Hon. Hubbard Taylor Submitted by Carolyn ChismThursday, Feb. 14 and 21, 1924 Clark County Chronicles by the Clark County Historical Society Hon. Hubbard Taylor, who resided at Spring Hill, the noted old Taylor homestead, near Pine Grove, was a pioneer settler of Kentucky. He came out to Kentucky from Caroline County, Virginia, when a mere youth and was engaged in surveying lands for himself and others, and at one time was made one of the surveyors of Lincoln County. A very interesting account of his early adventures and narrow escapes as narrated by himself will follow this sketch. Returning to Virginia after many months of hazardous work, he married and settled down near his father�s home, and remained until some time after the Revolutionary War. He came back to Kentucky after having seen much service in the Revolutionary Army and finally, in 1789, moved his family to his new home in Clark County. He was a member of the first Legislature of Kentucky, when his residence was in that part of Fayette County which afterwards became Clark, and at the second session of the first Legislature in Frankfort, he assisted in the creation of Clark County, in November, 1792, and after his return from the legislative session he also assisted in the organization of the county government. From 1796 until 1800, he was State Senator from Clark County. He was also a member of the earlier Constitutional Convention of Kentucky, and was also chosen five times as a Presidential Elector from his state and district, and had the honor of voting for Thomas Jefferson and his relative, James Madison. Hubbard Taylor�s old home at Spring Hill was noted for its hospitality, both during his lifetime and afterward during the life of his relative, the late Hubbard B. Taylor, who resided there from 1857 until his death. The old mansion is still standing and in a fine state of preservation and is now owned by W. R. Sphar. Mr. Taylor died October 7, 1840, respected and beloved by a large circle of relatives and friends throughout the county and state. The following interesting data was obtained from an old letter written by Hubbard Taylor shortly before his death, which gives a very interesting account of his early life and adventures: �I am the oldest son of James and Anne Taylor, of Caroline County, Virginia. Anne was a daughter of Barry and Elizabeth Hubbard. The said Barry was an Englishman and his wife�s maiden name was Todd, a very numerous family of Virginia. The aforesaid James, my father was the son of James who died in the County of Orange, Virginia in 1734, at the age of 86 years. His grandfather and father were of the same name, James, and the first of whom came from England and settled in the colony of Virginia. I am the child of James and Anne, who was born on the 2nd of August, 1760. My father and mother had ten children that lived to be grown; Lucy, the eldest child, Hubbard, Betsy, Patsy, James Alice, Mary Ruben, Polly and Edmond. Patsy never wed; all the others married and had children.�At the age of seven years I went to school occasionally, living with my grandfather Hubbard. Afterwards I went to school to a man named Martin, and subsequently to a man named Beoham, did not understand anything of English grammar. After this, about the year of 1772, my father got an Englishman by the name of Samuel Kemp, who was a great imposter. He pretended to understand the languages and mathematics and had a smattering of many things but understood nothing correctly. I was with him three years. He read well and wrote a good hand. He, from the assistance of books, made several sundials, one an inkling one, at Mount Church, which was much admired. He totally failed in teaching any one scholar the Latin. By this means my time was lost and my father finding him an imposter discharged him and I never afterwards went to school, except for a few weeks to review my arithmetic as far as fractions. This brought me to my fifteenth year. �The year 1775 bring the Revolution, my father sent me on express a short distance to forward the reports of the Battle of Lexington. Hay Battaille and Walter Taylor accompanied me. In this year a British vessel of war came up the Potomac. The militia was ordered out of Caroline County and my father was commanding officer of those two or three companies, and went with them. I also made one of the volunteer militia. When we arrived on the river the vessel had sailed sown the river about twenty miles and continued on until we lost sight of her. During the years 1776, 1777, and 1778, I was frequently on service, volunteer trips, with the militia as far as Williamsburg, and the latter year in a volunteer of horse under General Thomas, Nelson, of Yorktown, Va. The inferior officers were Hugh Nelson and George Nichols, acting as Captain and Lieutenant in the order in which they stand. Many men of highest rank in the Colonies composed this corps. We were rendezvoused at Port Royal, in my native county. After training some time we went forward to Philadelphia, where the British had, before us, arrived. When we arrived at Philadelphia, the British had left it. After some time Congress complimented