On my return to Chilicothe, 150 of the choicest Indian warriors were ready to march against Boonsborough. They were painted and armed in a frightful manner. This alarmed me, and I determined to escape.

On the 26th of June, before sunrise, I went off secretly, and reached Boonsborough on the 30th, a journey of 160 miles, during which I had only one meal. I found our fortress in a bad state, but we immediately repaired our flanks, gates, posterns, and formed double bastions, which we completed in ten days. One of my fellow-prisoners escaped after me, and brought advice, that on account of my flight, the Indians had put off their expedition for three weeks.

About the 1st of August, I set out with 19 men to surprise Point Creck-town, on Sciotha, within 4 miles of which we fell in with 40 Indians going against Boonsborough. We attacked them, and they soon gave way, without any loss on our part.

The enemy had one killed and two wounded. We took three horses and all their baggage. The Indians having evacuated their town, and gone altogether against Boonsborough, we returned, passed them on the 6th, and on the 7th arrived safe at Boonsborough.

On the 9th, the Indian army, consisting of 444 men, under the command of Captain Duquesne, and 11 other Frenchmen, and their chiefs, arrived and summoned the fort to surrender. I requested two days' consideration, which was granted. During this we brought in through the posterns all the horses and other cattle we could collect.

On the 9th, in the evening, I informed their commander that we were determined to defend the fort while a man was living. They then proposed a treaty : they would withdraw. The treaty was held within 60 yards of the fort, as we suspected the savages. The articles were agreed to and signed, when the Indians told us, as it was their custom for two Indians to shake hands with every white man in the treaty, as an evidence of friendship. We agreed to this also. They immediately grappled us to take us prisoners, but we cleared ourselves of them, though surrounded by hundreds, and gained the fort safe, except one man, who was wounded by a heavy fire from the enemy.

The savages now began to undermine the fort, beginning at the watermark of Kentucky River, which is 60 yards from the fort; this we discovered by the water being made muddy by the clay. We countermined them by cutting a trench across their subterraneous passage. The enemy, discovering this by the clay we threw out of the fort, desisted. On the 20th of August, they raised the siege, during which we had 2 men, killed, and 4 wounded. We lost a number of cattle. The loss of the enemy was 37 killed, and a much larger number wounded. We picked up 125 pounds of their bullets, beside what stuck in the logs of the fort.

In July, 1779, during my absence, Colonel Bowman, with 160 men, went against the Shawnees of Old Chilicothe. He arrived undiscovered. A battle ensued, which lasted until 10 in the morning, when Colonel Bowman retreated 30 miles. The Indians collected all their strength and pursued him, when another engagement ensued for two hours, not to Colonel Bowman's advantage. Colonel Harrod proposed to mount a number of horses, and break the enemy's line, who at this time fought with remarkable fury. This desperate measure had a happy effect, and the savages fled on all sides. In these two engagements we had 9 men killed and one wounded. Enemy's loss uncertain. Only two scalps were taken.

June 23d, 1780, 500 Indians and Canadians, under Colonel Bird, attacked Riddle and Martain's station, and the forks of Licking River, with 6 pieces of artillery. They took all the inhabitants captive, and killed one man and two women, loading the others with the heavy baggage, and such as failed in the journey were tomahawked.

The hostile disposition of the savages caused General Clarke, the commandant at the falls of Ohio, to march with his regiment and the armed force of the country against Peccaway, the principal town of the Shawnees, on a branch of the Great Miami, which he attacked with great success, took 70 scalps, and reduced the town to ashes, with the loss of 17 men.

About this time, I returned to Kentucky with my family; for, during my captivity, my wife, thinking me killed by the Indians, had transported my family and goods, on horses, through the wilderness, amidst great dangers, to her father's house in North Carolina.

