Daviess County, Kentucky - Early Settlement, 1883

Early Settlement

The first permanent settlement in what is now Daviess County, was probably made in 1797 or 1798, by the celebrated William Smither, more popularly known as "Bill Smothers;" this'settlement was made on the site of the present city of Owensboro. For an extended account of this remarkable man, see Chapter II. The centers of the principal settlements made in this part of the State, were at Hartford, on Rough Creek, and Vienna (now Calhoon), at the falls of Green River. Each place was rudely fortified against the attacks of the Indians, and crowded with men, women and children who had gathered there for safety. Their chief source of subsistence was wild game. This soon became scarce, and as soon as danger from Indian depredations was over the families began to settle outside the forts, though at first, within a short distance of the center of the settlement. The families at Hartford subsequently located on the banks of Rough Creek.

All of the now county of Daviess once belonged to, and was a portion of, Ohio County, except a small tract in the northwest some four miles wide, on the Ohio River, and extending south a few miles to Green River, which was taken off of Henderson and added to Daviess some twenty years ago. Also the greater portion of McLean lying on the north side of Green River and taken from Daviess to form McLean, was originally part of Ohio County. All of the earlier settlements of old Daviess were made whilst the Territory was part of Ohio, a large portion of the first settlements being in the region around Vienna, now Calhoon. The first settlement of the present Daviess County was made by Bill Smothers, Felty Husk and James Smothers, followed by Rodger Potts in 4 (49)

IJ5O2. liy John and David Leman in 180±; Matthew Rodgers, William Galloway a;id some others in 1805. Mrs. Ann Moreland, now residing in Owensboro, an excellant old lady, is a daughter of Rodtcer Potts. Mrs. Moreland has resided in the present limits of Owensboro for upward of seventy years. Wm. Galloway in a year or two settled about four miles west of Owensboro, in what was then and is still called the Buzzard Roost Hills. He soon had neighbors, Bill Wornall, James Romme, the Asterhorrys and a tew others. They were all squatters, settling where they chose, on and among the rich hills.

The owners of the lands resided in Virginia. The whole country, hills and river bottoms, was almost a dense cane-break, and lilled with bear, deer, wolves and other wild animals, also turkeys in great abundance. The hollow trees seemed to be infested witli raccoons and honey bees; but little labor was necessary. To clear a patch of ground on which to raise bread and potatoes, kill bear, deer, etc., for meat, cut down coon and bee trees, dress deer skins for clothing and moccasins, constituted the general occupation of the earlier settlers.

This mode of life was continued by many up to 1833, when the writer was first through this neighborhood, when he was shown a poplar tree, full eight feet across the stump, which had been cut down on the 25th of December, 1830, as a Christmas frolic by the neighbors. The result was the catching of nineteen raccoons and fourteen gallons of strained honey, after thirty persons had satisfied themselves- by eating all the honey they desired. The weather being cold the honey had to be warmed in iron pots before straining. This tale looks big, but I was assured by men who were of the party that it was true, and the parties were reliable, truthful men.

These old people are all gone, having left the country or died, and but few of their descendants remain. They were backwoods people and hunters. Yet moat of them were men of noble traits of character. Brave and fearless, hospitable in the full sense of the word, they took no advantage of each other, or of strangers. They would go ten to twenty miles to help a new comer to raise liis cabin. Tke rifle was always taken along, and they would kill and take in game for provisions at the raising and for a supply for the new comer until he could get about and help himself. They would stay until all was ready for the new comer to move in.

There were no locks to ineat-lionaes or corn-cribs in those days One end of a deer-skin cord was fastened to a rude latch on the inside of their cabin doors, and the other end of th cord was always hanging outside. There was no pilfering, backbiting or slandering. If a difficulty took place, there was no shooting or cutting, and if the matter could not be settled without a fight, their rifles and butcher-knives were laid aside and a fair fist and skull affair settled the fuss. JS^o biting or gouging or foul holds were allowed.

What has been said of these people applies in a great measure to the earlier settlers generally. The early settlers, however, in other portions of the country were more thrifty, paying more attention to clearing farms, raising horses, cattle and hogs. The pioneers in the eastern portion of the county were Ben Duncan, on Pup Creek in 1801, a prominent man in his day, father of Major Ben Duncan, lately deceased, and father-in-law of Asa Smeathers, and James Griffin, two of our oldest and best citizens. Ben Duncan at an early day represented Ohio and other counties in the House of Representatives and Senate of Kentucky. 0. Head, in Pup Creek in 1803, was an early pioneer, as -vras also the Bells, Adamses and others on or near Pup Creek in 1803 or 1804.

Jim Gentry settled all along from Rough Creek, in Ohio County, to the mouth of Blackford, on the Ohio River. Gentry was the great hog-raiser of his day; he would examine the country in the spring-time for long distances and climb the trees, ascertain where the best mast crop would be, and in due time take possession and move in his hogs. When Gentry's mast privileges began to be interfered with he crossed over the Ohio River into Indiana, where few settlements had been made, and where he had ample range. Gentry settled and gave name to what is now the thrifty village of Gentryville, Ind.

A few years later Thomas Clay, a Virginian by birth, and a Revolutionary soldier, settled seven miles above Owensboro on the present Hawesville road. Thomas Clay and his brother Green Clay, first settled in Madison County, Ky., from which they were both members of the convention which'established the second Constitution of Kentucky, and finished their labors at Frankfort, Ky., on the 7th day of August, 1799. Thomas Clay and Green Clay were both men of wealth.. Thomas purchased several thousand acres of land of the best quality, and settled in Ohio County, now Daviess,

Richard Ilawes, Eobert McCreery, Elijah McCreery, Enoch Kendall, Amos Riley, the Robertses and others were early settlers in what is called the Beech AVoods, and in the neighborhood of the present village of Yelvington. They were all good citizens, and men of wealth, or by industry became wealthy. Robert McCreery was the father of Plon. T. C. McCreery. Richard Ilawes raised eight sons to be grown, four of whom survive. Governor Richard Ilawes resides inParis,Ky.; Walker Hawes lives in Texas; Edwin Ilawes is now a resident of Owensboro, and W. F. Hawes, of St. Louis, Mo. The Ilawes family was a wealthy one, the sons all prominent men, and would have been prominent men in any part of Kentucky. Richard and Albert were each some six years in the United States Congress. The " Beech Woods" was for many years known far and wide for its unpretending, yet magnificent, hospitality.

The early settlers in the present county of Daviess, south of Panther Creek, were Ben Field, Joshua Griffith, Reuben Field and others. Colonel William Newton and Warner Crow were early settlers, but at a later date than Field and Griffith. Ben Field was born in Culpeper County, Ya., was a Captain in the Revolutionary army, was with General George Rogers Clark in the expedition against the British that captured Kaskaskia, 111., and Vincennes, led., then an Indian country under the control of the British. From 1Y81 to 1790 Ben Field was a surveyor in the wild portions of Kentucky, making frequent trips to his home in Virginia, in the winter. He finally settled, about 1803 or 1804, in Ohio County, now Daviess, on a tract of land lying ten miles south of Owensboro, and which he had surveyed about twenty-three years before. He died about 1841, aged nearly ninety. He was entitled to a pension of about $30,000, only half of which he ever realized

Field was witty, genial and hospitable, and raised a large and respectable family. All of his children are dead except Captain William Field, and all are higlily respected citizens of Ohio County. His grandson, Larkin Field, is a resident of Owensboro. Many of his grandchildren and great-grandcliildron reside in Davies"s County.

