To the lovers of thrilling adventure, the title of this work would alone
be its strongest recommendation. The exploits of the Heroes of the West,
need but a simple narration to give them an irresistible charm. They
display the bolder and rougher features of human nature in their noblest
light, softened and directed by virtues that have appeared in the really
heroic deeds of every age, and form pages in the history of this country
destined to be read and admired when much that is now deemed more
important is forgotten.
It is true, that, with the lights of this age, we regard many of the deeds
of our western pioneer as aggressive, barbarous, and unworthy of civilized
men. But there is no truly noble heart that will not swell in admiration
of the devotion and disinterestedness of Benjamin Logan, the self-reliant
energy of Boone and Whetzel, and the steady firmness and consummate
military skill of George Rogers Clarke. The people of this country need
records of the lives of such men, and we have attempted to present these
in an attractive form.
[Illustration: CAPTURE OF BOONE.]