Family of George Huston of Kentucky

It is in the eighty-third year ot my life that I compile this account of my ancestry and these true stories of my own recollections. As far back as half a century ago I began making written entries of all that I could learn of the Huston or Houston family, jotting down from time to time in a note book, which now lies before me, such facts as I deemed important or interesting. Of these most of those going- beyond my recollection have been gathered from Mrs. Nancy Huston Spalding, my father's sister, a woman of remarkable intelligence and wonderful memory, who lived to an advanced age with unimpaired faculties.

The earliest accurate knowledge of my ancestors is of my great-great-grandfather, Robert Houston ^[1][His son] Person:Robert Houston (16) was born in Scotland about the year 1730, the youngest of three children. His father was wealthy, owning a large distillery, together with much other valuable property, and being ambitious for his children he gave each child a liberal education. The eldest son became a captain in the British Army and for distinguished military services was granted, by the King, a large tract of land in Ireland near Belfast. An eminence known as Houston's Hill is supposed to be a portion of this grant.

The youngest son, who was my great grandfather and who was named Robert, for his father, went to Ireland when a youth to visit his brother, the captain. While there he made the acquaintance of a sea-captain whose ship traded to America. Thus hearing of our country and its great opportunities, and receiving an offer of free passage, Robert Houston accepted the generous invitation and sailed on the ship of his friend. He landed at Philadelphia in 1747, a stranger and without means of support. But the sea-captain proved himself a true friend. He introduced Robert to some of the leading merchants of the city and, indeed, did all that he could to help him gain a start. The mechanical arts were in great demand and it was on the advice of the ship's master that Robert took up the cooper's trade. He learned it so well and so quickly that he was soon able to set up in business for himself. He had meantime made many acquaintances, also, and when he was about twentyfive years of age—in 1755—he was married to the daughter of a wealthy farmer living near Philadelphia. The young couple, through a gift from the bride's father came into possession of six hundred acres of valuable land lying near the city and worth a fortune even at that day.

Robert Houston now left off the coopering business and gave his whole attention to this farm. But here disaster soon after befell him. He was induced to enter as security for some of the very men whom he had thought himself lucky to know on first coming- to America. They were merchants of high standing but a commercial panic came—and Robert Houston was ruined. At that time imprisonment for debt prevailed in all the colonies. For fear of this, or because of wounded pride, his wife, who was a woman of much energy and great strength of character, urged their removal to a new country.

Accordingly they left Philadelphia and went to the newly settled state of North Carolina and there found a home in Person county, adjoining Virginia. Having no money Robert Houston bought a farm on credit. There was a peach orchard on the farm and in this he found a way to rebuild his fortune. Brandy was a source of large profit and in great demand, since few knew how to make it. Through his knowledge of distilling,acquired in his father's distillery in Scotland, together with his skill in cooperage learned in Philadelphia, Robert Houston was able to use this peach orchard to the best possible advantage. The farm was soon paid for and a large additional estate was rapidly accumulated.

Robert Houston had seven children, George, James, William, Molly, Betsy, and Sally.

George married and removed to west Tennessee.

James also married but remained in North Carolina, living and dying near the old home.

William, the third son, was my grandfather.

Molly, the eldest daughter, married Houston Cooper, who was probably a distant relation, and removed to Harper's River

in Tennessee.

Jane and Betsy died unmarried.

Sallie became the wife of Joseph Layton and removed to Kentucky.

William Houston—or Huston as my grandfather began, for some unknown reason,to spell the name— was born in Person county, North Carolina, on February 8th, 1760. He must have been very young when he became a soldier in the war for Independence and it was probably late in that struggle. I have not been able to establish the precise date of his entering the army, but on searching the records of the Revolution I had no difficulty in tracing his movements through the latter part of the war and I found that his last service in the Revolution was guarding Burgoyne's men after the surrender. At the close of the Revolution he was First Lieutenant in Captain Hugh Barnett's company of Colonel John Washington's regiment.

On leaving" the army William Houston returned to his home in Person county, North Carolina. When he was twenty-five years of age—in 1785— he was married to Susan Allen, a young lady of the same neighborhood, who was one year older than himself. The land of that region was not rich, there was little business other than farming and he soon began to look about for a better location. There was much interest just then in the newly settled state of Kentucky, where the soil was said to be fabulously fertile, and he made up his mind to remove with his family to Kentucky.

Many of his neighbors were of the same mind and within a very short time he had gathered around him a large party willing and eager to go with him into the wilderness. Among those who joined him were several soldiers, old comrades of his who had fought with him in the Revolution. All were accompanied by their families and their slaves, making- twenty-eight families altogether, so that the entire party was a very large one. There were thirty wagons covered with cotton cloth, which was drawn over hoops made fast to the wagon body, and each wagon was drawn by four horses. In addition to these teams were manv saddle-horses, for a number of the men and women made the long journey on horseback. The party assembled by agreement at Roxbury and the historic start of this great emigration was made from that town on the morning of September the 25th, 1805. My grandfather, as the organizer of the expedition, was, of course, the head of it,and his three wagons and twelve horses led tbe way.