our Patriot on the situation of affairs requiring our attention and we were discharged. After my return home my father being in the legislature, my attention was required at home. �In 1779, I was appointed surveyor of Caroline County, Virginia (which office my father had held) by the President of the College of William and Mary, by means of intimacy of my father with Bishop Madison, one of the professors. This place I kept for a short time. In the same year the land office opened for disposing of lands in Kentucky, then a part of Virginia. I told my father that I wanted to make a trip to this new country. He had providing some warrants to be located: he said he would not urge me to it, but thought it a good idea and encouraged me to the undertaking. A number of my neighbors sent warrants by me to locate some other, I would not engage myself positively to oblige myself to do it, but should be governed by circumstances. �Hn 1780, I left my father�s in company with James Gordon; took a pack horse and one I rode, having the warrants of my father and others. I fell into company with several that I know, from my own county, James True, who is now living, and others. When we got into Powell�s Valley we passed the last known man, Martin�s Station; no other house and nothing but a horse track for some distance before reaching the place and none other afterwards between that and, located on the water of Dick, near a branch of Kentucky, but a similar track or trace. After crossing Cumberland Mountains and on crossing Yellow Creek I was was shown by James Hord a beech tree standing on the creek near the path a trace marked thus, �T.W.A.P.C.C. 1753� which I was told by said Hord was marked by Thomas Walker, Ambrose Powell and Colby Chew. This was verified to me some years afterwards by Rev. Thomas Walker, as having been done by him in said year. He said he was one of the Royal Company who had got a grant of land from the King of Great Britain and having heard of this country, now the State of Kentucky, was in pursuit of it and having with a company passed Cumberland Mountains and marked this trace forward as they came along a buffalo path as far as what is called the Hazel Patch, a large glady forest or plain. Then the company divided; several of the party went on a northward direction till they struck the Kentucky River and called it Louisa; came some distance down it and not finding rich lands, returned up this river, crossed the mountains, the Kanawha, by Allan�s Meadows to Green Brier, and so on home. Doctor Walker also told me that he had good reason to believe that his foot was the first white man�s that ever crossed the Cumberland Gap voluntarily. I am induced from everything I have seen to believe that it was a fact. �The company I was with passed by English Station, the Crab Orchard, on to Logan�s, the late General Logan�s place, then on to Bowman�s and over to Gordon�s Station; he was a brother to my friend James Gordon. Here I made my home, this being five miles from Harrodsburg. This state was then all one county of Kentucky. The surveyor was George Mory. George Mory and his office was at Wilson Station, a small distance from Harrodsburg, where I arrived some time in April. George Mory, the surveyor, was gone on an exploring trip, making preparations to locate lands (improperly). I had some military warrants that had preference of entry until the first of May. Some inquietude and excitement prevailed among preemption men and holders of military warrants, but it passed off with only some little murmuring. I located 1500 acres in the name of my father at the mouth of Licking, and 1000 above it in the name of George Muir, previous to the first of May. Exchanged 1000 military warrants with John Floyd for 1000 state bonds, he to locate them, the latter surveyor for my father. This he did on Buckskin Creek. I did a little surveying and some few locations on the waters of Dick River and Kentucky, some of which I was induced to withdraw by some artful people, in whom had somewhat confided, but afterwards found it was for their own interest that they had advised my and my loss. One entered the same land afterwards. He is long since dead and I shall not here name him. �At the opening of the office with Hardcash Lee, Abraham Hoptonstoll, Edmond Taylor, a relative, Colonel Floyd, John Lewis and Colby Thurston, and at this time about the middle of May, 1780, the said Edmond Taylor, H. Lee, A. Hoptonstoll, Richard Barbour, James Carlisle and myself, after having gone to the Falls of the Ohio, set out for Panther Creek. I was employed as surveyor to do all the surveying of the party. Others were employed by Lee to go down the Ohio and up Green River to the mouth of Panther Creek in a boat or canoe. The party I was with wished to go by land, I to survey in the warrants of Noletyan. We set out on the 3rd day of June from Bullitt�s Lick with some salt and flour; for other supplies and provisions we were to rely on our guns. We passed one lone unfinished house, the only one on the waters of Green River at that time. They had no provisions (the people in the house on Green River) but a little