pioneers of the old southwest-第17部分

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tion；　at　the　gates　of　his　new　domain；　Henderson　received　a　letter　from　Boone　telling　of　an　attack　by　Indians；　in　which　two　of　his　men　had　been　killed；　but　〃we　stood　on　the　ground　and　guarded　our　baggage　till　the　day　and　lost　nothing。〃*　These　tidings；　indicating　that　despite　treaties　and　sales；　the　savages　were　again　on　the　warpath；　might　well　alarm　Henderson's　colonists。　While　they　halted；　some　indecisive；　others　frankly　for　retreat；　there　appeared　a　company　of　men　making　all　haste　out　of　Kentucky　because　of　Indian　unrest。　Six　of　these　Henderson　persuaded　to　turn　again　and　go　in　with　him；　but　this　addition　hardly　offset　the　loss　of　those　members　of　his　party　who　thought　it　too　perilous　to　proceed。　Henderson's　own　courage　did　not　falter。　He　had　staked　his　all　on　this　stupendous　venture　and　for　him　it　was　forward　to　wealth　and　glory　or　retreat　into　poverty　and　eclipse。　Boone；　in　the　heart　of　the　danger；　was　making　the　same　stand。　〃If　we　give　way　to　them　＇the　Indians＇　now；〃　he　wrote；　〃it　will　ever　be　the　case。〃

*　Bogart；　〃Daniel　Boone　and　the　Hunters　of　Kentucky。〃　p。　121。


Signs　of　discord　other　than　Indian　opposition　met　Henderson　as　he　resolutely　pushed　on。　His　conversations　with　some　of　the　fugitives　from　Kentucky　disclosed　the　first　indications　of　the　storm　that　was　to　blow　away　the　empire　he　was　going　in　to　found。　He　told　them　that　the　claims　they　had　staked　in　Kentucky　would　not　hold　good　with　the　Transylvania　Company。　Whereupon　James　McAfee；　who　was　leading　a　group　of　returning　men；　stated　his　opinion　that　the　Transylvania　Company's　claim　would　not　hold　good　with　Virginia。　After　the　parley；　three　of　McAfee's　brothers　turned　back　and　went　with　Henderson's　party；　but　whether　with　intent　to　join　his　colony　or　to　make　good　their　own　claims　is　not　apparent。　Benjamin　Logan　continued　amicably　with　Henderson　on　the　march　but　did　not　recognize　him　as　Lord　Proprietor　of　Kentucky。　He　left　the　Transylvania　caravan　shortly　after　entering　the　territory；　branched　off　in　the　direction　of　Harrodsburg；　and　founded　St。　Asaph's　Station；　in　the　present　Lincoln　County；　independently　of　Henderson　though　the　site　lay　within　Henderson's　purchase。

Notwithstanding　delays　and　apprehensions；　Henderson　and　his　colonists　finally　reached　Boone's　Fort；　which　Daniel　and　his　〃thirty　guns〃lacking　two　since　the　Indian　encounterhad　erected　at　the　mouth　of　Otter　Creek。

An　attractive　buoyancy　of　temperament　is　revealed　in　Henderson's　description　in　his　journal　of　a　giant　elm　with　tall　straight　trunk　and　even　foliage　that　shaded　a　space　of　one　hundred　feet。　Instantly　he　chose　this　〃divine　elm〃　as　the　council　chamber　of　Transylvania。　Under　its　leafage　he　read　the　constitution　of　the　new　colony。　It　would　be　too　great　a　stretch　of　fancy　to　call　it　a　democratic　document；　for　it　was　not　that；　except　in　deft　phrases。　Power　was　certainly　declared　to　be　vested　in　the　people；　but　the　substance　of　power　remained　in　the　hands　of　the　Proprietors。

