E-mail correspondence from James Sellars:

Bob,

Here's another brief account of the capture of Ruddell's Station.

James

Draper MSS 29J:18 - Draper's interview with Rhoda Ground

Bird's expedition - Ruddell's and Martin's Forts. From Mrs. Rhoda (Long) Ground, Warren Co., Ky., Oct. 1844.

Ruddell's Station taken, June 1780 - The Indians first came and attacked with the (British?) - An old man named Goodknight was killed - Simon Girty and Micapah Calloway were with the enemy. Capt. Ruddell's family - John Long's family consisting of himself, wife and five children - one of the latter, a small boy, was scalped; John Denton, wife and one daughter, recollected and perhaps their children; also a family of Sellars.

Some of the prisoners were shortly after released; and others were kept in captivity till Wayne's Treaty of 1795.

Mrs. Ground (one of the children of Mr. Long) was a small girl when taken and can give no further information.

Excerpts from THE GOOD (K) NIGHT (GUTKNECHT) FAMILY IN AMERICA By S. H. GOODNIGHT

LETTER 1

Ashmore, Ill., Dec. 24, 1883. Dear Porter and Thomas Goodknight:

Yours of the 18th is at hand . . . . . There were two gentlemen and their wives came across the Sea from Germany of the name of Goodknight and located in North Carolina. one was named John (Michael), the other George.

George is my grandfather.

George had four sons and three daughters; the names of the sons, David, John, Peter, and Michael which was the youngest of the sons and is my father.

The daughters were named Christena, Elizabeth and S. Catherine, the youngest. She married a British officer and went to Great Britain. David lived and died a bachelor, John had a family and died on Elkhorn. Peter and Michael emigrated to the Green River country.

John (Michael) had four sons, John, Isaac, Jacob and Abraham. If there was another, I don't now remember it. [Henry.)

John lived on Chaplin's fork not far from Perryville. I was at his home once; know but little about his family; he had a son who had a cork leg. I spent a night with him but don't remember his name; neither do I remember whether he had any more sons, but I suppose he had. He had one daughter who was struck with paralisis whose mind was considerably impaired. John was a good man; everybody loved him.

Isaac lived about fifteen miles above Boling Green on big Barren river. Raised a large and respectfull family of both sons and daughters and lived to a great age.

Jacob lived on the hanging fork in Lincoln Co. not far from Stanford; he raised a number of sons and daughters and is the grandfather of J[ames] L[incoln) Goodknight the celebrated schollar and divine a cumberlan Presbyterian minister of Covington, Ohio.

Abraham got off from his people and they lost the run of him.

The two brothers, John (Michael) and George, in the days of General Logan and Boon emegrated to the state of Kentucky and met sad misfortune. George and his entire family except two sons who were in the service were captured I think at Kentons [Ruddell's] station. George was massacreed in the most barbrous manner while his children were scattered among the Indians. My father was taken to Detroit and sold to the French and taken to Canada. Elizabeth never got to her people until she was twenty two years old.

John (Michael) and his son John went back after some of their goods which they had to pack on horses for want of roads, the Indians came upon them at their camp fire, killed the father. They shot the son, the arrow entered one side and came out at the other and the surprising part is in that condition he made his way to the horses, stopped the bell, concealed himself and the next day went to the white settlements.

I have given the outlines of our people in America . . . . . .

Respectfully, Farewell,

S. W. Goodnight.

LETTER 21

Concord N. C., Mar. 13, 1884. Asbury Goodknight:

I received a postal from you the other day . . . . . . You want to know something about the Goodknight family. I can't give a full account at present but will as soon as I can. My great grandfather came from Germany to Penn. and after the revolutionary war came to N. C. in Cabarrus Co. My grandfather was seven years old when they came from Germany. They lived on cold water creek till Christian Goodknight was married then great grandfather and the rest of the family went to Ky. He took John and two other sons and some girls. Great grandfather was killed by the Indians and John was shot but got away in Ky. and one of my grand aunts was stolen by the Indians and had two sons by the Indians before she got back to her folks . . . . . . Christian Goodknight died 56 years ago.