meal and the man had gone to get supplies, his wife and a few small children being all of his family. We killed some game for them, and left them on the 4th; went on and made the survey on Nolelynn and then set out for Panther Creek, Lee and Hoptonstoll having been there only the month before. Had heavy rains, so that we did not get to the mouth of Panther Creek until July. Various and novel arrangements took place. �When we arrived there we found the provisions sent down the river and left there. We found two Barrels of bad flour and found it notwithstanding a treat, our flour and salt having been exhausted. But the failure of the other party was a great misfortune. Although we had six in company, nothing would do H. Lee and A. Hoptonstoll but that two of our party must go back for more supplies. It was so determined and they went, A. Hoptonstoll and Ruben Barbour. During the time of their departure till Hoptonstoll returned we could have done all the work we had to do. In the meantime we made live surveys of 1000 each and [illegible] I waded the creek from seven to ten and twelve miles. Before Hoptonstoll returned we being only four in number, we then drew lots on injured ammunition, it began to get low and we determined to set off for Louisville. We had heard of an intended invasion by way of Detroit, by the British and we left the Falls of the Ohio. Our fears were much excited for they might have taken the country with a small force that day. We determined on a course of travel. From information, we supposed we were near where Colonel William Harden had made a settlement, not far from the Ohio, which we wished to make, to supply our recruiting party as the came by land and would pass here, having packed up such things as we could bring away, for one of our horses had strayed off two days before. We started on September��.. with what we could bring on one horse. We were fortunate in our course, for on the 21st of September we heard the crowing of a cock, then a cow bawl, then had the sight of a corn field, pleasing sounds and still more pleasing sight we soon had of cabins and people; we had seen none since the 4th of June, except those of our own party. Here we found that our recruiting party had passed on a few days before to Panther Creek to our camp. Here we met with John and William Mory, who had come on an exploring expedition. The office of their surveyors had been closed the lower country, the county having been divided into three. The north side of Kentucky was called Fayette, the lower and south side Jefferson and the upper part Lincoln. �Our recruiting party soon returned from Panther Creek. I brought our horses and plunder and we continued on our way in a few days. We provided ourselves with some meal, which we ground on a hand mill, and some salt. We set out for Panther Creek. Here Edmond Taylor left us to come up to the office and from there home to Virginia. John and William Mory went with us. James Carlisle, one of our party, was taken very ill, which detained us about three weeks in our camp on Big Lick on Panther Creek. About this time John and William Mory left us. After Carlisle was able to ride, although he was not in a perfect state of mind, H. Lee and A. Hoptonstoll abandoned their surveying and determined to set off home and traveled on to Hardin�s Station. Soon after we arrived there and waited for Carlisle to finish surveying, John and William again joined surveyors. Soon after we set out for Louisville, leaving Carlisle all the state to seek and travel in. Some time in December we arrived at the Falls of the Ohio. I had lost all benefit of surveying this summer and fall and had considered it a great loss of time, but it may have been under Providence for the best. After I got up to Gordon�s Station, H. Lee and A. Hoptonstoll determined to go home and engaged me to do the surveying for them, but in the spring Indian warfare made it too hazardous an undertaking. That was the spring of 1781. I did some surveying about Dick River in April I set out for Caroline County, Virginia, have been more than twelve months absent. Being pleased with the country I intended to return. Colonel James Knox and myself had made a veritable bargain to locate some land in partnership. Paper money had so depreciated in value. On coming into and before J. Boyd had heard of it, I heard of the death of my sister, Patsy and my grandparents, Barry and Eliza Hubbard. The Revolutionary war now raged in Virginia, my gather being in the legislature and much from home on public business. The enemy came into the edge of the county and was expected to pass my father�s on their way to Fredericksburg. My mother and Fanny left home for Orange. I staid at home to take care of things and make short excursions, with others, to see what route the enemy took. They sent a detachment to Charlottesville to take the legislature, but it had retired to Stanton the party returned to the main army. In the fall, I set out again for Kentucky, with two of my relations, William Barbour and Philip Taylor, and between the former and myself from that day to this the most cordial and unimpaired friendship