By Hillary Delaney, Archive and History Center at Boone County Public Library, Burlington
Boone County’s namesake, frontiersman Daniel Boone, is credited with opening up Kentucky for settlement. His earliest expeditions predate the American Revolution by several years. As the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of our independence, it seems a good time to revisit the stories of those who followed Boone. These men, women and children included soldiers, laborers, immigrants and enslaved people who contributed to the establishment of a new nation and the Kentucky county that later bore Boone’s name.
The battles of the Revolutionary War had mostly ended in the east with British Gen. Charles Cornwallis’ surrender in 1781, but the western territory, including what became Kentucky, still was under siege. Frontier settlements were under attack by the combined forces of British and Indigenous fighters. There, the war raged on. One of the last clashes on the frontier was the siege of Bryan Station.
Events began in mid-August 1782, when British troops led by Gen. William Caldwell and supported by hundreds of Native American warriors arrived near the fort, remaining hidden while secretly staging an attack. Though the residents of Bryan Station were aware of the danger, a plan was hatched to operate in a normal manner, which included women leaving the safety of the fort to replenish the water supply from the nearby well. The water provided by these brave women served two purposes: hydration and a means to put out any fires started by attackers, should they occur.
The women successfully followed their normal routine, which may have gained them some valuable time. The two-day siege that followed was interrupted by the news that a larger militia was on its way to defend the frontiersmen, and the invading forces retreated. The defense of Bryan Station was a tactical success. The role of frontier women was complicated. They were called upon to feed, clothe and care for their families in unrefined surroundings, often under threat of violence. Even the most privileged among the women at Bryan Station joined in the efforts to support and defend their families.
Among those who put themselves in harm’s way at the well were Sarah Page Craig and her daughter, Elizabeth “Betsy” Craig, both of whom later settled in what became Boone County. Sarah Craig is believed to be buried on land she and her husband occupied in Francisville. Betsy Craig Johnson was laid to rest at Sand Run Baptist Church Cemetery in Hebron.
Not long after the harrowing events of Bryan Station, Betsy married Cave Johnson. Johnson had been away during the siege but had, at other times, been called upon to defend its occupants against frequent raids. His service in the war had begun in Virginia, where he had enlisted under Lt. Samuel French. Once in Kentucky, Johnson joined his older brother, Robert, to serve among Gen. George Rogers Clark’s soldiers.
Though the war had ended by the time the Johnsons and Craigs arrived in Northern Kentucky, they still faced the challenge of settling in an area that was largely wilderness. These battle-hardened pioneers had their work cut out for them as they began establishing the foundations of a new frontier community. Cave Johnson was appointed the first clerk of courts for Boone County, later serving as a justice of the peace and sheriff. He also served in the Kentucky Legislature.
Many of these pioneering families brought enslaved laborers with them. The large share of clearing, building, farming and housework was done by these people, who primarily remain unnamed. In 1790, a few years prior to the Craigs’ arrival in Boone County, John Craig executed a deed of gift to his son-in-law, Cave Johnson. The deed transferred ownership of an enslaved girl named Linney, who was later called “Pigeon (Pidgin),” probably a name given in reference to the way she spoke. Lamonia was the name given to her at birth in Africa, according to descendants. She had been captured and brought to America as a young child. It’s unclear when or where Craig purchased her, but it’s possible she, too, was among the enslaved people at Bryan Station during the siege.
Lamonia remained enslaved by the Johnsons in Boone County up until just before her 1851 death, when she was enumerated as a Free woman in the 1850 census. She was one of our earliest pioneers. Cave Johnson died in 1850 and is buried with his first wife, Betsy, at Sand Run Baptist Church Cemetery. It is believed that Lamonia also is buried there in an unmarked grave. Enslaved people, and women as a whole, were not well-documented, but it’s clear their roles during the war and early settlement of Kentucky were essential.
Boone County was a destination for hundreds who had served in the Revolutionary War. Some simply acquired land for profit, while others put down roots. There was no military bounty to be had in that part of Kentucky, but many veterans purchased land there or were compensated for their work as surveyors with tracts of land. Among the veterans who settled there, evidence shows that 115 patriots died in Boone County, though burial sites remain undiscovered for many of these. The more affluent among the veterans left a clear paper trail, while others are harder to document, particularly those who died without a pension or many worldly goods.
Among the most prominent Revolutionary War veterans in early Boone County history is Jacob Piatt. Piatt was born in New Jersey, where he enlisted as an ensign in the First Regiment of the New Jersey Line. His path in military service took him into the battles of Brandywine, Germantown and Short Hills. He later joined Gen. John Sullivan’s expedition against the four nations of the Iroquois. He was wounded at the Battle of Monmouth, after which he was given a commendation by Gen. George Washington, for whom he also served as adjutant.
Piatt arrived in Boone County around 1795 and began building a home he called Federal Hall atop a ridge above Petersburg. It was completed in 1804. Like Cave Johnson, Piatt was among the earliest county officials, serving as justice of the court of quarter sessions at the establishment of Boone County and later as a circuit court judge. He was buried near the ruins of his once-magnificent home after his 1834 death.
Another patriot of note buried in Boone County is Pvt. Daniel Goff, a free African American man born in Virginia, who was among several brothers who all fought in the Revolutionary War. His service took him from the encampment at Valley Forge to the Battle of Monmouth and points south before the end of the war. Possibly seeking work or adventure, Goff found himself among a group of pioneers led by Maj. David Leitch, clearing a settlement area that was to become “Leitch’s Station” on the Licking River. After Leitch’s untimely death, his widow, Keturah, married Newport founder James Taylor. As a valued laborer, Goff was offered work by Taylor, first in his mill and later as a gardener on the family grounds.
As Goff aged, Taylor worried for the man’s well-being. He was aware of Goff’s service to the country and helped him obtain his pension. Goff may have been acquainted with the Alexander Marshall family in Chesterfield, Virginia, either before or immediately after the war. The Marshalls had purchased land in Boone County, and Goff spent his later years living on their Florence farm, after retiring from working for Taylor. Goff died there in 1843 and is believed to be buried in the family cemetery. A dedication ceremony was held in honor of his life and service in 2018, and a Daughters of the American Revolution marker was placed to memorialize him.
One of the most brutal events of the Western Theater was the massacre of Col. Archibald Lochry and his troops near a tiny island in the Ohio River, now known as Laughery Island (the spelling evolved over the years.) In 1781, as Lochry and his men were traveling up the river to rendezvous with Gen. Clark, they were overtaken by a group of Native Americans. Forty men were killed, including Lochry, who was scalped on site. Another 60 men were captured and marched to the British, who were offering bounties on the heads of the Revolutionary soldiers.
Among those who escaped slaughter in that massacre was a soldier named Hugh Steers. Steers, who had immigrated to America from Ireland before the start of the war, enlisted on August 1, 1781, in Westmoreland, Pennsylvania. He joined Lochry’s men, who left for the rendezvous with Gen. Clark. The massacre he witnessed occurred only 23 days later. Once captured, Steers was taken first to Chillicothe, then later held by the Shawnee at St. Mary’s before being traded nearly two years later. The affidavit Steers gave as part of his pension application describes being held under “very suffering conditions,” that included frequent threats of being burned and frequent “massacres.” Despite these brutal experiences, Steers went on to live a full life. He settled in Boone County, where he died in 1846 at the age of 90 and is buried on land that later became the Lassing Pointe Golf Course. His grave is near the 18th hole.
Boone County celebrates America’s 250th anniversary on June 20 from 4 -10 p.m. at the Boone County Fairgrounds. This free event will include music, food, community booths, vendors and fireworks.