Crawford Research Project Part 3: Summary of Known Facts

I'm continuing on with my latest research project using the Research Like A Pro method developed by Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer of Family Locket.

In my last post, I stated my research objective. In a nutshell, it is to determine if my ancestor Elizabeth Crawford Torr is the daughter of Alexander and Mary (McPheeters) Crawford of Augusta County, Virginia.

The next step in the process is to create a summary of known facts. I'm not a big fan of spreadsheets, so I put my information into a table, arranged chronologically. In it, I included what I know to be true about Elizabeth Crawford Torr. I also included the death date for her proposed parents.

The second table is a summary of possible DNA connections to Alexander and Mary Crawford. 

The next step of my research project is to create a locality guide for Augusta County, Virginina.

CRAWFORD RESEARCH PROJECT SUMMARY OF KNOWN FACTS

DATE	ITEM	PLACE	SOURCE	NOTES
Est. 1752	Birth of Elizabeth Crawford	Unknown		Best guess based on her being about 21 at the birth of her first child, estimated to be in 1773
29 Sep 1764	Death of Alexander and Mary McPheeters Crawford	Buffalo Gap, Augusta County, Virginia	The Pennsylvania Gazette, published 15 Nov 1764; available online at newspapers.com	“In a Letter from Stanton, in Virginia, dated October 26, it is said, that on the 29th of September the Indians killed one Crawford and his Wife, and burnt their House and Barn, with a great Quantity of Grain in it.”
29 Oct 1792	Tax List Elizabeth Tar	Fayette County, KY	Tax Rolls of Fayette County, Kentucky, Fayette County, Kentucky, Oct. 29, 1792, DGS #7834426, Film #7957, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah. accessed on FamilySearch.org	Oct. 29, 1792 Person's Names Charged With the Tax: Tar, Elizabeth Horses, Mares etc: 2 Cattle: 2
25 Oct 1793	Tax List Elizabeth Tore	Fayette County, KY	Ibid	Oct. 25, 1793 Person's Names: Elizabeth TORE White males 16-21: 2 Horses, mares, etc: 1 Cattle: 4
24 Aug 1795	Tax List Elizabeth Tore	Fayette County, KY	Ibid	Aug. 25, 1795 Person's Names: Elizabeth TORE White males 16-21: 1 Horses, mares, etc.: 1 Cattle: 9
8 Jun 1796	Tax List Betty Toor	Fayette County, KY	Ibid	Jun 8, 1796 Person's Names: Betty TOOR White males above 21: 1 White males above 16: 1 Horses, mares, etc.: 4 Cattle: 8
16 Jun 1797	Tax List Elizabeth Tore	Fayette County, KY	Ibid	Jun 16, 1797 Person's Names: Elizabeth TORE White males over 21: 1 Horses, mares, etc: 4
2 Nov 1807	Permission for daughter to marry Elisabeth Tarr	Shelby County, KY	Shelby County, Kentucky Marriage Bonds, loose paper, Phillip Pearce and Else Tarr, 2 November 1807; Shelby County Courthouse, Shelbyville, Kentucky	"Sir You have my consent to issue Licance of marriage betwen my Daughter and Philip perce. my Daughter is of full age, and her father is dead. I am Sir yours Elisabeth her X mark Tarr To the Cleark of Shelbey County Test A.M. Gaughey"

SUMMARY OF POSSIBLE CRAWFORD DNA MATCHES

Using Ancestry DNA’s ThruLines feature, these are possible connections to Alexander and Mary McPheeters Crawford. The kits belong to my mother and uncle.

Through Which Child	Match on Which Kit	Ancestry User	Predicted Relationship
John	RH, WM	CC	6th cousin
	RH, WM	LS	6th cousin
William	RH, WM	RP	6th cousin
	RH	RB	6th cousin
	RH	JN	6th cousin
	RH, WM	MN	6th cousin
	RH	JB	6th cousin
	RH	RR	6th cousin
	WM	JLK	6th cousin
Edward	RH, WM	GKW	6th cousin
	RH, WM	JDF	6th cousin
Alexander	RH, WM	AS	6th cousin
	RH, WM	DN	6th cousin
Rebecca	RH	GA	6th cousin
Mary	RH, WM	RB	6th cousin
Samuel	RH, WM	RH	6th cousin
	RH, WM	SFC	6th cousin
	RH	CH	6th cousin
	RH, WM	JuH	5th c 1 rem
	RH, WM	JoH	6th cousin
	RH	MW	5th c 1 rem
	WM	SR	6th cousin
Robert	RH, WM	JI	6th cousin
	RH, WM	NL	6th cousin
	RH	BR	6th cousin
	RH	KR	6th cousin
	WM	CB	6th cousin
James	RH, WM	GW	6th cousin
	RH, WM	RP	6th cousin
	RH, WM	PJ	6th cousin
	RH	JG	6th cousin
	WM	DT	6th cousin
	WM	GH	6th cousin
	WM	IL	6th cousin