On the 6th of October, 1780, soon after my settling again at Boonsborough, I went with my brother to the Blue Licks, and on our return he was shot by a party of Indians, who followed me by the scent of a dog, which I shot, and escaped. The severity of the winter caused great distress in Kentucky, the enemy, during the summer, having destroyed most of the corn. The inhabitants lived chiefly on buffalo's flesh.

In the spring of 1782, the Indians harassed us. In May, they ravished, killed, and scalped a woman and her two daughters, near Ashton's station, and took a negro prisoner. Captain Ashton pursued them with 25 men, and in an engagement, which lasted two hours, his party were obliged to retreat, having 8 killed, and 4 mortally wounded. Their brave commander fell in the action.

On August 18th, two boys were carried off from Major Hoy's station. Captain Holder pursued the enemy with 17 men, who were also defeated, with the loss of killed, and 2 wounded. Our affairs became more and more alarming. The savages infested the country, and destroyed the whites as opportunity presented. In a field near Lexington, an Indian shot a man, and, running to scalp him, was himself shot from the fort, and fell dead upon the ground. All the Indian nations were now united against us.

On August 15th, 500 Indians and Canadians came against Briat's station, 5 miles from Lexington. They assaulted the fort, and killed all the cattle round it; but being repulsed, they retired the third day, having about 80 killed; their wounded uncertain. The garrison had 4 killed, and 9 wounded.

On August 10th, Colonels Todd and Trigg, Major Harland and myself, speedily collected 176 men, well armed, and pursued the savages. They had marched beyond the Blue Licks, to a remarkable bend of the main fork of the Licking River, about 43 miles from Lexington, where we overtook them on the 19th. The savages, observing us, gave way, and we, ignorant of their numbers, passed the river. When they saw our proceedings, having greatly the advantage in situation, they formed their line of battle from one end of the Licking to the other, about a mile from the Blue Licks. The engagement was close and warm for about 15 minutes, when we, being overpowered by numbers, were obliged to retreat, with a loss of 67 men, 7 of whom were taken prisoners. The brave and much-lamented Colonels Todd and Trigg, Major Harland, and my second son, were among the dead. We were afterward informed that the Indians, on numbering their dead, finding that they had 4 more killed than we, 4 of our people, they had taken, were given up to their young warriors, to be put to death after their barbarous manner.

On our retreat, we were met by Colonel Logan, who was hastening to join us with a number of well-armed men. This powerful assistance we wanted on the day of the battle. The enemy said, one more fire from us would have made them give way.

I cannot reflect upon this dreadful scene without great sorrow. A zeal for the defence of their country led these heroes to the scene of action, though with few men, to attack a powerful army of experienced warriors. When we gave way, they pursued us with the utmost eagerness, and in every quarter spread destruction. The river was difficult to cross, and many were killed in the fight, some just entering the river, some in the water, others after crossing, in ascending the cliffs. Some escaped on horseback, a few on foot; and being dispersed everywhere, in a few hours brought the melancholy news of this unfortunate battle to Lexington. Many widows were now made. The reader may guess what sorrow filled the hearts of the inhabitants, exceeding anything that I am able to describe. Being reinforced, we returned to bury the dead, and found their bodies strewed everywhere, cut and mangled in a dreadful manner. This mournful scene exhibited a horror almost unparalleled; some torn and eaten by wild beasts; those in the river by fishes; all in such a putrid condition that one could not be distinguished from another.

When General Clarke, at the falls of the Ohio, heard of our disaster, he ordered an expedition to pursue the savages. We overtook them within 2 miles of their town, and we should have obtained a great victory had not some of them met us when about 200 poles from their camp. The savages fled in the utmost disorder, and evacuated all their towns. We burned to ashes Old Chilicothe, Peccaway, New Chilicothe, and Willstown; entirely destroyed their corn and other fruits, and spread desolation through their country. We took 7 prisoners and 15 scalps, and lost only 4 men, 2 of whom were accidentally killed by ourselves. This campaign damped the enemy, yet they made secret incursions.