Joshua Griffith came from Maryland and first settled at Hartford, and afterward about ten miles south of Owensboro. then Ohio County. Joshua Griffith was the father of ReniUb Griffith and

Williain K. Griffith, botli of wlioui were prominent men. His daughters married William Hanford, Moses Cummins, Warner Crow and Jolm McFarland. All of Josiftia Griffith's children are dead, but many of his descendants still live ip Daviess. Joshua Griffith was a peculiar man, very mucli like a Quaker in his dress and appearance. Eemarkably fond of the company of those he liked, and full of fun. He was a great man for eggs, and always had plenty of them on hand. We could always tell you at mealtime, who he liked or thought most of He would put the question to each one, "Do 3-ou like eggs?" "How do you vant them cooked?" Each guest's eggs would be cooked as ordered, and placed on the table, and each guest directed to his proper place. If he did not fancy the guest, only the number named by him or her was placed. If he thought well of the next an additional egg or two was served, but if he fancied or was specially fond of any particular one, then double the number was placed for that person. He was fond of children and amused himself much at their praTi**, and sometimes played pranks on the children an* larger persons. He had his coffin made twenty years before he di^ and kept it in a room up stairs, immediately above the room occirpied by him, and generally under a bed immediately above. - He always during fa.l, winter and spring kept good apples in the coffin for convenience, and also kept some of his egg gourds under tlie same bed, and whenever youngsters or children came, he would ask if they wanted apples or eggs. Of course all said "yes." He would say, " You are young, and must wait on yourselves; just go up stairs and look under the bed and push the lid off that box, and get as many apples as you want, and bring me some; and you, who want eggs, look in the big gourd behind the box and get some." The result may well be imagined, for as soon as the bedclothes were raised, the light dimly revealed the coffin, and then there was such a "getting down stairs," without many apples or eggs, and after his laugh was over,he would then call in his faithful body servant, "Red," and have as many apples and eggs brought down as the youngsters and others could devour. In 1840 he exhibited to the writer a tea-kettle in good, serviceable condition, which he had purchased in Baltimore the day before his marriage, more than sixty years previously, and liad continuously used the kettle the whole time.

Colonel William Newton and Warner Crow settled in the same neighborhood, whilst yet Ohio County. Newton was from Oulpeper County, Va., and married a daughter of Ben Field. War- nei- Crow was born in Maryland and raised at HartiVird. They were both men of note; each was Slierifi of Daviui-s. and each represented the county in tlie LegishUnre of Kentucky.

Three brothers McFarland settled in what is now McLean County, a short distance from Field and Griffith, about 1805. The McFarfends were from North Carolina, near the Yadkin River, and from Daniel Boone's old country. Th^ey were of large stature and riien of greait power, in good circumstances and made good citizeiw. Maipy of their descendants have filled prominent positions In the county of Daviess, and their descendants are more numerous in Daviess than the descendants of any other half dozen men who ever settled in the county.

The early settlers of the southwest portion of the present Daviess County, were Dav ! Glenn, with |iis boys, William, Duke, and David, from North Carolina,.a]l good and true men. Many of their descendants still Ijve in the section of country settled by David, Sr. JohpAOftlliTifay, or '* Jhree Plait," as he was called, on account of wearing hi?^hai(|4u!A? and hanging plaited dow.n his back, also settled nearGleJuj.^'Vte was- an upright, honorable man, and made little chan.'c, dft'iiiiilj; j»is life in his original primitive, or backwoods, habits.

George Calhoon a lit'.le la. tr settled about seven miles southwest of Owensboro on the- stme farm owned and occupied by his son. Rev. Samuel Calhoon. He was at one time Assistant Circuit Judge of the district. He raised a remarkable family of boys, all of whom became men of note, and with the most limited means for an education - only what the wilderness aiforded. John Calhoon was the first Deputy in the Daviess County clerk's ofiice. lie studied law at odd times, commenced practice at Hartford, was a Member of the Legislature, and for six years was a Member of Congress, again a Member of the Legislature, and then Circuit Judge. He afterward settled at old Vienna, on (iieen River, and when McLean County was established, tlic v,-ritcr had the honor of naming tlie county seat Calhoon, in honor of Judge Calhoon. Three of the other brothers, George, IJenrv and Mitchell, became lawyers, one of whom was a ,1 ndge in Misi^istippi ; yainucl became a preaclier of the Cjiiinbcrlaiid Presljytfriun diurcli. a!id has (uintiniied to preach f.r more thfiri fiay v.'hvs lie is qiiite Infi.-m in body, hut hie nii)j(l is ^fi'I .-tP.ng. Jlaliih (Jalhooii was a man of fine mind, afluL-iit talker, and of vubt infoi'iiiation. lie dit'd .-^.»me l.wontv yeare iuro at wliat is known a^ Caihoon's Kerry, o:; Cire>n\ River.

Willis Pickett, a house carpenter of Owensboro, went to Texas in IbM, joined a company, and participated in the coiitei-t with Mexico for the independence of Texas.

Of such names and men were the original settlers of Daviess County, and from such men are many of our people descended. In 1834: the voters of Daviess County, then including half of Mc- Lean, only numbered 800. Now, in 1875, with McLean voting separate, Daviess County has 4,800 white voters, and bOO colored voters.

There has been vast progress and improvement in population and wealth, social position, polish, and education. But with all our progress and improvemetit, increase of wealth and population can we congratulate ourselves that gar manhood and integr^y is an improvement on the manhood and integrity of the old settlers?

Hon. John H. McFarland, of (Jwensba^o^lis the oldest living resident of Daviess County, hariMii,^pent taore than seventy-rive years within the limits of the fcUafii''. ' ffe'was bo'rn in Person County, N. C, April 26, 1798. ills grandparents onjiis father's side emigrated from Ireland in 1690,' His maternal grandparents. Chambers by name, canie from Scotland at a very early day. His parents were Walter and Lucy (Chambers) McFarland, and came to Daviess (then Ohio) County in 180.*>. Mr. McFarland remembers well the journey from North Carolina, and wliile on a visit to that State in 1875, was able to point out the place where his fatiier lived, and where he himself was born. The McFarlands started from North Carolina in September, and halted within a mile of where Lewis Station now stands, on the third of November. Settlements liad been made in that vicinity by one or two persons. Captain Ben Field and Adam Shoemaker, and the same year Joshua Griffith put up a house, which he occupied with his family the next season. There were no otlier persons living except at a distance of several miles, and tlie whole number of families living within the present limits of Daviess County was less than a dozen. Robert McFarland bought 200 acres of land south of Owensboro, and made the first whisky and brandy ever made in this county. He died in ISll, aged forty-six years. John was fourteen years old at the time of his father's death. The first school he attende-l was kept by an Irisliman named Andrew Kelly, two miles southwest of Lewis Station, and was probably the first taught in Daviess County. Oct. 26, 1816, when under nineteen years of age, he married Elizabeth, daughter of Joshua Griffith, of Baltimore, Md., and immediately went to farming, which occupation he has followed the greater part of his life. He was the most extensive farmer and tobacco- raiser in the county, often realizing $5,000 a year from the crop. Each year he planted 130 acres. After a married life of seventeen years, Mrs. McFarland died, leaving eleven children. In 183i Mr. McFarland married Harriet Leaman, the first child born in the city of Owensboro. By this marriage there have been seven children.

