[from the 1840-1847 diary of Gen. James Taylor]
... In December, 1790, K. L. Moss married the late Major David Leitch, who resided adjoining Captain F., where they resided till the spring of 1792, when he removed to a large tract of land on Licking, about six miles from the mouth, on the northeast side. Major L. owned 73 of 13,800 acres. Captain William Kennedy, the locator, owned the 73d. Major L. in '91 had established Leitch's Station by giving leases for a term of years to get a farm cleared. General Wilkinson had been appointed to the command of U. S. Western army by General Washington in March, 1792, after General St. Clair was ordered to Philadelphia to answer charges preferred against him by General William Dark, of Virginia, who, as a colonel, was in the battle and defeat of General St. Clair's army the 4th of November, 1791, at a place known now as Fort Recovery, on a branch of the Big Miami, about eighty miles a northwest course from Cincinnati and now in Indiana. Major L. built a snug hard log-house on a handsome rise from the stockade and blockhouse on the bank of Licking, at the foot of the second falls of that river. The house is still standing about 150 yards east of the stockade and block-house. While I was on a visit to the land I now live on in June, 1792, I visited Major Leitch and lady at their residence near the station. Mrs. T. had spent about six weeks with General W. and lady at their particular invitation, while Major L. was building his house, and when I visited them I spent a very pleasant day with them, the last of June, 1792. Major L. was a remarkably handsome, intelligent Scotch gentleman, was bred in Manchester and was in business in Manchester opposite Richmond for several years before he removed to Kentucky in the year 1788, and vested most of his funds in land warrants and located large tracts on the waters of Green river. On state, or with one exception, Major Leitch and lady were the only society I had on the Kentucky side of the river.
Thomas Lindsey, Esq., and quite an interesting Irish family lately from that county settled at L. Station in 1790, bought land of Major L. on the now State road from N. Port to Frankfort. He had a large family of sons and daughters. I associated personally with General Wayne's officers. They reached their encampment at Hobson's Choice on the Ohio river in the lower end of now Cincinnati, above the mouth of Mill creek. It arrived on May 15, 1793, about the second week at my second visit with my few Blacks. I set to work on the 4th of May and made a good crop of corn. that season, enough for my bread and small stock. Mrs. T. 's oldest sister, Sally, had married Captain George Gordon from Philadelphia, who was several years at Lexington, but had moved to Cincinnati. Major L. took his wife to Cincinnati in 1791 and to see their intended residence. They came in a flatboat via Limestone, and went home by the mouth of the Kentucky river, where there was a small stockade fort commanded by Indian David Williams, late of the Revolutionary army. They rested a night with their old acquaintance, and proceeded to Frankfort via the Breshearses creek settlement along a small trail. Mr. Thomas Lindsey was in company. Captain Williams sent a guard with them part of the way fifteen or twenty miles. Major L. has frequently related to me the self-possession of his lady and kindness of heart. Mr. Lindsey had lagged behind more than 100 yards, when one of the guard discovered an Indian, he announced the fact and incircled Mrs. L. around to protect her and urged her hurry on with all speed, as they feared there were many more nearby lounging in ambush, but she declared she would not desert Mr. Lindsey and waved her hand for him to hasten on which he did in a gallop, and then when he came up they hastened on, and got clear of the Indians. I have heard Mr. Lindsey recount the kindness of Mrs. L. with tears in his eyes. I kept bachelor's house in a small log cabin I got after laying in my boat two weeks while clearing my land and preparing to make a crop. There was no ferry across the Ohio, it was crossed in canoes. When Major L. and lady would cross to see her sister they would leave their horses with me until they returned. I spent most of my Saturday and Sunday evenings with them. Early in the next year, 1794, Major L. went out with a surveyor and a party to layoff some land he had sold; they were caught in a cold storm of rain, night came on, they lay out in the wet, he caught a bad cold, which brought on a violent spell of sickness from which he died in eight or ten days. I had heard of his illness and went to see him. I found Captain Gordon there with an attorney who had just completed his will. A Doctor Strong, of the U. S. Army, who was there and had attended him. At that time there was but one private physician in Cincinnati, a Dr. McClure. Captain Gordon took me out and told me Major L. had appointed me one of his executors, with Captain John Fowler, of Lexington, and Captain Daniel Weiseger, of Frankfort, and herself as executrix. I was much impressed at the information, as I had only known him a little upwards of two years and me a young man and single. His will was made November 8, 1794, and he died the next day. He left his whole estate to his wife, but had little else than land, much of which the title was not protected ; but which I carried into grant afterwards in Mrs. T.' s name as her legatee. Mrs. L. went up and spent most of her time with her mother and stepfather, Captain F., and sometimes at Judge Coburn's in Washington, Mason county. Neither Captain Fowler nor Captain Weiseger were willing to qualify a grant and Mrs. L also declined and I alone qualified as executor. ...
