　in　North　Carolina　by　a　body　of　men　who　figure　in　the　early　history　of　Kentucky　as　the　Transylvania　Company。　The　leader　of　this　organization　was　Judge　Richard　Henderson。*　Judge　Henderson　dreamed　a　big　dream。　His　castle　in　the　air　had　imperial　proportions。　He　resolved；　in　short；　to　purchase　from　the　Cherokee　Indians　the　larger　part　of　Kentucky　and　to　establish　there　a　colony　after　the　manner　and　the　economic　form　of　the　English　Lords　Proprietors；　whose　day　in　America　was　so　nearly　done。　Though　in　the　light　of　history　the　plan　loses　none　of　its　dramatic　features；　it　shows　the　practical　defects　that　must　surely　have　prevented　its　realization。　Like　many　another　Caesar　hungering　for　empire　and　staking　all　to　win　it；　the　prospective　lord　of　Kentucky；　as　we　shall　see；　had　left　the　human　equation　out　of　his　calculations。

*　Richard　Henderson　（1734…1785）　was　the　son　of　the　High　Sheriff　of　Granville　County。　At　first　an　assistant　to　his　father；　he　studied　law　and　soon　achieved　a　reputation　by　the　brilliance　of　his　mind　and　the　magnetism　of　his　personality。　As　presiding　Judge　at　Hillsborough　he　had　come　into　conflict　with　the　violent　element　among　the　Regulators；　who　had　driven　him　from　the　court　and　burned　his　house　and　barns。　For　some　time　prior　to　his　elevation　to　the　bench；　he　had　been　engaged　in　land　speculations。　One　of　Boone's　biographers　suggests　that　Boone　may　have　been　secretly　acting　as　Henderson's　agent　during　his　first　lonely　explorations　of　Kentucky。　However　this　may　be；　it　does　not　appear　that　Boone　and　his　Yadkin　neighbors　were　acting　with　Henderson　when　in　September；　1773；　they　made　their　first　attempt　to　enter　Kentucky　as　settlers。


Richard　Henderson　had　known　Daniel　Boone　on　the　Yadkin；　and　it　was　Boone's　detailed　reports　of　the　marvelous　richness　and　beauty　of　Kentucky　which　had　inspired　him　to　formulate　his　gigantic　scheme　and　had　enabled　him　also　to　win　to　his　support　several　men　of　prominence　in　the　Back　Country。　To　sound　the　Cherokees　regarding　the　purchase　and　to　arrange；　if　possible；　for　a　conference；　Henderson　dispatched　Boone　to　the　Indian　towns　in　the　early　days　of　1775。

Since　we　have　just　learned　that　Dunmore's　War　compelled　the　Shawanoes　and　their　allies　to　relinquish　their　right　to　Kentucky；　that；　both　before　and　after　that　event；　government　surveyors　were　in　the　territory　surveying　for　the　soldiers'　claims；　and　that　private　individuals　had　already　laid　out　town　sites　and　staked　holdings；　it　may　be　asked　what　right　of　ownership　the　Cherokees　possessed　in　Kentucky；　that　Henderson　desired　to　purchase　it　of　them。　The　Indian　title　to　Kentucky　seems　to　have　been　hardly　less　vague　to　the　red　men　than　it　was　to　the　whites。　Several　of　the　nations　had　laid　claim　to　the　territory。　As　late　as　1753；　it　will　be　remembered；　the　Shawanoes　had　occupied　a　town　at　Blue　Licks；　for　John　Findlay　had　been　taken　there　by　some　of　them。　But；　before　Findlay　guided　Boone　through　the　Gap　in　1769；　the　Shawanoes　had　been　driven　out　by　the　Iroquois；　who　claimed　suzerainty　over　them　as　well　as　over　the　Cherokees。　In　1768；　the　Iroquois　had　ceded　Kentucky　to　the　British　Crown　by　the　treaty　of　Fort　Stanwix；　whereupon　the　Cherokees　had　protested　so　vociferously　that　the　Crown's　Indian　agent；　to　quiet　them；　had　signed　a　collateral　agreement　with　them。　Though　claimed　by　many；　Kentucky　was　by　common　consent　not　inhabited　by　any　of　the　tribes。　It　was　the　great　Middle　Ground　where　the　Indians　hunted。　It　was　the　Warriors'　Path　over　which　they　rode　from　north　and　south　to　slaughter　and　where　many　of　their　fiercest　encounters　took　place。　However　shadowy　the　title　which　Henderson　purposed　to　buy；　there　was　one　all…sufficing　reason　why　he　must　come　to　terms　with　the　Cherokees：　their　northernmost　towns　in　Tennessee　lay　only　fifty　or　sixty　miles　below　Cumberland　Gap　and　hence　commanded　the　route　over　which　he　must　lead　colonists　into　his　empire　beyond　the　hills。

