Judge Squire Boone

Squire is the brother of Susan, direct ancestor to Mike Needham's side of the family. Daniel is his brother. They were born near the present city of Reading, PA, before 1734. His ancestors came from near the city of Exeter, Devonshire, England, immigrating to America in 1717, where they joined the colony of Quakers under William Penn, in Philadelphia. They were sons of Squire and Sarah Morgan Boone. Their early life was spent on their father's farm, principally in attending stock. In 1751 the Boones moved to the Yadkin Valley, North Carolina.

Squire, with his brother, Daniel Boone, and other companions made several different trips into the wildernesses of KY and finally took their families from NC to Kentucky.

France and England had for some time struggled for the mastery of the American continent east of the Alleghanies, which finally terminated in what is known as the French and Indian War. In 1756 General Braddock , with Major Washington (Yes, that one.) upon his staff, set out with an army to attack the French and Indians. In this army was a detachment of North Carolina frontiersmen, under Captain Hugh Waddell, and the wagoneer of this company was Daniel Boone.

He married in 1757.

Daniel's life for some time thereafter was given to hunting expeditions in the wilderness. On one of these expeditions, he visited Florida and explored that country from St. Augustine to Pensacola. He was disposed to settle there, but on his return, his wife dissuaded him.

In the winter of 1768-69 there arrived in Yadkin, an old friend of Boone's named John Finley. He had served with Boone in Braddock's unfortunate expedition. His glowing description of the beautiful country beyond the mountains fired Boone's mind and the following year Boone, Finley, and seven or eight others organized an expedition and started over the mountains, on through Cumberland Gap, into the present state of KY. All of them with the exception of Daniel, Squire and two others named Stuart and Neely, who came out with Squire, returned home in disgust. (Squire and another adventurer left their home on the Yadkin River, NC in search of Daniel. They stumbled upon Daniel's camp, shortly after his and John Stewart's seven days' battle with Indians, during which three of the original party were massacred, and joined forces.) These four continued their hunting expedition, moving their camp to the north bank of the Kentucky River, near the mouth of the Red River. They usually hunted in pairs, Daniel being accompanied by Stuart, who one day, becoming separated from him, was never seen again. (Five years later, Daniel came across is bones in the hollow of a tree. He recognized them by the powder horn which had Stuart's name on it. He evidently had been wounded by Indians and had crawled into the tree to hide.) The men camped out in a roughly built stockade until Squire was forced to try to reach a white settlement to obtain supplies. He left his brother without bread, salt, or sugar, in the solitude of their stockade and succeeded in getting through to civilization, returning to the old camp with supplies and ammunition two-three months later.

After an absence of two years, the Boones started for home with their horses heavily laden. They succeeded in reaching Powell's Valley, near the Cumberland, when they were attacked by Indians and robbed of all they possessed. Thus, they returned home poorer than when they started.

About two years later, Daniel, in company with five other families and five men, decided to remove to Kentucky and in September, 1773, they moved forward in two parties. Upon reaching Powell's, the advance party, in charge of Daniel's eldest son, James, 16, together with some others, were sent across the country to notify Captain William Russell, in charge of the rear party, as to Daniel's whereabouts. The boy and his companions, when returning, lost their way, and were forced to camp for the night about three miles from his father's headquarters. Early next morning, they were attacked by a party of Shawnees and all but one killed. This catastrophe so distressed the party that they decided to return to their former homes in Yadkin. Daniel and his family alone continued on, and settled on the Clinch River, about eight miles from Russells. Throughout the following winter, Daniel was forced to obtain food by means of his rifle.

After the bitterest of hardships, the little column reached their destination and founded a town on the south side of the Kentucky River near Big Lick, which was called Boonesboro. They immediately commenced to build Fort Boonesboro. Squire built a cabin at Jerusha's Grove and commenced building a mill at "Boones Old Mill Site."