John S. Goodknight.

THE GEORGE GOODNIGHT FAMILY

The earliest reference to this family in Kentucky is in a document now preserved in the Draper collections. (Draper Collections. State Historical Library of Wisconsin. MSS. 17J10) It was found among the papers of Colonel John Bowman, the first County Lieutenant of Kentucky. It is: "A payroll of Capt. Richard May's Company Stationed in Kentucky County under the Command of Col. John Bowman from the 13 day of July 1778 till the 2d day of August 1779." Among the names are those of David Goodnight, John Goodnight, and Henry Goodnight. Each enlisted on Dec. 17, 1778. Under subsistence, each is listed as having "Paid Cap Ruddell" for 220 days. On the reverse side of the roster, the names of fourteen men are again listed-for what purpose is not quite clear-and among these the names of David, John and Henry Goodnight appear again.

Incidentally, the writer is credibly informed that this is proof sufficient for admission to the D. A. R. or the S. A. R. for anyone who can show direct descent from this John or this Henry. David remained unmarried.

A reference to letter 1 above will show that David and John are there mentioned as older sons, while Peter and Michael were younger, and Henry is not mentioned at all.

The Draper Collections also furnish the second reference (Draper Collection. State Historical Library of Wisconsin. Kentucky MSS. 12CC235) to this group. Shane, an historical investigator, rode about many years ago consulting old settlers and recording his interviews. Dr. Draper worked over his manuscripts, ordered and numbered the pages, underscored names and made marginal notes to make reference easy.

In Fleming County, three miles from Sherburn, Shane interviewed Jacob Lawson, born 1763, in Pennsylvania. Lawson told him:

"My f(ather) had purchased lands on the S. Branch, but the Indians were troublesome and we didn't move for a year or 2 years after. He wasn't one of the earliest settlers. I was small when we moved here. When we came there was no person living any more in forts on the S. Branch.

"The people forted up on the S. Branch, Ashby's fort on Patterson's Cr., and Parker's fort on the S. Br. Patterson's Cr. came into the north side of the N. Branch. The Indians broke up Ashby's fort on P. Cr. They killed a good many. There was a grave containing 7 persons in one hole on m(y) f(ather's) place, adjoining P.'s Cr. They had been killed in Ashby's fort," etc.

A little later he says: "At the taking of Riddle's, were taken Michael Goodnight, Peter Goodnight and perhaps John G. and their bros. and sisters."

This is, of course, a reference to one of the major catastrophes of the early Kentucky settlements, the taking of Ruddell's and Martin's Stations by Capt. Bird with an army of 500 Canadians and Indians in June of 1780. The invaders had cannon, the defenders none. Resistance was futile, so the garrisons surrendered upon the condition that their lives should be spared. Capt. Bird could not fully control his savage allies, however, and many of the settlers were killed. Three hundred prisoners were taken at Ruddell's Station, 50 more at Martin's and all were turned over to the Indians who hurried them off to Detroit.

It was here, then, that George was "masacreed" and his children, including Michael and Elizabeth, were taken into captivity, as related in letter 1. It may be added that Henry is not heard of again in the records, and the letter does not mention him. Presumably he was killed or died early. The other four sons came safely through the ordeal, however; those who had been carried away as captives returned and all outlived the Indian warfare in Kentucky.

A few years later, we find them signing petitions to the Legislature (Filson Club Publications, 27. "Petitions of Early Inhabitants of Kentucky," Robertson. Page 89. No. 32.):

"The petition of sundry inhabitants of the County of Bourbon humbly shewcth, That a Number of your Petitioners are settled in that part of said County of Bourbon which is commonly known by the name of Limestone Settlement . . . The petition requests that this part of Bourbon be set off "into a distinct County." It is dated Oct. 26, 1786, and among the signers were David Goodnight, John Goodnight, Michael Goodnight and Peter Goodnight. These are the four sons of George Goodnight as named in letter 1.

