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Simon Kenton was born in 1755 in what was then Prince William County, Virginia.  By the time he had to flee the Bull Run Mountains he was living in Fauquier County.

In 1771, at the age of 16, thinking he had killed William Leachman in a jealous rage (the fight began over the love of a girl named Ellen Cummins), Kenton left for the wilderness of West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio.

In 1774, during Lord Dunsmore's War, Kenton served as a scout for the European settlers against the Shawnee Indians at the Battle of Point Pleasant. In 1777, he saved the life of his friend and fellow frontiersman, Daniel Boone.  Boone had broken a leg and was about to be scalped when Kenton picked him up and ran to safety.  

The following year, Kenton was rescued from the Shawnee in Ohio by Simon Girty. He had survived many days of running the gauntlet and various other ritual tortures that usually caused death. He was later taken about 50 miles for more torture at Sandusky. There he was saved by Pierre Drouillard, an interpreter for the British Indian department. The Shawnee respected Kenton for his endurance; they named him Cut-ta-ho-tha (the condemned man). He was "adopted into the tribe by a motherly squaw whose own son had been slain."

Kenton served as scout on the 1778 George Rogers Clark  expedition to capture the Illinois territory during the American Revolution. Independence did not mean an end to warfare; in 1793-94 Kenton fought in the Battle of Fallen Timbers with "Mad Anthony" Wayne.

During the War of 1812, Kenton participated in the Battle of the Thames. This was the battle in which the Indian chief  Tecumseh was killed. Kenton was chosen to identify Tecumseh's body but, recognizing both Tecumseh and another fallen warrior named Roundhead, and seeing soldiers gleefully eager to carve up Tecumseh's body into souvenirs, he identified Roundhead as the chief.

Kenton lived to age 81, dying peacefully in his bed in Ohio.

Saving Daniel Boones life:


Kenton's grave in Urbana, Ohio:





Comments

  1. AnonymousJune 12, 2021 at 5:24 PM

    Great post! My husband grew up very near Kenton Ohio. If you like historical fiction, Conrad Richter wrote a good trilogy (The Trees, The Fields, and The Town) about the settling of Ohio.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Richard DeardoffJune 13, 2021 at 8:55 AM

      Thank you. I just started this blog and am still not certain how it works or how to publicize it. How did you find it?

      I taught for 40 years in Fauquier County, where Kenton was from. The area where he lived remained semi-isolated for a long time, but with the spread of DC suburbs, I'm not certain if it has already been developed.

      A few years back I toured Ohio visiting all the presidential homes there and was very surprised to see how often Kenton was mentioned in various museums. It encouraged me to read "The Frontiersman" by Allan Eckert about him. Lengthy but entertaining.

      Delete
    2. AnonymousJune 14, 2021 at 12:17 PM

      I’m your former student, and Raoul told me where to find you here! I’m Lisa (Munkres) Kearns

      Delete
  2. AnonymousJune 14, 2021 at 12:20 PM

    Forgot to add, hubby was from Marion, birthplace of Warren Harding. But I forgave him for that years ago. 😉 A relative of his has a desk Harding signed as a young newspaperman (?). Not sure I’m remembering his job right.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Richard DeardoffJune 14, 2021 at 1:14 PM

      I visited his home in Marion the first time about 15 years ago. I understand it has been redesigned but at the time it was put back just as the Hardings left it, anticipating to return. The dressers still had their clothes folded neatly and his humidor still had his tobacco in it.

      I just finished reading a biography of his wife, Florence. She's as formidable as Hillary Clinton and Helen Taft -- without their wives I doubt any of the three had the ambition to make it to the White House.

      Delete

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