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CHAPTER 9 JAMES AND JOHN FINNEY: KENTUCKY POLITICS
Late 1787 The new United
States Constitution was completed in Philadelphia in September 1787 and gave
Congress the power, among other rights, to raise and to support a Continental army
without begging the states for troops.
As had happened so many times before, this power attenuated a debate
about standing armies in a republic during times of peace. Alexander Hamilton, the future Secretary of
Treasury, supported a Continental Army and wrote a series of pamphlets called
“The Federalist” to translate and defend the Constitution, calling for
ratification, or acceptance, by all of the states in the union. These pamphlets were published for all Americans
to read and surely were read by frontiersmen in Kentucky. Overwhelming support for the pamphlets was
found in the west as Hamilton generally supported their needs for assistance. In the publications, Hamilton wrote that “if
the United States did not want to be exposed in a naked defenseless condition,
it would find it expedient to increase frontier garrisons.” Kentucky, as did all states, also read that “it is not wise to leave such posts in a situation to be at any
instant seized by the British or Spanish.”
When it was time for Virginia to vote on ratification, or acceptance, of
the Constitution, the total voting was 88 “for” and 78 “against.” This total included votes from Kentucky
County, which were three for and eleven against! Kentucky representatives were not keen on
allowing the government, as opposed to the states, to have so much
authority.
14 January 1788 The state of
Virginia issued a 500-acre land grant in January 1788 to John Finney and Levi
Lockhart (Appendix 48).[i] This was only a small part of an original treasury
warrant John Finney purchased for 19500 acres.
The description of this land was on the first creek emptying into the Great
Kanawha (or “Cannaway” as it was pronounced) River below the mouth of the Elk
River.[ii] The best estimate of this site is near
present day Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia. From other deeds recorded in the area, Jacob Lockhart (the
father of Levi Lockhart) lived at the head of the Elk River, as did Henry
Banks, Matthew Arbuckle, Anthony Bowen, James McCordell, William Morris,
William Hannah, and William Cavendish.
Many of these men were those with whom John Finney had been associated
with over the last 15 years (e.g., Dunmore’s War in 1774, deeds, land
descriptions).
Spring 1788 News of Indian
atrocities continued to reach Woodford County residents. In March 1788, Indians overtook three boats
descending the Ohio River. One passenger
waved a white handkerchief as a token of peace and when extending his hand to
the Indians he received a tomahawk through the skull. At least 17 others were killed at the same
time. In May, near the Fayette County
Finney farms, five Indians stole horses on Cane Run, a branch of the Elkhorn
Creek. They were immediately pursued by
eight men, following them until the next night when they caught the culprits,
killed one and wounded one. They retrieved
all the horses and all Indian belongings. In
June 1788, the Pittsburgh Gazette reported they had learned from a Kentucky
visitor that scarcely 24 hours pass before some murder or other depredation is
committed in Kentucky.
1788 Again, James and John
Finney were taxed in Fayette County.
This year, James had two tithables in his household and of course, no
mention of any other family members. The
only slaves listed were blacks over the age of 12, of which James had one. “Carriage wheels” were also listed in this
tax record; probably not wheels but axles.
James was taxed on three carriage wheels. John paid taxes on three tithables, three
blacks over 12 years old, and four carriage wheels.
25 August 1788 Edmond Randolph signed a land grant giving James
Finney 5,740 acres of land in Kentucky County, Virginia. The grant would be sealed and delivered to
the land office in Kentucky. James would
have likely left information regarding delivery of the grant with the land
office, or he may have just periodically visited the administrative center
since he was expecting the grant to arrive at any time.
September 1788 Due to
continued violence from Indians, recommendations for new militia officers or
rank promotions were given to men showing bravery in the face of danger. In the early frontier days of Kentucky,
having a good pedigree or being wealthy did not constitute earning higher
positions in the military like it had in colonial Virginia, though it was not completely
unheard of. James Finney earned the
recommendation of Lieutenant from the Fayette County court justices during the
September county court meeting. Court
records note that James Finney had never been an ensign, the lowest officer
rank in the Kentucky militia. Finney
would receive his official commission a month later on the 21 October 1788.
