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Terry Mason's Family History Site20,982 names. Major lines: Allen, Beck, Borden, Burden, Carpenter, Carper, Cobb, Cook, Cornell, Cowan, Daffron, Davis, Downing, Faubion, Fauntleroy, Fenter, Fishback, Foulks, Gray, Harris, Heimbach, Henn, Holland, Holtzclaw, Jackson, Jameson, Johnson, Jones, King, Lewis, Mason, Massengill, McAnnally, Moore, Morgan, Overstreet, Price, Peck, Rice, Richardson, Rogers, Samuel, Smith, Taylor, Thomas, Wade, Warren, Weeks, Webb, Wodell, Yeiser. |
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1International Genealogical Index (R), Copyright (c) 1980, 2000, data as of January 2000, Film 0955649, 1838/1881, Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 USA. Batch M514861.
1International Genealogical Index (R), Copyright (c) 1980, 2000, data as of January 2000, Film 0955649, 1838/1881, Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 USA. Batch M514861.
1Lewis, William Terrell of Perryville, Miss. 1893. , Lewis Family in America, Genealogy of the (From the Middle of the Seventeenth Century Down to the Present Time), Higginson Publishing in Salem, Massachusetts, pp. 328-330. Exerpts provided by Michael Lewis Monroe <mlmono@infi.net> who has edited 1100 pages of William Terrell Lewis' original book. " In the month of August, 1786, Mr. Francis Downing, Sr., then a mere lad, was living in a fort where, subsequently, some iron works were erected by Mr. Jacob Myers, which are now known by the name of Slate Creek Works, and are the property of Colonel Thomas Dye Owings. About the 16th a young man belonging to the fort called upon Downing and requested his assistance in hunting for a horse which had strayed away on the preceding evening. Downing readily complied, and the two friends traversed the woods in every direction until at length, toward evening they found themselves in a wild valley at the distance of six or seven miles from the fort. Here Downing became alarmed and repeatedly assured his elder companion (whose name was Yates) that he heard sticks cracking behind them and was confident that Indians were dogging them. Yates being an experienced hunter, and from habit grown indifferent to the dangers of the woods, diverted himself freely at the expense of his young companion, often inquiring at what price he rated his scalp, and offering to insure it for a sixpence. Downing, however, was not so easily satisfied. He observed that in whatever direction they turned the same ominous sounds continued to haunt them, and as Yates still treated his fears with the most perfect indifference he determined to take his measures upon his own responsibility. Gradually slackening his pace, he permitted Yates to advance twenty or thirty steps in front of him, and immediately after descending a gentle hill he suddenly sprung aside and hid himself in a thick cluster of whortleberry bushes. Yates, who at that time was performing some woodland ditty to the full extent of his lungs, was too much pleased with his own voice to attend either to Downing or the Indians and was quickly out of sight. Scarcely had he disappeared when Downing to his unspeakable terror, beheld two savages put aside the stalks of a cane brake and look out cautiously in the direction which Yates had taken. Fearful that they had seen him step aside he determined to fire upon them and trust to his heels for safety, but so unsteady was his hand that in raising his gun to his shoulder it went off before he had taken aim. He lost no time in following its example, and after having run fifty yards he met Yates, who, alarmed at the report, was hastily retracing his steps. It was not necessary to inquire what was the matter. The enemy were in full view, pressing forward with great rapidity, and "devil take the hindmost" was the order of the day. Yates would not outstrip Downing, but ran by his side, although in so doing he risked both of their lives. The Indians were well acquainted with the country, and soon took a path that diverged from the one which the whites followed at one point and rejoined it at another, bearing the same relation to it that the string does to the bow. The two paths were, at no point, distant from each other more than one hundred yards, so that Yates and Downing could easily see the enemy gaining rapidly upon them. They reached the point of reunion first, however, and quickly came to a deep gully which it was necessary to cross or retrace their steps. Yates cleared it without difficulty, but Downing, being much exhausted, fell short, and falling with his breast against the opposite brink rebounded with violence and fell at full length on the bottom. The Indians crossed the ditch a few yards below him and, eager for the capture of Yates, continued the pursuit without appearing to notice Downing. The latter, who at first had given himself up for lost, quickly recovered his strength and began to walk slowly along the ditch, fearing to leave it lest the enemy should see him. As he advanced, however, the ditch became more shallow until at length it ceased to protect him at all. Looking around cautiously he saw one of the Indians returning apparently in quest of him. Unfortunately, he had neglected to reload his gun while in the ditch, and as the Indian instantly advanced upon him he had no resource but flight. Throwing away his gun, which was now useless, he plied his legs manfully in ascending a long ridge which stretched before him, but the Indian gained upon him so rapidly that he lost all hope of escape. Coming, at length to a large poplar which had been blown up by the roots, he ran along the body of the tree upon one side while the Indian followed it upon the other, doubtless expecting to intercept him at the root. But here the supreme dominion of fortune was manifested. It happened that a large she-bear was suckling her cubs in a bed which she had made at the root of the tree, and as the Indian reached that point first she instantly sprang upon him, and a prodigious uproar took place. The Indian yelled and stabbed with his knife; the bear growled and saluted him with one of her most endearing "hugs," while Downing, fervently wishing her success, ran off through the woods without waiting to see the event of the struggle. Downing reached the fort in safety and found Yates reposing, after a hot chase, having eluded his pursuers and gained the fort two hours before him. On the next morning they collected a party and returned to the poplar tree, but no traces either of the Indian or bear were to be found. They both probably escaped with their lives, though not without injury. The foregoing adventure of Francis Downing, Sr., is but one of the many in which he was engaged. Most of them were published in the Kentucky Gazette by John Bradford, the first editor of the first paper published west of the mountains, under the caption of Bradford's Notes on Kentucky. Mr. Downing's name is mentioned in the life of Daniel Boone. He was in every Indian campaign in which he had a chance to go; was one of the party from Lexington, or McConnell's Station, which forced their way through Simon Girty's forces in ambush and safely reached Bryan's Station. He was also in one of the divisions pursuing Girty after his retreat, which did not come up until after the "Battle of the Blue Licks." When quite a boy he was sent to Lexington by his father on particular business, when guns were as common as an appendage to a man as are pocket-knives in our day. He chanced to be passing where General Scott's forces were drilling near to Ashland, the subsequent residence of the late Henry Clay, and without parley or delay he fell into ranks. A friend urged him to go to Lexington, attend to his business and return home, but he refused to do so. Arrived at Louisville (the falls) the friend determined to appeal to General Scott. He did so, telling the old General that he ought to send the boy back to his family. Scott had him brought into his presence and thus accosted him: "Well, my little man, have you a gun?" "Yes, sir." "Have you a horse?" "Yes, sir." "Have you any money?" "Yes, sir." "Then, d-n it," said Scott, "let the little fellow go." He did go, and in his eagerness to shoot a "red skin" in one of his conflicts he came very near being shot in the head. His guardian friend was warning him not to thus expose himself when a ball aimed at his head struck the bark of the tree and forced the flying pieces against his head and in his eyes, giving severe pain. His friend ran to him and asked , "Are you hurt much?" "I reckon I am," said he, feeling deliberately the back of his head. "Look for the bullet hole, will you?" Mr. Downing lost an eye in early life by the accidental cut of a sword, while playfully fencing with a friend, which gave character to all his diseases in after life. He died of apoplexy in Lexington, Ky., in 18331, aged about sixty. He was beloved and esteemed by all who knew him, and was among the most amiable of men."
