240 The Winning of the West 



An incident that occurred at this time illustrates 

 well their feelings. In June a fourth of the active 

 militia of the county was ordered on duty, to scout 

 and patrol the country. Accordingly forty men 

 turned out under Captain Robert Patterson. They 

 were give ammunition, as well as two pack-horses, 

 by the Commissary Department. Every man was 

 entitled to pay for the time he was out. Whether 

 he would ever get it was problematical; at the best 

 it was certain to be given him in worthless paper- 

 money. Their hunters kept them supplied with 

 game, and each man carried a small quantity of 

 parched corn. 



The company was ordered to the mouth of the 

 Kentucky to meet the armed row-boat, sent by 

 Clark from the Falls. On the way Patterson was 

 much annoyed by a "very profane, swearing man" 

 from Bryan's Station, named Aaron Reynolds. 

 Reynolds was a good-hearted, active young fellow, 

 with a biting tongue, not only given to many oaths, 

 but likewise skilled in the rough, coarse banter so 

 popular with the backwoodsmen. After having 

 borne with him four days Patterson made up his 

 mind that he would have to reprove him, and if no 

 amendment took place, send him home. He waited 

 until, at a halt, Reynolds got a crowd round him, 

 and began to entertain them "with oaths and wicked 

 expressions," whereupon he promptly stepped in 

 "and observed to him that he was a very wicked and 

 profane man," and that both the company as well as 

 he, the Captain, would thank him to desist. On the 



