Special Collections: Letter from the Draper Manuscripts, 22C41.
 
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Rebecca Boone (Grant) Lemond to Lyman C. Draper, March 22, 1853
Draper Manuscripts, 22C41 
 
Transcribed from microfilm copy of the original document from the 
Draper Manuscripts Collection of the State Historical Society of 
Wisconsin, Madison, WI.
 
Spelling and punctuation are as they appear in the original text.
Transcriber’s notes in {}
 
* * * * *
 
March the 22 1853
 
Mr Draper
 
Dear Sir You wish to know Some of the particulars of my Mother & 
Uncles having the Smallpox, I cannot tell you only I know they had it 
before they left Pensylvania. 2 – I donot know what year my father 
went to South Carolina, but I have heard my Father Say it was after he 
came from Virginia which I think might be about the year 1762, but I 
donot pretend to be very correct about dates, it was many years before 
I was born. 3 – As to Col. Samuel Bryan, I do not know where he died, 
but I Suppose on his farm where he lived before the war, that was on 
the Yadkin river the Shallow ford, in what was then calld Bryants 
Settlement, as to the Political opinion of William James & Morgan 
Bryan I know they diffrd very mutch from the Col for I knew them after 
I was capable of judging, I think there was no finer family than the 
Bryans, but some of them were greatly in the opinion of liberty, but it 
was far from having the opinion of all.
 
 I believe the different opinion in Politicks was the greatest 
reason that induced my Father to come to Kentucky as soon as he did, I 
have often heard him say; it was one of the most trying things he ever 
met with, to See Some of his best friends so carried away in so bad a 
cause. Col. Saml Bryan was one he so highly esteemed.
 
 [I know nothing of John Bryan) I had forgot to tell you Uncle 
Samuel Boone with his family went with my Father to South Carolina. He 
remained there till the fall of 1779 and that fall moved to Bryant 
Station
 
 My father, William & James Bryan, with 11 men but I donot know 
their Names, came to Bryans Station.  I expect in 1763 {“[1776]” is 
written in brackets above the date 1763}, Cleared Ten acres of ground 
put it in corn & when they laid it by went back for their familys, but 
was dissapointed, my fathers waggon & team was Presst to carry 
provision for a Indian campain, Brother Israel drove the team, that 
prevented them from coming that year. There was many things took place 
that prevented them from coming till the Spring 17__ on the tenth of 
Aprile my father with his little band landed at Bryans Station, it 
consisting of my Mother, Brother William, sister Elizabeth, my ___ & a 
colord woman, William Bryan & his Daughter Hannah, Sam’ Bryan, wife and 
one child; William Hays wife an one child, Mr. Jones with his family & 
a young man name of garton – they put in corn, there little Field with 
some more they cleared & in the fall Uncle Bryan & my father went back 
for the remainder of the family; that winter our Station consisted of 
60 Familys & no prospect for Bread but what little corn was raised 
there. Uncle Bryan, Brother Israel & Brother William was three that 
offered there servis as Hunters to supply the Station (there was other 
hunters at ___) & in a party went out without agare__ or Spies as they 
were calld to ca__ge in the woods, & if Sign of the Indians to give the 
alarm to the Hunters, or the Station) The day Uncle B got his Death 
wound, brother Israel was also wounded, he left his horse an took a 
tree just as he fired the second time, while loading again he was Shot 
and fell; there was a Mr. Hargol who saw him lying bleeding he got of 
his horse, put my Brother on & held him on for some distance, till he 
became so faint from loss of blood that Mr. Hargol was forced to take 
him down, tore a part of his linning & bandaged his wound, that that 
day there was 8 of the party wounded. At that time we had no doctors 
among us & Aunt Bryan & my mother was allmost all that attended on the 
sick & wounded. ___ Uncle was wounded & Aunt could not assist, it is 
one of the first things that at this time I recollect perfectly is my 
going with my Mother to assist her in carrying her pail of ooze & ___on 
of Elm bark bitten to dress the Poor wounded mens wounds, my Mother was 
a woman of a cheerful disposition & a great fortitude.
 
 The winter of ’79& ‘80 my Father had it very hard: my Brothers 
engaged in hunting for the Station, after our little supply of corn was 
gone, our only chance for bread was packing corn from Louisville then 
our Paper Money was of little value, it was under one hundred dollars 
for one of Silver. The men could not go only in large companys for 
fear of the Indians, then there was no road but a Buffalo path, and 
when we got a little corn it was ground on a handmill. When we got a 
little Salt, my Father had to pack his Pots to the Blue Licks to get a 
few pounds of very inferiour quallity. That winter my Fathers family 
was large – we had more cabbin rooms than any one in the Station: our 
cabbins made one and of the Station except the big gate. In one of his 
cabbins, they commenced a trench & dug it to the Spring and covered it 
over so they could go to the Spring in safty for fear being attacked & 
starved out for water. Our cabbins was near the Spring. The winter 79 
& 80 the Indians were very troublesome, they killed our men, Stole our 
horses, & destroyed all our stock – Brothers Sam & Squire went out one 
day, but a few yards from the ___’s fence, to drive in a cow; they were 
going round the root of a tree which was blown down but the body did 
not quite reach the ground. They met an Indian – boath partys gave 
back, my Brothers had the presence of mind to secrete themselves under 
the body of the tree. The Indian walked on the boddy of the Tree with 
the hope of suing the cane shake; but the boys did not quit their Share 
of Safety till they found the Indian had left the place; & then they 
got Safe to the fort. 
 
