Transcript:Miller, Richard S. Hall Records/p025

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child. During the attack the women steered, while the men gave battle. One of the women proved herself a better axe-man than a steersman, for she ran the boat too near her enemies on the shore, and two of the savages tried to board the boat; but one lost his hand by a single blow of the axe, and the other lost his life, by having his head split open.

They were attacked again, as they begun to ascend the Cumberland river, but not in such numbers as before, and they were more easily dispersed. The gallant little company of boats had hard work in ascending the Cumberland river, with its strong current. They were met by several men, who had learned of their coming, who came to give them a helping hand. Thus, through much toil and danger, this heroic band of hardy adventurers landed at the mouth of Lick Branch, (now Nashville), on the 18th day of March, 1789, at which place there was a fort, known as French Lick."

Isaac Mason was thirty-six years of age, and had a wife and six living children, when he arrived at his destination, and having lost all, had no means of support but his trade, for which there was little demand, on account of the scarcity of cloth. Necessity, however, caused the people to have their pants and hunting shirts made out of dressed deerskins; so, he and his wife who was an excellent seamstress, soon got as much work as they could do, and made enough to support their family. He was the first tailor at the place where Nashville now stands.

He did his duty in defending the little fort, for it was under rules of self protection; while some were at work, others had to stand guard, and all had to hold themselves in readiness to protect their friends and neighbors from the attacks of Indians; and nothing was more certain than to hear of depredations being committed about the full of the moon.

Isaac Mason remained at French Lick until the year 1793, and then settled four miles west of the fort, and would go with his family, at night, to Shooks Station, at which place the neighbors had built a fort for protection. Remaining there until 1798, he sold out and bought land in Williamson county, near the place were Nelsonville how stands.

At this time his family had increased to ten children, who are named as follows:

1. Mary, b. November 21, 1775.---Family 2. 2. Abram, b. Oct.22, 1778.---Family 3.

3. Isaac, b. April 16, 1782.---Family 4.

4. Jacob, b. March 3, 1784.---Family 5.

5. Catharine, b. Jan. 31, 1786.---Family 6.

6. Rebecca, b. Dec. 18, 1787; d. Aug 23, 1818, aged 30 years.

7. Joseph, b. Feb. 3, 1790.---Family 7.