In the middle summer month, an incident of a thrilling character occurred, which cast a deep but only momentary shadow upon the little society of Boonesborough.  This was the capture, by some skulking Indians belonging to a numerous band who were now prowling through the woods and brakes of Kentucky, and occasionally approaching the settlements for the purpose of plunder, of three young females, members of the families of Boone and Callaway.

This incident, which has been taken as the ground-work of two or three western fictions, and also had thrown around it all the warm coloring of romance, by writers professing to deal only with the authentic, is thus briefly related in the papers of Colonel John Floyd, as quoted by Mr. Butler: 

“On the 7th of July, 1776, the Indians took out of a canoe which was in the river, within sight of Boonesborough, Miss Betsey Callaway, her sister Frances, and a daughter of Daniel Boone.  The last two were about thirteen or fourteen years of age, and the other grown.

“The affair happened late in the afternoon, and the spoilers left the canoe on the opposite side of the river from us, which prevented our getting over for some time to pursue them.  Next morning by daylight we were on the track, but found they had totally prevented our following them by walking some distance apart through the thickest cane they could find.  We observed their course, however, and on which side they had left their sign, and traveled upward of thirty miles.  We then imagined that they would be less cautious in traveling, and made a turn in order to cross their trace, and had gone but a few miles before we found their tracks in a buffalo-path.

“Pursuing this for the distance of about ten miles, we overtook them just as they were kindling a fire to cook.  Our study had been more to get the prisoners without giving their captors time to murder them after they should discover us, than to kill the Indians.

“We discovered each other nearly at the same time.  Four of our party fired, and then all rushed upon them, which prevented their carrying any thing away except one shot-gun without any ammunition.  Mr. Boone and myself had a pretty fair shot, just as they began to move off.  I am well convinced I shot one through; the one he shot dropped his gun, mine had none.”

[Illustration:  CAPTURE OF BOONE’S DAUGHTER.]

“The place was very thick with cane; and being so much elated on recovering the three little broken-hearted girls, prevented our making any further search.  We sent them off without moccasins, and not one of them with so much as a knife or a tomahawk.”

Although the people of the little colony of Boonesborough were not aware of the fact at the time, the marauding Indians who thus captured Miss Boone and the Misses Callaway, as they were amusing themselves by paddling about the foot of the rock in the canoe, were one of the many scouting parties of Indians who were scattered about watching all the different settlements in Kentucky, and preparing to attack them.  The incident of the capture of the girls spread an alarm, and guards were stationed to defend the hands who were engaged in cultivating the ground.