Crawford Research Project Part 2: Research Objective

In my last post, I gave some background on my ancestors William Torr and Elizabeth Crawford. Now that is off my chest, I'm ready to begin a research project focusing on Elizabeth Crawford Torr. I will use the Research Like A Pro method developed by Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer at Family Locket.

I have never been able to identify the parents of Elizabeth Crawford Torr. To be honest, I wasn't even sure where to start. But with the recent launch of Ancestry DNA's ThruLines, I got a clue. If you aren't family with ThruLines, you can learn more about them on Ancestry's YouTube Channel. If you prefer an excellent objective overview, check out Blaine Bettinger's video, which also discusses the new DNA Match List feature.

ThruLines uses your DNA cousin matches and member family trees to identify possible ways you could be related to your matches. NOTE: because this feature relies on family trees, it is only as good as the data in the trees. SO, if there is an error in a tree, it could produce an error in the ThruLines. ThruLines is just a tool, NOT the be-all-end-all answer.

I'll give you an easy example. This is the ThruLines screenshot for my grandfather, Vaughn Hilyard. My DNA is linked to a tree that only has my direct-line ancestors. In this picture, anyone who appears in my tree has a solid-line box around their name. Any person ThruLines predicts is my relative that DOES NOT appear in my tree has a dashed-line box around them.

ThruLines for my grandfather
Click image to enlarge

On the right is my father, in a solid-line box, indicating he is in my tree (and, indeed, a DNA match at the parent level). In the dashed box is a person predicted to be my uncle, based on information found in other people's trees. He was, indeed, my uncle Ron. Coming down from him are two DNA matches, one predicted to be a first cousin, the other a first cousin once removed. Both of these are correct! I know them to be correct because, in this case, all of these people are known to me, and are in my full-size private tree. But, say I didn't know about this uncle. All of these links and suggestions would be a starting place for me to learn who these two DNA cousin matches are and how they are truly related to me.

Now, on to Elizabeth Crawford. I can't give you a screenshot of this, but as I was scrolling through my mother's ThruLines, I noticed a "Potential Ancestor" button. Clicking on this took me to a man named Alexander Crawford. There were a couple dozen DNA matches that could potentially link me to this man. I was intrigued.  I have since entered him into my database as my ancestor, and this is what the ThruLines looks like now.

ThruLines for Alexander Crawford
Click image to enlarge

I can only show part of it here, but there are more lines if I scroll left or right. I have labeled my line on the left, and it is shown as solid boxes since these people are in my tree. The other four are potential children of Alexander Crawford, with possible links from them down to my DNA cousins.  If there were only one DNA cousin, I might not give this much weight. But my mother has twenty-nine DNA cousin matches that could tie back to this man. That warrants a closer look.

Enter the Research Like a Pro method. The first step in the process is to identify your objective. What is my question, including as much specific identifying information as I can?  I want to know if Elizabeth Crawford Torr is the daughter of Alexander Crawford (and his wife Mary McPheeters).  

My research objective is this:  Determine if Elizabeth Crawford Torr (birth estimated 1752, death estimated after 1807 possibly in Shelby County, Kentucky) who married William Torr about 1772 (birth estimated 1752, death before 29 Oct 1792) is the daughter of Alexander Crawford (birth estimated 1715, death 29 Sep 1764 in Augusta County, Virginia) and his wife Mary McPheeters (birth estimated 1716, death 29 Sep 1764) in Augusta County, Virginia.

In my next post, I'll continue the process by creating a summary of known facts.  This is a timeline or table of everything I know so far and where that information comes from.

Crawford Research Project Part 1: Background Information

Last year, I stumbled upon a great method to improve my genealogical research. It is the "Research Like a Pro" system, constructed by mother-daughter team Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer. You can read all about it on their website at Family Locket. They have also put together the information in a book, available in hard copy or e-book, titled Research Like A Pro: A Genealogist's Guide. This method helps me focus my efforts on a single question instead of wasting time mindlessly clicking from website to website.

