lie of fair military fame, but who was singularly unfortunate in his 

 campaign against the Indians in Darke county, he answered, as he 

 twitched his chin and gave one of his habitual snuffs, slowly measur- 

 ing his words, ''Humph ! he was a well dis-sip-lined, minister-looking 

 man, but dear me, he Jiadn't the brier in his eye." As to a writer 

 who wrote more about him than he knew, he said, "That fellow tells 

 a good many lies about me; he wrote about talks I had with Indians, 

 and says I said ^sir^ to 'em," and the old man shook himself and scowled 

 at the reflection. ' "Why, sir, I never 'sirred' an Indian in my life." 



'Squire Patrick relates that he knew him as a quiet, undemonstra- 

 tive man, whom one might see talking modestly when questioned 

 about himself, walking in the midst of the civilization that grew up 

 about him almost as one who had no share in it. For a year, at one 

 time here, he was kept in prison bounds. That was when the embar- 

 rassment of his wealth in Kentucky lands gave him trouble; for some 

 Kentucky creditors had him arrested for debt, under the old barba- 

 rous law. The prison bounds in Urbana then extended from Dr. 

 Brown's alley on Scioto street to High street, and from Ward street to 

 Reynolds street. These bounds were afterwards extended to the 

 county limits. He has seen him, he says, walking with his long staff, 

 draw near the same prison bounds, when as if about to pass the line, 

 he would bring up with a sudden halt. 



These Kentucky land claims which Kenton has been supposed to 

 have possessed an almost unalienable title to, were partly charged to 

 the account of Col. William Ward, the founder of Urbana, who united 

 with Kenton in early days of Kentucky in their purchase ; Ward fur- 

 nishing some capital and his knowledge of land titles and conveyances. 

 Kenton, to whom was left the business of seeing to payment of taxes, 

 neglected it, involving loss to Ward, who filially closed, by written 

 article, his partnership with Kenton. The consequence was Ward 

 was accused of perfidy and cheating Kenton of his lands; but the fact 

 is Kenton was a shiftless man, and in civilization he did'nt get on 

 well. As to Ward, Kenton scarcely afterward alluded to him, and 

 about these business ventures with him he was always extremely 

 reticent. 



In 1811-12 he was jailor here, when the jail, a half log and half 

 frame building, stood on the southeast corner of Locust' and Market 

 streets. Jno. McCord, his son-in-law, was with him. 



