The Life of Daniel BooneWhen he died in 1891, historian Draper left unfinished this massive biography of legendary Kentucky frontier hero Daniel Boone (1734-1820). Now Belue, who teaches history at Murray State University in Kentucky, has transcribed and annotated Draper's rambling manuscript, whose florid, hagiographic prose should not deter readers from some real merits. First, Draper, an indefatigable researcher, drew upon thousands of documents as well as interviews with white, Native American and black frontier dwellers to re-create Boone's colorful exploits, including his blazing of a trail through the Cumberland Gap; his construction of Boonesborough, the first permanent settlement in the "Far West"; and his dramatic rescue of his daughter Jemima and two other girls from Indians. Second, Draper's tome is a treasure trove of early Americana, covering Indian-Anglo wars and relations, the fur trade, the British presence and trans-Appalachian life, flora and fauna. Third, the 76 period drawings, engravings, photographs and maps offer revealing glimpses of both whites and Native Americans. And finally, Belue's entertaining and informative chapter notes diligently correct Draper's romanticization, offering instead a lifelong wanderer from home and family, a failed land speculator, an adventurer who watched his son tortured to death by Cherokees but who still sought accommodation with the Indians. Regrettably, Draper's text breaks off in 1778, but a chronology, epilogue and appendix sketch Boone's later exploits. |
From inside the book
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Page x
... Callaway While Canoeing on the Kentucky River . - Daniel Boone Heads Rescue Party . - Salvation of the Girls . - Indian Raids on Kentucky Settlements . - First Kentucky Wedding . - George Rogers Clark Conveys Gunpowder to Kentucky ...
... Callaway While Canoeing on the Kentucky River . - Daniel Boone Heads Rescue Party . - Salvation of the Girls . - Indian Raids on Kentucky Settlements . - First Kentucky Wedding . - George Rogers Clark Conveys Gunpowder to Kentucky ...
Page xi
... Callaway . - Col . John Floyd . - Col . John Todd . Col. William Cocke . - Alexander Spotswood Dandridge.- Dr. Samuel Henderson . - Isaac Hite . - James Douglas . - Azariah Davis . Capt . William Moore . - Nathan Hammond . - Rev . John ...
... Callaway . - Col . John Floyd . - Col . John Todd . Col. William Cocke . - Alexander Spotswood Dandridge.- Dr. Samuel Henderson . - Isaac Hite . - James Douglas . - Azariah Davis . Capt . William Moore . - Nathan Hammond . - Rev . John ...
Page xvii
... Callaway ; Boone's party rescues the girls on July 16 . Indians attack Boonesborough in April ; Boone is shot in the ankle but recovers . In January Boone heads a party of twenty - six salt boilers to Lower Blue Licks . Shawnee capture ...
... Callaway ; Boone's party rescues the girls on July 16 . Indians attack Boonesborough in April ; Boone is shot in the ankle but recovers . In January Boone heads a party of twenty - six salt boilers to Lower Blue Licks . Shawnee capture ...
Page xx
... Callaway kin , moves to the Femme Osage ( now St. Charles County ) district of Missouri . He receives a grant of 1,000 arpents ( 850 acres ) . Daniel and Rebecca build a cabin on land owned by son Daniel Mor- gan near the present - day ...
... Callaway kin , moves to the Femme Osage ( now St. Charles County ) district of Missouri . He receives a grant of 1,000 arpents ( 850 acres ) . Daniel and Rebecca build a cabin on land owned by son Daniel Mor- gan near the present - day ...
Page xxii
... Callaway . Boone dies on September 26 ; he is interred next to Rebecca on Tuque Creek . In St. Louis , Missouri , on October 11 Chester Harding and engraver James O. Lewis release America's first limited - edition print west of the ...
... Callaway . Boone dies on September 26 ; he is interred next to Rebecca on Tuque Creek . In St. Louis , Missouri , on October 11 Chester Harding and engraver James O. Lewis release America's first limited - edition print west of the ...
Common terms and phrases
adventurers April attack Black Fish Blue Licks Boone's Boonesborough British brother Bryan buffalo cabin Callaway camp Capt Captain captivity Catawba Cherokees Clark Clinch colony companions Creek Cumberland Cumberland Gap Cumberland River Daniel Boone died Draper early exploration feet Findlay fire Floyd Fork French frontier garrison George George Boone George Rogers Clark Governor Harrod Harrodsburg Holston horses hundred hunting Illinois country Indians James James Harrod John June Kenton Kentucky Kentucky River killed land letter Logan Long Hunters March miles Mississippi Mountain mouth Narrative Nathan Boone night North Carolina notes of conversations Ohio party Pennsylvania pioneer Powell's Valley prisoners probably region returned Richard Callaway River salt Samuel scalp settled settlement settlers Shawanoes Shawnee shot South spring Squire Boone Station stream Tennessee Thomas tomahawk town Transylvania treaty tree Virginia Walker warriors West western William wounded Yadkin
Popular passages
Page 187 - cannot but hope Providence has preserved in so signal a manner for some important service to his country.” “Who is Mr. Washington?” asked Lord Halifax a few months later. “I know nothing of him?' he added, “but that they say he behaved in Braddock's action as bravely as if he really loved the whistling of bullets.
Page 155 - Boone, an obscure individual on the western confines of Carolina, started with an intrepid band of kindred spirits “to wander through the wilderness of America, in quest of the country of Kentucke.” This, in his own expressive language, was the object he had in
Page 285 - Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God
Page 445 - trace the wisdom of the Great Architect in the construction of his works in nature's simplicity, which, when he had finished, he pronounced all good. But alas! fond man! the vision of a moment made dream of a dream, and shadow of a
Page 136 - in a public meeting for worship towards the close of which the parties stand up and solemnly take each other for husband and wife. A certificate of the proceedings is then publicly read and signed by the parties and afterwards by the relations and others as witnesses
Page 353 - confine my lodging to it, but often reposed in thick cane-brakes, to avoid the savages, who, I believe often visited my camp, but fortunately for me. in my absence. In this situation, I was constantly exposed to danger and death. How
Page 190 - is exceedingly rich on both sides, the Yadkin abounding in rank grass and prodigiously large trees; and for plenty of fish, fowl and venison, is inferior to no part of the northern continent. There the traders commonly lie still for some days. to recruit their horses' flesh, as well as to recover their own spirits.
References to this book
Children of Perdition: Melungeons and the Struggle of Mixed America Tim Hashaw No preview available - 2006 |