Micah Taul memoir

24 ally part of a day, when attending a "Dancing School". Capt Bullock, sent his children to the dancing school, almost the only school he ever sent them to. They had then, as now County Court, which sat once a month, every body went to Court - the taverns were full of people, from an early in the day, until the next morning. The people would quarrel and fight, as it seems to me now, just for the love of it. Nearly 50 years, have now passed by, since I was in the habit of being at public places & what a change. I remember at the first Court (June 1798) there was an immense crowd of people, at an indifferent tavern, (so called) really a pot house, kept by an old Dutch woman. It was on the street that leads in the direction of Capt B's house, and as we passed it, on our way home, so great was the crowd, and so uproarous were the people that Capt. B. altho' a very moral man, had to stop & go in; of course "the boys" followed him. I don't choose to record what was there publickly to be seen - the young gentlemen of the bar, I distinctly remember were there, as happy and as a jovial a set of fellows as I ever saw, collected together. Many of the most respectable married men of the county, were present, & that house continued to be the center of attraction during the sitting of the Court (3 or 4 days). Cock fighting was then a fashionable amusement [amusement]. On Christmas Day 1798, a main was fought on the public square in Winchester for a large wager. One of the parties & one site of fowls, were brought from Lexington 18 miles the other from the Slate Furnace about 30 miles. A pit was prepared for the combat on the public square, & an amphitheatre erected around it, for the accomodation of the spectators who had to pay 25 to 50 cents for admittance. The crowd was immense. For days before, nothing was to be seen but the preparations for this "cock fight"

25 Nothing else, was heard of, or talked about. At lenghth the day arrived and a most favorable one it was for the sport on hand. They were to fight, the best six out of eleven - at least the winner, had to come off conquerer 6 times to win & my recollection is, that they fought eleven battles. It was a most exciting affair. I never witnessed men betting on any occasion, not even a race track. As an evidence of the great uncertainty of all such things, as well as games of chance I will mention that in one of the battles, one of the cocks, in very quick time cut down his adversary, who seemed to be placed perfectly "hors de combat" Do you give it up said the backer of the victor? No said the other, he's not dead yet. Tho' really, he appeared to be perfectly lifeless. The proud Victor Cock, strutted round & about, with a most majestic, proud & egotistical air; as much to say, "Damn you, do you see how easily I thrashed that "dominico rascal" - not satisfied with all such exulting airs, altho' he was first rate game, he jumped upon his prostrate foe and crowed. This mean barbarous bravada, was fatal to him, as well as to the purses of his backers. The dying hero, could not stand that. He had been cut down in the prime of life & felt that his last end was near; he had submitted, with all the Philosophy he could command to the Shouts of Victory by the backers of his enemy & to that enemy; exultation & proud bearing around his almost lifeless body, but to be trampled upon & crowed over, by his ungenerous foe was too much, for a brave cock, even in the last agonies of death to submit to: He summoned up all his expiring energies - made a tremendous effort - threw his foe off his body and run one of his gaffs entirely through his head which produced instantaneous death. There was then a tremendous shout of victory on the other side. The owner of the victor immediately

26 removed him from the field of Battle: He probably did not survive long enough to receive the congratulations of his friends, on his unexpected victory. I mention such things as these not for the purpose of making a display in describing them, but for the sole purposes of giving you some insight into the manners & customs of the People, half a century ago.

Cock fighting was a common & favorite sport in those days. Horse racing was an almost every day business. The people indulged in almost all sorts of amusements - playing cards - [fives?] or Ball - throwing long bulletts, & even pulling an old Ganders head off, was no uncommon sport - shooting - running foot races - wrestling hopping - &c &c was practiced at all public gatherings - a fistfight followed as a matter of course - it must be a "fist fight" & nothing else. If a pugilist had dared to raise a stick or draw a knife, he would have fared badly - all parties, friends as well as foes would have been upon him.

At the session of the Legislature in 1800, & 1801 the county of Wayne was established, out of parts of the Counties of Pulaski & Cumberland & South of Cumberland River- it was the only county, established at that session and I became a candidate for the Clerkship of both courts (Quarter Session & County Courts). I was very well recommended, not only by my "Master" Capt. Bullock, but by the Judges of the Quarter Session Court (Robert Clark, father of the late Gen. Clark, Original Young & Hubbard Taylor) - the Justices of the Peace of the County Genl. Levi Todd, the Clerk of Fayette County. Col. William Irvine, the Clerk of Madison County & other respectable men. It being the only County established at that session of the Legislature, there were "Lots" of candidates as many as 15 or 16; the most prominant of whom were Samuel McKee, who was at that time

27 Surveyor of Pulaski County, John Montfort surveyor of Cumberland County & myself. (Mr. McKee was afterwards for many years a distinguished member of Congress, & the father of Colo. McKee killed at the battle of Buena Vista). The Justices of the County Court were Colo. Charles Dibrell, Martin Sims, Edward N. Cullom, James Montgomery, Raleigh Clark, James Jones & James Evans. The first Court was held on the 16th day of March 1801 at the house of Henry Garner two miles from the present town of Monticello. The Justices all attended the Court, except Colo. Dibrell, who was absent in Virginia. This day was a remarkably pleasant one & the people of the new county very generally turned out. In a conference between the Justices before they took their seats upon the bench, it was ascertained that Sims, Jones & Evans were in favor of Montfort - Montgomery & Clark were for McKee & Cullom for me. I proposed to Mr. McKee to decline in his favor, but he said it was unnecessary as he knew that Esq. Cullom in a contest between him & Montfort, would vote for Montfort & he would therefore decline, knowing that his friends Montgomery & Clark would vote for me. Accordingly when the Court was organized, the six members were equally divided between Mr. Montfort & myself. Mr. Evans however, fearing that a tie would prevent the election of Clerk, voted for me which gave me a majority. Mr. Sims, the presiding justice, as I had a majority with out his vote, also voted for me. I thus received five votes out of six - a remarkable result considering that an hour before, only one of the 6 Justices was in my favor. At the time of my election I lacked two months of being sixteen years of age!! having been born on the 14th day of May 1785. No question was made in

28 those days relative to the eligibility of an [underlined: Infant] to an office of the kind. It is probable that others might have been appointed, when under age, but I doubt if there is another instance either in Kentucky or elsewhere of one so young as I was being appointed. In May, I was elected without opposition, Clerk of the Quarter Session Court, the Judges having declared their determination to appoint whoever might be appointed Clerk of the County Court - provided he was well qualified. By the Constitution of Kentucky, no person could be appointed Clerk of any Court, "during good behaviores" unless he had a certificate from the Court of Appeals of his qualifications. I had obtained [obtained] such a certificate the preceeding October having been examined by the Clerk of the Court (Colo. Thomas Todd) in the presence of the Judges, George Minter, Benjamin Sebastian & Caleb Wallace - three aged & venerable Judges. I had the good fortune to answer correctly & without embarraassment every question propounded to me - of which I was very proud particularly as another applicant, several years my senior, scarcely answered a simple one & was rejected. Thus at the early age of 16, I was the Clerk of two Courts, which I was entitled to hold "during "good behavior". They were worth about one thousand dollars a year, being a solid foundation not only of Independence but of wealth, if I had improved it, as I might have done. I will here state, that I owe many obligations to [Z?]. N. Cullom Esqr for this friendship in prefering me to all the other candidates, one of whom was a Mr. Vandeveer, his brother in law, but who was not qualified for the office. I also had the friendship of his worthy brother William Cullom, both of whom voluntarily became my sureties when I was elected - the latter is the father of the Honble