Simon Kenton was born in Fauquier county, Virginia, on the 15th of May,
1755. His parents were poor, and until the age of sixteen his days seem to
have been passed in the laborious drudgery of a farm. When he was about
sixteen, an unfortunate occurrence threw him upon his own resources. A
robust young farmer, named Leitchman, and he were rival suitors for the
hand of a young coquette, and she being unable to decide between them,
they took the matter into their own hands and fought a regular pitched
battle at a solitary spot in the forest. After a severe struggle, Kenton
triumphed, and left his antagonist upon the ground, apparently in the
agonies of death. Without returning for a suit of clothing, the young
conqueror fled westward, assumed the name of Butler, joined a party of
daring hunters, and visited Kentucky, (1773.) In the wilderness he became
an accomplished and successful hunter and spy, but suffered many
hardships.
In 1774, the Indian war, occasioned by the murder of the family of the
chief, Logan, broke out, and Kenton entered the service of the Virginians
as a spy, in which capacity he acted throughout the campaign, ending with
the battle of Point Pleasant. He then explored the country on both sides
of the Ohio, and hunted in company with a few other, in various parts of
Kentucky. When Boonesborough was attacked by a large body of Indians,
Simon took an active part in the defence, and in several of Boone's
expeditions, our hero served as a spy, winning a high reputation.
In the latter part of 1777, Kenton, having crossed the Ohio, on a
horse-catching expedition, was overtaken and made captive by the Indians.
Then commenced a series of tortures to which the annals of Indian warfare,
so deeply tinged with horrors, afford few parallels. Having kicked and
cuffed him, the savages tied him to a pole, in a very painful position,
where they kept him till the next morning, then tied him on a wild colt
and drove it swiftly through the woods to Chilicothe. Here he was tortured
in various ways. The savages then carried him to Pickaway, where it was
intended to burn him at the stake, but from this awful death, he was saved
through the influence of the renegade, Simon Girty, who had been his early
friend. Still, Kenton was carried about from village to village, and
tortured many times. At length, he was taken to Detroit, an English post,
where he was well-treated; and he recovered from his numerous wounds. In
the summer of 1778, he succeeded in effecting his escape, and, after a
long march, reached Kentucky.
[Illustration: SIMON GIRTY.]
Kenton was engaged in all the Indian expeditions up to Wayne's decisive
campaign, in 1794, and was very serviceable as a spy. Few borderers had
passed through so many hardships, and won so bright a reputation. He lived
to a very old age, and saw the country, in which he had fought and
suffered, formed into the busy and populous state of Ohio. In his latter
days, he was very poor, and, but for the kindness of some distinguished
friends, would have wanted for the necessaries of life.