This long train then moved toward Cumberland Gap, where its really hard experience was to begin. Passing the Gap the travellers reached the Wilderness Road and held to it, turning from it only to avoid water courses or to find fording places, there being no ferries. I have heard many thrilling stories of this great journey from my aunt, Nancy Huston, my grandfather's daughter, who made it with the rest of the family, and who was at the time an intelligent, observant girl of fourteen. It was from her that I learned of my grandfather's masterly ability in managing the whole vast expedition. As an illustration of his forethought, it may be mentioned that he carried a grist-mill in one of his wagons, knowing there were no mills for grinding grain in the new country. This was worked by man power and used for the grinding of corn, and I have often seen the burr-stones belonging to this ancient mill. It was understood that my grandfather also carried a trunk filled with silver coin. It is likely that neither he nor anyone of all the large party had much money, since they were all leaving their old homes and seeking new ones solely in the hope of making a better living. But they certainly took with them in cash all the money they possessed, there being no other way at that day.

The story of this time that my aunt most loved to tell, and the one that I most loved to hear, was the beautiful story of my grandmother's courage and kindness and patience which endured uncomplainingly to the end. She seemed to have held herself equally responsible with her husband for everyone's welfare, since they were the leaders of the expedition, and in this unselfish concern to have lost all thought of her own trials. In the wildest parts of the country the caravan corralled at night, as became the custom with western trains long afterwards; that is the wagons were placed in a circle with the horses and men on the inside. This was a measure of protection against the dangers of the wilderness, but it could not keep the rain from pouring through the wagon covers on to the exhausted women and children, who were trying to rest and sleep; or shut out the terrifying howls of the surrounding wolves. This, and much more, I heard, not only from my Aunt Nancy, but from another member of the expedition, an old gentleman whom I knew in my youth. He was a boy of twelve when he came with this emigration from North Carolina to Kentucky, and still remembered it with singular distinctness, recalling minute details of its events, then more than eighty years pist, for he was very old. He remembered even the names of three of my grandfather's horses—a curious freak of memory. A more important and interesting recollection of his was of a negro woman—one of my grandfather's slaves—who had given birth to a child during this long journey through the wilderness, thus causing grave perplexity and trouble, as no one at first knew what to do. Leaving the mother and child in the wilderness was not to be thought of, yet the woman was unable to travel, and the large party could not wait for her to recover. At last someone hit upon a plan. It was finally decided to swing a hammock from the bows over a wagon, which was done, and in this hammock the mother and child were placed, with comfort and safety to both, and the long train once more moved on. While on the way many of the travellers left the wagons and dismounted from their horses and marched long distances in pleasant weather.

The greatest difficulty to be encountered was the crossing of deep streams. It was one of the excitingincidents of the journey that my grandfather's sister was nearly drowned while swimming her horse across a river. As she was swept from her saddle she cried, "farewell to this world," thinking she was lost. There were, of course, no bridges anywhere, and when swollen streams could not be forded the train had to stop until rude rafts of logs were constructed, and it was on these that the crossings were made. So the emigrants slowly and painfully struggled on through the unbroken forest, till they came to a more settled country, and at last reached Bardstown, where they stopped for the first time to rest. But the rest was for but one day and they pushed on, reaching Louisville about the middle of December. Here there was great inducement to settle, and the leading men of the expedition made a careful examination of lands lying along the Beargrass creek which were offered for sale at $6 the acre. But only a few of the party were able to pay the price, which was high for that time.

My grandfather would have liked to have bought land in this location, and would likely have done so, had he not been unwilling to leave those who were in a manner dependent upon his guidance in finding less expensive homes. His friends and followers were forced by lack of means to go on looking for desirable land at fifty cents an acre. For this reason he gave up the idea of buy ing a farm on the Beargrass for himself, and casting his lot with his followers went on with them toward the southwestern part of the state. On Christmas day the train reached Hardinsburg and here my grandfather rented a farm and there left his wife and family. Alone, he went on—still leading the party—till they found the lands they sought near Green river. Here he also bought a large tract of land on Panther creek, "which is a branch of Rough creek,which is a branch of Green river," as Washington Irving describes this identical locality in one of his famous stories. Here Irving was in error, for these streams are miles apart.

Having bought the land, and having taken steps to have it cleared and a house built upon it, my grandfather returned to the rented place near Hardinsburg and lived there with his family till their own home, with its new log house, was ready for occupancy. At this time my grandfather's immediate family consisted of his wife and four children, two sons and two daughters. But John, the eldest, was married soon after the settlement on Panther creek, and both the daughters also left the new house before long for newer homes of their own. So that Benjamin, the second son—my father— was left alone to help his father in the management of the farm and slaves. There was a large family of these black people, and they were the most valuable part of the estate, for the possession of slaves at that period was the most desirable of property. It was far better than land, which had little appreciable value, and even better than money, because it was visible wealth which all could see. The slaves themselves, curiously enough, were influenced by it and had no respect for those who did not possess slaves.

Benjamin Huston, my father, was born in North Carolina on May 22,1788, and was accordingly in his seventeenth year when he came with the family to Kentucky. Five years later, in his twentysecond year, he was married to Hannah Friley, the daughter of a neighbor and the decendant of an old Virginia family. From the time of their marriage in 1810 up to the death of my grandfather in 1821—when the place became my father's—my parents lived on this farm which my grandfather had redeemed from the wilderness.

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