September 1788 A petition to
divide Fayette County was circulated to the inhabitants of Fayette County
during 1788. “Convenience, safety
and public interest” was being questioned by many Fayette County citizens. Fayette County was so large, county citizens
could not easily travel to court in Lexington if necessary. New militia battalions were being created as the population escalated and these militia units were becoming more scattered and
further separated from each other. The county also
contained three times the population of other Kentucky district counties. John Finney signed his name to the petition. James Finney did not sign the petition but
also was not a signer on a smaller counter-petition to stop Fayette County from
splitting. He may not have seen the
petition or just wanted to stay out of politics, which seems to fit the
pattern for James Finney. A William
Finney also signed the petition to divide, possibly the brother of James and
John, or possibly it was William Finnell. Another Finney,
Robert Finney, signed the petition to stop the division. The petition to split Fayette County passed
and the James and John Finney families became citizens of the newly formed Woodford
County by September 1788.
Who were these other Finneys?
Other Finneys lived in Fayette County at
this time. No clear connection can be
made to these other men, but there are some possibilities. A William Finney
lived in Fayette County in 1790 and was in Woodford County until 1792 but soon after disappeared from County records. He appears to have moved to Barren
County. As discussed earlier, it was
very possible that James and John had an unknown sibling born after their
father’s will was written in 1764. It could have
been Benjamin but another possibility could have been Robert. A Robert Finney definitely lived in Fayette County and may have
been the Robert Finney who settled with William Finney in Barren County. Descendants
are not sure of their ancestry but believe they may be the brothers of James
and John Finney of Fayette/Woodford County, or even cousins. It is believed
Robert Finney and William Finney were brothers, from descendants' assumptions, but such a relationship is yet unknown.[iii]
Winter 1788 The December
date for the Kentucky district to separate from Virginia came and went. The Virginia Assembly ordered a convention to
be held at Danville in July 1789 to once again consider the separation of
Kentucky from Virginia. In the meantime, the agreement of 1785
for terms of separation was altered. Virginia decided that, upon separation
from Virginia and in addition to previous requirements, Kentucky would have to give up their right to unappropriated lands (or lands that had simply not been taken into possession) and assume part of the Virginia domestic debt. It would be an understatement to say that
Kentucky, still referred to as a district of Virginia, was highly angered. Kentucky delegates would be elected in 1789 and at the
Danville convention in July 1789, the chosen delegates adopted a resolution stating
that the new terms for separation were inadmissible. Also included in this resolution was a
letter the governor of Virginia had written to the Kentucky District County
Lieutenants. He ordered that in the
future case of Indian depredations, officials should communicate to the continental
officer on the Ohio River stationed at the nearest place of attack. The reason - the
defense of the country was now solely in the hands of the general
government. Delegates interpreted this
to mean that citizens must now “wait until the tomahawk and scalping knife were
actually in their heads,” then give this information to the county Lieutenant,
who then would make a formal communication to an officer between 60 and 150
miles distant, who as soon as convenient, would send a party of men to their
relief. Kentucky was flabbergasted at the lack of concern for their safety.
A 1788 map showed the first
outline of the newly created Woodford County, which at that time included
present day Woodford, Scott, and part of Franklin Counties. On this map, only three villages are shown;
Lee’s Town, Lebanon, and Woodford.
Historically, it is believed that David Humphries, and farmers adjoining his land, built a port on the South Elkhorn River at the mouth of Cole’s Branch before 1780 and
called it Woodford. Log houses were built as a settlement for farm workers, slaves, and the men who made and operated large flat
boats. The boats traveled by way of the
South Elkhorn River to the Kentucky River, then to the Ohio River and the
Mississippi River, and finally to New Orleans where products would be sold
quickly and the flat boats abandoned. The
village of Woodford, which included Richard Cole’s tavern a short walk to the
south along Cole's Branch, would become known far and wide as “Little Sodom” because “Cole’s Bad
Inn” (the most commonly known name of Richard Cole's Tavern) was the gathering place for cutthroats and river ruffians who fought
over card games, women, and any other trivial issue until the next boat was
ready for shipment.
30 April 1789 George
Washington was inaugurated as the first president of the United States near New
York City’s Wall Street at Federal Hall.
He entered the office with the full support of the national and state
leadership. He surrounded himself with a
strong team of statesmen, appointing John Adams as Vice President, Thomas
Jefferson as Secretary of State, and Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of
Treasury (probably the most powerful position in the executive office at this
time). Some of Washington’s first acts
created the judiciary system of courts, commonly referred to as the Supreme Courts.