In 1857 he became a resident of Owensboro. He was a serious sufferer by the events of the war, and since then has given up active business to a great extent. During the war he was cultivating 130 acres of tobacco, which he lost entirely, besides losing $40,000 in slaves. On one occasion he saw a company of guerrillas approaching the house. He had at this time $6,000 or $7,000 in the house. As not a moment could be lost, he handed the money to a negro boy, who roHted it np and hid it in a pile of rubbish, and it thus escaped the eyes of the guerrillas; it was soon restored to its owner.

In his politics -Mr. McFarland was an old Henrj' Clay Whig, and an active worker in that party. In 1848 he was elected to the Legislature on the'Whig ticket. He served one term, and made an honest record, as an efficient member, and a conscientious servant of the people. During the war of the Rebellion Mr. McFarland maintained the union of the States and tlie supremacy of the Government according to the Constitution and laws; since the war he has acted with the Democratic party. Mr. McFarland has spent a life in honor and usefulness. He is well worthy to stand as an example of the men who reclaimed Kentucky from the wilderness, and prepared it for the abode of subsequent generations.

Among the early settlers of north McLean County (then in Daviess) was Anthony '.Thompson, a strict constructionist of law, especially of Sabbath laws. He held tliat no one should labor on Sunday. In ills vicinity one Saturday afternoon there arrived one Christopher Dickin, who had fallen heir to a survey of 400 acres, covering tlie site where Vienna stood, besides another tract of 1,000 acres in the vicinity. Mr. D. was moving from Virginia to take possession of the property, with his family and several negroes. On Sunday morning they finished their journey, and Thompson had Dickin arrested for violating Sunday law; and this prosecution became only the first of a long series of lawsuits and of an unending enmity between the men.

On another occasion Mr. D. was building a house, and Saturday night caught him with the structure uncovered. The next day he commenced to work on the building, and Thompson commenced lawing him again. These prosecutions, of course, led to a permanent enmity between the two men and their families.

Early Preachers

John Daveiss, a brother of Colonel Jo Daveiss, was perhaps, the first resident minister in this county, being here in 1815-'17. He was an Old-School Baptist, a sensible but an old-fashioned, plainly dressed, unassuming man. He was a sort of lawyer, farmer, politician and preacher. The lawyer, politician and preacher elements did not seem to harmonize very well, so he quit the law, but, being of a warm Irish temperament, he could not entirely ignore politics, so liis political aspirations somewhat interfered with liis usefulness as a minister of the gospel. He was a man of ability, with most wonderful conversational powers, witt3% genial and sociable in a high degree.

George Render, a resident of what is now Ohio County, was another minister of tlie same persuasion, who, about the same time, made his monthly visits to points within the present limits of Daviess County, devoting Saturday and Sunday to public services. He wa# rough in his ajipearance, but a kind-hearted jnan.

Thomas Downs and William Downs, brothers, were among the early Old-School Ea])tist preachers, both entirely self-made men, and reared in the wilderness. Their father was killed by the Indians near the old st(jcka(le fort at Vienna, now Calhoon, on Green River. Thomas, who resided soutli of Panther Creek; 1815-'35 and afterward, was a man of fair capacity, great piety, and indomitable energy in his holy mission. He devoted his life to his Master's cause, and was always pooi-, and for many years traveled on foot from ten to forty miles to meet his appointments and attend the sessions of the Association. Every person loved and respected Thomas Downs. William Downs differed mucli from his brother. William, a resident of what is now Ohio County, was a man of splendid intellect, fond of religious controversy, i^eing what was known as a hard-shell Baptist, he warred with the United Baptists as energetically as with Methodists, Presbyterians or Catholics.

At one time John Cflhoon and others secured a challenge from Downs to a Catholic priest, and its acceptance for a religious debate. At the time and place named Downs was on hand, having traveled on foot about seventy miles. Great preparations had been made, and fully 2,000 people were around the rude stand erected in the dense birch grove. At the hour. Downs mounted the stand, 'took a seat, and, after waiting nearly an hour, raised himself up to his full height, and, after minutely surveying the immense crowd for some ten minutes (and no jjriest being in sight), broke forth in tones which echoed far and wide through the forest, "Where, oh, where is that uncircumcised Philistine who assumes the power of the living God ? " The excitemen was intense. The air was rent by shouts of the multitude. Downs ijuietl}' took a text, preached an able sermon, never alluding tf) Catholics. Downs did not walk home. He returned home superbly dressed, and for some time seemed to bo Hush with silver dollars, halves and quarters. Uncle Billy, with all his ability, seems not to have been heavily burdened with pietj^, and was bitterly opposed to total abstinence organizations.

John Pinkston was . an old-fashioned pioneer Methodist local preacher, earnest, zealous and efficient, and the early builder up of the Methodist'church in this county, rio lived, ISlS-'-Si and after. two or three miles from Owensboro. on the Litchtield road.

Jasper Bristow was an ohl-tashioned Baptist preacher, on the hard-shell plan, a clever, good, and industrious citizen, residing here 1829-'34. Some of his children and many grandchildren reside in the countv.

Reuben Cottrell, from near iiichmond, Va., of tlie United Baptists, was here in 1S33 and afterward. He was a jjreaeher of note, and bitterly opposed to Freemasonry. lie was opposed to members of the church belonging to any secret organization. Some of his children and many grandchildren reside in Daviess County.

Samuel Calhoon lived about three miles out on tlie Henderson, until the time of his death. He was a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church; died within the last three years, nearly ninety years of age.

was a low, heavy, powerful man as to muscular strength. When he preached he put forth his whole physical and intellectual strength, and was more of an exhorter than preacher. He was fond of camp-meetings, where he was always in his element. He could do more crying, and have more crying done, and more tears shed, than any man of his day. He was an industrious and hardworking man. Uncle Jo seemed to have a passion for saw-mill8 and improvements of that character. He spent almost a fortune on saw-mills and mill-dams on both North and South Panther Creeks, but his creeks were without rocky bottoms or banks, were low, sluggish streams, and he had great difficulty in making his efforts remunerative. Jo Miller was a worthy and good man. Others and more prominent ministers have followed the old pioneer preachers, men of more learning, greater ability, and polished manners, but not more faithful, pious, or energetic than the old preachers who lifted up their voices in the vilderness to proclaim tlie tidings of salvation.

From the records in the county clerk's office we obtain the following names of ministers who solemnized matrimony in early day, in addition to those already mentioned : Daniel T. Pinkston, 1815-'20; Job Hobbs, 1816-17; John Phipps, 1818 (probably lived in Hartford); Othello Williams, 1819-'24; Jesse Greene, Methodist Episcopal, 1819; William Allen, Methodist Episcopal, 1820; Reuben Owen, 1820; David Lowry, 1820-'21; Joseph Pearson, 1820-'23; W. Kincheloe, Methodist Episcopal, 1820; John Doris, Baptist, 1821-35; William P>arnett, 1822 (lived in what is now Ohio County); George Locke, Methodist Episcopal, 1824; William C. Long, Cumberland Presbyterian, 1829; Ancil Hall, 1830-'35; Stephen F. Ogden, Methodist Episcopal, 1830-'31; James Moore, same church, 1832-'33; William Morman, Baptist, 1829-'34; C.L. Cliffton, Methodist Episcopal; Eichard D. Neale, same, 1833; David J. Kelly, 1834; Elisha J. Durbin, 1829 and onward; John C. Wathen, Catholic priest, 1834-'35; F. Tanner, Baptist (residing between Panther Creek and Green River), 1834-35.