In October, a party attacked Crab Orchard, and one of them, being a good way before the others, boldly entered a house in which were only a woman and her children, and a negro man. The savage used no violence, but attempted to carry off the negro, who happily proved too strong for him, and threw him on the ground, and in the struggle the woman cut off his head with an axe, while her little daughter shut the door. The savages instantly came up, and applied their tomahawks to the door, when the mother putting an old rusty gun-barrel through the crevice, the savages immediately went off.

From that time till the happy return of peace between the United States and Great Britain, the Indians did us no mischief. Soon after this, the Indians de

sired peace.

Two darling sons and a brother I have lost by savage hands, which have also taken from me 40 valuable horses, and abundance of cattle. Many dark and sleepless nights have I spent, separated from the cheerful society of men, scorched by the summer's sun, and pinched by the winter's cold, an instrument ordained to settle the wilderness. DANIEL BOone.

Fayette county, Kentucky.

THE State of Ohio is situated between 38° 32′ and 42° N. latitude, and between 80° 35′ and 84° 40′ W. longitude. It is bounded on the north by Michigan and Lake Erie, on the east by Pennsylvania and West Virginia, on the south by West Virginia and Kentucky, and on the west by Indiana. Its extreme length from north to south is about 200 miles, and its width about 195 miles.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The centre of the State is occupied by a level country elevated about 1000 feet above the level of the sea, and the north central part of the State is crossed by a ridge of hills which separate the waters which flow into Lake Erie from those which flow into the Ohio River. A second slope interrupts the Ohio slope in the south central part of the State, and from this ridge the lower part of the State is a fine rugged country, which rises into a range of bold hills along the Ohio River. There are some prairie lands in the centre and northwest, and in the latter portion is a large tract of great fertility, called the Black Swamp, a considerable part of which is heavily timbered. Much of the country in the neighborhood of Lake Erie is marshy.

Lake Erie, already described, forms the greater part of the northern boundary, and receives the waters of the Maumee, Sandusky, Huron, and Cuyahoga. With the exception of the Maumee, which has its source in Indiana, all these streams rise in and flow through this State. The principal towns on the lake are Cleveland and Sandusky. San

dusky Bay extends inland for about 20 miles. There are several good harbors on the lake. The Maumee is the only navigable river emptying into the lake. Steamers ascend it for 18 miles.

The Ohio River forms the greater part of the eastern, and the whole of the southern boundary, first touching the State about 50 miles below its head, and flows by it for a distance of about 470 miles. It is navigable the whole distance for large steamers for one-half of the year. Its principal tributaries, beginning on the east, are the Muskingum, Scioto, Little Miami, and Miami rivers. They vary in length from 110 to 200 miles. The Muskingum is navigable, by means of dams and locks, to Zanesville, a distance of 70 miles. At high water, boats ascend to Coshocton, 30 miles above Zanesville. The others are not navigable at all. They flow through a beautiful and highly productive country, and furnish an abundance of excellent waterpower.

There are several islands belonging to this State in the southwest end of Lake Erie. The principal of these is Kelley's Island, which produces a fine quality of wine.

MINERALS.

Coal and iron are the principal minerals of the State. Salt springs are numerous, and marble and lime are found in large quantities. The first two are very abundant, and are of an excellent quality. In 1860, $2,327,621 worth of pig-iron were produced in Ohio, and $1,539,713 worth of coal. This made Ohio the second iron and coal producing State in the Union.

CLIMATE.

In the southern part of the State, the climate is mild. Snow does not lie long upon the ground. The climate of the northern part is rigorous, and is quite as severe as that of the Atlantic States of the same latitude. Severe droughts sometimes occur in Ohio, and cause considerable damage to the crops, but they are not of frequent occur

rence.

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS.

The soil is fertile, there being very little land in the State that cannot be brought under profitable cultivation. Indeed, it is to the extremely favorable character of her soil that Ohio owes her present