I recently had a new question pop up that needs some serious attention. Using Ancestry DNA's new ThruLines feature, I identified potential parents for a brick-wall ancestor. This ancestor's name is Elizabeth Crawford Torr, my fifth great-grandmother.  She, along with her husband William Torr, came into my cross-hairs recently when I "rediscovered" my cousin Ken, a lively octogenarian who would like to learn more about this couple before, as he puts it, "it's too late."

Before I launch into my research project, I want to provide a bit of background. There is much controversy about the Torrs. Quite a bit has been written, most of it without sources. This hearsay has become gospel over the years, and I have decided to throw my hat into the ring. With sources, of course.

Ken and I met with another Torr cousin, Jane, over 20 years ago. Not too long after we worked over these lines with limited success, I wrote up my summary of my findings and conclusions. The rest of this post contains my nearly 20-year-old Progress Report, with a few updates.

Progress Report on William Torr

Purpose of report:  To clarify what is now known about William Torr and to correct some previously published errors regarding him and his family.

Questions:

1. What are the known facts about William Torr?
2. How many times was he married? What is the name of his wife (or wives)?

Introduction

The earliest record we have for William Torr is a tax record (1) from Frederick County, Virginia from 1782 under the name William Toor.  He appears on subsequent lists in 1783, 1784, 1785, 1786, and finally on a list dated 30 May 1789. I have images of the originals for each of these, but only include one here for brevity. 

1782 Tax List Frederick County, Virginia
Click to enlarge

Next is a Revolutionary War Public Service Claim.  General information about this can be found in the Library of Virginia’s online catalog.  Quoting from the website, “...in May 1780 the General Assembly passed an act authorizing the governor to impress supplies needed by the American army.  The governor appointed commissioners of the provision law in each locality to carry out the terms of the act.  The commissioner, when he impressed property, gave the owner a certificate describing what was taken.  Between 1781 and 1783 county county courts held special sessions at which certificates were presented and authenticated, and booklets listing authenticated certificates were compiled and sent to Richmond for settlement. Two commissioners appointed to settle the claims recorded those for which they authorized payment, and warrants were issued by the auditor of public accounts.”  The card catalog lists Torr, William, place of residence Frederick County.  

From the August 1783 court:
 “William Torr for Ferriage of 117 Men & 3 horses over Shanandoah River for same use.”(2)

This piece of information is useful for several reasons.  First, many (undocumented) Torr genealogies state that William Torr operated a ferry.  This public service claim bears that out.  However, some genealogies state he was on the Potomac River; I haven’t found any reference to William Torr on the Potomac.

In 2016, I discovered one further reference to William Torr. In a transcription of Frederick County, Virginia Deed Books is this entry (3): 

"MARTIN, THOMAS BRYAN (of Greenway Court in Frederick Co. VA)--14 Mar 1785, 1 Nov 1785--Lease of Property--for the annual payment for the sum of 20 pounds due each 14th Mar paid by Wm. HAND to lease a farm with all its houses, buildings, orchards, gardens, meadows, ways, paths, water course, profits, commodities, hereditaments & appurtenances, including Ferry Boat Landing, lying on the Shenandoah River in Frederick Co. VA, formerly the lease of Wm. TORR, the lease to run for 10 years, signed by T.B. Martin & Wm. "W" Hand, Wit: Edward Rogers, Samuel Sharp & John Simson, received by James Keith CC; Book 21, 108."

The transcribed deed gives some fertile ground for further research.  But sadly, the tax lists and public claims records are the only primary source materials I have found for William Torr.   Much has been stated as fact about him, his parentage, wives, and family, but these are the only primary sources to support any claims made about him.  We can say definitively that William Torr lived in Frederick County, Virginia from 1782 to 1789, and that he operated a ferry on the Shenandoah River.  The rest is inference and speculation!  However, I will try to support any further claims with as much secondary information as possible.

One Wife or Two?

Many Torr genealogies state that there were two generations of Williams: the first William was married to Mary Troxal and the second generation William was married to Elizabeth Crawford.  Another theory is that there was one William, with two wives.

It is my belief that Mary Troxal never enters into our Torr family, and that there is one William Torr, who was married to an Elizabeth whose maiden name is believed to be Crawford.

