History of Bristol, (Bucks County) Pennsylvania United States of America

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Biographies:

Daniel Boone, pioneer, was born near Bristol, Bucks county, Pa., Feb. 11, 1735; son of Squire and Sarah (Morgan) Boone. When he was three years old he was taken by his father to Reading, and from there, in 1748, to the valley of the South Yadkin river, North Carolina. At a log school house he acquired the rudiments of education, which embraced nothing more than a slight drill in reading, writing and arithmetic. His new home was a rough frontier settlement, abounding in game and infested by hostile Indians. Here he learned the secrets of the forests and fields and the habits of the animals. He helped his father to clear the land, build the cabins, and cultivate the farm. He was married in 1755 to Rebecca Bryan, daughter of a neighboring farmer, and took his wife into the wilderness, where he had built a cabin. There they remained until white settlers began to gather on the banks of the Yadkin. Boone's love of solitude made him impatient to be off, and the opportunity which soon presented itself found him ready to improve it. A hunter by the name of John Finley came into his district, and, with his romantic accounts of a recent excursion into the far west, easily persuadad Boone to accompany him on an expedition. A party of six men was formed, with Boone at the head. During their journey all were killed by the Indians but Boone and his brother Squire. In 1771 they decided to settle on the bank of the Kentucky river. Daniel returned to his home in North Carolina for his wife and children, and remained there two years, starting back on Sept. 25, 1773. They were joined on their way by five families and a band of about forty men. The party was beset by Indians, and several of their number, including the eldest son of Boone, were killed. They did not reach their destination, but stopped on the Clinch river, where a settlement had been already established. About this time Lord Dunmore was engaged in the campaign known as Dunmore's war against the Indians, and having heard of Boone's bravery and skill in dealing with the savages he appointed him captain of a garrison. In April, 1775, Boone erected a stockade fort at Boonesborough, on the left bank of the Kentucky river. Here his son Enoch was born ? the first white male child born in Kentucky. In 1777 the supply of salt became exhausted, and it was decided to send a party of men to the Lower Blue Licks, on Licking river, to manufacture a supply. Thirty men led by Captain Boone started on Jan. 1, 1778, reached their destination and began their enterprise successfully, but on February 7 they were attacked by Indians, and the whole party forced to surrender. They were carried to Detroit and brought before the British commander, who released all save Boone, whom the Indians were determined to keep. In April he was adopted by Blackfish, a Shawanese chief. The ceremony was ludicrous but exceedingly uncomfortable; the hairs of his head were plucked out one by one, leaving only a round tuft, or "scalp-lock," which was gaily decorated with ribbons and feathers. Then the victim was thoroughly washed and rubbed in the river to take all his white blood out, his head and face painted, he was lectured by the chief, feasted, and was pronounced one of the tribe. The Indians treated him with kindness and he remained with them until June, when he was alarmed to learn that 450 warriors were about to march against Boonesborough. On the morning of the sixteenth he made his escape. In four days he reached Boonesborough, a distance of 160 miles, and warned the garrison. The attack was postponed until early September, when nearly 500 Indians, with a party of Canadians, bore down upon the little garrison of between sixty and seventy men and commanded them to surrender. This they refused to do, and, despite the tremendous odds, the Indians were repulsed. As soon as he could be spared, Boone returned to North Carolina, whither his wife and children had gone during his captivity with the Indians. In 1780 they returned to Boonesborough, and in the battle of Blue Licks, in 1782, Boone narrowly escaped being killed. He had many desperate adventures with the savages, and his life was only saved by his ready wit in emergencies. On the survey of Kentucky after its admission to the Union in February, 1792, a dispute arose as to the title of Boone's land. It was carried to the courts and Boone lost the case. He left Kentucky, and for a few years lived at Point Pleasant on the Kanawha river, removing in 1795 to Missouri, then under the Spanish government. He was granted 8,000 acres of land in the Femme Osage district, and held it until 1804, when it fell into the hands of the United States, and all but 850 acres of it was confiscated. Boone retained the full use of both mind and body until he died. (See "Life of Daniel Boone" in Jared Sparks's "American Biography"; also the biographies by John Filson and T. Flint.) He died in Charette, Mo., Sept. 26, 1820.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Joseph McIlvaine, senator, was born in Bristol, Pa., in 1765; son of Joseph McIlvaine, a colonel in the Revolutionary service, and grandson of William and Anne (Emerson) McIlvaine of Scotland, who same to America and settled in Pennsylvania. Joseph attended the local academy, studied law, settled in practice in Burlington in 1791, was clerk of the courts of Burlington county, 1800-23, and was appointed U.S. attorney for the district of New Jersey by President Jefferson, serving, 1801-20. He was appointed judge of the superior court of New Jersey in 1818, but declined the appointment and was elected to the U.S. senate from New Jersey as a Democrat to take the place of Samuel L. Southard, who had resigned, and he served from Dec. 1, 1823, until his death. He became a captain in McPherson's Regiment of Blues in 1798, and aide-de-camp to Gov. Joseph Bloomfield in 1804. He was married to Maria, daughter of Bowes Reed of Philadelphia, Pa. He died in Burlington, N.J., Aug. 19, 1826.lvaine, Joshua Hall

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor