In the Current of the Revolution 321 



In this year also Clark 30 and Shelby 31 first came 

 to Kentucky; and many other men whose names 

 became famous in frontier story, and whose suffer- 

 ings and long wanderings, whose strength, hardi- 

 hood, and fierce daring, whose prowess as Indian 

 fighters and killers of big game, were told by the 

 firesides of Kentucky to generations born when the 

 elk and the buffalo had vanished from her borders 

 as completely as the red Indian himself. Each leader 

 gathered round him a little party of men, who 

 helped him build the fort which was to be the strong- 

 hold of the district. Among the earliest of these 

 town builders were Hugh McGarry, James Harrod, 

 and Benjamin Logan. The first named was a 

 coarse, bold, brutal man, always clashing with his 

 associates (he once nearly shot Harrod in a dispute 

 over work). He was as revengeful and foolhardy 

 as he was daring, but a natural leader in spite of all. 

 Soon after he came to Kentucky his son was slain 

 by Indians while out boiling sugar from maples; 

 and he mercilessly persecuted all redskins for ever 

 after. Harrod and Logan were of far higher char- 

 acter, and superior to him in every respect. Like 

 so many other backwoodsmen, they were tall, spare, 

 athletic men, with dark hair and grave faces. They 

 were as fearless as they were tireless, and were be- 

 loved by their followers. Harrod finally died alone 

 in the wilderness, nor was it ever certainly known 



30 Morehead, p. 52. 



31 Shelby's MS. autobiography, in Durrett's library at 

 Louisville. 