Some Troxal genealogies say Mary was married to a “Barr or Derr or Tarr”.  I believe a Torr researcher latched onto that statement, assuming it was William Torr, and linked the two families.  Hence, it is stated in some Torr genealogies that the William Torr who operated a ferry married “Mary Troxal, a Virginia girl of English parentage”.  Others cite a Mary Troxal dying in Scott County, Kentucky in 1795.  Why would she have still been referred to as “Troxal” if she had been married to a Torr?  Lastly, research into the Troxal name shows that it is actually Swiss, and spelled Trachsel and many other variants; not, as the genealogies claim, “of English parentage”.  I firmly believe that the Troxal-Torr link is not valid.

A family genealogy referred to as “The Ashby Pearce Book” (or a photocopy of it) is located at the Filson Club in Louisville, Kentucky.  Ashby Pearce was the son of Philip and Else Tarr Pearce, and this book has places to fill in information about one’s family.  It gives Aley (Else) Torr Pearce’s father as William Torr and her mother as Elizabeth Crawford. 

Aley Torr Pearce page from Ashby Pearce Book

This is the one piece of information that gives Elizabeth’s maiden name.  There has been no other record located thus far.  This record also states under “No. Br’s & Sisters:  Three sisters 4 brothers”.  It is not known if this tally includes Aley/Else or not.  My research shows only seven total children of William and Elizabeth.

The first primary evidence I found regarding Elizabeth Crawford Torr was the 2 Nov 1807 marriage bond of his daughter Else Tarr and Philip Pearce in Shelby County, Kentucky.  This is evidence that William Torr was not alive in 1807, and that he had a wife named Elizabeth.

“Sir:  you have my consent to Issue Licance of marrage between my Daughter Else and Philip pierce. my Daughter is of full ages and her father is dead.  I am Sir yours, Elisabeth (her X mark) Tarr” (4)

Else Tarr was born in 1787.  That means that William and Elizabeth were married by 1787, providing further evidence against the idea of a first wife named Mary Troxal who died in 1795.  

Summary:  It is my belief that there was only one generation of William Torr, and he only had one wife, named Elizabeth Crawford.  There is no Troxal connection to the Torr line.

Elizabeth Crawford Torr

Elizabeth Crawford Torr was probably born by 1752 This is based on the fact of her oldest son John Tarr’s estimated birth in 1773, and her being at least 21 at this event. 

A search of Kentucky’s tax lists revealed further information about this Torr family.  Kentucky became a state in 1792.  The first tax list from Fayette County dated 29 Oct 1792 lists Elizabeth Tar.  This is significant.  For Elizabeth to be enumerated on the tax lists, her husband was not alive.  Now, we can move the date of William Torr’s death from 1807 back 15 years to before 29 Oct 1792.

Fayette County, Kentucky 1792 Tax List for Elizabeth Tar

Next, in 1793 (no day or month), Elizabeth Tore is on the Fayette County tax list with two white males over 16.  These are her two oldest sons, John and William.

In 1794, Elizabeth is not on the tax rolls.  However, her oldest son John appears for the first time on 17 Jun 1794 in Fayette County with one white male over 21.  This is most likely the year he turned 21, putting his birth around 1773.

Elizabeth continues to appear in the Fayette County tax rolls in 1795, 1796, and 1797.  There is no roll extant for 1798.  After this, her son John appears in the Shelby County lists from 1799 to 1809.  The only further record for Elizabeth is the previously mentioned bond for her daughter Else’s marriage in 1807. 

One further note: some erroneous genealogies give Elizabeth Crawford’s parents as George Crawford and Nancy Winters.  The marriage record for this couple can be found in Augusta County, Virginia; they were married on 22 Jun 1789!  They are obviously not the parents of Elizabeth.  This needs to be corrected.

Summary:  William Torr was born by est. 1752 based on his wife and children's ages (though possibly much earlier), and died sometime between 30 May 1789 and 29 Oct 1792, from tax records. Elizabeth Crawford was born est. 1752.  She married William Torr probably around 1772 (prior to the birth of their son John in 1773).  She was widowed by 29 Oct 1792, and lived in Fayette County, Kentucky from that time until 1797.  She mostly likely moved with her family at that time to Shelby County, Kentucky, where the last record she left was her permission for her daughter to marry Philip Pearce in November 1807.  No record of her death has been found.

 _______________

  

Sources

1. Frederick County, Virginia Tax Rolls, Frederick County, Virginia, unnumbered, Personal Property Tax Lists, 1782-1802, film #7842567, 1782, Virginia State Library, Richmond Virginia. microfilm available at FamilySearch.
2. Microfilm; Public Service Claims.  Court Booklets and Lists (reels 1-4) arranged by county, p. 5 and 36.  Also Commissioner’s Books, II, p. 214. 
3. Buck D. A., Abstractor and Compiler, Frederick County, Virginia Deed Books 21-26.
4. Shelby County, Kentucky marriage bonds, located at the county courthouse.

