way home, after having had to endure much
suffering and many hardships. The loss of Booth was severely felt by
the inhabitants in that settlement. He was not only an active and
enterprising man, but was endowed with superior talents, and a better
education than most of those who had settled in the country; and on
these accounts was very much missed.

In a few days after this transaction, Benjamin Shinn, Wm. Grundy, and
Benjamin Washburn, returning from a lick on the head of Booth's creek,
were fired on by the Indians, when near to Baxter's run. Washburn and
Shinn escaped unhurt, but Grundy was killed: he was brother to Felix
Grundy of Tennessee, whose father was then residing at Simpson's
creek, at a farm afterwards owned by Colonel Benjamin Wilson, senior.

This party of Indians continued for some days, to prowl about the
neighborhood, seeking opportunities of committing murder on the
inhabitants; fortunately however, with but little success. James
Owens, a youth of sixteen years of age, was the only one whom they
succeeded in killing after the murder of Grundy. Going from Powers'
fort on Simpson's creek, to Booth's creek, his saddle girth gave way,
and while he was down mending it, a ball was discharged at him, which
killed both him and the horse.

Seeing that the whites, in that neighborhood, had all retired to the
fort; and being too weak, openly to attack it, they crossed over to
Bartlett's run, and came to the house of Gilbert Hustead, who was then
alone, and engaged in fixing his gun lock. Hearing a noise in the
yard, for which he was unable to account, he slipped to the door, to
ascertain from whence it proceeded. The Indians were immediately round
it, and there was no chance for his escape. Walking out with an air of
the utmost pleasantry, he held forth his hand to the one nearest him,
and asked them all to walk in. While in the house he affected great
cheerfulness, and by his tale [182] won their confidence and
friendship. He told them that he was a King's man and unwilling to
live among the rebels; for which reason, when others retired into the
fort, he preferred staying at his own house, anxiously hoping for the
arrival of some of the British Indians, to afford him an opportunity
of getting among English friends. Learning upon enquiry, that they
would be glad to have something to eat, he asked one of them to shoot
a fat hog which was in the yard, that they might regale on it that
night, and have some on