 That winter my Father had a large family about him. Brother 
John’s Family – Brother Mitchels family & a large one of his own; that 
winter there was a great many gentlemen came to K__y on Land business & 
as my Father & uncle Bryan had the most Cabbins, they had the most 
company, I have heard my Mother say that they at Some times that winter 
had a Family of over 50. I only say this to shew the weight that lay 
on my Father as the head of so large a Family.
 
 When they went to Louisville for corn they had to go in large 
Company, for Fear of the Indians; at one time my Father Started & 
forgot something – Brother Willm went after him & over took the party, 
my Father was leading a Horse with a Buffalo halter the young horse was 
unbroken & got Fritend, my Father got his hand entangled in the halter 
and lost his middle finger on his right hand he sufferd greatly from 
the wound & Brother W went on with the Company through the winter 
Brother John & some men was building Cabbins and making arange__ins 
arrangements to move to his own Land 5 miles North of Bryan’s Station. 
Early in the Spring ’80, he with 7 Familys, moved to his Station they 
had not been there but a few weeks, when one morning as soon as the men 
opend the gate to go to the work they were attacked by the Indians 3 
was killed & several wounded; among the rest a woman of my Brother’s 
was going out to milk, that broke up his Station. Brothers wife had a 
babe 3 days old, they rapd her up put her on a Sled & brought her to 
Bryans Station as soon as he could he Started for Carolina with a 
great many others my Father insisted on my Mother going also with 
Elizabeth Moses & myself, Brother Israel was to go with us, to get 
horses to move the balance of the Family back as the Indians had taken 
all of our horses except 4, when my Father came here (when my Father 
came to Kentucky he brought with him Twenty Seven Horses) my Mother 
con___d to go & purchas horses to move the ballance back when they 
went to Start, there was nohorse to carry a bed for my Mother, my 
Father gave a young the Name of Colwell 4 hundred acres of Land lying 
10 miles North of Lexington for his horse (which we kept but Three 
weeks till the Indians took him) my Mother Started with the company; 
the first Night they camped about 10 miles from the Station, Some of 
the company told my Mother, that my Father did not think of returning 
till Fall, as he intended to try to raise Some corn & bring them back 
again. Brother Israel was to bring horses for there use he felt better 
Satisfyed now he thought my Mother & the younger children was in Safty 
---- as soon as my Mother heard it early in the morning She packed her 
horses & returnd to the Station ____ deturmind to Suffer hardships & 
dager with my Father – my Father Said it was one of the most trying 
moments of his Life, he knew what hardships & hungers She would have to 
go through & he knew She was one of the Noblest of women and able 
adviser & there was no inconvniance She would not go through for the 
advantage of her Husband & Children that Spring Brother Israel Married 
Susanna Bryan, daughter of James Bryan --- __he 1780 the Indians were 
not so troublesom as they had been. This year my Father raised a fine 
crop of corn. Brothers Saml & Squire came out to see my Mother, in the 
fall when the ballances of the family came, with the intention of 
returning in the spring to the School they had left, Samuel Stayd but 
Squire returned to College to stay till he got his Eduation & after got 
an appointment of Survayer in Pennsyl While on one of his Survaying 
tours his camp was attacked, one many killed & himself wounded they 
were more than 20 Miles from any Settlement it was cold & Snowing, my 
Brother soon became so weak from the loss of Blood & fatigue that he 
could not go any further, he Sat down on a log, & found it was hollow, 
he then broke some cane crept in the log feet foremost & drew the cane 
in to him from the cold wind – next day he got to Cold Bledso where he 
was kindly taken care of; it was along time before he was able to go 
home to C__ash__ Brother Saml got an appointment of Survayer in 
Kentucky; he went through a great deal of hardship an danger – in the 
year 1789 he went to Virginia on land business & Married Lydia Craig 
daughter of Elijah Craig of his Death you are acquainted with the 
circumstance.
 
 In the Spring ’81 My Father moved to Mercer County, 8 miles North 
of Danville, near the Mouth of Hickman – he built Some large cabbins & 
inclosed them with Strong picketing, the Night after he finished his 
little fort the Indians took ___ last horse.
 
