River Cities History Ep 1 - Rogers Defeat
Cincinnati Baseball Historical Review PodcastDec 28, 2020 • 18:00
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Episode Notes
On the afternoon of Oct. 4th, 1779, Captain Rogers and his band of patriots reached the mouth of the Licking River. Their supply trip, ordered by Patrick Henry, had been a long and oft delayed endeavor. The crew had finally reached the halfway point of the Ohio River and in a matter of days, they’d be back at Fort Pitt with the requested supplies.
Or so they thought.
About a mile ahead from the mouth of the Licking River, Rogers noticed a canoe with multiple Indians onboard crossing the river. He ordered his men to land on the shore of the Licking, on what is now Newport, KY. He assumed the small Indian party was off to raid Kentucky settlements. He felt he had a duty to stop them. He ordered a few men to stay with the boats, and the rest into the woods as they followed the Ohio River shoreline to where the canoe was spotted landing. This would be present day Dayton, KY, where beaches once lined the shore.
Suddenly, Simon Girty, a former colonial who turned to aid the British and Indians, along with over 150 of his warriors and British agents appeared from the woods and attacked the stunned Americans. Shrieking war hoops and gunfire erupted as tomahawk waving men brutally murdered the unsuspecting crew. Most were killed instantly while others ran for their lives, some being caught in the woods and scalped on the spot. The Indians commandeered two boats, the third boat made it off the shore and hurriedly headed towards Louisville.
But that is just half of the story.
Listen to the audio for the rest of this remarkable tale.
Get full access to The Queen City Historical Review at queencityhistory.substack.com/subscribe
Or so they thought.
About a mile ahead from the mouth of the Licking River, Rogers noticed a canoe with multiple Indians onboard crossing the river. He ordered his men to land on the shore of the Licking, on what is now Newport, KY. He assumed the small Indian party was off to raid Kentucky settlements. He felt he had a duty to stop them. He ordered a few men to stay with the boats, and the rest into the woods as they followed the Ohio River shoreline to where the canoe was spotted landing. This would be present day Dayton, KY, where beaches once lined the shore.
Suddenly, Simon Girty, a former colonial who turned to aid the British and Indians, along with over 150 of his warriors and British agents appeared from the woods and attacked the stunned Americans. Shrieking war hoops and gunfire erupted as tomahawk waving men brutally murdered the unsuspecting crew. Most were killed instantly while others ran for their lives, some being caught in the woods and scalped on the spot. The Indians commandeered two boats, the third boat made it off the shore and hurriedly headed towards Louisville.
But that is just half of the story.
Listen to the audio for the rest of this remarkable tale.
Get full access to The Queen City Historical Review at queencityhistory.substack.com/subscribe
