Keturah Leitch Taylor Letter
In April 1939, Miss Virginia VanVoast, a great
grand-daughter of Keturah Leitch Taylor, sent a copy of this letter to Margaret
Hartman, written by Keturah dated April 7, 1858, "Bellevue" Newport, Kentucky.
This letter was addressed to the Committee of the Pioneer Festival, Cincinnati,
Ohio.
Gentlemen:
Your polite invitation to attend "The Pioneer Celebration" was received some time since and it was my intention to be present on that occasion, but the weather being inclement I am thereby deprived of the pleasure of meeting you. The occasion is one which would have interested me much and call to mind many interesting events that happened in this section of the country in years past.
I came to Kentucky from Goochland County in the year 1783 and resided near Lexington, Kentucky, until my marriage to Major David Leitch, when in the year 1790 we came to reside on a tract of land about five miles from the mouth of the Licking River, owned by Major Leitch, on which he had erected a block-house, to defend himself, and men against the Indians, and during our residence there we were sometimes compelled to seek safety in "Fort Washington". About this time an incident occurred connected with on of our most prominent settlers which I will relate.
(In July 1792) as my husband and I were descending the Licking in a bateau, rowed by two men, the Major and men all being armed, it began to rain and we went ashore to shelter ourselves under some trees, when we heard the firing of guns in the direction of the mouth of the Licking. My husband remarked, something must have happened as the firing of guns was contrary to orders.
When we reached Fort Washington, we found that the Indians had surprised a party between "Columbia" and "Cincinnati" killing one or more and taking a young son (Oliver M) of Colonel Spencer prisoner.
I was well acquainted with Generals Harmer, St. Clair, Wayne and Wilkinson, and was at The Fort when St. Clair marched against the Indians in 1791 and assisted the ladies in The Fort in making knapsacks and preparing coffee for the soldiers who served in that unfortunate campaign.
When I first settled in the County, the only building in Newport was a single log house at the mouth of the Licking, built by Jacob Fowler, now deceased. When I came to Kentucky, this part of the State was unsettled and all north of the Ohio, an unbroken wilderness, and I feel a grateful pride in being able to say that I now look upon this magnificent city and densely populated country which, when I first saw it, was infested with the savage Indian.
Respectfully.
Your Obedient Servant
Keturah Leitch Taylor