Similarly, another petition, reproduced in the same volume,16 requesting that "a new Village called Washington in the settlement of Limestone" be established as a town, and dated August 22, 1786, is signed by David, John, Michael and Peter Goodnight.

And finally, a petition (Page 124, No. 60) that the Supreme Court should "sit at Lexington, in the County of Fayette" and "at Baird's Town [now Bardstown] in the County of Nelson," which bears no date, but contains in supporting documents "An Acct. of Witnesses attendance for 1789," numbers among its 800 signers Michael and Peter Goodnight. A facsimile page of signatures in Robertson's book, subsequently reproduced in Edna Kenton's biography of Simon Kenton, shows Michael Goodnight's signature from one of these petitions.

Michael Goodnight seems to have served in military expeditions under Col. George Rogers Clark or Col. Benjamin Logan in 1786. The evidence is contained in a list of military certificates now recorded in Vol. 32 of the Kentucky Register, page 229. One passage reads:

"Goodnight, Michael, Oct. 31, 1791, for his services in the Militia of this State, under Capt. Helinz from Mason Co. 0-12-8."

Then, too, we find in an old book, Military Certificates No. 1, that on Sept. 6, 1803, Michael Goodnight was paid £1 4 p "for service on the Frontiers," on a certificate issued Sept. 11, 1788. (The Certificate Book is the property of the Kentucky State Historical Society, Frankfort, and the information is kindly furnished by the Secretary, Mrs. Jouett Taylor Cannon.)

David Goodnight preempted 400 acres of land at the state price "lying on Johnson's Creek about 3 miles from the Mouth thereof upon the northeast side of Licking Creek & six miles below the blue lick by making an Actual Settlement Apr. 1779." (See Kentucky Register, Vol. 21, page 132) Fayette County records (Deed Book M, page 384) show a purchase by David of 100 acres of land on the waters of the Elkhorn in Bourbon County in 1815, and the statement of letter 1 that "David lived and died a bachelor," receives confirmation in his Will, (Fayette County records, Will Book E) probated in August, 1819, in which, "being without children," he bequeaths all his property to the children of his brother John.

Johrl Goodnight took 400 acres "lying on Hingston's Fork about 5 miles from the mouth thereof and about 4 miles from Ruddle's Station by making an actual settlement in April 1799." (See Kentucky Register, Vol. 21, page 132) John's daughter "Kitty" married William , Hall on Oct. 29, 1810; the marriage bond is in Harrison County records, and "Katharine Hall" is named by David Goodnight in his will as a daughter of his brother John and one of the beneficiaries of the will.

Peter Goodnight took 390 acres in Bourbon County in 1786, and Michael took 400 acres on Horse Branch, in Nelson County, in 1788. Peter Goodnight is one of the witnesses with David Boone and Robert McGill to the will of William Frye, Fayette Co., Ky., written March 28, 1796, probated May, 1796. (Will Book A, p. 222, Fayette Co., Ky., records. P. 34, Kentucky Court and other Records, by Mrs. W. B. Ardery, publ. at Lexington, 1926) And, finally, on February 5, 1798, Governor James Garrard commissions Peter Goodnight a captain for the 10th (Fayette County) regiment. (See the Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, Vol. 29, p. 335)

The writer of letter 1, S. W. Goodnight, an own son of George's youngest son Michael, unquestionably knew from his father the story of the family. His account corresponds so accurately with the data presented in the above records that there can be no reasonable doubt, it would seem, of its correctness.

His story of Ancester Michael's family is almost as complete and as accurate. The only confusing element in it is his allusion to Ancestor Michael as "John." This evidently puzzled a later descendant. There is now preserved at Stanford a diary (in possession of his foster-son David) of Thomas Mitchell Goodnight, who was a great grandson of Ancestor Michael through the latter's son Jacob. But the first entry in his diary reads:

"George and John Goodknight.

"Jacob Goodknight, my grandfather, was a son of John Goodknight. George was grandfather of S. W. Goodknight.

