Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Daniel Boone

Daniel Boone was born on November 2nd, 1734 near Reading, Pennsylvania.

His first expedtion was in 1755, He left his home on a military expedtion that was part of the French & Indian War. He served as a wagoner for Brigadier General Edward Braddock during his army's calamitous defeat at Turtle Creek, near the modern day Pittsburgh. Boone was a skilled survivor. He saved his own life by escaping the French and Indian ambush on horseback.

In August 1756, Boone got married.

In May 1769, Boone led the Cumberland Gap expedition.
He led it with John Finley.

In April 1775 he claimed an area in Kentucky which he named Boonesborough.

Local Shawnee and Cherokee tribes met Boone's base at the Kentucky land with resistance. In July 1776, the tribes kidnapped Boone's daughter. He was able to release her. The next year. Boone was shot in the ankle during a Indian attack. He eventually recovered. When 1778 came, Boone was captured by the Shawnee.

He managed to escape and resume protecting his land, But was soon robbed of Boonesborough settlers' money while on his way to buy land permits. The settlers were furious with him and demanded he repay his debt to them; some even sued. By 1788 he left his settlement he worked hard to protect and moved to Point Pleasant, in what is now West Virginia. After serving as lieutenant colonel and legislative delegate of his county there, he pulled up stakes again and moved to Missouri, where he continued to hunt for the rest of his life.


On September 26th, 1820, Boone died on Femme Osage Creek, Missouri. He was 85.