Terms　for　land　grants　were　generous　enough　in　the　beginning；　although　Henderson　made　the　fatal　mistake　of　demanding　quitrentsone　of　the　causes　of　dissatisfaction　which　had　led　to　the　Regulators'　rising　in　North　Carolina。　In　September　he　augmented　this　error　by　more　than　doubling　the　price　of　land；　adding　a　fee　of　eight　shillings　for　surveying；　and　reserving　to　the　Proprietors　one…half　of　all　gold；　silver；　lead；　and　sulphur　found　on　the　land。　No　land　near　sulphur　springs　or　showing　evidences　of　metals　was　to　be　granted　to　settlers。　Moreover；　at　the　Company's　store　the　prices　charged　for　lead　were　said　to　be　too　highlead　being　necessary　for　hunting；　and　hunting　being　the　only　means　of　procuring　foodwhile　the　wages　of　labor；　as　fixed　by　the　Company；　were　too　low。　These　terms　bore　too　heavily　on　poor　men　who　were　risking　their　lives　in　the　colony。

Hence　newcomers　passed　by　Boonesborough；　as　the　Transylvania　settlement　was　presently　called；　and　went　elsewhere。　They　settled　on　Henderson's　land　but　refused　his　terms。　They　joined　in　their　sympathies　with　James　Harrod；　who；　having　established　Harrodsburg　in　the　previous　year　at　the　invitation　of　Virginia；　was　not　in　the　humor　to　acknowledge　Henderson's　claim　or　to　pay　him　tribute。　All　were　willing　to　combine　with　the　Transylvania　Company　for　defense；　and　to　enforce　law　they　would　unite　in　bonds　of　brotherhood　in　Kentucky；　even　as　they　had　been　one　with　each　other　on　the　earlier　frontier　now　left　behind　them。　But　they　would　call　no　man　master；　they　had　done　with　feudalism。　That　Henderson　should　not　have　foreseen　this；　especially　after　the　upheaval　in　North　Carolina；　proves　him；　in　spite　of　all　his　brilliant　gifts；　to　have　been　a　man　out　of　touch　with　the　spirit　of　the　time。

The　war　of　the　Revolution　broke　forth　and　the　Indians　descended　upon　the　Kentucky　stations。　Defense　was　the　one　problem　in　all　minds；　and　defense　required　powder　and　lead　in　plenty。　The　Transylvania　Company　was　not　able　to　provide　the　means　of　defense　against　the　hordes　of　savages　whom　Henry　Hamilton；　the　British　Governor　at　Detroit；　was　sending　to　make　war　on　the　frontiers。　Practical　men　like　Harrod　and　George　Rogers　Clarkwho；　if　not　a　practical　man　in　his　own　interests；　was　a　most　practical　soldiersaw　that　unification　of　interests　within　the　territory　with　the　backing　of　either　Virginia　or　Congress　was　necessary。　Clark　personally　would　have　preferred　to　see　the　settlers　combine　as　a　freemen's　state。　It　was　plain　that　they　would　not　combine　and　stake　their　lives　as　a　unit　to　hold　Kentucky　for　the　benefit　of　the　Transylvania　Company；　whose　authority　some　of　the　most　prominent　men　in　the　territory　had　refused　to　recognize。　The　Proprietary　of　Transylvania　could　continue　to　exist　only　to　the　danger　of　every　life　in　Kentucky。

While　the　Proprietors　sent　a　delegate　to　the　Continental　Congress　to　win　official　recognition　for　Transylvania；　eighty…four　men　at　Harrodsburg　drew　up　a　petition　addressed　to　Virginia　stating　their　doubts　of　the　legality　of　Henderson's　title　and　requesting　Virginia　to　assert　her　authority　according　to　the　stipulations　of　her　charter。　That　defense　was　the　primary　and　essential　motive　of　the　Harrodsburg　Remonstrance　seems　plain；　for　when　George　Rogers　Clark　set　off　on　foot　with　one　companion　to　lay　the　document　before　the　Virginian　authorities；　he　also　went　to　plead　for　a　load　of　powder。　In　his　account　of　that　hazardous　journey；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　he　makes　scant　reference　to　Transylvania；　except　to　say　that　the　greed　of　the　Proprietors　would　soon　bring　the　colony　to　its　end；　but　shows　that　his　mind　was　seldom　off　the　powder。　It　is　a　detail　of　history　that　the　Continental　Congress　refused　to　seat　the　delegate　from　Transylvania。　Henderson　himself　went　to　Virginia　to　make　the　fight　for　his　land　before　the　Assembly。*

*　In　1778　Virginia　disallowed　Henderson's　title　but　granted　him　two　hundred　thousand　acres　between　the　Green　and　Kentucky　rivers　for　his　trouble　and　expense　in　opening　up　the　country。