"Charles Goodknight, of Muhlenberg County, son of Peter, removed to Illinois." (This Charles Goodnight was the father of Col. Charles Goodnight, the famous cattle king of the Texas Panhandle, whose marriage at the age of 91 (in 1927) and death at 93 had such wide publicity)

Later he writes:

"On first page of this Book it is stated on the authority of S. W. Goodknight that John and George Goodknight were brothers and that my Great Grandfather was John and his Grandfather was George," etc.

If we simply read "John Michael" for "John" in the diary quotations, we have a correct statement, but probably Thomas Mitchell, who has long since been gathered to his father, never knew the explanation.

THE MICHAEL GOODNIGHT FAMILY

As noted above, the migration to Kentucky of Michael Goodnight with his wife and the children of his last marriage may have occurred in the summer of 1777 or 1778. Happily, an interesting old document gives us the date of his first settlement on Kentucky land for the purpose of preemption.

The document is in The Certificate Book of the Virginia Land Commission of 1779-80. (See the Register of the Kentucky State Historical Society, for 1923, Vol. 21, p. 246) From this entry we learn that: "Michael Goodnight this day claimed a preempt of 400 acres of land at the State price in the District of Kentucky on Acc't of making an Actual settlement in Feb'y 1779 lying at the mouth of Doctors fork of Chaplins fork of Salt River on both sides of the s'd Creek Satisfactory proof being made to the Court they are of Opinion that the said Goodnight has a right to a preempt of 400 Acres of Land to include the above Location & that a Certificate issue accordingly."

This land, which the writer visited in the summer of 1934, lies several miles to the south of Harrodsburg, in the present county of Boyle. In his "Stations and Early Settlements in Kentucky," (Collins' History of Kentucky, Vol. II, p. 190) Collins locates Harlan's Station as "on Salt River, in Mercer (now Boyle) County, 7 miles s. e. from Harrodsburg and 3 miles n. w. of Danville; built by Major Silas Harlan, in 1778." It is clear that the Goodnight family, living on the land described, must have "forted," as the pioneers expressed it, at Harlan's rather than at Harrod's.

There is not the slightest doubt that Michael Goodnight's preempt of the 400 acres was honored, for, if further evidence were necessary, it would be supplied by the deeds on record in the Mercer County Court House. On the 25th of March, 1794, thirteen years after Michael's death, Christian Goodnight, a son of Michael by his first wife and who had remained in the east-see letters 19 and 21 above-and Caterinah his wife, of Mecklenburg Co., No. Carolina, deed to Jacob Goodnight for the sum of 5 shillings "one certain tract of Land containing one hundred and sixty seven acres lying & being in the County of Mercer on Chaplins fork . . . . part of a survey made for Michael Goodnight," etc. This is obviously a clearance of tide, a guarantee that the half brother in North Carolina will not at some future time lay claim to the land as an inheritance.

Two similar instruments, both dated Sept. 23, 1794, deed 147 acres of Michael's 400 from Christian to Henry Goodnight, "adjoining Jacob Goodnight on the lower side and Abraham Goodnight on the upper side"; and 105 acres on Chaplin's Fork "to a stake in the line of Michael's survey" to Abraham.

There is, further, a deed whereby Jacob Goodnight and Elizabeth, his wife, transfer ownership of the 167 acres described in the first mentioned deed to Charles Hart and his heirs on June 24, 1797. Two years later, Abraham. and Mary, his wife, convey 97 acres of Michael's original 400 to Isham Pruitt and wife, and, still later, Abraham sells his remaining seven and one-half acres to John Goodnight for C20. John, Jacob, Henry and Abraham were the four elder sons of Michael and Mary Goodnight.

It appears a bit strange that Michael's land should have been divided among Jacob (167 acres), Henry (147 acres), and Abraham (105 acres), with no reference to John, the eldest son, or to Isaac, the youngest. It is quite conceivable, however, that John had received his inheritance in money upon the sale of Michael's effects-see below-and that Isaac, who was only six years old when the estate was settled, was to be provided for by his mother.