FPstory4

By Charles Mattox
News Editor
charles@thecarlislemercury.com

The 226th anniversary of the Battle of Blue Licks was celebrated at the Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park August 16 and 17.

Reenactors from several states converged on the park ground to participate, as did thousands of spectators.

Several educational programs inside the park and museum enhanced the battle reenactment and gave visitors a broader sense of the land and the famous battle fought there on August 19, 1782.

Colonel John Todd, commanded a force of approximately 182 Kentucky Militia soldiers in pursue of a British and Native American force that had entered Kentucky earlier in the month of Aug. 1782 and which then retreated to the area around Blue Licks.

Kentucky militia soldiers followed.

Lt. Colonel Daniel Boone also commanded one wing of the Kentucky force, as did Lt. Colonel Stephen Trigg.

Although official military reports vary, some estimates place the enemy force at 500, consisting primarily of Native American forces from the Chippewa, Wyandotte, Delaware and Shawnee tribes. Captain William Caldwell commanded the Native American force in addition to 40 Canadian Rangers.

The Battle was brief, as the Kentucky force attacked the larger force with disastrous results.

“I fired three times and was priming for my fourth shot when word of the retreat came,” said Jacob Stevens, a participant of the battle when interviewed by Rev. John Shane. “I turned get my horse but it was gone.”

Experts say the battle lasted only 10 to 15 minutes with Native American forces rushing the Kentuckians after the first volley.

The Kentuckians were overwhelmed and retreated south from the battle toward the Licking River where many were killed trying to escape.

Israel Boone was killed as the retreat began and died in his father’s arms as the battle raged around them.

Many of the finest militia soldiers and officers were also killed in the battle, including Todd, Trigg and at least 65 others, although the total number of killed is still a point of argument among historians.

Eight soldiers, including two officers: John Beasley and John McMurty were taken prisoners by Native Americans and survived.

Other prisoners were far less fortunate.

“We are led to believe that none were captured,” wrote militia soldier Andrew Steele, a survivor of the battle, in a letter to the Governor of Virginia he penned shortly after the battle. Steele’s reasoning for this is due to the fact that he was among the recovery force led by Benjamin Logan that marched to the battlefield five days after the battle was fought. “There were a number found tied and butchered,” Steele’s letter states.

“They were all stripped naked and mangled in such a manner that it was hard to tell one from another,” Levi Todd, an officer who participated in the battle and the brother of commander John Todd. wrote of the affair.

“I can’t imagine what they found, Paul Tierney, Director of programs for the park told hundred who joined him for a tour of the battlefield when the tour reached the mass burial site inside the park. Tierney called those buried martyars, and the monument erected over the site reflects the same belief.
Tierney joined Dr. Adrian Mandzy earlier this year for an archaeological study of the park in which new information regarding the battle was found.

Mandzy lectured in the museum over the weekend describing the artifacts that the team found.

Among the artifacts discovered were ten bullets, eight of which are believed to have been fired during the battle and two of which are believed to have been dropped during the battle.

“The area of battle was bigger than what was previously though,” Mandzy said of his research. “The whole park was part of the battle.”