The　magnetic　center　of　Boonesborough's　life　was　the　lovable　and　unassuming　Daniel　Boone。　Soon　after　the　building　of　the　fort　Daniel　had　brought　in　his　wife　and　family。　He　used　often　to　state　with　a　mild　pride　that　his　wife　and　daughters　were　the　first　white　women　to　stand　on　the　banks　of　the　Kentucky　River。　That　pride　had　not　been　unmixed　with　anxiety；　his　daughter　Jemima　and　two　daughters　of　his　friend；　Richard　Galloway；　while　boating　on　the　river　had　been　captured　by　Shawanoes　and　carried　off。　Boone；　accompanied　by　the　girls'　lovers　and　by　John　Floyd　（eager　to　repay　his　debt　of　life…saving　to　Boone）　had　pursued　them；　tracing　the　way　the　captors　had　taken　by　broken　twigs　and　scraps　of　dress　goods　which　one　of　the　girls　had　contrived　to　leave　in　their　path；　had　come　on　the　Indians　unawares；　killed　them；　and　recovered　the　three　girls　unhurt。

In　the　summer　of　1776；　Virginia　took　official　note　of　〃Captain　Boone　of　Boonesborough；〃　for　she　sent　him　a　small　supply　of　powder。　The　men　of　the　little　colony；　which　had　begun　so　pretentiously　with　its　constitution　and　assembly；　were　now　obliged　to　put　all　other　plans　aside　and　to　concentrate　on　the　question　of　food　and　defense。　There　was　a　dangerous　scarcity　of　powder　and　lead。　The　nearest　points　at　which　these　necessaries　could　be　procured　were　the　Watauga　and　Holston　River　settlements；　which　were　themselves　none　too　well　stocked。　Harrod　and　Logan；　some　time　in　1777；　reached　the　Watauga　fort　with　three　or　four　packhorses　and　filled　their　packs　from　Sevier's　store；　but；　as　they　neared　home；　they　were　detected　by　red　scouts　and　Logan　was　badly　wounded　before　he　and　Harrod　were　able　to　drive　their　precious　load　safely　through　the　gates　at　Harrodsburg。　In　the　autumn　of　1777；　Clark；　with　a　boatload　of　ammunition；　reached　Maysville　on　the　Ohio；　having　successfully　run　the　gauntlet　between　banks　in　possession　of　the　foe。　He　had　wrested　the　powder　and　lead　from　the　Virginia　Council　by　threats　to　the　effect　that　if　Virginia　was　so　willing　to　lose　Kentuckyfor　of　course　〃a　country　not　worth　defending　is　not　worth　claiming〃he　and　his　fellows　were　quite　ready　to　take　Kentucky　for　themselves　and　to　hold　it　with　their　swords　against　all　comers；　Virginia　included。　By　even　such　cogent　reasoning　had　he　convinced　the　Councilwhich　had　tried　to　hedge　by　expressing　doubts　that　Virginia　would　receive　the　Kentucky　settlers　as　〃citizens　of　the　State〃that　it　would　be　cheaper　to　give　him　the　powder。

Because　so　many　settlers　had　fled　and　the　others　had　come　closer　together　for　their　common　good；　Harrodsburg　and　Boonesborough　were　now　the　only　occupied　posts　in　Kentucky。　Other　settlements；　once；　thriving；　were　abandoned；　and；　under　the　terror；　the　Wild　reclaimed　them。　In　April；　1777；　Boonesborough　underwent　its　first　siege。　Boone；　leading　a　sortie；　was　shot　and　he　fell　with　a　shattered　ankle。　An　Indian　rushed　upon　him　and　was　swinging　the　tomahawk　over　him　when　Simon　Kenton；　giant　frontiersman　and　hero　of　many　daring　deeds；　rushed　forward；　shot　the　Indian；　threw　Boone　across　his　back；　and　fought　his　way　desperately　to　safety。　It　was　some　months　ere　Boone　was　his　nimble　self　again。　But　though　he　could　not　〃stand　up　to　the　guns；〃　he　directed　all　operations　from　his　cabin。

The　next　year　Boone　was　ready　for　new　ventures　growing　from　the　settlers'　needs。　Salt　was　necessary　to　preserve