5 May 1789 Woodford County
court held its first official meeting at the house of Caleb Wallace. At Wallace’s home, about two miles east of
Midway, court actually met in a large room near his house that Wallace had
erected to be used as a law office, file room, and library. A commission from
Virginia appointed 12 justices of the peace, who would preside over county
court in the newly created county. Thomas Marshall, John Craig and Richard
Young were justices and leaders of the court proceedings. They swore in the other nine
justices in order of seniority: Robert Johnson, James Wilkinson, John Watkins,
William Cave, George Blackburn, John Finney, John Fowler, William Trotter and
William Steele. During the court
proceedings, John Finney, with his kinsman and neighbor, George Blackburn, were
assigned to “attend the meeting house at the sinking spring and appoint some
person to make such preparations as they think necessary for holding the court
of this county therein.” Many other
items were discussed, including task and assignments for each justice and various county citizens.
The
Caleb Wallace office at his home within five miles east of the Finney farms
Who was Caleb Wallace?
Caleb Wallace was born in Charlotte County,
Virginia in 1742 and during his young adult life, he was a preacher. Later, Wallace changed professions and
became a lawyer. In Kentucky before
1783 and until 1792, he was a member of the Danville Conventions that created
Kentucky and the state constitutions. Wallace was not found in county courts very often because he was more involved with the
state government. In 1783, he was
appointed to the Supreme Court of the District and then in 1792 he was
appointed judge of the Kentucky Appellate Court. He would serve the latter post until he
retired in 1806.
Who was Thomas Marshall?
Thomas Marshall was born in Westmoreland
County, Virginia in 1730. He served with
George Washington, fought in the Revolution, was a major in the Culpeper County Minutemen, and was a member of the 1775 Constitutional Convention that declared independence from
Britain. He settled in Fayette County,
later Woodford County, in 1785 and then moved to Mason County in 1800. He corresponded with his friend George
Washington in 1789 regarding British and Spanish interests in Kentucky, was a
member of many state conventions, and was a senior county court judge.
Summer 1789 During all of
the early Woodford County political operations, Indians continued to harass the district. In May 1789, two boys were killed on the
northwest side of the Ohio River and at the same time, a woman and her child
were killed at their spring on Bluegrass River.
In June, three Indians stole Captain Jacob Stuckers’ horses. Stucker immediately pursued the Indians with 15 men. His posse came upon the trail of the horse thieves, followed them and killed two, wounded one, and returned all the horses. The next day a party of about 12 Indians
killed a boy near Captain Thomas Herndon’s home on the Elkhorn Creek. Also in June, two men and
three boys were fishing on Floyd’s Fork and were attacked by Indians. Two men were killed and the boys were taken
prisoner.
2 June 1789 John Finney was
in attendance at the second Woodford County court. He had successfully arranged the
meetinghouse, or Shannon’s meetinghouse (Reverend Samuel Shannon), for court
usage, located near “Lewis’s Big Sinking Spring” (Charles Lewis). At this court meeting, John Finney and George
Blackburn received recommendations for captain in the Woodford County militia.
Later in the court proceedings, Finney and Blackburn produced a commission that
they had received from Virginia already appointing them captains of the militia
for this county. They took the Oath of
Fidelity and the Oath of Office. James Finney was also rewarded for
accomplishments in the defense of his country and received a recommendation for
Lieutenant. This was an odd recommendation
as he had previously been commissioned a Lieutenant in the Fayette County
militia. Robert Johnson, as colonel of
the county militia, was responsible for sending a letter to Beverly Randolph,
governor of Virginia, recommending the new officers. Johnson’s letter stated that he was
recommending the men “due to the large amount of Indian raids and horse thefts
occurring, and they had conducted themselves bravely and often in the line of
protecting the residents.”
Who was Samuel Shannon?
Samuel Shannon was a Presbyterian preacher
at a church located near a spring on a branch of Beal’s Run. The church was later called Woodford Church
or Woodford Presbyterian Church. The church
began operation at some time before 1789 and served many of the local citizens.
Those known traditionally as early members of the congregation were the
Kinkeads, Alexanders, Shipps, and Wallaces.
Judge Caleb Wallace was a presiding elder in the church. It is said that Reverend Shannon was a
good-natured man who could not be provoked or ruffled. He was a man of great physical strength and
had a rough, awkward, untidy appearance and a slow stammer. These traits were overlooked as he petrified
everyone that listened to him.