in all our dealing and they have been considerable [illegible] surveying and the first word of discontent on either side has never been spoken. Of this and other things of like value I shall speak hereafter. �About this time I had large quantities of land sent to me for location. Having been detained on the road, I could not get to the land office of Fayette in time to get the arranged, or I should have been provided in their location with a large amount, thus dropped, not wishing to locate of Green River, where the land was inferior. My friends, those who had confided their warrants to me, I put into the hands of two others for location. The locations turned out poorly, no better than those I had located myself. Had I made the locations in Fayette, as I had intended I should have been made rich. But I do not regret it, as I might have been induced to venture more and might have fallen a prey to the savages, at that time as many others did. But I suffered much trouble and experience in consequence of the engagements I made for others without a cent of profit. James Knox and myself made locations in various parts of the country in the year 1781-82, in the winter and spring. In the course of that year, I married Clarissa Minor on the 27th of July. In the course of October following I set out for Kentucky, the third time, surveying lands on the Petonnae. �Not being able to survey on Panther Creek on account of danger from the Indians, I employed James Hord to finish them. Helm to do those on Green River, and in April 1783, I returned to Virginia. My father wishing to visit Kentucky, I set out in September with him and others and did some surveying on Floyd�s Fork. Hord closed his surveying and so did Handly for Helm, whom I had engaged. Our party got home in December. I then took up my residence at Mrs. Minor�s, visiting my friends and relations. On the 20th of February our first child was born, a daughter, Mildred. During the latter part of this year my grandfather, James Taylor, died. The farm descended to my father. I then went to him and managed the farm on cultivations. I afterwards purchased it and resided on it till the year 1789. Having sold it, I purchased the place I now live on from Thomas Dodson Hinde. There we had a son born who died when he was a year old. In March, Lucy was born, and on April 8th, 1788, Hubbard was born. In this month I set out with some of my Negroes and furniture, for Kentucky. Made the first improvement on my place with my own hands, and put my Negroes to work on the farm. I have ever felt under obligation to my neighbor, Fishback, whose friendship existed uninterruptedly during his life and I am on intimate and cordial terms with his family. I shall ever remember him with pleasure and shall reverence his memory. I returned home to Virginia and arrived on Christmas day. A party of Indians followed us all the way home through the wilderness. A party of whites that would not keep along with us was attacked, some killed and others wounded. �In April, 1790, I set out with my family to the new settlement, now the State of Kentucky, and reached it the 13th of May, safely. On our way down the Ohio, we saw some Indians; they had killed John Mory two weeks before. We passed the place of decoy and murder. This summer Baker�s Station was taken about fifteen miles distant from me. Prisoners taken and two killed. �About this period I felt sensibly the loss I had sustained in neglecting to improve myself preparatory to active business. During the summer of 1782 I married Clarissa Minor of Spotsylvania, Virginia. In September, leaving her with her mother, I again set out for Kentucky. Owing to Indian depredations on the road, nearly two hundred miles of which was uninhabited, I did not reach the settlement until November. The Battle of Lower Blue Licks was fought and lost that year. �I hope that I am truly thankful to Him who is all goodness, wisdom and mercy, I thank and adore Him. He has blessed me with dutiful and affectionate children, whose love, together with those to whom they are united, I feel confident we daily enjoy. My head has now felt the frosts of eighty winters and my beloved wife nearly as many. We have both shared a great share of health. She has been an affectionate wife and mother of indisputable industry and a careful and economical manager of all domestic business. On the 27th of July next we shall have been united in sacred bonds of matrimonial union fifty-eight years. We have reared nine children, all married but one, J. K. Taylor, who is dead. Lucy is also dead. I have seen six of my grandchildren married, all of whom imitate their parents in love and as, adding pleasure and satisfaction in our aged bosoms, more easily conceived that expressed. Surrounded by most of them, I am patiently waiting the call for my exit from this world and I pray for an easy passage to a better and more glorious one beyond the grave, I will close this desultory state with a list of all my children, with some short reference thereto up to the year 1840. (The list of children was not given in the article.)
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