Person:William Montgomery (22)

In the year 1768 William Montgomery resided in Augusta county, but in what neighborhood we do not know. On the 14th of May of that year he received from Michael Malls a deed for 470 acres of land lying on "the mountain between the South Fork and the South Branch of Potowmack." He may have been, and probably was, an uncle of the Rev. John Montgomery and of the Rev. Dr. Doak's wife (see pages 185 and 192).

On the 15th of Aug, 1769, William Montgomery and Jean, his wife, conveyed the tract of 470 acres to Adam Harpole in consideration of L82 ($273.33 1/3), and soon thereafter removed with the Campbells, Logans, and others to the Holston, now Washington county. ... [William Montgomery and family] followed [son in law Benjamin] Logan to Kentucky in 1779 and made a settlement twelve miles from "Logan's Fort." Early one morning in March, 1780, Montgomery, on going to the door of his cabin, was shot and killed by Indians, as was a negro boy by his side. Mrs. Montgomery and her youngest child were at Logan's, and her sons Thomas and Robert, were absent "spying." Her daughter Jane managed to close the door and keep out the savages, while William, a brother of Jane, who lived in an adjoining cabin, firing his gun through the opening, killed one Indian and wounded another. John, another brother, was shot dead in his bed. While this was going on, Betsy Montgomery, some twelve years of age, climbed out of a chimney and fled to Pettit's Station, two and a half miles off, with the news of the assault. Though pursued by an Indian, she arrived in safety. All the survivors of the family then at home, except young William and Jane Montgomery, were marched off by the Indians as prisoners. The savage who had pursued Betsy returned after his comrades had left and was shot by William from his cabin. ...

From "Lincoln County, Kentucky", pub. by Lincoln County Historical Society, Turner Publishing, 2002. pg 231:

This William Montgomery was the first settler in the area that now encompasses McKinney, South Fork, Mt. Salem and New Salem. He was the brother of our great, great, great, great, great grandfather John and (was) the father-in-law of Benjamin Logan. One of William's daughters married John's son, Col. William Montgomery, who was our great, great, great, great grandfather.

William Sr. came from the same area of Virginia as Benjamin Logan and came to live at his son-in-laws fort for a time in the late 1770's before he and his sons claimed several thousand acres in the Green River area by virtue of the first land court held in Kentucky in Herroldsburt during the late 1770's. According to an account by a Daniel Trabue contained in the Draper Manuscripts, by the winter of 1780, William Montgomery, Sr. and his sons were building cabins on the headwaters of the Green River. Mr. Trabue stated he knew them all well as he had lived at Logan's Fort with them. He further stated that in late Feb. 1781 the station was attacked by Indians about daylight and William Montgomery, Sr., his son John and a negro slave were all shot to death during the attack. Another of William Sr.'s sons, William, Jr., shot and killed two of the Indians during the skirmish. When the Indians killed the son John, they took his wife and negro girl hostage along with son-in-law Joseph Russell's wife and children. In the midst of the attack, our great, great, great, great grandmother, Elizabeth who was then only a young girl, climbed from the chimney of one of the cabins and outran an Indian to Petitt's Station nearby to summon help. William Casey and several others ran to Logan's Fort where about 25 men assembled to try to overtake the Indians and retrieve the hostages. On the way, as they tracked the Indians, they found the Negro girl who had been scalped, but survived the violent encounter. Logan's party overtook the Indians after about 15 miles but the Indians killed one of the Russell children, Flora and scattered into a cane break, and Logan's party was unable to follow. This was but one of many Indian attacks that occurred in the 1770's and 1780's as the tribes north of the Ohio River and the Cherokees to the south tried in vain to rid their hunting grounds of white settlers.

Prior to his death, William Montgomery, Sr. fathered several children, some of which would become prominent in the early days of the county. His daughter Ann married first, Benjamin Logan and later General James Knox. One of his sons, Alexander was killed in Ohio in the late 1770's while trying to recover horses that had been stolen by the Indians. Another son, William, Jr. known as "Black Billy" (we don't know why), served in Logan's Militia, was a member of the Kentucky Constitutional Convention in 1792, served in the state's legislature and was sheriff of Lincoln County from 1792 until his death in 1794. One of William Montgomery Sr.'s daughters, Jane, married William Casey and was the maternal grandmother of Jane Lampton Clemens, who was Samuel Clemens mother.

Memorandom: I, Daniel Trabue, in Nov 1780 started to Virginia from Logan's Fort, KY., and previous to my Departure I was at the cabins that was erecting on near the head of Green River, that was a building for Old Mr. William Montgomery and his sons and Mr. Russil. I was very well acquaented with them all, as I lived in Logan's fort where they lived.

Memorandom of the settlement of the Montgemerys and the indeans' Attacking their cabbens and killing some of Them.
About the 25 of December 1780 Old Mr. William Montgomery, his son William Montgomery, his son John Montgomry, and his son-in-law Joseph Russel settled them selves on the head waters of Green River. They had built 4 Cabins and was a liveing in them. It was thought at the time there was no Danger of indians at this place as they had never been about their. And they was not very well fixed for them. Their Doors was not made very strong and no stockeading around their cabbins.

And on the 27 of Febuary 1781 the Indeans paid them a visit. Tom Montgomery, who lived with his father, was gone to lexington with his gun on Guard, and then their was no gun in Old Mr. Mungomery house. Mr. Ressil's Gun was out of Order. And at Day light the indeans attacked all the cabbins nearly at the same time.

Old Mr. Montgomery and a Negro Man went out of his Door, and the Indians shot them boath Dead. Old Mr. Montgomery was shot with 7 bullits. He fell in the yard. The Negro fell in the Door. The Old Man's Daughter Jean Moved the negro out of the Door and shut the Door and fastened it. The Indians broak opin John Montgomery Door, and as he Got up out of his bed they shot him Dead and took his wife and Nego Girl Prisoners. They also broke open Mr. Russel's house and took them all prisoners Except Mr. Russil. He made his escape. ...