27 June 1789 Living in
Kentucky had been a blessing in many different ways for the James Finney
family. One of the greatest blessings
was that this fresh and beautiful land had allowed his children to be healthy,
and alive. His family was graced by a
fifth child on 27 June 1789; a third son (actually their fifth son but the
first two had died young). James and
Elizabeth Finney named this child James Finney.
One would assume that the name was a tribute to the child’s father
James, but the naming pattern the Finney family used was erratic and name James
could have been adopted for various other reason(s).
July 1789 James and John
Finney both mounted horses and headed southward to Shannon’s meetinghouse for
the third Woodford County court meeting.
During the court proceedings, only a few miles distant from their farms,
the justices assigned James Finney, among others, to be a “valuer of property”
for Woodford County. The men who would
work with him in this capacity included Tolliver Craig, Simeon Buford, William
Henry, Turner Richardson, Robert Moffett, Henry Fields, Elisha Wooldridge and
Sowel Woolfork.
July 1789 Taxes were
assessed for the first time in Woodford County but the county had not assigned
the job of tax assessor to a citizen yet.
Accordingly, the Fayette County tax assessor gathered taxes for Woodford
County during this year until an assessor could be named. James and John Finney were among those taxed,
as was a William Finney.
August 1789 Due to the
infancy of Woodford County, important responsibilities and procedures could not
all be done at the first meetings. The
justices also had homes and families to take care of and protect, and they had
farms to run and oversee. In an attempt
to complete the docket, court proceedings normally lasted several days. Sadly, some important issues had to wait
until the following month because time was so precious.
Those men who did travel to the court meetings would arrive early to
read important postings on the courthouse (or in this case Shannon’s
meetinghouse) door or wall, talk, gossip, imbibe, and smoke before court
officially began. Once court had begun,
it was common for those in attendance, and even justices themselves, to take
short breaks. These breaks may have been
taken to discuss issues more openly outside the courthouse, smoke, imbibe, or
relieve themselves behind a nearby tree.
During the August 1789 court meeting, the oath to support the Constitution of the United States (created several years before in 1787) was
administered to the Woodford County Justices of the Peace, including John
Finney.
September 1789 John Finney
was recommended at county court to become Lieutenant Colonel in the Woodford
County militia with James Finney as the Captain in his battalion. George Gray was to become Lieutenant under
James Finney. James received his official
commission from Virginia (as Kentucky counties were still part of the state of
Virginia) nine months later. The new
commissions were largely due to increased population in Woodford County which
resulted in larger militia participation.
One cannot overlook that the Finneys must have been very responsive and regular active participants in Indian raid retaliations. This was even more probable considering
George Gray was a hardened Kentucky settler with vast experience with Indians. Gray was a very early settler of Kentucky and had been in many of the
sieges of the early forts before 1780. Also at the September court meeting, John
Finney and George Blackburn were again ordered by the justices this month to
“confer with the proprietors of Shannon’s meetinghouse to know upon what terms
they may be admitted to continue holding the court of this county therein…” There must have been a problem using the
Shannon’s meetinghouse as in only four short months, court would be held at the
house of Captain George Moffett within a mile or two south of the Shannon's meetinghouse.
October 1789 The Virginia
Assembly met, threw out the new terms for Kentucky separation, and reconsidered
the new clauses. Due to the resolutions
sent from Kentucky revealing their unhappiness with Virginia’s offer, the
Virginia assembly authorized a re-election of delegates to meet a fifth time in
July 1790 to again talk of separation.
November 1789 Woodford
County, while having recently split from Fayette County, had remained
quite large. The general mood of the
county was that there existed an impossibility “to fix any place for holding
courts which will not be extremely inconvenient to many of the inhabitants.” Therefore, another petition for a county
split was passed among the inhabitants of Woodford County in November 1789. Four petitions were sent to different parts
of the county. Nearly 200 men signed the
petitions, including John Finney and Julius Gibbs. The result of the petition: a new county would be carved from the northern
portion of Woodford County. In short
time, Scott County would begin holding their own court sessions for the
northern Woodford County citizens.
It was reported that during 1789
and 1790 there were a greater number of murders and more horses stolen during
those two years than in any other two year period in Kentucky history. It was also reported to Henry Knox that in
years previous to 1790, about 1,500 persons in the Kentucky district had been murdered
and over 20,000 horses had been stolen on the Wilderness Road and on the Ohio
River. President George Washington
attempted to help the situation. He
empowered the authorization of County Lieutenants to call forth scouts to
search the countryside and to alert citizens to any Indian movements. Kentucky found this as a good gesture but
they still had no authority to pursue Indians by the Virginia mandate. But, they often did so anyways.