The names of parties not indicated as ministers of the gospel, who solemnized matrimony in this county previous to 1835, we find to be these: Benjamin Peeplus, 1819; Benjamin Kelly, 1820; J. H. L. Moorman, 1820; Benjamin Talbot, 1820; Michael D. Neal, A. M., 1824; William Hart, 1830; T. W. Chandler, 1834.

Miscellaneous Notes

Mr. Meeks, the father of James and Charles Meeks, was killed across the river in Indiana in ]811, by an Indian named Suttyhouse. The sons here mentioned then pursued the murderer until they found him, and then killed him. The incoming war of 1812 directly aiterward frightened all the Indians of this region to other parts of the country, since which time no depredations have been committed by them in this part of Kentucky.

William Calhoon, the great-grandfather of George Calhoori, came to this country in a very early day. On one occasion, while surveying with another man, they were lost for forty days and nights, having nothing to eat except snakes and toads! They became s) poor and weak that they had to lie down beside a sapling at night, so that they could raise themselves in the morning from the ground with the aid of their hands, as it were by climbing!

Mr. Calhoon's grandfather, with five pounds (sterling) of money and an old wreck of a gun, purchased 1,400 acres of land, which now is said to be worth $50 an acre.

The earthquake of 1811 was perceived by all the residents in this region. Articles suspended from the wall or ceiling were swung about Ijke a bell on an animal's neck. The superstitious element of human nature was excited, and many are the amusing experiences witnessed on that occasion. For example, one Anthony Thompson, a pious Methodist, thinking that the world was coming to an end, met with his neighbors and prayed and sang and shouted. Byrd Wall, father of Banister, was appealed to by one of these excited believers, and he replied : "Oh, you needn't give yourselves any uneasiness. This earth is hung on axles like a horse-mill shaft, and I will insure its running safely for a thousand years yet to come. "

1811. - This was a remarkable year in Kentucky, - comet, earthquake, signs of war with Great Britain, first steamboat down the Ohio Eiver, and the discovery of the Mammoth Cave! All these at a time when the people were superstitious, - no wonder they were frightened. It is claimed by one old resident, however, that the fi''8t steamboat on the Ohio River did not appear until 1814. The fliN; shock of the earthquake was perceived at 2:15 p. m., Dec. 16, 1«U.

And now, how natural to turn our eyes and thoughts back to tlie log-cabin days of less than fifty years ago, and contrast it with the elegant mansion of modern times. Before us stands the old log cabin. Let us enter. Instinctively the head is uncovered in token of reverence to this relic of ancestral beginnings and early struggles. To the left is the deep, wide fire-place, in whose commodious space a group of children may sit by the fire, and up through the chimney may count the stars, while ghastly stories of witches and giants, and still more thrilling stories of Indians and wild beasts, are whisperingly told and shudderingly heard. On the great crane hang the old tea-kettle and the great iron pot. The huge shovel and tongs stand sentinel in either corner, while the great andirons patiently wait for the huge backlog. Over the fire-place hangs the trusty rifle. On the right side of the fire-place stands the spinning wheel, while in the fartlier end of the room the loom looms up with a dignity peculiarly its own. Strings of drying apples and poles of drying pumpkin are overhead. Opposite the door by which j^on enter stands a huge deal table; by its side the dresser, whose " pewter plates " and " shining delf " catch and reflect " the fire-place flame as shields of armies do the sunshine." From the corner of its shelves coyly peep out the relics of former china. In a curtained corner and hid from casual sight we find the mother's bed, and under it the trundle-bed, while near them a ladder indicates the loft where the older children sleep. To the left of the fire-place and in the corner opposite the spinningwheel is the mother's work-stand. Upon it lies the Holy Bible, evidently much used, its family record telling of parents and friends a long way off, and telling, too, of children

Her spectacles, as if but just used, are inserted between the leaves of her Bible, and tell of her purpose to return to its comforts when cares permit and duty is done. A stool, a bench, well notched and whittled and carved, and a few chairs complete the furniture of the room, and all stand on a coarse but well-scoured floor. Let us for a moment watch the city visitors to this humble The city bride, innocent but thoughtless, and ignorant of labor and care, asks her city- bred husband: "Pray, what savages set this up?" Honestly confessing his ignorance, he replies: " I do not know."

But see the pair on whom age sits " frosty but kindly." First, as they enter, they give a rapid glance around the cabin home, and then a mutual glance from eye to eye. Why do tears start and fill their eyes? Why do lips quiver? There are many who know why; but who, that has not learned in the school of experience the full meaning of all these symbols of trials and privations, of loneliness and danger, can comprehend the story they tell to the pioneer? Within this chinked and mud-daubed cabin we read the first pages of our history; and as we retire through its low doorway, and note the heavy battened door, its wooden hinges, and its welcoming latch-string, is it strange that the scene without should seem to be a dream? But the cabin and the palace, standing side by side in vivid contrast, tell the storj' of this people's progress. They are a history and prophecy in one.

Bill Smothers

Tlie name of this romarkable ])ioneer has been variouslj' spelled and pronounced, as Snieather, Sraoathers, Sraither, Smithers, Smothers, etc., but Smither was probably correct; and " Bill " is supposed, of course, to stand for William. The above is the name by which he was familiarly called. He was born on the western frontier of Virginia, near the Ilolston River. His father was a liunter, and frequently took his]son with him to assist in bringing home the game. One morning he started at daylight, telling his wife that he would take a little round and be back to breakfast. As he did not return, a search was made for him. His body was found about two miles from home, nearly devoured by the wild beasts; but the narrow blade of an Indian tomahawk had been driven dee]) into his brain. His wife was so deeply aifected by his death that she lived onlj- nine days, and was placed in death where she had been in life - close by the side of her husband. William was so excited that he did not close his eyes in sleep during the night that followed her burial. Before day he went out, and standing by their graves, boy as he was, he raised his hand to Heaven and swore that he would devote his life to the destruction of the Indian race. And well did "he keep that vow, for he never saw an Indian that he did not shoot at, and he very seldom missed his aim. He felt very conscientious about killing a squaw, and rejoiced that it was never his misfortune to meet with one.

AVilliam was twelvs years old at the time of his parents' death. There were also two other children: James, aged nine, and Mollie. aged seven. One of the neighbors, a new comer, having no place of his own, proposed to take care of these orphan children for the rent of the farm. This was agreed upon and he moved in. During that same year William went to live with an uncle in Virginia, who agreed to give him a good education, and $100 in money when he became of age. This uncle, whose name wa-* Chrisman, was a man who worshiped the rich and scorned the poo]'. He was so cruel and overbearing to his orphan nephew that the latter ran away from him in a few years. He wandered through the country, stopping wlierever he could lind anything to do, but found his stock of money was growing less and less every day. lie was in a little town called Taylorville, near the Catawba liiver, when Culonel Shelby came thnjugh beating up for volunteers, and William joined him because lie knew not what else to do. At that time the British had a military post on King's Mountain, so named from the I'act that it stands alone, overlooking the country on all sides. It was at this point that the battle of King's Mountain was f.iught between the British and Colonel Shelby's men. The latter were successful, having killed Ferguson and a great many of his men, captured 1,000 prisoners, 2,000 muskets, and all their military stores, and lost very few of their own men.

