Fort Boonesborough and the Early Settlers of Madison County, Kentucky

The Axe Men

This article begins with Daniel Boone's 1775 trip to establish and mark a trail into central Kentucky. Boone's earlier exploratory trip of 1769-1771 and his ill fated attempt to settle in Kentucky in 1773 will be left for another time since those trips did not result in any permanent settlement.

Daniel was hired by Richard Henderson, a prominent judge and land speculator in North Carolina who had formed the Translvania Company, to blaze a road through the Kentucky wilderness in 1775. Daniel in turn hired 20 axe men to clear the way. They were to be paid 10 pounds and first choice of land parcels in the vicinity of the fort for what was expected to be 30 days work.

In reality these men were friends, relatives and former acqaintenaces of Boone, many of whom had accompanied him on previous hunting trips into Kentucky. Many helped build the fort and cabins at Fort Boonesborough and later brought their families.

The group of 21, including Daniel, were joined by another 9 men at Watagua in northeast TN. They were from Rutherford Co., NC, raising the number to 30 men.

The following axe men and 2 women are listed on a 1935 DAR Marker at Fort Boonesborough.

 

 

Squire Boone - younger brother of Daniel Boone. He had previously accompanied Daniel on his 1769-1771 exploratory trip to Kentucky. A sometimes Baptist preacher, he is said to have performed the 1st marriage in Kentucky; Samuel Henderson and Elizabeth Calloway 7 Aug 1776 at Ft. Boonesborough. Later Squire moved to Indiana where he died in 1815.

Edward Bradley - when Virginia officially chartered Boonesborough in October 1779, Edward was one of town trustees appointed.

James Bridges - was one of 6 or 7 axe men from Rutherford Co., NC. The same year the fort was built, James raised 1/4 acre of turnips a few miles away on Muddy Creek.

Capt. William (Billy) Bush - was a noted Indian fighter and friend of Daniel Boone. After helping blaze the trail to Boonesborough and erect the fort, he fought with George Rogers Clark in the Illinois campaign during the Revolutionary War. For his war time services, he received several thousand acres across from Ft. Boonesborough in Fayette County along Lower Howard Creek. This was later known as the Bush Settlement. In 1780 he arranged for 40 some Virginia families to come back with him to Kentucky. It took them 3 years to make the trip due to several pauses to avoid Indian attacks. Most of the families were Baptists, although Capt. Billy's was not the same group as the Craig's Travelling Church, which migrated to central Kentucky about the same time.

Col. Richard Callaway - a long hunter friend of Boone was from Virginia. After helping with blazing the trail and building the fort, he returned to Virginia and moved his family back to Boonesborough. Richard was elected burgess to the Virginia Assembly from Kentucky at the first election held in 1777 in Kentucky. He was a justice of the peace and colonel of the county and was appointed to a commission for opening a road over Cumberland Mountain to Kentucky in 1779. He had been granted a license to operate a ferry across the Kentucky River. While building his ferry boat, he was attacked by a party of Shawnees and killed.

Samuel Coburn - was another of the men from Rutherford Co., NC. He also participated in the 13 day siege defense of Logan's Fort beginning May 23, 1777. He was killed in 1778 by Indians at the mouth of Knob Lick Creek of Hanging Fork.

William Crabtree - was another long hunter from Virginia familiar to Boone from his earlier trips to Kentucky. He was a scout in Dunsmore's War and also served in the French and Indian War in 1758.

Benjamin Cutbirth - was a Rowan Co., NC friend of Daniel Boone who accompanied him on previous trips to Kentucky. Benjamin stayed at Boonesborough until he lost his land claims in 1778. He then moved his family back to North Carolina, this time to the South Fork of New River in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He moved several times over the following years between east Tennessee and western North Carolina. He died around 1816.

Capt. David Gass - Boone and his family had been staying in a cabin on David Gass' land near Holston River in southwest Virginia since his previous ill-fated trip to Kentucky in 1773. After blazing the trail and building the fort, David moved his family to Boonesborough. By 1786 Gass was living in Milford, Madison County's 1st county seat. He was appointed one of the Judges of the Court of Quarter Sessions by Patrick Henry and held court in his house. Gass died in 1806.

John Hart - was another of the axe men from Rutherford Co., NC. He may have been a brother of the Transylvania proprietors, brothers David, Nathaniel, and Thomas Hart.

Capt. William Hays - married Boones' daughter Susannah just before the trip to Kentucky. Their daughter Elizabeth was the 1st white child born in Kentucky. That was June 12, 1776. William died in Louisiana in 1804.

Susannah Boone Hays - Daniel Boone's daughter and 1 of 2 women on the trip, who cooked for the men.

William Hicks - was another of the axe men from Rutherford Co., NC.

Edmund Jennings - had been on Boone's previous trip to Kentucky in 1773.

Thomas Johnson - was another of the axe men from Rutherford Co., NC. Although, he soon brought his family to Boonesborough, he may have moved back to North Carolina in 1779.

Capt. John Kennedy - received a 1400 acre preemption on Paint Lick Creek in present day Garrard County, where he built Kennedy Station in 1779. On December 26, 1780, John Kennedy, William McAfee, 2 Leeper brothers and his brother Joseph Kennedy were attacked by Indians at Cumberland Gap. Capt Kennedy and James Leeper were killed and Joseph was taken captive.