February 1790 Woodford
County continued to assign tasks to her citizens. Many of the more important jobs went to
county justices while other tasks of less importance would be assigned to men
of the next social order. John Finney was
ordered by the court to furnish a standard of weights and measures for the
county as agreeable to law. Each county
was responsible for developing their own standards of weights and measures
since so many different forms were known to exist in the early post-revolution
days.
April 1790 Roads in the
county and also elsewhere in the Kentucky district existed but were not well
maintained, very narrow, and very sparse.
There was definitely a need for new routes to be created that would
provide easier and quicker for travel from place to place as the county grew more
populated and as businesses and commerce grew and flourished. Often, the courts would assign individuals to
create or maintain roads in the county.
There were no county employees to do the work so citizens were obliged
to do what the court assigned them to do.
In April 1790, a new road going from Frankfurt in Franklin County to the
Woodford County line and then toward Lexington had been viewed and
confirmed. The court appointed four men
to survey the different sections of the road, presumably in the vicinity of
their home or land. John Finney and
George Blackburn, who lived near the road, were requested to
allot hands to assist in opening and keeping this road in repair.
In addition to the road
assignment in April, John Finney also received his commission as Lieutenant
Colonel and would also accept the recommendation from the county to become a
colonel, the highest militia officer assignment in the county militia (he
received his commission from Virginia eight months later in December). Others of interest who received
recommendations include George Blackburn for the rank of major and George’s
brother Julius Blackburn as a lieutenant.
George Blackburn was officially qualified to become commissioner of the
tax of Woodford County. John Finney had
returned a certificate to the court stating that Blackburn had been duly
qualified as the law directs. They must
have gone someplace in the Kentucky district to obtain the proper qualifications
for Blackburn to become tax assessor.
Summer 1790 George Blackburn
performed his first duty as tax collector, collecting and recording tithable
and taxable property in Woodford County during the summer. On July 5, James and John Finney were taxed
for the first time in Woodford County.
James owned three slaves and eight horses while John owned four slaves
and five horses.
Spring 1790 The Woodford
County courthouse in Versailles, at the headwaters of Glen’s Creek, was
completed between April and June 1790 and began its first session on 1 June
1790. Roads were created in the next few
months to make the courthouse as accessible as possible to all Woodford County
inhabitants. It was ordered in July that
James Finney, William Davis, Simeon Buford and William Kinkead view and mark the
most direct route for a road leading from Shannon’s mill to the
courthouse. These men were all neighbors
of James Finney and all lived in the vicinity of Shannon’s mill. A few
months later in December 1790, another road, certainly near the Finney home,
was asked to be marked leading from where “Peart’s east line crosses the
Leestown road running to intersect the road leading from Lexington to
Frankfurt.” John Finney was the man who
initiated the petition and George Blackburn, Richard Cole, Sr., John Barlow,
and Simeon Buford were ordered to view and mark the route. The following month, the course for this road
was introduced to the court as:
“beginning where
Peart’s east line crosses the Leestown Road, thence with said line to the road
leading John Finneys to George Blackburns, thence 72 ½ degrees west with the
said road passing through the said belonging to the heirs of Griffin Peart
deceased, and through the land of Robert Alexander to his west line, thence
with the said line to the road leading from Lexington to Frankfurt.”
Tavern rates and prices were
controlled by the county court of Woodford.
The courts would increase rates as time went by. The following rates were normal for Woodford County
in the first years of existence: breakfast – one shilling, supper – one
shilling, dinner – one shilling and six pence, lodging with clean sheets per
night – six pence, “stablage” and hay per night – six pence, oats by gallon –
six pence, corn by gallon – six pence, wine by gallon – 24 shillings, rum by
gallon – 24 shillings, peach brandy by gallon – 12 shillings, whiskey by gallon
– 8 shillings.
Kentuckians continued to be
angered by the failures of United States federal troops. Though they did handle their own small party Indian depredations with immediate and impromptu posses, they had refrained from large organized attacks. But now, militia units began to again retaliate on their own (and without guidance from the US) with expeditions
into the valley of the Wabash River across the Miami River. These attacks aroused the Indian tribes
and subsequently, the tempo of Indian raids increased. Depredations became so abundant in 1790 that
war was actually considered by Congress.