Estill's Defeat: Harper Family Series, Part 2

Fort Boonesborough, 2001
Photo by Vonda Lee Heverly

I am fortunate to have a few ancestors for whom records are abundant.  These are the ones I want to write The Book for: that thick dust-gatherer that tells every little detail, complete with sources, of course. I realize the impossibility of completing such a task, so my goal is to write individual chapters. Each chapter may not be complete, and they certainly aren't going to be in chronological order. But each installment will get me closer to having The Book I've been longing for.

One such family is the Harpers.  They were among the earliest settlers in Kentucky and lived in close proximity to some famous people (translation: lots of source material!). I've written one chapter in this journey already, The Life and Murder of Peter Harper.  Peter was my 6x great-uncle; now I turn to his brother John Harper, my 5x great-grandfather.

John Harper was born probably in Prince William County, Virginia in about 1747 to George and Betty Harper.  He first came to Kentucky in 1779, aged about 32.  He came with a small group of men to stake out claims for land.  That first winter was a rough one, and he spent it inside the shelter of Boonesboro, a fort Daniel Boone had built in 1775.  He spent the next few years serving in the Kentucky militia on the frontier during the Revolutionary War as a spy, scout, and ranger. This was a time when there were many skirmishes between the white settlers and the natives who hunted in the area.

This story is about one such clash, the Battle of Little Mountain, also called Estill's Defeat.  There is an excellent account of this story written in Collins' Historical Sketches of Kentucky: History of Kentucky by Lewis and Richard H. Collins.  This link takes you directly to the story in the book on archive.org.  This book was published in 1874, and the language is a little flowery to our modern ears.  Here is my interpretation of the original in a modern tone, with a few original excerpts in block quotes:

On March 19th, 1782, an empty Indian raft floated down the Kentucky River past Boonesboro. This indicated that Indians were crossing the river further upstream with the intention of sneaking up the back side of unprotected settlements.  An alarm was sent to Captain James Estill about 15 miles away at his station, and he raised a party of 40 men to investigate.

The day after the party left Estill's Station, Indians attacked it. They killed a young woman within sight of the fort, and took captive an enslaved man, Monk.  Monk knew full well there were no fighting men left behind, but told the Indians how strong the fort was and of all the men inside to defend it. His exaggeration was effective enough to send the Indians away, saving the women and children left inside.

Image from The History of Kentucky
[see citation below, click link to view book online]

Two boys were sent to catch up to Captain Estill and tell him of the attack. They reached Estill's party early on March 21st. The men resolved to chase the Indians, sending five men back to the station to defend it. After crossing the river, they discovered the Indian trail and rode hard to catch them.  They camped that night near where Mount Sterling, Kentucky stands today, an area called Little Mountain. [Little Mountain was actually an Indian burial mound that was leveled in 1845. You can read about it here.] Ten of the men had horses unable to go on, so the remaining 25 took off the next morning, March 22nd. They soon observed fresh Indian tracks and knew they were getting close.

They rode several hours, when they came upon six Indians preparing their supper from a buffalo.  Captain Estill fired his gun, causing the Indians to run.  David Cook, a little ahead of the rest of the party, saw an Indian halt. He raised his gun, and fired. Just at that instant, another Indian crossed their path, and the single shot killed both men.  This remarkable shot, seen by most of Estill's group, spurred them on to fight.

The Indians were beginning to retreat, not wishing to engage, when their leader was shot and fell.  His death would have ended the battle 20 minutes after Cook shot the first Indians.  To quote the History of Kentucky:

"But to the true son of the forest there is no rallying cry like that from his wounded leader. He ordered them to come back, and fight like men." 

The Indians dragged their leader, whose name has been lost to history, behind a bush where he would be protected but could give orders to his men. His voice was strong and they did not disobey.

Image of Estill's Defeat from the Digital Public Library of America
(see full citation below in References)

The two sides were evenly matched, and it turned into a series of individual conflicts instead of organized forces going head to head.

"Each rifleman singled out his man, and fired at no uncertain mark. Life itself was forfeit. The firing was deliberate. For an hour, both sides stood firmly, or bravely fell...In the clangor and uproar of a general battle, death is forgotten, and cowards often die like brave men; but in the cool and lingering expectation of death, only the man of true courage can stand. Such was the situation now...The Indian chief could not retreat, and without him his men would not." 