 I forgot to tell you, moving was but aslow business with 4 horses 
an 2 Slids, our corn Bufflow & Bears meat, was the greatest Part of our 
plan___ negro woman & child was to Stay at Mr Rogers to take care of 
things, till the last load, before my Brothers came back She was takn 
prisoner by the Indians & a young man namd Jones Killd near the Gate; 
that day there came & express from Lexington for assistance & all of 
the men had left the Station, She was not more than one hundred yards 
from the gate – the women saw her draggd off, but could not Save her. 
 
 When the Indians took our last horse there was a gentleman had 
just come to Smith’s Station of the name of Archable Woods who brought 
Severel horses he loand my Father Some till my Brother went to 
Carrolina for a fresh Supply.
 
 Mr. Woods was A Brother in law of Ben Cooper who Married my 
Father’s Niece (Mr Woods was killd at the Battle of the Blue Licks) 
Brother William was in that Battle, also, & B. Cooper Brother after 
crossing the river left his horse and took a tree to defend those 
crossing, his horse left him Mr B Cooper ___ caught him, they did not 
go far till William dismounted again to assist some Poor wounded man, 
his horse left him the Second time, Mr. Cooper was near on horseback 
overtook & brought him back – Brother Israel was with Logans Party you 
know they did not get to the Battleground There was noone lived in 
our little Fort the first year but our own Family the second year 
Uncle George Boon & Jesse Cafar lived with us, the, next Spring they 
moved back to Madison
 
 For four Summers after we moved to Mercy the Indians was 
troublesome stealing horses but never killed any Person in our 
Neighbourhood the second year they Took a boy prisnor named Lewis 
Garrard it was not more than one mile from my fathers – in 1787 in the 
Spring Part of my Fathers Family came to Fayatte 10 Miles north of 
Lexington to his own Land, to raise corn & build to bring the remainder 
in the fall, our nearest neighbours was six mile that was Grants 
Station (my Brother John Grant had returnd ___ years before (Moses 
Mitchel & John Landers my two Brothers in law, had come also), Brother 
William had not been there at work more than a few weeks when the 
Indians came through the Neighbourhood, killed Elizabeth Sanders in 
Sight of her Father’s house She was going part of the way home with a 
little girl the name of Mosby who had stayd with her all Night, they 
also killd Mr. Paton [Peyton] They went on further near the road that 
goes to Cincinati killd & took whole Family the name of Shanks – that 
broke up the Settlement; they all moved to Grants Station for Safty) 
that Prevented my Father before he was 60 he had gone through so mutch 
fatigue boath of body & mind, when he left Carolina he Sold two Farms & 
two mills an in Payment was to take Paper Money; you know the fate of 
that Currency, he bought 5 warrents to locate Lands he lost every 
entry except one, that was four Hundred acres four Hundreds of them he 
gave Mr. Colwell for A horse – when he went to Mercer he soon cleard 
afarm raised a great deal of corn he supplyd the nedy & never Sent the 
Poor empty from his door; his cabbins was free to every traveler who 
chose to Shelter under its Rough. The first association held in 
Kentucky, by the Baptist Church, was held in my Father’s cabbins in 
Mercer and at meeting there was the widdows of Trigg Christian Woods 
McBride Lapsley Fields & Vancleave, you may be Sure it was a meeting of 
Sympathy, those ware the Relicts of my Fathers belovd friends & 
acquaintance.
 
 Mr. Draper I might quit I fear you will not have the patiance to 
wade through this uninteresting detail, Mr. Draper you may form an Idea 
of the hardships & privations my Parents went through in Kentucky, but 
the half is not to___ This is the only thing of any lenth I have rote 
for many years You might know I neer went to School one Month in my 
life, what little I learnd was from my Parents, my riting bad my 
diction poor speling worse I fear very much you cannot read it, but I 
thought it would be rather a curiosity to see a letter from an Auld 
woman ___ that never went to School I assure you it was a great task 
for I could not rite but afew minuts till my Hand would become so weak 
& unstuddy I would have to quit I have heartfore got my Granddaughters 
to rite for me
 
 I did not tell you that Sister Sanders Second Son James was 
killed at Winchesters defeat & Brother Israels Second Son William was 
killd at Dudlys defeat, I could enumerate a great many of my Mothers 
near Connections if worthwhile I only tell you those things to let you 
know how our Family has sufferd in the farwest
 
 I believe my Father was worth more Property, when he left 
Carrolina than he was when he died, but he had given all his Children 
some thing to live on
 
 Mr Draper please excuse me for riting So mutch, that you have no 
Intrust in, Sir I wish to purchase a coppey of your work when finished
 
 My Brother I believe was in allmost all of the Scouts that ever 
was calld out in our Neighbourhood William was in Logans Campaign & 
also in Scotts
 
 Believe me your well wishes & Friend Rebecca B Lemond
 
Lyman C Draper