After his discharge, William again wandered around the country until the following spring, when he was taken by a squad of men belonging to General Green's command, who had been sent out to press teamsters to drive the wagons. Although Smothers was exempt from the duties of teamster, he was detained until after the battle of Guilford Court-House was fought, and was then discharged. After this he could find no employment and concluded to return to James River and visit his nncle and friends in that vicinity. But his uncle forgot to give him the $100, although he was twenty-one and had a very good education. He bade hiia good-bye, and started for his native town to visit his brother and sister. He found them still living with the man who had taken the farm. This man had a daughter whom Smothers courted one Sunday evening, and married the next Thursday. He was very anxious to proceed immediately to Kentucky, but his wife and sister insisted that the snow and ice on the mountains would endanger their lives; so the move was postponed until spring.

On his arrival in Kentucky, he found the jegion around Lexington more densely settled than the country he had left on the Holston. He had come to fight the Indians, and did not feel like taking wages as a hand on a farm. He met a party who were cominir down to fortify in the Green River country, and joined them at once. They built a fort at Hartford, on Rough Creek. When they were besieged they found that the Indians generally came from lower Kentucky, wading Green River at the falls. Thev established a fort there and called it Vienna. At first, of course, it was only a fort; afterward a town was laid out there and called Vienna. It is now called Calhoon. The father of Wm. and

Thomas Downs, a Baptist preacher, was the last man killed by the Indians here, which was in 1790-'2, within a few hundred yards of the fort. The section of the country about Vienna was settled up fully ten years before Bill Smothers came to Owensboro; the Indians seldom came in great force afterward, and they soon scattered. Mrs. Smothers lived only a few years after her removal to Kentucky, and died, leaving two daughters and one son. Miss MoUie Smothers remained with her brother many years.

Smothers, not liking the dense settlements around Hartford and Yienna, came to the Yellow Banks and built a cabin on the banks of the Ohio. This was about the beginning of the present century. The cabin was of round logs and had two doors; from one he had a view of the Ohio, and from the other he looked into his garden. On the lower side of the house there was a shed-room, which was made by extending the main roof,, being enclosed by slabs of timber planted in the ground. About four feet of a single log was cut out to make a passway into the room. In it he deposited his peltries and groceries, and when he entertained a large company, which was frequently the case, it was converted into a bed-chamber, more agreeable in cold than warm weather, owing to the abundance of deer and bear skins and buffalo robes which were kept there.

Nature had been liberal in her gifts to Smothers. In personal courage he was inferior to no man, and he was endowed with a good understanding. The operations of his mind were quick, and there was a sprightliness and point in his conceptions which never failed to interest the listener. In conversation he rarely descended to vulgarity, and never affected the coarse manner or rude speech of the ruffian. His voice, like his mind, was clear and distinct; and if he had received a thorough education he would have been a shining light in the land. But his love of fun was his controlling passion, and led him into many improprieties and may have clouded his memory with crime. In person, he was five feet eleven inches high; his hair and beard were dark brown; his eyes were prominent and a clear, deep blue ; his complexion was fair; and the expression of his countenance was playful and intelligent. Whatever he did seemed to be performed deliberately. He spoke the truth, except when he was planning some mischief, and then his fertile imagination readily invented whatever was necessary to the success of his scheme. On these occasions he could invent the most marvelous and miraculous lies, giving all the particulars and at-

Smothers was delighted with his new home at the Yellow Banks. He was in search of a good hunting-ground for himself, and good range for his horse and cow; and in these respects his situation could not have been improved. From Panther Creek to the Ohio Eiver, and from Green Elver to Blackford, he was the only inhabitant. He roamed the forest alone and slaughtered the game at pleasure. The necessaries and even the luxuries of life were furnished to him at his very door. The barges, as they were slowly cordelled by their armed crews, would stop and give him salt, flour and groceries, in exchange for dried venison, bear-meat and buifalo robes. No man below the falls could furnish so sumptuous a meal, and ho man ever entertained with more genuine hospitality. The visitors had a general partiality for old rye" and ''flour bread," as these articles were unknown in the interior. At the conclusion of one of his repasts, a man called " Leather-legs" wiped his mouth on the skirt of his hunting shirt, and remarked: " Smothers, I believe I will pull up stakes where I am, and come down here." This observation cast a shade over the countenance of Smothers, but he quickly replied, assuring his friend that the unhealthfulness of the climate would greatly endanger his life; "and besides," said Smothers, " I intend paying you a visit on Pond River, and taking a long tramp in the hills; 1 like to hunt in the hills; the water is so much better than it is in the bottoms, and then you are clear of the black gnats, mosquitoes and gallinippers that swarm in these flats." " Stop, Smothers," said Leatherlegs, "you are taking a great deal of pains to tell me that you don't -want me here. I won't come; if I break up I will go to the mouth of the Wolf, or to the Red Banks." "Well, then," said Smothers, "we will be neighbors, and I will call and see you at either point."

The remark of Leather-legs made a deep impression upon the mind of Smothers. It proved to him that others were at least thinking of intruding themselves into the small boundaries which he had assigned to himself; that the 150,000 acres of land which he had enjoyed as a hunting-ground would be occupied by other men; that settlements would be made, farms opened, and the game driven away or destroyed, and that he would be left in his old age without the means of support, in the country from which he had expelled the Indians. He did not spend his time in gloomy despondency, bnt, like a true man, resolved to make every effort to avert the awful train of calamities which he saw at no great distance ^before him. A surveyor's chain he regarded with particular abhorrence, and, if opportunity presented, he would place it where it would never be stretched again ; corner trees, he thought, ought not to stand, as they would be the starting points for subdivision. It will not be stated that he ever cut one, but many were missing. He determined also that his house should present fewer attractions. His table, instead of luxuries, was supplied with the simplest and coarsest fare of the hunter. He almost deserted his home, wandering weeks and months together in the woods. He hunted deer and bear on this side of the river, killing as many as he wished, and twice a year he took an Indian hunt on the other side, where he was equally as successful. Sleepless days and nights would be spent to get a shot; and at every crack of his rifle an Indian fell.

The melancholy and dreadful news, against which he would have gladly closed his ears, at last saluted Smothers, that at least twenty families had arrived upon his territory, and were then preparing to build houses and open plantations. The surveyor with his compass and chain was making new lines; the ax was busily plied in felling his trees; and the wedge lustily driven was riving his oaks. His lines had been broken and he was surrounded. In anguish and bitterness of spirit he contemplated his situation, and no ray of light broke through the dark cloud which enveloped him. At first he had almost resolved upon a hostile demonstration, but the number of the emigrants and the respectability of a portion of them, convinced him of the absolute folly and madness of such a course. Like all brave men, when fairly driven to the wall, he made up his mind to meet his fate with fortitude, and, making a virtue of necessity, he determined to cultivate the good opinion of the new comers by a friendly visit to them. Near Blackford he called upon Ely and Natty Bell. At the house of the latter he was agreeably surprised to find his brother James, who was laying siege to Bell's sister-in-law; she capitulated shortly afterward and they were married. In his circuit he saw Barker and Killenbarger, Holmark and Holinhead, Jones and Jordan, Glenn and Gentry, and on his return home he heard the ax of Felty Husk, who was cutting logs to build a house near the residence of Thomas H. Painter. Husk and Smothers afterward contracted a friendship which closed only with their lives.

