Richard Mendenhall, Sr.

The Boone Massacre is connected to the Mendenhall family:

Sources: http://www.mendenhall.org/mfa/faqs/index.html#BooneMassacre, http://www.civilwartraveler.com/EAST/NC/nc-more.html, Find A Grave Memorial # 20966843.

Richard was part of a scouting party led by James Boone, son of Daniel, which was ambushed by Indians at Wallens Creek, VA. During the American Revolution Daniel Boone made arrangements to sell what property he could not move with him and persuaded some of his wife's family, the Bryans, to join him on a trip to claim new land in Kentucky. He was joined by his brother, Squire, Squire's wife, Jane, and their three children, along with Benjamin Cutbeard and his wife, who was a niece of Daniel's. Making a total of five or six families, along with about 40 men who each had a horse or two to help carry all the supplies. Among these 40 men were John and Richard Mendenhall.

The party left the Yadkin on 25 Sep 1773. When they reached Wolf Hills, now Abingdon, VA, Daniel sent his seventeen year old son, James, along with John and Richard Mendenhall to go to Castle Woods, which was off the trail to the north about 25 miles. They were to pick up supplies and meet the main party further west. The main party would follow the old wilderness trail, through Moccasin Gap, over Wallens Ridge at a point about 10 miles east of the Cumberland Gap, where they would make camp and leave the women and children to rest until James and the Mendenhall party overtook them. They feared that if the Indians would attack it would be in that area and for protection they wanted the party to be together.

Upon arriving at Captain Russell's home on the Clinch River, Henry Russell, the seventeen year old son of Captain Russell, a man by the name of Isaac Crabtree and two Negro slaves named Charles and Adam, joined 17 year old James Boone, and Richard and John Mendenhall, to help out with the supplies and farm tools. Captain Russell himself said he would follow along later as he had some necessary work to do at home before leaving. He would join David Gass who lived eight miles down the Clinch River. James Boone and the Mendenhall party set out on 8 Oct 1773, following the old Fincastle Trail down past David Gass's place and crossed Clinch River at Hunters Ford, now Dungannon. From that point they passed through Rye Cove and took the Wilderness Trail over Powell Mountain to the head waters of Wallens Creek. James and his companions could see signs, probably made by his father's party and he knew that the place of rendezvous was but a few miles ahead. However, darkness overtook them and fearing they might lose their way, they set up camp the evening of 9 Oct.

Early in the morning of the 10th, Indians rushed up with knife blades raised and guns cracking. A man by the name of Drake and Richard Mendenhall were killed outright. Seventeen year old James Mendenhall crept off mortally wounded. He had been attacked by a big Indian who he knew to be Big Jim, a Shawnee, who had roamed the Yadkin Country and had pretended to be a friend of his father. Henry Russell was shot through the hips and brought down. All in the party were killed except Isaac Crabtree and the two Negroes slaves, Adam and Charles. Richard Mendenhall died at 36, leaving behind 10 children. Richard's first cousin John was 25, at the time of their deaths..

Richard was a member of either the New Garden or Deep River Quaker Monthly Meeting in Guilford County, NC, or perhaps he belonged to both.

Mendenhall Plantation 603 W Main St, Jamestown NC 27282 336-454-3819

http://www.civilwartraveler.com/EAST/NC/nc-more.html Home of Quaker Richard Mendenhall, an active abolitionist. Featured at the site is a false-bottomed wagon used to transport slaves to freedom. Open Tuesday–Friday 11 am–2 pm, Saturday 1–4 pm and Sunday 2–4 pm.