Micah Taul memoir

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4 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

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5 the appointed place, & after bathing in the River for an hour or two, came out, & while dressing some one of the company, remarked to Pentecost that there was mud on his back. Throwing off his shirt, which he had partly on, he jumped into the river, & swam nearly half across, no person no ticing him, until they heard him, calling for assist ance - that he had the cramp, & was drowning - he was said to have been an expert swimmer. Horror & confusion, seemed to have been seized upon all present except my brother Jonathan, who was also a good swimmer, but of delicate constitution. He instantly sprang into the River, with his clothes on - swam to his drowning brother, and got him on his back, & without the slightest assistance from any one else brought within 10 or 15 feet, of the bank, when finding his strength exhausted, having sunk twice before, he requested his brother to get off of him, as they would both be drowned!! Strange to tell, but no less strange than true, the "drowning man" instantly threw himself off, & disengaged himself from his brother, and sunk to rise no more. Jona than was with difficulty saved, by the horror stricken young men & youths who lined the bank. I have been this particular in detail ing this tragical affair, as in all probability it is almost without parrallel a drowning man, letting go, anything he had hold of. Our neighborhood had been healthy - the county was generally so. It was the first death, that I remember to have occurred. My brothers body was recovered, the same evening, & the funeral took place, the next day. He was buried in the Garden, at the place where the family was raised & on which my brother Samuel loved up to the time of his death. I have a very vivid & distinct recollection of the funeral, which was numerously attended - the people of the neighborhood for miles around, turned out

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6 I am sure, I have never witnessed, a stronger Manifestion of unaffected sympathy, than was dislayed on the occasion. Our excellent Mother, was almost entirely overwhelmed with grief; & I remember that it was a long time, before she seemed to be herself again. My father was man of great firmness & fortitude, but on the day of the funeral he could not command himself, but wept away incessantly, like a child.

My Uncle Jonathan Johnson removed to Ky. I settled in our neighborhood before Uncle Samuel. They both raised larger families. Uncle Samuel died in 1794 or 5. Uncle Jonathan in 1799.

Uncle John Muffett, who married my father's sister, Jane, removed to & settled in our neighborhood, I expect about the year 1790, & lived to be quite old - died at brother Samuel's in 18--

My maternal Grand mother's maiden name was Summers. Several of our relations of that name, also removed to Kentucky. They were sensibly enterprising business men.

Of my own name (Taul- as we spell it or Tall as it is spelled by other branches of the family) we have but few relations that I know of, my father being the only one of the family, who emigrated to the West. I remember when a very small boy to have seen an uncle whose name was Stephen Taul, at our house, on a visit from Maryland.

Having some years ago, seen the name of Reuben Tall, as one of the members of the Maryland Legislature, I wrote to him, for the purpose of ascertaining whether we were related or not, & I received an answer which imparted more information in regard to our family, than I had been in possession of. I can't lay my hands upon the letter at this time but will copy it, in an appendix, if I live to get thro.

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7 {Oct 2-} I have before mentioned, that my father was a member of the Baptist church & that he was a man of great firmness & fortitude. He was in his manners & deportment, altogether of the "Old School". He has been raised a Quaker at least in a Quaker family. I think he was an orphan at a very tender age. He had a great contempt for the fashions & innovations of the day. When I can first remember he wore a low crowned, broad brimmed hat - & he wore of no other fashion to the day of his death. Nor did he change the fashion of his coat, or waist coat. Perhaps a few years before his death, he substituted Pantaloons for "short breeches". He was a man of uncommon industry and energy. The rising sun, never caught him in bed. Was a plain farmer, not rich, but independent, & raised his sons to labor. He took great pains both by precept and example to instill into them, the principles of virtue & morality. He was himself strictly moral & religious & was what is commonly called a "plain, blunt man" but without the slight tint of vulgarity. On the contrary, such was the sterness & dignity of his bearing that he was always approached & treated with the highest respect. After my arrival at manhood, I have been often highly flattered at the respectful attentions paid to my venerated father with his "broad brim'd hat" by the distinguished men of the day. He was a great favorite with the Hon~John Breckenridge of Ky who was a Senator at Congress, & afterwards during the administration of Mr. Jefferson Attorney Genl of the U.S. He was also a great favorite of Mr. Clay's. The last time I saw him (Mr. Clay) was in Washington in 1844. The Hon~ Buckner Thurston, then very old, & who had been a Judge in Kenty was present, & not recognizing me Mr. Clay told him, who

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8 I was (I had been well acquainted with Judge T.) He still did not remember me. Don't you remember plain Arthur T. Taul of Fayette with his broad brimmed hat? said Mr. C. to Judge T. I don't remember him, was the answer. Well indeed, said Mr. C. to Judge T., I had no idea that your memory had given way so much. Strange that any man who had known old Mr. Taul, should ever have forgotten him. My father was a rigid economist, plain & pragmatic in every thing. Never went in debt. I have often heard him say after paying his annual tax "Now thank God, I am out of debt. I don't owe a "shil ling" [shilling] to any man in the world". He never was sued in his life. Being easy & independent in his circumstances & having a conscience, void of offence he passed quietly thru life & died suddenly at the house of bro. Benjamin in Clarke County, Ky on the day of 1812. My mother died at her old residence on the day of 1811. She was a woman of uncommon intellectual powers. I never knew any person whose memory was so retentive. It was a complete Register of all passing events: births, deaths, marriages, etc.. She had no difficulty in remembering the names, ages & of all her relations, and I regret that she died before I felt the interest that I ought to have done in obtaining information about our family. She was a woman of uncommon industry and altogether domestic in her habits: she sel dom [seldom] went from home, except to "Meeting" (church) being as before stated a member of the Baptist Church. She was in every respect suited to be the wife of my father. Equally, plain & frugal, congenial in their tastes, & habits, they agreed in every thing & they seemed to live alone for their sons, to whom they were devotedly attached. For many years before my mother's death, she was entirely blind, yet she could sew and

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