Hitherto there had been no legal tribunals in this section, and might had generally constituted right. But Anthony Thompson was commissioned and qualified as a Justice of the Peace for Nelson County. He lived a few miles to the west of Vienna, and his district was about as large as six of our present counties. Thompson had a clear head, an iron will, and the kindliest feelings toward the whole human family. The uneasiness which Smothers experienced at the appointment of a magistrate in such close proximity to himself gradually faded away. Five years of impunity convinced him that Squire Thompson was his friend; and although he had never seen him, he began to like the man, but rather preferred that Panther Creek should still continue to run between them. One day Thompson called upon Smothers and they were 60 well pleased with one another that they became intimate friends.

One sultry evening as the last rays of the setting sun were playing upon a bank of cloud, fringing its outline in purple and gold, Smothers and his sister sat upon the doorsteps enjoying the cool air, and silently enjoying the splendors of the scene. Unnoticed by them, a keelboat had made fast at the landing, and several of the men were already in the yard. The foremost, a man by the name of Norris, was of Herculean proportions, and it was the boast of the crew that lie had never met a match in a fisticuff from Louisville to New Orleans. Miss MoUie left the side of her brother and entered the house. When they approached Smothers arose from his seat and invited them to walk in. They indulged themselves in such freedom of remark that Miss MoUie concluded she could not remain with propriety and ran to the house of Felty Husk. Smothers, who had not observed the absence of his sister, remonstrated with them in mild but very decided terras upon their unbecoming and unworthy behavior. The firmness of his manner, and the truth of what he said, made an impression upon the boatmen. Six of the number upon leaving the house called to Norris to come and go to the boat. He told them to go on and that he would be along directly, liut he never went. In the dim twilight Smothers saw ten or twelve of the crew ascending the bank in a line to his house. Retreating by the back door lie concealed himself in a bed of strawberries which grew in his garden. When they entered ;uid beheld the lifeless body of their comrade and friend extended upon the floor, with the warm blood still trickling from two ghastly wounds, their rage and indignation knew no bounds. They threatened to hunt for Smothers until they found him, and to slay him at sight. Perceiving that they were searching and ransacking the house, and expecting them in tlie garden, he left his hiding place and spent the night in the woods. At daylight the next morning he knocked at the door of Ben Duncan, Esq., who lived on Pup Creek, ten miles above Yellow Banks. He informed 'Squire Duncan of the nature of the cl)arges which had been made against him on the night previous and demanded a judicial investigation. 'Squire Duncan summoned the boatmen as witi\e6se8 and opened his Court of Inquiry. In answer to the summons the crew came in a body to the house of the justice. Many of them were armed, and declared it to be their intention to seize the prisoner and hang him to a tree. But the friends of Smothers wer« there, and no man had more friends or truer friends than he had. They told the boatmen if they opened the ball in blood that the sun of that day would shine on many a corpse; that Smothers had surrendered himself to the officers of the law and was a prisoner; that they could give their evidence if they had any, but if a hand was raised in violence they would resist it to the death. As they were prepared to make their words good the examination went on smoothly and quietly. The court decided that the offense was vailable, and required Smothers to give bond and security for his appearance on the "first day of the next term of the Ohio (now Daviess) Circuit Court. The bond was immediately filled by the prisoner and a number of securities, and after recognizing the witnesses the court adjourned. Smothers, with six of his chosen friends, returned to his home. The boat was still at the landing, but the war was not renewed.

Smothers was much perplexed in mind upon the subject of employing good counsel to argue his case before the Circuit Court. For all minor offenses he had appeared in his own behalf, and had been uniformly successful; but in a case which involved the question of his life or death, he was unwilling to trust himself. But he was poor, and lawyers' fees werehigh, and he knew not well what to do. His anxieties about the matter were happily relieved. The great advocate, Jo Daveiss, knew Smothers well, and admired him greatly for that indomitable courage yhich never had been known to quail in the presence of danger. He heard, at Frankfort, of the affair, and sent Smothers a message which was characteristic of the man: '- Don't ruin yourself hiring lawyers. I will be with you on the day of the trial." Smothers knew his man, and relied upon the promise with implicit confidence. The fame of Jo Daveiss as an orator and the wide-spread acquaintance of the accused brought a concourse to court, such as had never been seen in Hartford before. The keelboatmen from Louisville were there, and strangers from a circuit of 100 miles were in attendance, curious to see Bill Smothers, and anxious to hear Jo Daveiss. The trial itself was likely to be one of surpassing interest and remarkable singukrity. Only two lawyers would appear, and they were brothers. As soon as the sheriff had made proclamation that the "court was open," Smothers tendered himself in discharge of his bond, and took a seat within the bar. John Daveiss, the Prosecuting Attorney for the district, was much interrupted in his duties during the day by repeated questions concerning his brother: "Where is he?" " "When do you think he'll be here?" " May be he will not come at all." And a variety of inquiries and speculations saluted him wherever he went. On Monday night Jo Daveiss staid at the house of Stephen Stateler, four miles from Hartford, and on Tuesday morning he and Stateler walked into town. Court was already in session, and was devoting the usual hour to motions. Stateler and Daveiss sat upon a bench in a remote corner, engaged in conversation. Stateler was much the taller man of the two, but they were dressed alike in blue jeans, and to all appearances were a couple of sensible farmers. Stateler had no idea that he was talking to Jo Daveiss, but still he was strangely fascinated by his company. When Judge Broadnax had disposed of the motions, he opened the docket and called the case of the Commonwealth ve?-sus William Smither, nUas Bill Smothers. John Daveiss was up stairs with the Grand Jury, and of course made no response to the call. Stateler's companion left him and took a seat by the side of his client. Smothers, who was not in the least surprised at the course of his lawyer, shook him warmly by the hand. Broadnax becoming impatient directed the sheriff to summon the attorney for the Commonwealth. John Daveiss walked down stairway, and with his papers in his hand stepped in the doorway where he had a short conference with his witnesses. Broadnax repeated the call of the case with emphasis, and said he wished to be advised if the Commonwealth was ready. John Daveiss, stepping inside the bar, said he believed he would not apply for a continuance, although one important witness had not yet arrived; that he might come during the progress of the trial, and he reserved the privilege of taking his testimony. " What say you, Mr. Smothers?" said his 'lonor. Tlie shrill voice of Jo Daveiss answered, "We are ready for the defense."

John Daveiss, recognizing the voice of his brother, embraced him affectionately, and having introduced him to Broadnax and the bar, proceeded to impanel a jury. The evidence in the main was in accordance with the fact already stated. Jo Daveiss made no labored effort at cross-examination, but permitted the witnesses to make their statements in their own way, sometimes putting a single question to elicit an explanation. When the attorney announced that the testimony was closed in behalf of the Commonwealth, Jo Daveiss exchanged a few words with Smothers, and then rose and said, that his client, from motions of delicacy, had positively refused to introduce liis sister, who was the only witness that could' state anything material to the defense; that the prosecuting attorney might proceed with his argument to the jury. By the feeling manner in which he made this simple statement, he seemed already to have gained the vantage ground. But John Daveiss was a man of no ordinary ability, and knowing that he had to cope with one of the greatest advocates of this countrj' or the world, he put forth his full strength in his opening speech, endeavoring to forestall the impression which had always attended the powerful efforts of his brother. The evidence was arranged in a masterl manner, and he closed by a spirited and strong appeal to the jury to discharge their sworn duties honestly and faithfully, exhorting them to disregard alike the fame and passion of the orator who was to follow him, and assuring them that whilst the wicked might rejoice at acquittal, all good men would say amen to the condemnation and execution of a marauder, an outlaw, an assassin and a murderer.

