322 The Winning of the West 



whether he was killed by Indian or white man, or 

 perchance by some hunted beast. The old settlers 

 always held up his memory as that of a man ever 

 ready to do a good deed, whether it was to run to 

 the rescue of some one attacked by Indians, or to 

 hunt up the strayed plow-horse of a brother set- 

 tler less skilful as a woodsman; yet he could hardly 

 read or write. Logan was almost as good a woods- 

 man and individual fighter, and in addition was far 

 better suited to lead men. He was both just and 

 generous. His father had died intestate, so that all 

 of his property by law came to Logan, who was the 

 eldest son; but the latter at once divided it equally 

 with his brothers and sisters. As^soon as he came 

 to Kentucky he rose to leadership, and remained 

 for many years among the foremost of the common- 

 wealth founders. 



All this time there penetrated through the sombre 

 forests faint echoes of the strife the men of the sea- 

 coast had just begun against the British king. The 

 rumors woke to passionate loyalty the hearts of the 

 pioneers; and a roaming party of hunters, when 

 camped on a branch 32 of the Elkhorn, by the hut 

 of one of their number, named McConnell, called 

 the spot Lexington, in honor of the memory of the 

 Massachusetts minute-men, about whose death and 

 victory they had just heard. 33 



32 These frontiersmen called a stream a "run," "branch," 

 "creek," or "fork," but never a "brook," as in the Northeast. 



33 "History of Lexington," G. W. Ranck, Cincinnati, 1872, 

 p. 19. The town was not permanently occupied till four 

 years later. 



