146 The Winning of the West 



necessity narrowly limited even for the backwoods; 

 for there was little chance to discuss religion and 

 politics, the two subjects that the average back- 

 woodsman regards as the staples of deep conversa- 

 tion. The deeds of the Indians of course formed 

 the one absorbing topic. 51 



An abortive separatist movement was the chief 

 political sensation of this summer. Many hundreds 

 and even thousands of settlers from the backwoods 

 districts of various States, had come to Kentucky, 

 and some even to Illinois, and a number of them 

 were greatly discontented with the Virginian rule. 

 They deemed it too difficult to get justice when they 

 were so far from the seat of government ; they ob- 

 jected to the land being granted to any but actual 

 settlers; and they protested against * being taxed, as- 

 serting that they did not know whether the country 

 really belonged to Virginia or the United States. 

 Accordingly they petitioned the Continental Con- 

 gress that Kentucky and Illinois combined might be 

 made into a separate State ; 52 but no heed was paid 

 to their request, nor did their leading men join in 

 making it. 



In November the Virginia Legislature divided 

 Kentucky into three counties of Jefferson, Lincoln, 

 and Fayette, appointing for each a colonel, a lieu- 

 tenant-colonel, and a surveyor. The three colonels, 



51 For all this see McAfee MSS. 



62 State Department MSS. No. 48. See Appendix E. As 

 containing an account of the first, and hitherto entirely un- 

 noticed, separatist movement in Kentucky, I give the petition 

 entire. 



