6 - February 2, 2012 Your Hometown Newspaper News Outlook
Heaven Is
A Lot Like
Kentucky
By Charles Mattox
My research into the
plight of the 28 Kentucky
men, who were taken cap
five on Feb. 8, 1778 at the
Lower Blue Licks, contin-
ues to haunt me.
Their stories are inex-
plicably interwoven with
the birth of our nation, our
state and ultimately even
ourselves, dear reader.
With the exception of
Daniel Boone, who was
their legendary leader,
over half of them were
new to the frontier, hav-
ing enlisted in the colonial
army in Virginia and then
marched to Fort Boones-
boro. They had been there
only a few months when
they marched from the
fort to the Lower Blue
Licks Springs along the
Licking River, to make salt.
Simultaneously, Shaw-
nee Chief, Cat-to-wa-ma-
go, or Black Fish as he
was called by the Kentuck-
ians, led 80 Shawnee war-
riors who were joined by
20 warriors of hearths of
the Miami nation in a ra-
re winter raid against Ken-
tucky. The raiders were al-
so joined by British agents
and a rogue French Offi-
cer, Pierre Lorimer, (Pe-
ter Lorimar) who'd set up
a trading post with the no-
fives in the Ohio Country.
The 'salt-makers' had
made enough salt to weigh
down the packhorses on
two separate trips and still
they remained in camp,
even after the rising wa-
ters of the Licking River
made it impossible to gath-
er water from the saline
springs.
Boone had been hunfing
alone when captured by a
Shawnee scouting party.
Chief Black Fish warned
that he would kill them all
unless Boone could talk
them into surrendering
and he subsequently or-
dered all the men to sur-
render without so much as
firing a shot.
Thus their ordeal began.
Researching the plight
of these men has been an
ongoing project for me for
over four decades.
I have learned much
about the men and inci-
dents of their capture.
I share a few snippets of
what I have gleaned.
Jesse Hodgcs was one
of the three couriers who
were among the Kentuck-
ians who escaped capture.
He was making his second
salt delivery to the fort.
Stephen Hancock and Wil-
Editorial
liam Cradelbaugh were al-
so couriers and escaped as
well.
Flanders Callaway and
Thomas Brooks were
scouts and hunters for the
salt-makers and they were
also away from camp and
escaped being taken cap-
five.
Callaway, Boone's son-
in-law, had brothers James
and Micajah taken captive.
Thomas Brooks lost his
two brothers Samuel and
William, to the raiders.
Samuel Brooks fought
tenaciously when made to
run the gauntlet in the vil-
lage of Chillicothe. He was
badly beaten and had his
arm broke. He was sold at
Detroit and later put on a
prison barge in Quebec.
Hedied in confinement.
His brother William,
was similarly imprisoned
as the Revolutionary War
dragged on, but eventual-
ly released. He bore the
scars of his manacles for
the rest of his life.
James Callaway was a
tall and gangly 17-year-old
when captured. He and
brothers Flanders and Mi-
cajah, were nephews of
Colonel Richard Callaway.
James became also sui-
cidal in his defiance to
his captors, even taunting
them by patting his head
and daring them to "strike
here" with their axes.
It was reported that he
"knocked down" several
Shawnee warriol;s when
he ran the Chillicothe
Gauntlet and complet-
ed the run without injury.
He was sold at Detroit but
eventually escaped and ar-
rived at his Virginia home-
stead on Christmas Eve,
1781.
Micajah Callaway was
adopted into the Shawnee
tribe and according to eye-
witness accounts, became
a fierce Shawnee warrior.
He fought against Ameri-
can forces on at least two
occasions. In July 1783 he
was hired by Shawnee el-
ders to negotiate a partial
peace agreement and the
release of several Shaw-
nee prisoners to American
forces.
The negotiations were
held in July 1783 between
General George Rogers
Clark and Ca!!away at Lou-
isville. Callaway helped
obtain the freedom of his
cousin, Jack Callaway, who
was captured from Hoy's
Station in August. 1782.
General Clark insisted
that Micajah Callaway al-
so be released and Calla-
way agreed when offered
his freedom.
He would later be pres-
ent as an interpreter at the
Limestone prisoner ex-
change of 1787, working
with Boone for the release
of Americans. He also later
served with General Mad
Anthony Wayne. He lived
to be 94 and died on April
11, 1849.
