INDIANA TRAILS HARRISON COUNTY
PERSONAL FAMILY STORIES
Beautiful
Leah
The
Indians say,
“White girl
beautiful, Indian squaw, Ugh!”
Leah was born in 1773 and the 8th
child of Capt. John and Lydia Smith Hurst. She married Jesse Lindsey in
1800 while in Tennessee. These visits from the Indians likely occurred
after the Hurst’s arrival in Harrison Co. in about 1803 and before the
Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811 which led to the Indians leaving the area.
This story comes from Bill Hurst,
Newburgh, Indiana. He received it from Marie Lewis, California, in a
letter dated Sept. 10, 1990.
Then there is the story of the
beautiful Leah, Capt. John's daughter. When John came to the area north
of Corydon to settle, apparently the Indians were friendly and
interacted with the settlers on a regular basis. They would spend the
night on the cabin floor at times. They always lay with their head
toward the fireplace and their feet towards the cabin door, for fast
escape should this become necessary. The temptation must have been
great to spend time in the relative warmth of the cabin on cold winter
nights, but there must have been reservation about the safety of being
in an enclosed building One of these Indians became quite taken with
the beautiful white girl by the name of Leah. “White girl beautiful,
Indian squaw, Ugh!” He carefully made her a pair of moccasins to match
her beauty. He took red bird feathers and threaded them in and out of
the toe in a design he felt reflected her exotic beauty. I wonder if
she knew the import of his gift to her. I wonder if he really expected
that she would accept his engagement gift to her. Since they were seen
by later members of the family, she apparently accepted them. I wonder
how they work out the differences without the loss of the Indian's
friendship. Perhaps, sadly that was the end of the peace these two
representatives of their respective races shared. So many times
gestures were misunderstood, and in ignorance, anger and mistrust
replaced innocence and trust.
The home of John Hurst Sr. was the
home where Indians came and stayed. Sometimes overnight, sometimes for
days on their way to Louisville to trade their bead works or moccasins
for things they wanted These Indians slept on the floor in their
blankets with their heads towards the fire and their feet towards the
door. They were friendly, of course. These Indians like the white
people's cooking One of the white men said, “Your squaws are prettier
than our squaws.” They replied, “Indian squaws ugly, white ones
pretty.” They looked at Leah when saying it. She was a beautiful girl
and the Indians all liked her. One of the Indians gave her a beautiful
pair of moccasins once.
Kepley Brothers Make
Supreme Sacrifice
Isaac and
Menefee Kepley were a couple of good ole farm boys, the sons of Sarah
Hurst (daughter of Sherrif John) and Lewis Kepley. In 1862, the need
for good soldiers was great. Together on August 13th, these two young
men answered the call of their country and joined the army. Isaac was
listed as 24 years old, gray eyes, dark hair, height 5 feet 10 inches
tall with dark complexion. His occupation was listed as farmer. Menefee
was 21 years old, gray eyes, light hair, also 5 feet 10 inches tall and
light complexion, also a farmer.
After saying good
bye to their family, they rode off to New Albany on the 29th of August
and were mustered into service. They were assigned to Company C of the
81st Indiana Regiment under the command of Colonel William W. Caldwell.
As soon as their regiment was fully formed, they left for Louisville to
receive their military training and remained there until the first of
October. The army wasted no time in thrusting them into action. The
regiment joined Buell’s army, and marched with it in pursuit of a
Confederate contingent under the command of Bragg, reaching Perryville,
Kentucky, on October 8th. They were present at the battle of
Perryville, but did not participate in the engagement. From there they
counter marched to Nashville, where they were assigned to the Third
Brigade, First Division. The regiment remained in camp near Nashville
until the 26th of December, when it moved with the main army on
Murfreesboro, and was in position on the right wing when the rebel
forces made their terrible charge at the battle of Stone River on the
31st of December. The brigade to which the Kepley’s were assigned
successfully repelled the fierce onslaught of the enemy, and held their
position with courage. In this desperate battle the 81st lost four
killed, forty four wounded, and forty missing. They took part in the
fighting on the two subsequent days of that battle, January 1st and
2nd, 1863, then entered Murfreesboro with the main army.
It was there that
the brave boys from Harrison Co. found their place in history. According to their military records,
Menefee died on March 22, and Isaac on April 15. Did they succumb to illness as so many
others who died during the war? Were they wounded during the bloody battle at Stone
River and finally fell to infection or disease? They survived the harshest part of the
winter months, why was the spring time in Tennessee so unkind.
The two were
brought home one last time, and buried in the Wolfe Cemetery,
Georgetown, Indiana. The 81st
numbered 927 men when it was organized and returned from its campaigns
with 277. Six hundred fifty men made the supreme sacrifice for their
country, including a couple of good ole farm boys from Harrison Co.