with　fear；　which　is　vain　if　no　danger　comes；　and　if　it　does；　only
  augments　the　pain。　It　was　my　happiness　to　be　destitute　of　this
  afflicting　passion；　with　which　I　had　the　greatest　reason　to　be
  affected。　The　prowling　wolves　diverted　my　nocturnal　hours　with
  perpetual　howlings；　and　the　various　species　of　animals　in　this　vast
  forest；　in　the　daytime；　were　continually　in　my　view。
  Thus　I　was　surrounded　with　plenty　in　the　midst　of　want。　I　was
  happy　in　the　midst　of　dangers　and　inconveniences。　In　such　a
  diversity　it　was　impossible　I　should　be　disposed　to　melancholy。　No
  populous　city；　with　all　the　varieties　of　commerce　and　stately
  structures；　could　afford　so　much　pleasure　to　my　mind；　as　the
  beauties　of　nature　I　found　here。
  Thus；　through　an　uninterrupted　scene　of　sylvan　pleasures；　I　spent
  the　time　until　the　27th　day　of　July　following；　when　my　brother；　to
  my　great　felicity；　met　me；　according　to　appointment；　at　our　old
  camp。　Shortly　after；　we　left　this　place；　not　thinking　it　safe　to
  stay　there　longer；　and　proceeded　to　Cumberland　river；　reconnoitring
  that　part　of　the　country　until　March；　1771；　and　giving　names　to　the
  different　waters。
  Soon　after；　I　returned　home　to　my　family　with　a　determination　to
  bring　them　as　soon　as　possible　to　live　in　Kentucke；　which　I
  esteemed　a　second　paradise；　at　the　risk　of　my　life　and　fortune。
  I　returned　safe　to　my　old　habitation；　and　found　my　family　in
  happy　circumstances。　I　sold　my　farm　on　the　Yadkin；　and　what　goods
  we　could　not　carry　with　us；　and　on　the　twenty…fifth　day　of
  September；　1773；　bade　a　farewel　to　our　friends；　and　proceeded　on
  our　journey　to　Kentucke；　in　company　with　five　families　more；　and
  forty　men　that　joined　us　in　Powel's　Valley；　which　is　one　hundred
  and　fifty　miles　from　the　now　settled　parts　of　Kentucke。　This
  promising　beginning　was　soon　overcast　with　a　cloud　of　adversity；
  for　upon　the　tenth　day　of　October；　the　rear　of　our　company　was
  attacked　by　a　number　of　Indians；　who　killed　six；　and　wounded　one
  man。　Of　these　my　eldest　son　was　one　that　fell　in　the　action。　Though
  we　defended　ourselves；　and　repulsed　the　enemy；　yet　this　unhappy
  affair　scattered　our　cattle；　brought　us　into　extreme　difficulty；
  and　so　discouraged　the　whole　company；　that　we　retreated　forty
  miles；　to　the　settlement　on　Clench　river。　We　had　passed　over　two
  mountains；　viz。　Powel's　and　Walden's；　and　were　approaching
  Cumberland　mountain　when　this　adverse　fortune　overtook　us。　These
  mountains　are　in　the　wilderness；　as　we　pass　from　the　old
  settlements　in　Virginia　to　Kentucke；　are　ranged　in　a　S。　west　and　N。
  east　direction；　are　of　a　great　length　and　breadth；　and　not　far
  distant　from　each　other。　Over　these；　nature　hath　formed　passes；
  that　are　less　difficult　than　might　be　expected　from　a　view　of　such
  huge　piles。　The　aspect　of　these　cliffs　is　so　wild　and　horrid；　that
  it　is　impossible　to　behold　them　without　terror。　The　spectator　is
  apt　to　imagine　that　nature　had　formerly　suffered　some　violent
  convulsion；　and　that　these　are　the　dismembered　remains　of　the
  dreadful　shock；　the　ruins；　not　of　Persepolis　or　Palmyra；　but　of　the
  world！
  I　remained　with　my　family　on　Clench　until　the　sixth　of　June；
  1774；　when　I　and　one　Michael　Stoner　were　solicited　by　Governor
  Dunmore；　of　Virginia；　to　go　to　the　Falls　of　the　Ohio；　to　conduct
  into　the　settlement　a　number　of　surveyors　that　had　been　sent
  thither　by　him　some　months　before；　this　country　having　about　this
  time　drawn　the　attention　of　many　adventurers。　We　immediately
  complied　with　the　Governor's　request；　and　conducted　in　the
  surveyors；　compleating　a　tour　of　eight　hundred　miles；　through　many
  difficulties；　in　sixty…two　days。
  Soon　after　I　returned　home；　I　was　ordered　to　take　the　command　of
  three　garrisons　during　the　campaign；　which　Governor　Dunmore　carried
  on　against　the　Shawanese　Indians：　After　the　conclusion　of　which；
  the　Militia　was　discharged　from　each　garrrison；　and　I　being
  relieved　from　my　post；　was　solicited　by　a　number　of　North…Carolina
  gentlemen；　that　were　about　purchasing　the　lands　lying　on　the　S。
  side　of　Kentucke　River；　from　the　Cherokee　Indians；　to　attend　their
  treaty　at　Wataga；　in　March；　1775；　to　negotiate　with　them；　and；
  mention　the　boundaries　of　the　purchase。　This　I　accepted；　and　at　the
  request　of　the　same　gentlemen；　undertook　to　mark　out　a　road　in　the
  best　passage　from　the　settlement　through　the　wilderness　to
  Kentucke；　with　such　assistance　as　I　thought　necessary　to　employ　for
  such　an　important　undertaking。