In the Spring of 1774, the spirit of resentment against the steady advance of settlers into the hunting grounds broke forth in open warfare with a son of Chief John Logan was willfully murdered near Wingo Junction, OH. The resulting conflict extended from Cumberland Gap to Fort Pitt.

About this time an incident occurred which clearly shows the high reputation Daniel possessed among frontiersmen. Colonel Preston, in command of the militia, instructed Russell to employ two faithful woodsmen to notify surveyors, who were shut off from the settlement by a blockade maintained by the Shawnees, of their danger. Russell selected Daniel and Michall Stoner. He wrote to Colonel Preston, saying, "If they are alive, it is indisputable but (Daniel) Boone must find them."

Boone and Stoner were absent on this mission for more than two months and penetrated the forest as far as the present city of Louisville, notifying numerous bands of surveyors.Upon their return, they discovered that the militia had started upon the campaign and they were about to follow with a company of recruits hastily gathered together, but were urged to remain and protect the Clinch Valley. Shortly after, Cornstalk, a Shawnee chief with a thousand warriors, taking advantage of the absence of the militia, attacked Point Pleasant. This battle lasted from early dawn until dusk and was one of the most desperate ever fought between whites and Indians, a large portion of the fighting being hand-to-hand. The Indians were finally compelled to retreat.

Daniel Boone is usually credited with being the founder of Kentucky, although others preceded him in exploring that country. It was John Finley who first told Boone of the beautiful country beyond the mountains. Colonel Richard Henderson, who was a judge in NC, had the utmost confidence in Daniel, and was very much impressed by his description of the new country. He organized the Transylvania Company for the purpose of establishing settlements therein, and dispatched Daniel Boone with about thirty men to mark out a path to the Kentucky River.

Before Fort Boonesborough had been completed, Henderson arrived at Boonesboro, bringing with him wagons loaded with tools and supplies. When they reached Boonesboro, they found that many of Boone's party had deserted. Soon after Henderson's arrival, a convention was called which consisted of eighteen delegates and was the first semblance of government west of the Alleghenies. The first Legislature of Transylvania assembled there and both Squire and Daniel acted as delegates from Boonesboro, taking their seats on May 25, 1775.

In 1779 the population being greatly increased, Kentucky was divided into three counties: Jefferson, Lincoln, and Fayette County and sent representatives to the Virginia Legislature, then in session in Richmond. Shortly after his arrival, the British, under General Cornwallis, attacked the city and the Legislature, together with Governor Thomas Jefferson (Yes, that one.) had a very narrow escape. The British captured four of the lawmakers, among whom was Boone. They were parolled after a few days. In 1787, he was again sent to the Virginia Legislature.

For the purpose of securing salt, Daniel Boone headed a company of men and pack horses to the Lower Blue Lock in January, 1788. They manufactured considerable and sent several horse loads to Boonesboro, but while separated from the company, hunting, Boone was captured by a party of Shawnees, who took him to their camp. There he found about 150 warriors under Chief Black Fish. Boone was well known to them and was, of course, immediately recognized. They informed him that they were on their way to attack Boonesboro. Boone thoroughly understood the Indian character, and in order to gain time, pretended to take kindly to their overtures and accompanied them to the Shawnee towns north of the Ohio. Knowing that Boonesboro was only completed on one side and could not long stand a seige, he became very friendly with his captors and persuaded them that it would be to their advantage to postpone their attack until Spring.

Boone was finally taken to the principle Shawnee town, Little Chillicothe, and while there, was adopted by Chief Black Fish--a frequent custom among the Indians--as his son, and received the name of Sheltowie (Big Turtle).

Chief Black fish went to consult Gov. Hamilton, at Detroit, and took with him his adopted son. When the Governor heard of Boone's presence in the party, he sent for him and paid him marked attention being anxious to secure his services for the British cause.

