In May, 1782, a body of savages assaulted Ashton’s station, killed one man, and took another prisoner.  Captain Ashton, with twenty-five men, pursued and overtook them.  An engagement, which lasted two hours, ensued.  But the great superiority of the Indians in number, obliged Captain Ashton to retreat.  The loss of this intrepid party was severe.  Eight were killed, and four mortally wounded—­their brave commander being among the number of the slain.  Four children were taken captive from Major Hoy’s station, in August following.  Unwarned by the fate of Captain Ashton’s party.  Captain Holden, with the inadequate force of seventeen men, pursued the captors, came up with them, and were defeated with the loss of four men killed, and one wounded.

This was one of the most disastrous periods since the settlement of the country.  A number of the more recent and feeble stations, were so annoyed by savage hostility as to be broken up.  The horses were carried off, and the cattle killed in every direction.  Near Lexington, a man at work in his field, was shot dead by a single Indian, who ran upon his foe to scalp him, and was himself shot dead from the fort, and fell on the body of his foe.

During the severity of winter, the fury of Indian incursion was awhile suspended, and the stern and scarred hunters had a respite of a few weeks about their cabin fires.  But in March, the hostilities were renewed, and several marauding parties of Indians entered the country from north of the Ohio.  Col.  William Lyn, and Captains Tipton and Chapman, were killed by small detachments that waylaid them upon the Beargrass.  In pursuit of one of these parties, Captain Aquila White, with seventeen men trailed the Indians to the Falls of the Ohio.  Supposing that they had crossed, he embarked his men in canoes to follow them on the other shore.  They had just committed themselves to the stream, when they were fired upon from the shore they had left.  Nine of the party were killed or wounded.  Yet, enfeebled as the remainder were, they relanded, faced the foe, and compelled them to retreat.

In April following, a station settled by Boone’s elder brother, near the present site where Shelbyville now stands, became alarmed by the appearance of parties of Indians in its vicinity.  The people, in consternation, unadvisedly resolved to remove to Beargrass.  The men accordingly set out encumbered with women, children, and baggage.  In this defenceless predicament, they were attacked by the Indians near Long Run.  They experienced some loss, and a general dispersion from each other in the woods.  Colonel Floyd, in great haste, raised twenty-five men, and repaired to the scene of action, intent alike upon administering relief to the sufferers, and chastisement to the enemy.  He divided his party, and advanced upon them with caution.  But their superior knowledge of the country, enabled the Indians to ambuscade both divisions, and to defeat them with the loss of half his men; a