That wonderfully eloquent and strangely eccentric man, Jo Daveiss, then rose to address the jury. It was his ambition to do everything after a fashion that nobody else in the world ever had attempted. He was never known to ride to a court-house, but made his circuit on foot, whilst a negro boy accompanied him on horseback, carrying his papers and clothing in a pair of saddlebags. His manner, his style, his tactics at the bar, were all his own, and they all lie buried with their master in the field of Tippecanoe. J!<o fragment of a speech of his remains to-day; and from the erring and fading memories of men we derive our only ideas of the inspiration that moved upon the feelings and swayed the passions, until he could drive his triumphal car over any obstacle that might oppose his onward course. Tradition furnishes only a dim outline of his speech in defense of Sniothers, which wasprob- abl}' tlie greatest forensic effort of hi^ life. It was made for a triend, without ho])C of reward, and the whole power of mind, body and Koul were jionred forth in liis cause.

He commenced as it' he liad a fee to {insist in tiu: j)rosecution. He reiterated tlic stroiiii; points in the attorney's S]ieeeh, a)id offered additional ai'guments in favor of conviction. Tlie friends of theaccnsed began to whisper that ho was a snake in the ojrass, and tliat he had come to help his brother, and the ej-es of Smothers were raised in calm siir])riseto the face of his counsel, lint Daveiss went on urging that an acquittal, under all the circumstances, would be a monstrous fiutrage upon law and justice, and insisting that the jury ought, without hesitation, to hang the criminal. Adopting all the epithets which had been so liberally bestowed, he called upon them to haiig the maiauder. hang the outlaw, hang the assassin, hang the murderer. Pi'ooKorno proof, let the hangman proceed on his mission of strangulatioi>.

That such, in effect, was the common reasoning of prosecuting attorneys, and lie had been repeating in substance what had fallen from the gentleman who ])receded him; but the law was established u])on principles precisely of an opposite character. He dwelt upon tlie tenderness and mercy of the law, and the safeguard it threw around the life and liberty of the citizen. That malice, premeditated malice, was an essential ingredient in making out a case of murder, and without it there was no murder. That if the killing was in sudden heat, it was manslaughter; and if the blow was given in self defense, or in defense of family and home, then it became a virtue, and was no crime at all.

Without a note he reviewed the evidence from beginning to end, calling the names of the witnesses as he went, and contended that the Commonwealth had tailed to prove that his client had slain the deceased. That he was found dead in the house of the prisoner at the bar, but no man had seen the prisoner inflict the wound. That circumstances, however conclusive they might appear, were frequently deceptive. He read a case in the' English Reports where an innocent man had been executed u]jon circumstantial evidence even stronger than that before the jury, and took the position that the unscrupulous and vindictive prosecutor was guilty of murder, and that the twelve jurors were his aiders and abetters, because they did not require that ])ositive and undeniable proof which leaves no room for a reasonable doubt. That if. in truth, it was the hand of Smothers that directed the blade, the facts in the case waiTanted tlie conclusion that the other was tlie aggressor. That the prisoner was a man of sense and a man of prudence, and never would have sought an encounter with a giant, whose physical force was so great that he had never found an equal; and who had a host of thirty comrades who would have rushed to his call and staked their lives in the (juarrel. That the deceased was the aggressor in the beginning, and it was a fair iuforence that he so continued to the end. That unhidden he had invaded the precincts of the prisoner's home, and in return for civility and hospitality, had offered insult and injury. That his foul, false tongue had aimed to fix the seal of infamy upon the spotless tablet of a maiden sister's fame. That when his companions, im]ielled by repentance and remorse, had left the house, he lingered upon the spot. That if Smothers had slain him, he slew him in the holy cause of religion and of virtue, and that the King of Heaven had strengthened the arm that drove the pointed steel to his heart.

He paid an eloquent and glowing tribute to the brave pioneers, who, by their toil, sweat and blood, had won the great valley ot the Mississippi from the Indians, and consecrated it to agriculture, to commerce and to the arts. He denounced in terms of the bitterest indignation the deepingiatitude of the Government which suffered them to languish and die in poverty and neglect, whilst all its favors and patj-onage were lavished upon fawning sycophants and cringing parasites and flatterers, who knelt and worshi])ed at the footstool of power. That a golden crown had been tendered to Julius Caesar for his victories in (xaul, and for the addition of that province to the lioman territory. That these men had conquered an empire thrice as great and thrice as fertile as Oaul; and neitlierthe charity, nor the bounty, nor the justice of the Government had ever induced it to bestow upon one of them so much as an iron skillet. That a representative of that Government was here to-day appealing to a jury of the country for the blood of one of the bravest, because he had stood upon the tlireshold of his rude hut, which was his castle in the eyes of the law, and had defended his family against the licentious and wanton insults of a blackguard and ruffian. Were he in place of his client he would leave his Government, and seek ".sonic boundless contiguity of shade, wliere the rumor of oppression and of wrong might never reach him more.'

That if Smothers had to die, it was meet and appropriate that he shouhl die at Hartford. Hartford had been the theater of his valor, and Harttui-d shoidd be the scene of his execution. That he came with the party that erected the first fortification; that his hand dug the ditch and planted the palisade; and when the Indians besieged and fired upon you from stump, bush and tree, whose aim was deadliest and whoso rifle rang clearest in your defense? and when they were defeated and turned their backs in retreat, who was fleet-footed enough to lead the van in the pursuil? Who hovered around them like a destroying spirit until he had djed the waters of your rivers in their blood ? Who trailed them to their homes beyond the prairies, and restored your stolen property without eveireceiving one cent in compensation? That whatever falsehoods may have been invented and circulated against his client, the forked tongue of slander itself had never charged that his soul had been stained by the sin of avarice. That with am])le opportunities of securing an immense landed estate, there was not a foot upon the earth that he could call his own. That while others had enriched themselves by speculation, peculation, violence and fraud, the poverty of Smothers was a vindication of the sterling integrity of the man. That his public service needed no rehearsal. That Isaac Shelby, in a conversation, liad endorsed the heroic conduct of the "boy Bill Smothers " at King's Mountain. Tliat he carried in his pocket an honorable discharge from (leneral Green, after the great battle of Eutaw. That after he came to the West, the hills and valleys and the rivers had witnessed activity that never tired, eyes that never slept, and courage that never flinched in the hour of danger. That if they met the demands of the C-rovernmcnt oflScial by the sacrifice of the life of the prisoner, let the martyrdom occur on the mound on which we stand; let the last glance of tlie departing soldier rest upon the scene where in the vigor of manhood iio strove to give peace and security to your liomes and firesides; and as his slender form swings in the air, take a long and a last look at the truest and l)oldest man that ever raised an arm in your defense.

