We had been their about 20 or 30 Minuts when we heard a stick crack...

"I stoped the tuch hole of my gun with tallow and then did ketch fire and we made up a fire and Dryed our selves.  I laid my gun Down on the back side of the fire to dry.  We concluded that when it would slack raining we would go back the same way as we came and we would yet kill a bear as the sighn seemed to be plenty.  As we stood up before our fire we would look Down at this mountain.  We all concluded it was the roughest looking place that we had ever seen - big lofty looking Rocks, big guts, Dismal precipasses, etc.  We was chitchattng, telling some mrry tails, Major Downey singing at times all though with a loe voice. We had been their about 20 or 30 Minuts when we heard a stick crack at our gap.  The word was, 'What is that?'  One of us answered, 'Chestnuts a falling.'  Another answered, 'I Don't like it.'"

Trabue, Daniel, and Chester R. Young. Westward into Kentucky: The Narrative of Daniel Trabue. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, 2004. Print.

The bullet passed through 9 folds of the blanket

"My brother was shot through the center of the body, and through the ligaments at the hips, so that he fell.  When he rose again, he said he saw an Indian loading his gun in full view so that he could have shot him, with the greatest ease, but that he was too weak and turned to run.  By this time the Indian had loaded and fired again.  The bullet passed through 9 folds of the blanket he had rolled up and strapped to his shoulders, and then stopped, and made flat as a 9d.  The force of the blow knocked him down again, but did not get through the blanket to the skin" (Draper MSS, James Wade Interview, 12cc11-41).

Draper, Lyman C. Draper Manuscript Collection: Series Cc; Kentucky Papers. Chicago: University of Chicago Library, Dept. of Photoreproduction, 1966. Archival material.

And put 2 bullits in each man's mouth

"Their was only 7 of us and a negro boy went throug the wilderness together in March 1778.  We all had good rifles and good Ammonition.  On Holston we took provision for our Jurney.  We understood a little provision would Do as we could kill plenty on the way.  We entered the wilderness in high spirits.  I was truly Delighted in seeing the mountains, Rivers, hills, etc., spruce, pine, Laurril, etc.  Every thing looked new to me.  Traveling along in Powls Valley where the Indians had broak up some people, see wast Desolate Cabbins I began to feel strange.  We went on our Jurney and came in sight of the noted place called Cumberland Gap.  We encamped all night (yet we was 3 or 4 Mile off) in a wast Cabin, and it was a Rainey blustry night.  When Morning came the weather was clear, and after we ate our breackfast a little after sunrise we persued on our Jurney.  When we got near to the Gap at a lorril branch where the indean war road comes in the Kentucky road (this indean Road Crosses the Gap at this place from the Cherekeys to the shoney town).  And at this branch where the indian road comes in we saw fresh Indian tracks.  James Trabue ordered us everyone to alight, prime our Guns afresh and pick our flints if they needed it, and put 2 bullits in each man's mouth.  And if we could come up with the indians we must fight our best.  The Indians' track was fresh and was Just gone the way we was going" (Trabue, 44).

Trabue, Daniel, and Chester R. Young. Westward into Kentucky: The Narrative of Daniel Trabue. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, 2004. Print.

Lost every Awl that we brought out

"[May] 14th.  When our Elk's skin was prepared we had lost every Awl that we brought out, and I made one with the Shank of an old Fishing hook, the other People made two of Horse Shoe Nailes, and with these we made our Shoes or Moccasins.  We wrote several of our Names with Coal under a Rock, & I wrote our names, the time of our comeing and leaving this place [Rockcastle River] on paper and stuck it to the Rock with Morter, and then set off" (Walker, 60).

Johnston, J S. First Explorations of Kentucky: Doctor Thomas Walker's Journal of an Exploration of Kentucky in 1750, Being the First Record of a White Man's Visit to the Interior of That Territory, Now First Published Entire, with Notes and Biographical Sketch ; Also Colonel Christopher Gist's Journal of a Tour Through Ohio and Kentucky in 1751, with Notes and Sketch. Louisville, Ky: J.P. Morton and Co, 1898. Print.

Most convenient for travelling in that country

"After this long digression on the culture of Indian corn, the grand staff of life throughout this continent, I shall proceed with an account of my journey to Kentucky; for my white savage and I set out from the fort early next morning.  I had procured rifles, ammunition, and Indian dresses for us both, which are by far the most convenient for travelling in that country; as also blankets to cover us as we should be obliged to sleep in the woods every night; besides bells for our horses, to enable us to hear them at a distance when they were turned loose to feed, and hobbles, or spancils, made of strong leather, and fastened on their legs, to prevent them from wandering out of our reach where we remained all night.  I myself was provided with pocket compasses before I came here, and had besides a very just idea of the geography of the country" (Smyth, 300-301).

Smyth, John F. D. A Tour in the United States of America: Containing an Account of the Present Situation of That Country, the Population, Agriculture, Commerce, Customs, and Manners of the Inhabitants ... with a Description of the Indian Nations, the General Face of the Country, Mountains, Forests, Rivers, and the Most Beautiful, Grand, and Picturesque Views Throughout That Vast Continent Likewise Improvements in Husbandry That May Be Adopted with Great Advantage in Europe. London: Printed for G. Robinson, 1784. Print.

Had it not been for the cane and the game

"Kentucky could never have been settled in the way that it was, had it not been for the cane and the game.  They could never have gotten their provisions out through the wilderness in safety, so much as would have been necessary to have made a beginning and their stock and themselves would have starved in the winter.  As it was, all they had to do was to keep the Indians from killing them; though they were sometimes very hard pressed to do this.  Otherwise, they had cane for winter and abundance of game for both summer and winter" (Draper MSS, James Wade Interview, 12cc11-41).

Draper, Lyman C. Draper Manuscript Collection: Series Cc; Kentucky Papers. Chicago: University of Chicago Library, Dept. of Photoreproduction, 1966. Archival material.

Cumberland Gap