hero tales from american history-第3章

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he　was　a　leader　in　all　outdoor　sports。　No　one　could　fling　the　bar　further　than　he；　and　no　one　could　ride　more　difficult　horses。　As　a　young　man　he　became　a　woodsman　and　hunter。　Day　after　day　he　could　tramp　through　the　wilderness　with　his　gun　and　his　surveyor's　chain；　and　then　sleep　at　night　beneath　the　stars。　He　feared　no　exposure　or　fatigue；　and　outdid　the　hardiest　backwoodsman　in　following　a　winter　trail　and　swimming　icy　streams。　This　habit　of　vigorous　bodily　exercise　he　carried　through　life。　Whenever　he　was　at　Mount　Vernon　he　gave　a　large　part　of　his　time　to　fox…hunting；　riding　after　his　hounds　through　the　most　difficult　country。　His　physical　power　and　endurance　counted　for　much　in　his　success　when　he　commanded　his　army；　and　when　the　heavy　anxieties　of　general　and　president　weighed　upon　his　mind　and　heart。

He　was　an　educated；　but　not　a　learned　man。　He　read　well　and　remembered　what　he　read；　but　his　life　was；　from　the　beginning；　a　life　of　action；　and　the　world　of　men　was　his　school。　He　was　not　a　military　genius　like　Hannibal；　or　Caesar；　or　Napoleon；　of　which　the　world　has　had　only　three　or　four　examples。　But　he　was　a　great　soldier　of　the　type　which　the　English　race　has　produced；　like　Marlborough　and　Cromwell；　Wellington；　Grant；　and　Lee。　He　was　patient　under　defeat；　capable　of　large　combinations；　a　stubborn　and　often　reckless　fighter；　a　winner　of　battles；　but　much　more；　a　conclusive　winner　in　a　long　war　of　varying　fortunes。　He　was；　in　addition；　what　very　few　great　soldiers　or　commanders　have　ever　been；　a　great　constitutional　statesman；　able　to　lead　a　people　along　the　paths　of　free　government　without　undertaking　himself　to　play　the　part　of　the　strong　man；　the　usurper；　or　the　savior　of　society。

He　was　a　very　silent　man。　Of　no　man　of　equal　importance　in　the　world's　history　have　we　so　few　sayings　of　a　personal　kind。　He　was　ready　enough　to　talk　or　to　write　about　the　public　duties　which　he　had　in　hand；　but　he　hardly　ever　talked　of　himself。　Yet　there　can　be　no　greater　error　than　to　suppose　Washington　cold　and　unfeeling；　because　of　his　silence　and　reserve。　He　was　by　nature　a　man　of　strong　desires　and　stormy　passions。　Now　and　again　he　would　break　out；　even　as　late　as　the　presidency；　into　a　gust　of　anger　that　would　sweep　everything　before　it。　He　was　always　reckless　of　personal　danger；　and　had　a　fierce　fighting　spirit　which　nothing　could　check　when　it　was　once　unchained。

But　as　a　rule　these　fiery　impulses　and　strong　passions　were　under　the　absolute　control　of　an　iron　will；　and　they　never　clouded　his　judgment　or　warped　his　keen　sense　of　justice。

But　if　he　was　not　of　a　cold　nature；　still　less　was　he　hard　or　unfeeling。　His　pity　always　went　out　to　the　poor；　the　oppressed；　or　the　unhappy；　and　he　was　all　that　was　kind　and　gentle　to　those　immediately　about　him。

We　have　to　look　carefully　into　his　life　to　learn　all　these　things；　for　the　world　saw　only　a　silent；　reserved　man；　of　courteous　and　serious　manner；　who　seemed　to　stand　alone　and　apart；　and　who　impressed　every　one　who　came　near　him　with　a　sense　of　awe　and　reverence。

One　quality　he　had　which　was；　perhaps；　more　characteristic　of　the　man　and　his　greatness　than　any　other。　This　was　his　perfect　veracity　of　mind。　He　was；　of　course；　the　soul　of　truth　and　honor；　but　he　was　even　more　than　that。　He　never　deceived　himself　He　always　looked　facts　squarely　in　the　face　and　dealt　with　them　as　such；　dreaming　no　dreams；　cherishing　no　delusions；　asking　no　impossibilities；just　to　others　as　to　himself；　and　thus　winning　alike　in　war　and　in　peace。

He　gave　dignity　as　well　as　victory　to　his　country　and　his　cause。　He　was；　in　truth；　a　〃character　for　after　ages　to　admire。〃



DANIEL　BOONE　AND　THE　FOUNDING　OF　KENTUCKY

。　。　。　Boone　lived　hunting　up　to　ninety；　And；　what's　still　stranger；　left　behind　a　name　　For　which　men　vainly　decimate　the　throng；　Not　only　famous；　but　of　that　GOOD　fame；　　Without　which　glory's　but　a　tavern　song；　Simple；　serene；　the　antipodes　of　shame；　　Which　hate　nor　envy　e'er　could　tinge　with　wrong；