In his charge to the jury, Judge Broadnax himself approved the able lawyer and the upright man. Forgetting tiie many annoyances of Smothers, he exhorted the jury to look in mercy upon the prisoner, and to give him the benefit of every reasonable doubt. The jury, after a retirement of ten ininates, brouglit in a verdict of " not guilty."

Smothers invited his counsel to go home with him, and Daveiss accepted the invitation. He was so well pleased witli the country around Yellow lianks tliat he settled the place afterward owned by James Kiidd, and planted the orchard which stands upon the slope of the hill. His brother, John Daveiss, not long afterward commenced opening the farm upon which the Crutchers subsequently resided, and now owned by Mr. Lostetter, and lived there tor many years.

The speech of Jo Daveiss opened to the mind of Smothers a new field of thought and a new object of enmity. All his private and personal animosities were forgotten in the disgust and indignation which he felt toward his Government. Hitherto he had regarded bear-hnnting and Indian-fighting as the greatest pleasures of his existence; but he now refiected that he had expended the flower of his youth and the strength of his manhood in destroying wild beasts and savages, that he might increase the power and resources of a Government which had sought his life; and that that Government, with means beyond his power of computation, had failed to make the slightest provision for his wants, and would neglect him to the end. The voice of Jo Daveiss ever sounded in his ears that he ought to seek some shade where he would be free from oppression and from wrong. Brooding in silence over such subjects, he came to the deliberate conclusion that a proper selfrespect required him to leave the territory of the United States.

When he arrived at this conviction he confided his purpose to no one, but began to make necessary preparations for his departure. He had always felt a strong partiality for Bob Tarlton and other friends on Kough Greek, and he could not think of going without seeing them; and to make the visit as pleasant as possible he proposed a big bear-hunt. In company with Husk and Glenn, he started with his dogs to go directly to the house of Tarlton. He found Tarlton and his friends in a grand spree. After spending a day with them, they all started on a hunt, which lasted several days. They succeeded in killing a monstrous bear, which they quartered and took to their camp at the Falls of Rough.

On his return to his home, Smotlvers commenced making active preparations for his departure. About the first of February he went to the house of his brother James, who lived near Blackford, to spend a night with him and bid hini a last adieu. When he announced his intention, his brother, overwhelmed by the sudden shock, gave free vent to his sorrow. He considered their separation the greatest calamity that could have befallen him. lie clung to him and insisted on going with him. Bill remonstrated with him, "Jim, be a man. If I had been hung at Hartford, I should

When Smothers had taken leave of his sister and embraced liis brother's children, he stepped out of the door and saw his brother James leading a conple of horses from the stable, and informed him that all liands were going to accompany him home. They remained with liim several days. One day at dinner Smothers informed his brother that he wished to start the next morning at sunrise. Rising from the table they took an affectionate farewell. James and family returned liorae, and the next morning Smothers, with his three dogs, stepped into his skiff, and they were shoved off by Husk.

After a prosperous voyage of two weeks, Smothers landed at New Orleans. He spent one day in that city in purchasing ammunition and embarked on the next, descending the Mississippi toward the delta. He passed through the right hand mouth of that river and entered the Gulf of Mexico; hugging the shore, he rowed along in the direction of Texas. After tvyo or three detentions he rowed into Galveston Bay about the first of May, and spent a month on the Island of Galveston - the only quiet month he had known for forty years. He again started on his journey and this time landed at the mouth of Yeagua Creek, where he began to look about for a permanent home. He selected a place forty miles from the si)ot where he landed, a place combining more advantages than any other in the country.

For fifteen years iSmothers trod the wilderness alone, except an occasional meeting with an adventurer like himself who was willing to brave the dangers in order to enjoy the pleasures of the chase; and then he made it convenient to separate as soon as possible, believing that it was safest to be alone. He was satisfied with his manner of life,' but it was his destiny to return to the habits of civilized life, and in view of his age he did not regret the change.

One of his daughters, Mrs. Berry, a woman of a kind and affectionate disposition, was devotedly attached to her father, and induced her husband to follow him to Texas, that she might at least provide for some of his wants. The tears streamed from her eyes as she beheld his emaciated form and tottering steps. She made every effort and used every argument in her power to induce him to make her house his home that she might care for him in his old age. But her importunate attentions wearied him, and he declared he would never go to see her again as he could have no peace in her house. He was very fond of his grandchildren and spent a great deal of time in play with them. At last Smothers told his daughter that some friends from the Brasses had promised to be at his house early in the fall and that no consideration would induce him to be absent on their arrival. A presentiment that she was seeing her father for the last time overwhelmed her with sorrow at their separation. Even the fortitude of Smothers was shaken by this manifestation of filial aifection.

Early in October his friends started to take the hunt with Smothers. They hitched their horses near a spring, walked up the hill and got over the yard fence. The dogs sallied forth to resist intrusion upon their prostrate master, but they were quieted upon hearing familiar voices. When they entered the house they saw the form of Smothers extended upon a bear skin. He wore a white woolen cap, but his locks and his beard were whiter still. His tomahawk was belted to his side and his open palm rested gently upon the back of his gun which stood in the corner. The active limbs were stiff and cold. The tongue that had urged on the strife was mute. The pulse that had beaten high in the van of battle had ceased to throb. The devoted friend, the implacable enemy, the lion-hearted Smothers was no more.

The hero of the foi'ogoing history is thus noticed by the celebrated Washington Irving in his " Experiences of Ralph Ringwood," who was Governor Duval, of Florida. The latter was hunting in the wilds near Yellow Banks, when he saw a stranger, and the following conversation ensued: "What are you after?" -cried he. " Those deer," replied I, pettishly; "but it seems as it they never stand still." Upon that he burst out laughing. " Where are you from ?" said he. "From Richmond." "What! in Old Virginny?" "The same." "And how on earth did you get here?" " I landed at Green River from a broad-horn." "And are your companions?" "I have none." "What! all alone?" "Yes." " Where are you going?" "Anywhere." "And -what have you come for ?" " To hunt. " " Well," said he, laughingly, "you'll make a real hunter; there's no mistaking that! Have you killed anything?" "Nothing but a turkey; I can't get within shot of a deer; they arc always running."

"Oh, I'll tell you the secret of that. You're always pushing forward, and starting the deer at a distance, and gaze at those that are scampering; but you must step as slow and silent, and cautious as a cat, and keep your eyes close around you, and look from tree to tree, if yon wish to get a chance at deer. But come, go home with me. My name is Bill Smothers; I live not far off; stay witli me a little while and I'll teach you how to hunt."

I gladly accepted the invitation of honest Bill Smothers. "We soon reached his habitation, a mere log Init, with a square hole for a window, and a chimney made of sticks and clay. Here he lived with a wife and child. He had " girdled " the trees for an acre or two around, preparatory tr> clearing a space for corn and potatoes. In the meantime he maintained his family entirely by his rifle, and I soon tbund him to be a iirst-rate huntsman. Under his tutelage I received my lirst effective lessons in " woodcraft." -:<- * * * *

After I had passed ten or twelve days with Bill Smothers,! thought it time to shift my quarters, for his home was scarce large enough for his own family, and I had no idea of being an incumbrance to any one. I accordingly made np my bundle, shouldered my rifle, took a fi-iendly leave of Smothers and his wife, and set out in quest of a Nimrod of the wilderness, one John Miller, who lived alone, nearly forty miles off, and who I hoped, would be well pleased to have a hunting companion.