Boone fully comprehended the Governor's motive and with the same diplomacy he used so successfully with Chief Black Fish, led him to believe that he favored England, and in support of this, exhibited his old commission as captain in the British Colonial forces many years before, signed by Lord Dunmore, which he carried about him for the purpose of deceiving Indians when captured.

Boone's deception proved most successful. He remained in captivity nearly five months when he escaped and reached Boonesboro, much to the surprise and delight of his family and friends, who had given him up as dead. Upon his return, he warned the settlement of the intended attack and they went to work immediately to put Boonesboro in condition to stand a siege.

On the morning of September 7, the Indians appeared before Boonesboro in numbers between 400 and 500, mostly Shawnees, but including Wyandots, Cherokees, Delawares, and Mingoes. The army was commanded by Boone's former foster-father, Chief Black Fish, who immediately sent word to the settlers that if they surrendered, he would afford them safe conduct to Detroit. Boone, knowing their treacherous nature, refused to accept. This siege lasted about ten days. Each day, and frequently at night, the Indians attacked the fort, but were repulsed and finally retired in disgust. Shortly after their retirement, a company of Virginia militiamen arrived and went in pursuit of the Indians, piloted by Boone, who was able to lead them to the various Indian towns, the location of which he had learned during his captivity, where they inflicted severe punishment.

Squire had many encounters with the Indians, and he bore many scars as witness. He was injured in the seige of Boonesboro. He was unable to take further part in the defense of the fort, however, he had a broad-ax by his bed to use in case the Indians succeeded in getting inside the fort. The siege lasted nine days before the enemy was defeated.

Daniel Boone, although a pioneer of civilization, always moved further into the wilderness upon its approach: consequently, we find him in 1788, moving with his family to Point Pleasant, MO, at the junction of the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers. He never again resided within Kentucky. As a result of a treaty of peace made with the Indians by General Mad Anthony Wayne, large parties came from the seaboard to the western border, some to speculate, but most of them to make their homes in the beautiful wilderness, which the hunter, in his search for game had opened to civilization. This rapid increase in population was not to Boone's liking, as it drove away big game, and to use his own words, "was too crowded; I want elbow room."

In 1799, with his wife and younger children, joined his eldest son Daniel Morgan Boone, in St. Charles County, in eastern Missouri, on Femme Osage Creek, where he was granted a tract of land adjoining that of his son's. He just twice visited Kentucky after this, once to testify in a lawsuit concerning land he had surveyed and the other time to pay the debts incurred while there. Reports say that after all his obligations were liquidated, he had fifty cents, but was perfectly contented, merely remarking, "I am at last square with the world."

In 1813, his wife died and he went to live with his son. He spent most of the remaining years of his life in peace and quietness, showing no resentment toward the legally constituted authorities, who, in the performance of their duty had taken from him all the land he had surveyed. Congress, however in 1810, confirmed a grant of land made to him years before by the Spanish Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana, in words of praise as "The man who opened the way to millions of his fellow men." In the home of his son, Nathan, on the twenty sixth of September, 1820, he passed peacefully away.

In his old days, according to Collins' History of Kentucky, Squire, like his brother was deprived of every vestige of  his property, mainly through the land sharks--and was finally imprisoned in Louisville, KY, for debt. Kind friends obtained his release and in 1806 he imitated his great brother and left Kentucky forever and formed a new settlement in the Territory of Indiana, in what is now Harrison County. He erected a small mill there and laid the foundation for a flourishing and populous township, now named in his honor.

    "Neither Daniel nor Squire Boone were actually Revolutionary soldiers, but in 1813, in recognition of their services in border warfare during that period, Congress passed resolutions giving them the honor and standing of a Revolutionary soldier."   (''Pioneer Families of Missouri'' The Boone Family p. 82.)  Congressional Records mention Daniel only.

(All this comes from Wini Needham Salyer's Charles David Hansel and Della Coombes Hansel: Their Ancestors and Descendants' . Heidi Needham did some editing when timelines didn't make sense.)