Upon further deliberation, the difference in the cost of war and the
cost of peace treating were quite different.
Since the United States still had high war debts, Congress chose to continue
with the cheaper scheme, -attempting to make peace treaties. Congress may have had other reasons for being
so hesitant to contribute aid to the frontier region. It had become customary for the Kentucky
frontiersmen, like their counterparts, to scalp dead Indians, which of course
had made Congress a little less liable to help "such dastardly" people.
September 1790 Finally, the
atrocities became so overwhelming, Secretary of War Knox, now head of the newly
formed War Department, ordered General Harmar to launch a punitive attack
against Miami towns to “extirpate banditti who were wreaking havoc on the
frontier.” Word also came from President
Washington directly to Harmar, saying “Exhibit to the Wabash Indians our power
to punish them for their positive depredations, for their conniving at the
depredations of others, and for their refusing to treat with the United States
when invited to.” In September, 1,453
men (320 regular troops and the rest militia mostly from Kentucky) marched
north from Fort Washington. They found
the Indian towns deserted but took satisfaction in destroying and burning
everything there. Upon the troops return
to Fort Washington and with little accomplished, Harmar sent small detachments
of men to locate Indians in order to achieve some level of success for their
trouble. This turned into disaster, and
the resulting loss of American troops lives was mainly blamed on the
undisciplined and unequipped militia retreating and acting impulsively. By their time they returned to Fort
Washington, 75 regular troops and 108 militiamen were killed. The worst part of this embarrassment was that
the Indians were greatly encouraged and motivated by their own success. The Indians referred to Harmar’s Defeat as
the “Battle of the Pumpkin Fields” because the steam rising off the scalped
skulls left on the riverbank reminded them of squash steaming in the autumn
air.
9 April 1791 John Finney and
George Blackburn performed a privy examination of Isabel Hamilton. Andrew and Isabel Hamilton, of Woodford
County, had sold land in Augusta County, Virginia in December 1790 and needed
the Woodford County Justices of the Peace to perform the examination to
facilitate completion of the deed. Isabel Hamilton needed to waiver her dower right for the sale to be completed. Andrew Hamilton was the son of Andrew Hamilton, an Irish immigrant who settled in Augusta County, Virginia, and had received this Augusta County land at the Calfpasture River upon his father's death about 1790. The elder Andrew Hamilton was associated with the Kinkade/Kincaid family, who were themselves connected to the Finney land in western Virginia Kanawha River country. [iv]
May 1791 After Kentucky’s
application for statehood was passed by Congress in February 1791, President
Washington ordered a corps of volunteers from the district of Kentucky to march in the form of an expedition against the Indians northwest of the Ohio. The troops were to be commanded by Brigadier
General Charles Scott. These troops
marched against the Wabash Indians and killed 32 warriors, took 58 prisoners,
burnt many Indian towns, and destroyed all of their corn. This army, consisting of all Kentucky volunteers, managed
to avoid the loss of a single life with only four wounded. More surprisingly, no acts of inhumanity were
reported, even after a March 1791 Ohio River massacre by Indians, said to be the last big
Ohio River massacre of Indians upon Americans.
The Ohio River Massacre involved an Indian attack on two flatboats resulting
in almost all passengers being killed.
Of those dead, two were found later on the riverbank wrapped in
their own intestines, a gruesome torturous slow death the Indians often used.
Who was Charles Scott?
Charles Scott was born in Goochland County,
Virginia in 1738. His long military
career began with George Washington in 1755 and continued in 1776 while leading
forces in many of the important Revolutionary War battles. He settled in Fayette (later Woodford) County
in 1785. Scott led many excursions against
Indians, including St Clair’s 1791 disaster and Wayne’s victory at Fallen
Timbers. He served as the Kentucky
governor from 1803 to 1812 and died the next year. Charles Scott was said to be illiterate and unpolished
in manners, very eccentric, but a faithful and constant friend.
Summer 1791 Woodford County
court had undergone significant changes and progress during its first few years of existence. Every month, more and more cases were being
brought before the justices to be heard and judged upon. Kentucky was fast losing its simplicity and
novelty. Because of the increased court
activity, the Finneys were often witnesses during court cases and on deeds, while John Finney also was directly associated with many cases in his role as a
justice. In March 1791, James Finney was
a witness for Paul Taught against George Bratton. For the two days James spent in court, Paul
Taught was ordered to pay James 50 pounds of tobacco. Tobacco, as in Virginia, was a common mode of
payment in Kentucky.