At this point, Captain Estill sent a detachment of six men with Lt. William Miller to go around the creek and flank the enemy so as to surround them.  If these seven men had followed their orders, the settlers might have won the day.  However, as they moved their position they panicked and abandoned their comrades, securing their own safety but sealing the fates of the other men.

As soon as Estill saw what had happened, he ordered David Cook to the flank.  These men immediately obeyed, but Cook was shot.  The men in the front were running low on ammunition. Suddenly, Adam Caperton, one of Estill's closest friends, was shot in the head.  However, the shot did not immediately kill him, but crazed him. Unaware of his own actions, he staggered out into the open space between the enemies, and a powerful Wyandot, out of ammunition, leaped out to scalp him. Estill could not leave his friend to this fate. Gun empty and three times wounded himself, Estill rushed toward the Indian with his butcher-knife drawn. The two warriors grappled in hand-to-hand, life or death combat.

"Each was so powerful and quick, the other could not use his weapon; first up, then down upon the ground, twisting and turning like two immense serpents struggling for the mastery."

Estill had broken one of his arms four months before; it was not yet fully healed, and it finally gave way. The Indian, with a wild yell of triumph, buried his knife in Captain Estill, killing him instantly.  Just as he gave his yell, the Indian fell dead over Estill, shot by Joseph Proctor.  He had been watching the contest with a steady aim, but held his fire lest he kill Estill.

One more settler was killed, and the battle was over. The Indian chief had finally passed.  The battle had gone on for nearly two hours. The whites left their dead behind, and carried off their three wounded.  Joseph Proctor carried William Irvine nearly the whole 40 miles back to Estill's station on his back.  Though the battle ended effectively in a draw, the Indians were left with possession of the field and so it is called Estill's Defeat.

The enslaved man Monk escaped from the Indians, and reported that they had 17 killed and 2 wounded.  Of the whites, seven were killed, 11 returned to Estill's station, and seven deserted in dishonor. Monk was freed later that year by Captain Estill's son for his actions during these days. He went on to have 30 children by three wives and became a Baptist minister.

John Harper wasn't in the Battle of Little Mountain; he didn't witness Estill's defeat firsthand.  However, three days later he led a party of men to the battle ground to bury the dead, which they did by covering them with logs and debris.  The Indians had carried off their own dead, and did not mutilate or scalp the whites. They made no attempt to harass the burial party, surely knowing such a party would come.  Twenty-one years after the battle, John Harper gave testimony in a land dispute case:

Deposition of John Harper (taken on May 20, 1803, at spot where James Estill was defeated and killed):  That he piloted the company to this place that came to bury the dead that was killed in the battle with James Estill, and he found James Estill dead on, or very near, this spot of ground and that he was well acquainted with this spot of ground previous to the battle.  Question by plaintiff: Do you not know that this place was a place of great notoriety previous to the first of the year 1783?  Answer: it was from the time of the battle being fought, and was ever since called Estill's battle ground.  Question by same: Was there any marks by which a stranger could know this place to be the place where Estill was killed?  Answer: None, other but by the trees being scalped by bullets and the bones of the people that were buried on the ground which was plain to be seen the first of the year 1783. [Source: Fayette County, Kentucky Records, p. 93, see full source below.]

John Harper had lived in close proximity to these men for four years. He knew some of them quite well: Joseph Proctor gave testimony for John when he applied for a pension for his service during the American Revolution.  Beal Kelly, another survivor, also came from Prince William County in 1779. John helped him build his cabin and stake his claim.  Though accustomed to rough frontier living, it had to be a shock to see seven of these men dead on the battlefield, their bodies subjected to wildlife and the elements for some days.  Nearly a year later the land was still scarred and the bones of these men were visible.  Over twenty years later, he led men to the exact spot where he had seen it all.

Estill's Defeat from the Historical Marker Database
Photo Credit: Mark Hilton, 11 May 2015

References:

• Estill's Defeat from the Wyandotte perspective
• Estill's defeat. 1859. Retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America, http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e0-f65a-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99.(Accessed January 30, 2019.)
• The History of Kentucky: From Its Earliest Discovery and Settlement, to the Present Date, by Zachariah Frederick Smith; published by Prentice Press, 1895; original from New York Public Library, digitized 11 Feb 2008; accessed 30 Jan 2019.
• Fayette County, Kentucky Records Volume 1, by Michael L. Cook and Bettie Anne Cook, Cook Publications, Evansville, IN 1985.