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derness" in companies, well armed. Even large compa
nies were sometimes attacked - in the night & robbed.
Whenever the "travellers" or "movers" attempted to pass
thru' "the Wilderness" in small numbers, they
were almost certain to be attacked, robbed & mur
dured, by small, straggling parties of white people
& Indians, who secreted themselves in the mountains
and watched the movements of the unguarded &
incautious traveller. All the necessary preparations
being made; the "outfit" consisting of bread &
meat enough for 5 or 6 days, being put into a
wallet, or "canvass" bag (not "carpet bag"
such a luxury was unknown in thise primitive
times the young horse called "Spark" a beauti
ful sorrel, I remember him well being well fat
tened, my brother Pentecost, set out for Maryland.
The parting scene was an affecting one - I remem
ber, that my mother wept bitterly, while my
father in a solemn & impressive manner was
lecturing him, on the manner in which he should
conduct himself, not only on the road, but during
his absence from home. It was months before
he was heard from. News did not travel then
by "Lightning" and I am not sure, that there
was a mail even to Lexington, then the Empiri
um of the country. My brother left in the spring
& was expected to return with Uncle in the fall
but they were disappointed, & did not get out
until the next year. My uncle settled about
one mile from us having purchased land from
Governor Shelby, who owned a large tract in our
neighborhood. He died a year or two afterward.
My brother Pentecost was drowned in the Ken
tucky River, on Sunday the 1st day of June 1792
or 1793. It seemed to be his "destiny". An appoint
ment [appointment] had been made for a large company
of young men to meet at the River, on the
proceeding Sunday, but it turned out to be
too cold, & they did not meet. The next Sun
day, they met, to the number of about 20. at