A
special session of court was called at the end of June 1791 for the trial
of a twelve-year-old slave named Bill. The young slave Bill, considered property of Ann James, was charged
with having killed a white female child, the daughter of Benjamin French. Bill admitted to the crime and the six
justices presiding over the trial, including John Finney and George Blackburn,
decided that “he be hanged by the neck until he be dead." They commanded the
sheriff to execute Bill on 30 July 1791 near the courthouse. This trial was only
one of many which John Finney presided over.
John Finney was even involved in Virginia Supreme court cases. Later in October 1791, John Finney brought a case
against Abner Field to court, upon which Field plead not guilty and a jury trial was set.
July 1791 Lieutenant Colonel
James Wilkinson, an original and former justice of the peace in Woodford
County, led a successful expedition against the Wabash Indians in July 1791. Congress actually supported this venture and had
appropriated $313,000 to pay for an additional regiment of 912 infantry and
2,000 militia cavalry. For the purpose of continued pressure against the renewed motivation of the Indians following Harmar’s
defeat in late 1790, Arthur St. Clair, governor of the Northwest Territory, was
made general and was to carry out another expedition in August 1791. This army,
called the northwest army, consisted of 1,400 troops, which would include a
large Kentucky militia representation. On the heels
of the recent success of northern expeditions across the Ohio River, they
marched toward the Maumee village. But on November 4, the army was ambushed and defeated
by a combined Indian force of 2,000 to 3,000 Indian warriors. Nearly half of this northwest army was killed
and among those few who lived, 233 were wounded. The Kentucky militia again bore much of the blame for the route. The
undertrained and often youthful Kentucky militia privates reportedly fled when the Indians
attacked. The Finneys were both less
than 40 years old and still were looked upon and fought like highly skilled
soldiers. Therefore could have been militia participants though no militia lists are known to exist.
Who was James Wilkinson?
James Wilkinson was born in Maryland in 1757, and by the age of 20 was a
major general under George Washington in the Revolutionary War. After moving to Kentucky in 1784, he became
active in movements to separate Kentucky from Virginia. The land he settled was the future location
of Frankfort, where he drew up the town plan and named many of the roads. Wilkinson was interested in gaining
navigation rights of the Mississippi River for Kentucky in 1787. In the hopes of securing those rights, he dealt
closely with the Spanish government for years.
As the first Governor of the Louisiana Territory in 1805, Wilkinson
continued his active military career, which later included action in the War of
1812. In the Woodford County Court
records, John Finney actually examined a “relinquishing of dowry” while a Woodford County Justice of the Peace in December 1791. The dowry examination was associated with land that was conveyed from
William Haydon of Frankfort to James Wilkinson.
1792 Indian atrocities continued
throughout the winter and into the spring of 1792.
In March 1792, Indians stole 10 to 12 horses from Grant’s Station on
North Elkhorn Creek. The following night, the same Indians burnt two homes and all furniture in the homes. The owners had left these homes earlier
in the evening after the report of Indians in their neighborhood. In April 1792, three women and three Negroes
were killed while two other women held off nine Indians from entering their
cabins to kill the remaining family members.
March 1792 Congress passed
most of the action plan that Secretary of War Knox drew up after St. Clair’s
defeat. Knox strongly felt that a more
adequate military force was needed to defend the frontier in order to avoid a
losing war with the Indians. His plan
argued that a mounted militia was useful for sudden surprises but the militia in
general was unsuited for longer warfare.
He believed that militiamen should not be kept away from home for long
periods of time, as it would upset their farming operations. This was probably just a polite way to say
they were a bother during official excursions.
Three regiments of nearly 1,000 US Army men were ordered and the existing two
regiments would be increased to full strength.
Congress also chose Anthony Wayne as the new commanding officer of the
United States troops after St. Clair’s resignation the previous April 1791.
[i] 17
November 1784 survey date
[ii] This
land was surveyed and granted under the county
of Greenbrier but by 1788 this land
was in Kanawha County and if the location is correct,
it remained in this county. This land is
likely the land John Finnie mentioned in his will of 1811, referring to it as
“Connaway” River or the “Cannaway” River.
[iv]
(Augusta Co VA Deed Book No 27 p 176-177) (also found in The Chronicles of
Scotch Irish Settlements Augusta County Virginia Vol 3 p 593)
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