Collins, Lewis.  "Historical Sketches of Kentucky."  Maysville, KY: Lewis
Collins and Cincinnati: J. A. and U. P. James, 1848. pp. 461-462.
http://books.google.com/books?id=HXMUAAAAYAAJ


From McClung's Sketches, we copy the following account of an attack on McAfee's
station, in the year 1781:

"Early in May, 1781, McAfee's station, in the neighborhood of Harrodsburg, was
alarmed.  On the morning of the 9th, Samuel McAfee, accompanied by another man,
left the fort, in order to visit a small plantation in the neighborhood, and at
the distance of three hundred yards from the gate, they were fired upon by a
party of Indians in ambush.  The man who accompanied him instantly fell, and
McAfee attempted to regain the fort.  While running rapidly for that purpose, he
found himself suddenly intercepted by an Indian, who, springing out of the
cane-brake, placed himself directly in his path.  There was no time for
compliments, each glared upon the other for an instant in silence, and both
raising their guns at the same moment, pulled the triggers together.  The
Indian's rifle snapped, while McAfee's ball passed directly through his brain.
Having no time to reload his gun, he sprung over the body of his antagonist, and
continued his flight to the fort.

"When within one hundred yards of the gate, he was met by his two brothers,
Robert and James, who, at the report of the guns, had hurried out to the
assistance of their brother.  Samuel hastily informed them of their danger, and
exhorted them instantly to return.  James readily complied, but Robert, deaf to
all remonstrances, declared that he must have a view of the dead Indian.  He ran
out, for that purpose, and having regaled himself with that spectacle, was
hastily returning by the same path, when he saw five or six Indians between him
and the fort, evidently bent upon taking him alive.  All his activity and
presence of mind was now put in requisition.  He ran rapidly from tree to tree,
endeavoring to turn their flank, and reach one of the gates, and after a variety
of turns and doublings in the thick wood, he found himself pressed by only one
Indian.  McAfee hastily throwing himself behind a fence, turned upon his pursuer
and compelled him to take shelter behind a tree.

"Both stood still for a moment, McAfee having his gun cocked, and the sight
fixed upon the tree, at the spot where he supposed the Indian would thrust out
his head in order to have a view of his antagonist.  After waiting a few seconds
he was gratified.  The Indian slowly and cautiously exposed a part of his head,
and began to elevate his rifle.  As soon as a sufficient mark presented itself,
McAfee fired, and the Indian fell.  While turning, in order to continue his
flight, he was fired on by a party of six, which compelled him again to tree.
But scarcely had he done so, when, from the opposite quarter he received the
fire of three more enemies, which made the bark fly around him, and knocked up
the dust about his feet.  Thinking his post rather too hot for safety, he
neglected all shelter, and ran directly for the fort, which, in defiance of all
opposition, he reached in safety, to the inexpressible joy of his brothers, who
had despaired of his return.

"The Indians now opened a heavy fire upon the fort, in their usual manner; but
finding every effort useless, they hastily decamped, without any loss beyond the
two who had fallen by the hands of the brothers, and without having inflicted
any upon the garrison.  Within half an hour, Major McGary brought up a party
from Harrodsburg at full gallop, and uniting with the garrison, pursued the
enemy with all possible activity.  They soon overtook them, and a sharp action
ensued.  The Indians were routed in a few minutes, with the loss of six warriors
left dead upon the ground, and many others wounded, who as usual were borne off.
The pursuit was continued for several miles, but from the thickness of the
woods, and the extreme activity and address of the enemy, was not very
effectual.  McGary lost one man dead upon the spot, and another mortally
wounded."

Robert McAfee, the father of General Robert B.  McAfee, moved to and built a
cabin on the place where General McAfee now lives, in November, 1779, and
remained during that winter, generally known as the "hard winter."  Often,
during the winter, and while the weather was intensely cold, he shot buffalo,
deer and turkeys, while standing in his own door.  The death of Joseph McCoun,
noticed in the preceding pages, induced Mr.  McAfee, with six other families, to
move to James McAfee's station, where they remained till the spring of 1783.
before they ventured to remove to their own farms.  Daring the same year, a
small party of Indians passed through the neighborhood and stole the greater
portion of their horses.  In the spring of 1795, Robert McAfee took a boat load
of flour and bacon to New Orleans, where, before day light on the morning of the
lOih of May, he was killed by a Spaniard, in his boat, receiving the stroke of
an axe in his temple, the object of the miscreant being to rob him.  His eldest
son, Samuel, experienced great difficulty with the Spanish government in his
efforts to save the money and other property of his father.  His remains were
interred near the hospital, and after steamboat navigation was commenced on the
river, his son, Robert B.  McAfee, attempted to recover his bones, with a view
to their interment at the homestead in Kentucky, but they were found in a state
of decomposition.

W1ll1am McAfee commanded a company, under Gen. Clark, in 1780, in an expedition
against the Shawanee Indians, on the Big Miami.  In a skirmish, near Piqua, he
was shot through the body, and mortally wounded; bat, through the aid of his
brothers, he was enabled to return to the Ohio river, descend that river to the
Palls, and then travel as far as Floyd's station, (where his wife met him),
before he died.  He left two infant daughters, and another daughter was born to
him a few months after, who afterwards became the wife of Major Willis A. Lee,
for many years clerk of the senate of Kentucky.  The eldest married Capt.
Elijah Craig, who was killed at the battle of the Thames, in October, 1813.
These two sisters now live in the town of Salvisa, near their relatives, in
humble, but comfortable circumstances, upon the remains of an extensive landed
estate left them by their father.

George McAfee, sen., died on his farm, near Salvisa, on Salt river, on the 14th
of April, 1803, and was the first person buried at New Providence church.

Samuel McAfee died in 1801, and was buried in the family grave-yard; but after
the death of his wife, in 1817, his remains were removed to Frovidence, and
interred with her.

James McAfee, the eldest brother, died on his farm, in 1817, and was buried in
the family burying-ground, near New Providence.

Jane McAfee, sen., the mother of the above sons, came to Kentucky in 1779, with
her children, and died in 1783.  She was buried on a beautiful eminence, on the
east side of Salt river, west of Wilson's station, on the land now owned by
Archibald Adams.