"Dear Colonel,--

"After my compliments to you, I shall acquaint you with my
misfortunes. On March the Twenty-fifth, a party of Indians fired
on my company about half an hour before day, and killed Mr. Twitty
and his negro, and wounded Mr. Walker very deeply; but I hope he
will recover. On March the Twenty-eighth, as we were hunting for
provisions, we found Samuel Tale's son who gave us an account that
the Indians fired on their camp on the twenty-seventh day. My
brother and I went down and found two men killed and scalped,
Thomas McDowell and Jeremiah McPeters. I have sent a man down to
all the lower companies, in order to gather them all to the mouth
of the Otter Creek. My advice to you, sir, is to come or send as
soon as possible. Your company is desired greatly, for the people
are very uneasy, but are willing to stay and venture their lives
with you. And now is the time to frustrate their (the Indians)
intentions, and keep the country while we are in it. If we give way
to them now, it will ever be the case. This day we start from the
battle ground to the mouth of Otter Creek, where we shall
immediately erect a fort, which will be done before you can come or
send. Then we can send ten men to meet you, if you send for them.

"I am, Sir, your most obedient servant,

"DANIEL BOONE."

Boone immediately commenced upon the left bank of the Kentucky river,
which here ran in a westerly direction, the erection of a fort. Their
position was full of peril, for the road-makers were but few in number,
and Indian warriors to the number of many hundreds might at any time
encircle them. Many of these Indians had also obtained muskets from the
French in Canada, and had become practiced marksmen. Nearly three months
were busily occupied in the construction of this important fort.
Fortunately we have a minute description of its structure, and a sketch
of its appearance, either from the pencil of Colonel Henderson, or of
some one in his employ.

The fort or fortress consisted of a series of strong log huts, enclosing
a large interior or square. The parallelogram was about two hundred and
sixty feet in length and one hundred and fifty in breadth. These cabins,
built of logs, were bullet-proof. The intervals between them were filled
with stout pieces of timber, about twelve feet