The　conference　took　place　early　in　March；　1775；　at　the　Sycamore　Shoals　of　the　Watauga　River。　Twelve　hundred　Indians；　led　by　their　〃town　chiefs〃among　whom　were　the　old　warrior　and　the　old　statesman　of　their　nation；　Oconostota　and　Attakullakullacame　to　the　treaty　grounds　and　were　received　by　Henderson　and　his　associates　and　several　hundred　white　men　who　were　eager　for　a　chance　to　settle　on　new　lands。　Though　Boone　was　now　on　his　way　into　Kentucky　for　the　Transylvania　Company；　other　border　leaders　of　renown　or　with　their　fame　still　to　win　were　present；　and　among　them　James　Robertson；　of　serious　mien；　and　that　blond　gay　knight　in　buckskin；　John　Sevier。

It　is　a　dramatic　picture　we　evolve　for　ourselves　from　the　meager　narratives　of　this　eventa　mass　of　painted　Indians　moving　through　the　sycamores　by　the　bright　water；　to　come　presently　into　a　tense；　immobile　semicircle　before　the　large　group　of　armed　frontiersmen　seated　or　standing　about　Richard　Henderson；　the　man　with　the　imperial　dream；　the　ready　speaker　whose　flashing　eyes　and　glowing　oratory　won　the　hearts　of　all　who　came　under　their　sway。　What　though　the　Cherokee　title　be　a　flimsy　one　at　best　and　the　price　offered　for　it　a　bagatelle！　The　spirit　of　Forward　March！　is　there　in　that　great　canvas　framed　by　forest　and　sky。　The　somber　note　that　tones　its　lustrous　color；　as　by　a　sweep　of　the　brush；　is　the　figure　of　the　Chickamaugan　chief；　Dragging　Canoe；　warrior　and　seer　and　hater　of　white　men；　who　urges　his　tribesmen　against　the　sale　and；　when　they　will　not　hearken；　springs　from　their　midst　into　the　clear　space　before　Henderson　and　his　band　of　pioneers　and；　pointing　with　uplifted　arm；　warns　them　that　a　dark　cloud　hangs　over　the　land　the　white　man　covets　which　to　the　red　man　has　long　been　a　bloody　ground。*

*　This　utterance　of　Dragging　Canoe's　is　generally　supposed　to　be　the　origin　of　the　descriptive　phrase　applied　to　Kentucky〃the　Dark　and　Bloody　Ground。〃　See　Roosevelt；　〃The　Winning　of　the　West；〃　vol。　I；　p。229。


The　purchase；　finally　consummated；　included　the　country　lying　between　the　Kentucky　and　Cumberland　Rivers　almost　all　the　present　State　of　Kentucky；　with　the　adjacent　land　watered　by　the　Cumberland　River　and　its　tributaries；　except　certain　lands　previously　leased　by　the　Indians　to　the　Watauga　Colony。　The　tract　comprised　about　twenty　million　acres　and　extended　into　Tennessee。

Daniel　Boone's　work　was　to　cut　out　a　road　for　the　wagons　of　the　Transylvania　Company's　colonists　to　pass　over。　This　was　to　be　done　by　slashing　away　the　briers　and　underbrush　hedging　the　narrow　Warriors'　Path　that　made　a　direct　northward　line　from　Cumberland　Gap　to　the　Ohio　bank；　opposite　the　mouth　of　the　Scioto　River。　Just　prior　to　the　conference　Boone　and　〃thirty　guns〃　had　set　forth　from　the　Holston　to　prepare　the　road　and　to　build　a　fort　on　whatever　site　he　should　select。

By　April；　Henderson　and　his　first　group　of　tenants　were　on　the　trail。　In　Powell's　Valley　they　came　up　with　a　party　of　Virginians　Kentucky　bound；　led　by　Benjamin　Logan；　and　the　two　bands　joined　together　for　the　march。　They　had　not　gone　far　when　they　heard　disquieting　news。　After　leaving　Martin's　Station；　at　the　gates　of　his　new　domain；　Henderson　received　a　letter　from　Boone　telling　of　an　attack　by