Salt-maker Andrew
Johnson, a man of small
stature, became a big hit at
Chillicothe, taking on the
role of the village fool. He
was called Pe-cu-la or Lit-
tle Blind Duck.
Johnson escaped in May
1778. He defended the
state in several military
engagements and settled
on Elkhorn Creek in Scott
County.
Salt-maker Benjamin
Kelly was adopted into the
same hearth as the young
warrior named Tecumseh.
He became immersed in
Shawnee culture and may
have fought at the Battle of
Upper Licks (Battle Run)
in 1782. Manuel Kelly, his
brother also fought in that
southern Fleming County
Revolutionary War Battle.
Benjamin Kelly married
Nancy Jarrell and became
a Baptist Preacher in Ohio
County Kentucky.
Salt-maker Joseph Jack-
son was adopted into the
Shawnee tribe and like
Micajah Callaway also be-
came a fierce warrior. He
stayed with the Shawnee
for almost 30 years.
The great historian Ly-
man Copeland Draper in-
terviewed Jackson in 1844
and confronted his with
evidence that Jackson
had fought with the Shaw-
nee in 1782 at the Battle of
Blue Licks, further alleg-
ing he partook in the de-
feat of Josiah Harmar in
1790 and Arthur St. Clair
in 1791. Jackson staunchly
denied the allegations, but
at the age of 88, and only
four days after Draper left
his home, Jackson hanged
himself.
These are but a few ot
the brief glimpses into the
lives of the men who were
marched from the Lower
Blue Licks Springs, north-
ward to Ohio and into infa-
my.
If the Good Lord is will-
hag, we may join one or
more of the salt-makers
within the confines of this
column.
I cannot get an image
of young salt-maker An-
sel Goodman, from my
mind. He was a young sol-
dier, befriended by Boone
who later recorded some
of his experience. I leave
you with him as we ap-
proach the sprawling vil-
lage of Chillicothe on Feb.
18, 1778.
"A little before we
reached the Indian town,
I was compelled to strip
naked, cold as it was, en-
tirely naked and my arms
tied fast behind me. Bear
meat was packed upon me
and it was a heavy load. I
was made to sing as loud
as I could holler as we ap-
proached the town. After I
ran the gauntlet I was or-
dered to dance."
Southern States elects new
committee members, officers
• Samuel C. Reynolds
of Carlisle, Ky. and Rob-
ert (Mike) Bach of Ow-
ingsville, Ky. were elect-
ed to the local stockhold-
ers committee 6f Southern
States Cooperative Ow-
ingsville Service held on
January 22, 2012. More
than 300 stockholder-
members and their fami-
lies attended the Member-
ship Day at held at each lo-
cation in Owingsville, Car-
lisle, Morehead, and Mt.
Sterling.
Samuel C. Reynolds was
year was about $9,218,000.
This session also in-
cluded a special recog-
nition ceremony for the
newly elected and retiring
board members and Farm
Home Advisory Commilt-
tee members. Those re-
tiring included Billy Stew-
art of Sharpsburg, Ky. and
Sam Reynolds, who was
reelected at the meeting.
Founded in 1923, South-
ern States now has more
than 300,000 farmer-mem-
bers. As one of the na-
tion's largest agricultur-
al cooperatives, the Rich-
mond, Va.- based firm pro-
vides a wide range of farm
inputs, including fertiliz-
er, seed, livestock feed and
pet food, animal health
supplies and petroleum
products, as well as oth-
er items for the farm and
home.
The Cooperative serves
its' members and non-
member customers
through 1200 retail out-
lets and had sales of $2 bil-
lion in it fiscal year ending
June 30, 2011.
elected chairman of the
local stockholder com-
mittee, while Glen Thom-
as of Owingsville, Ky. was
named vice-chairman.
Elected to the Southern
States Farm Home Advi-
sory Committee were Lin-
da Gray of Owingsville and
Kaye Buckler of Owings-
ville.
Linda Gray was cho-
sen chairman of the Farm
Home Advisory Commit-
tee, and Kaye Buckler was
named secretary.
The local meeting also
included a report by Cher-
yl Gray of Flatwoods, Ky.,
Southern States' district
manager, on major devel-
opments at the Coopera-
tive during the past year.
Reviewing local oper-
ations and services was
Roger Stephens, Manag-
er of Owingsville Service.
He reported that total op-
erafing volume for the past
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