'T　is　true　he　shrank　from　men；　even　of　his　nation；　　When　they　built　up　unto　his　darling　trees；　He　moved　some　hundred　miles　off；　for　a　station　　Where　there　were　fewer　houses　and　more　ease；

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But　where　he　met　the　individual　man；　He　showed　himself　as　kind　as　mortal　can。

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The　freeborn　forest　found　and　kept　them　free；　And　fresh　as　is　a　torrent　or　a　tree。

And　tall；　and　strong；　and　swift　of　foot　were　they；　　Beyond　the　dwarfing　city's　pale　abortions；　Because　their　thoughts　had　never　been　the　prey　　Of　care　or　gain；　the　green　woods　were　their　portions

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Simple　they　were；　not　savage；　and　their　rifles；　Though　very　true；　were　yet　not　used　for　trifles。

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Serene；　not　sullen；　were　the　solitudes　Of　this　unsighing　people　of　the　woods。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Byron。



DANIEL　BOONE　AND　THE　FOUNDING　OF　KENTUCKY

Daniel　Boone　will　always　occupy　a　unique　place　in　our　history　as　the　archetype　of　the　hunter　and　wilderness　wanderer。　He　was　a　true　pioneer；　and　stood　at　the　head　of　that　class　of　Indian…fighters；　game…hunters；　forest…fellers；　and　backwoods　farmers　who；　generation　after　generation；　pushed　westward　the　border　of　civilization　from　the　Alleghanies　to　the　Pacific。　As　he　himself　said；　he　was　〃an　instrument　ordained　of　God　to　settle　the　wilderness。〃　Born　in　Pennsylvania；　he　drifted　south　into　western　North　Carolina；　and　settled　on　what　was　then　the　extreme　frontier。　There　he　married；　built　a　log　cabin；　and　hunted；　chopped　trees；　and　tilled　the　ground　like　any　other　frontiersman。　The　Alleghany　Mountains　still　marked　a　boundary　beyond　which　the　settlers　dared　not　go；　for　west　of　them　lay　immense　reaches　of　frowning　forest；　uninhabited　save　by　bands　of　warlike　Indians。　Occasionally　some　venturesome　hunter　or　trapper　penetrated　this　immense　wilderness；　and　returned　with　strange　stories　of　what　he　had　seen　and　done。

In　1769　Boone；　excited　by　these　vague　and　wondrous　tales；　determined　himself　to　cross　the　mountains　and　find　out　what　manner　of　land　it　was　that　lay　beyond。　With　a　few　chosen　companions　he　set　out；　making　his　own　trail　through　the　gloomy　forest。　After　weeks　of　wandering；　he　at　last　emerged　into　the　beautiful　and　fertile　country　of　Kentucky；　for　which；　in　after　years；　the　red　men　and　the　white　strove　with　such　obstinate　fury　that　it　grew　to　be　called　〃the　dark　and　bloody　ground。〃　But　when　Boone　first　saw　it；　it　was　a　fair　and　smiling　land　of　groves　and　glades　and　running　waters；　where　the　open　forest　grew　tall　and　beautiful；　and　where　innumerable　herds　of　game　grazed；　roaming　ceaselessly　to　and　fro　along　the　trails　they　had　trodden　during　countless　generations。　Kentucky　was　not　owned　by　any　Indian　tribe；　and　was　visited　only　by　wandering　war…parties　and　hunting…parties　who　came　from　among　the　savage　nations　living　north　of　the　Ohio　or　south　of　the　Tennessee。

A　roving　war…party　stumbled　upon　one　of　Boone's　companions　and　killed　him；　and　the　others　then　left　Boone　and　journeyed　home；　but　his　brother　came　out　to　join　him；　and　the　two　spent　the　winter　together。　Self…reliant；　fearless；　and　the　frowning　defiles　of　Cumberland　Gap；　they　were　attacked　by　Indians；　and　driven　backtwo　of　Boone's　own　sons　being　slain。　In　1775；　however；　he　made　another　attempt；　and　this　attempt　was　successful。　The　Indians　attacked　the　newcomers；　but　by　this　time　the　parties　of　would…be　settlers　were　sufficiently　numerous　to　hold　their　own。　They　beat　back　the　Indians；　and　built　rough　little　hamlets；　surrounded　by　log　stockades；　at　Boonesborough　and　Harrodsburg；　and　the　permanent　settlement　of　Kentucky　had　begun。

The　next　few　years　were　passed　by　Boone　amid　unending　Indian　conflicts。　He　was　a　leader　among　the　settlers；　both　in　peace　and　in　war。　At　one　time　he　represented　them　in　the　House　of　Burgesses　of　Virginia；　at　another　time　he　was　a　member　of　the　first　little　Kentucky　parliament　itself；　and　he　became　a　colonel　of　the　frontier　militia。　He　tilled　the　land；　and　he　chopped　the　trees　himself；　he　helped　to　build　the　cabins　and　stockades　with　his　own　hands；　wielding　the　longhandled；　light…headed　frontier　ax　as　skilfully　as　other　frontiersmen。　His　main　business　was　that　of　surveyor；　for　his　knowledge　of　the　c