John King - John King (1748-1833) - Find a Grave Memorial
He is my 5x g.grandfather who according to Nathaniel Hart, Jr. in his interview with Draper states that 'John King was a bound boy to Jesse Benton'. 
John King was an Axeman for Boone, an Indian spy and a marksman. He is found as a defender of Ft. Boonesborough and Ft. Logan under Ben Logan. Later, he would serve as an Ensign under Logan at Bowman's Campaign at Cincinnati and in George Rogers Clark's Illinois Project.He was approved for a 400 acre preemption by the Ky. Land Court and received a further 1,000 acres, signed off by James Barbour. This land was at the mouth of Muddy Creek at the Kentucky River.... said to have been at an old buffalo crossing and later the nearby location of what became a ferry crossing.

John was first married to Mary ' Molly' Pebbles Lanier of Brunswick and Henry Co., Virginia, a daughter of Lemuel Lanier. The Hicks family descendants of Fort Christianna also married into this Lanier family.
John was secondly married to Susannah Davidson of Albemarle Co., Virginia and later Lincoln Co., Ky. She was a daughter of Rev. War Lt. George Davidson, later judge in Stanford, Ky. and sister of Maj. Samuel and Capt. Michael Davidson, War of 1812. Her brother James was Kentucky State Treasurer. The Logans, Ballengers, and Leepers married into this Davidson family.
Lastly, my mother, Mary Anna King - Williamson has been recognized in June 2023 as a descendant of an early settler from the Society of Boonesborough.
Please see below. I am attaching my "John King, the Axeman's" findagrave memorial for your review. The Society of Boonesborough certificate is attached there.
Please let me know what further you require in order to have John King's biography updated on your website.
I look forward to hearing back from you.
Thank you,

Thomas McDowell - killed by Indians on the trip.

Jerimiah McPheeters - killed by Indians on the trip.

Col. William Miller - a Virginia long hunter who had previously visited Kentucky with Henry Skaggs in 1770-71. Later escorted Boone's family to Kentucky. Established a station at Paint Lick in today's Garrard Co. in 1776. Was a lieutenant under Capt. James Estill at Estll's Defeat in 1782. Indian fighter with George Rogers Clark.

William Moore - founder of Moore's Fort at Clich River in 1769, which was under Daniel Boone's command from 1773 - 1775. Moore Settled in Crab Orchard, Kentucky, where he died in 1799.

James Nall - was bitten by a rabid wolf in the fall of 1775 and soon died.

James Peake - was another of the axe men from Rutherford Co., NC.

Bartlett Searcy - was later killed by Indians in 1790.

Reuben Searcy - brother of Bartlett Searcy. He was a leader of the Regulator movement in North Carolina. He later moved to Middle Tennessee. Reuben was the brother-in-law of Judge Richard Henderson who hired Daniel Boone to blaze the trail through the land he had purchased from the Cherokee.

Michael Stoner - a life long friend of Boone, Michael had accompanied him on previous trips to Kentucky. Established Stoner's Station in Clark Co. Later moved to the Cumberland River area where he died in 1815.

Samuel Tate - had lived in Rowan and Surry County, NC where he probably was acquainted with Boone. He joined Capt. Twitty's party of 8 men at Long Island in the Holston River for the purpose of blazing the trail into Kentucky. Eventually moved to TN where he died in 1812.

Samuel Tate Jr - Samuel Tate's son. His name may have been Robert. Was present when McDowell and McPheeters were killed by Indians.

Capt. William Twitty - had been one of the 1st settlers at Rutherford Co., NC, where he established Twitty's Fort on Broad River. Both Twitty and his Negro servant Sam were killed by Indians while blazing the trail.

John Vardeman - stayed at Boonesbrough 2 years before returning to the New River area of Virginia. Upon his return to New River, Johannes Vardeman removed his family further south to the Cinch River, to occupy Shadrach White’s fort at Maiden Spring Fork near Henry Skaggs. In the autumn of 1779, Johannes Vardeman removed his family entirely to make a permanent settlement at Walnut Flats near Crab Orchard in Kentucky.

Felix Walker - was another of the axe men from Rutherford Co., NC. He was wounded when Capt. Twitty was attacked but survived. He was named clerk of the court of Washington district of North Carolina in 1775 and held that post until 1778 (Washington district lay mostly within the boundaries of contemporary Tennessee and was organized as a county in 1777. Walker fought in the American Revolutionary War, then returned to Rutherford County, North Carolina, where he was clerk of the county court there from 1779 to 1787. He was sent to the North Carolina House of Commons on several occasions—in 1792 from 1799 to 1802, and 1806. He worked as a trader and land speculator in Haywood County before being elected to Congress. In 1816, Walker was elected to the 15th United States Congress as a Democratic-Republican. He was re-elected twice and failed in a bid for the fourth term in 1822. In 1824, Walker moved to Mississippi and died in Clinton in 1828.

A Negro Man (Sam) - was a servant of Capt. Twitty. Sam was killed by Indians while blazing the trail.

A Negro Woman - she was a servant of Col. Callaway. She and Boone's daughter Susannah Hays cooked for the men.

 

 

More Settlers Arrive - continue reading.