  I　soon　began　this　work；　having　collected　a　number　of　enterprising
  men；　well　armed。　We　proceeded　with　all　possible　expedition　until　we
  came　within　fifteen　miles　of　where　Boonsborough　now　stands；　and
  where　we　were　fired　upon　by　a　party　of　Indians　that　killed　two；　and
  wounded　two　of　our　number；　yet；　although　surprised　and　taken　at　a
  disadvantage；　we　stood　our　ground。　This　was　on　the　twentieth　of
  March；　1775。　Three　days　after；　we　were　fired　upon　again；　and　had　two
  men　killed；　and　three　wounded。　Afterwards　we　proceeded　on　to
  Kentucke　river　without　opposition；　and　on　the　first　day　of　April
  began　to　erect　the　fort　of　Boonsborough　at　a　salt　lick；　about　sixty
  yards　from　the　river；　on　the　S。　side。
  On　the　fourth　day；　the　Indians　killed　one　of　our　men。We　were
  busily　employed　in　building　this　fort；　until　the　fourteenth　day　of
  June　following；　without　any　farther　opposition　from　the　Indians；
  and　having　finished　the　works；　I　returned　to　my　family；　on　Clench。
  In　a　short　time；　I　proceeded　to　remove　my　family　from　Clench　to
  this　garrison；　where　we　arrived　safe　without　any　other　difficulties
  than　such　as　are　common　to　this　passage；　my　wife　and　daughter　being
  the　first　white　women　that　ever　stood　on　the　banks　of　Kentucke
  river。
  On　the　twenty…fourth　day　of　December　following　we　had　one　man
  killed；　and　one　wounded；　by　the　Indians；　who　seemed　determined　to
  persecute　us　for　erecting　this　fortification。
  On　the　fourteenth　day　of　July；　1776；　two　of　Col。　Calaway's
  daughters；　and　one　of　mine；　were　taken　prisoners　near　the　fort。　I
  immediately　pursued　the　Indians；　with　only　eight　men；　and　on　the
  sixteenth　overtook　them；　killed　two　of　the　party；　and　recovered　the
  girls。　The　same　day　on　which　this　attempt　was　made；　the　Indians
  divided　themselves　into　different　parties；　and　attacked　several
  forts；　which　were　shortly　before　this　time　erected；　doing　a　great
  deal　of　mischief。　This　was　extremely　distressing　to　the　new
  settlers。　The　innocent　husbandman　was　shot　down；　while　busy
  cultivating　the　soil　for　his　family's　supply。　Most　of　the　cattle
  around　the　stations　were　destroyed。　They　continued　their
  hostilities　in　this　manner　until　the　fifteenth　of　April；　1777；　when
  they　attacked　Boonsborough　with　a　party　of　above　one　hundred　in
  number；　killed　one　man；　and　wounded　fourTheir　loss　in　this　attack
  was　not　certainly　known　to　us。
  On　the　fourth　day　of　July　following；　a　party　of　about　two　hundred
  Indians　attacked　Boonsborough；　killed　one　man；　and　wounded　two。
  They　besieged　us　forty…eight　hours；　during　which　time　seven　of　them
  were　killed；　and　at　last；　finding　themselves　not　likely　to　prevail；
  they　raised　the　siege；　and　departed。
  The　Indians　had　disposed　their　warriors　in　different　parties　at
  this　time；　and　attacked　the　different　garrisons　to　prevent　their
  assisting　each　other；　and　did　much　injury　to　the　distressed
  inhabitants。
  On　the　nineteenth　day　of　this　month；　Col。　Logan's　fort　was
  besieged　by　a　party　of　about　two　hundred　Indians。　During　this
  dreadful　siege　they　did　a　great　deal　of　mischief；　distressed　the
  garrison；　in　which　were　only　fifteen　men；　killed　two；　and　wounded
  one。　The　enemies　loss　was　uncertain；　from　the　common　practice　which
  the　Indians　have　of　carrying　off　their　dead　in　time　of　battle。　Col。
  Harrod's　fort　was　then　defended　by　only　sixty…five　men；　and
  Boonsborough　by　twenty…two；　there　being　no　more　forts　or　white　men
  in　the　country；　except　at　the　Falls；　a　considerable　distance　from
  these；　and　all　taken　collectively；　were　but　a　handful　to　the
  numerous　warriors　that　were　every　where　dispersed　through　the
  country；　intent　upon　doing　all　the　mischief　that　savage　barbarity
  could　invent。　Thus　we　passed　through　a　scene　of　sufferings　that
  exceeds　description。
  On　the　twenty…fifth　of　this　month　a　reinforcement　of　forty…five
  men　arrived　from　North…Carolina；　and　about　the　twentieth　of　August
  following；　Col。　Bowman　arrived　with　one　hundred　men　from　Virginia。
  Now　we　began　to　strengthen；　and　from　hence；　for　the　space　of　six
  weeks；　we　had　skirmishes　with　Indians；　in　one　quarter　or　other；
  almost　every　day。
  The　savages　now　learned　the　superiority　of　the　Long　Knife；　as
  they　call　the　Virginians；　by　experience；　being　out…generalled　in
  almost　every　battle。　Our　affairs　began　to　wear　a　new　aspect；　and
  the　enemy；　not　daring　to　venture　on　open　war；　practised　secret
  mischief　at　times。
  On　the　first　day　of　January；　1778；　I　went　with　a　party　of　thirty
  men　to　the　Blue　Licks；　on　Licking　River；