By Kenneth Gene Lindsay

The genealogical bug bit hard while living and working in Owensboro, Kentucky, way back in 1955. At that time, the entire genealogical collection was stored in a single closet of their public library then on Fredericka Street. At that time, my father never even knew his own grandpa’s name.

So little knowledge of my roots forced me to do it the right way. I started with myself and gleaned all the information out of dad that the law allowed and without horse whipping him. With him in tow, we visited places of his youth in Hawesville, Hancock Co., Kentucky. We visited cousins, all from the maternal side, but none with the Lindsay surname. If he had any, he didn’t really know, otherwise, I believe we would have visited them at that time.

Luckily, the Owensboro Library had a copy of Margaret Isabella Lindsay’s, "Lindsays of American" and I knew darn well I must be descended from some of the many Kentucky Lindsays mentioned in that book.

Hawesville was but a short drive from Owensboro and I think I must have blown dust off every ledger they had in that ancient courthouse. In fact, I was on a first name basis with the county clerks for many years who gave me free run of the building, including the attic. It was in this cobweb filled attic, I found the clerk’s long missing Court Order Book 2, hidden in a pile of books on the dusty attic floor. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, I read how my missing ancestor had lived in Henry country, but died in Hancock. Furthermore, it showed he was a Revolutionary War soldier. It’s a great feeling to strike gold. That proved to me that records exist. You simply have to never give up and look in the right places.

In the fall of 1965 I spent a few days researching the Historical Library in Frankfort. Here, I learned of Lindsay’s Station north of Stamping Ground in Scott County. At that time, a Kentucky Historical Marker along the highway read differently than the one in its place, today. These differences nearly drove me crazy for years because of the slight differences in wording. I just recently learned that the marker was hit by a vehicle and damaged beyond repair and disposed of in 1975. The new marker, also, was numbered 218, was installed in 1978. The later, allowed more room for text, the Society reports. Here they are verbatim side by side:

Please read and compare the text of both markers. In the 1964 marker, the Society clearly states that Anthony Lindsay was in McConnell’s and LeCompte’s party that first explored the area in 1775; whereas, the 1978 marker makes no mention of that fact. (I concluded the Kentucky Historical Society had sources for that statement, otherwise they would have never engraved it into such an important piece of metal and posted it in a position for the world to see,)

In 1965, I took picture of the marker and house standing there at the time. I also, visited the cemetery looking for Anthony Lindsay’s grave. The graveyard was so poorly kept and overgrown, only a few readable tombstones were visible; yet, their were many sand stones scattered about a wide area that indicated many more earlier burials other than the readable grave markers. I took pictures of these readable stones. Among the readable stones were those of Anthony’s son, Anthony Lindsay III and his wife, Ailsey Cole. Anthony III was born 14 Feb 1767; therefore, he would have been only six (6) years old at the time. I have documents showing Anthony Jr. to have been born about 1736, thus, would have been thirty-nine (39) at the time

Clearly, the statement on the 1964 marker refers to Anthony, Jr. and not his son, Anthony III who is buried in the Fort’s graveyard, too. Now, if one is only aware of the 1978 marker, it’s easy to see that some people might think Anthony III was the Fort’s founder simply because he and his wife are buried there, too, and their tombstone’s attest to that fact.

After reading that Anthony Lindsay was among a group of explorers of the region in 1775, I began looking for other references to that suggested this as fact. The names of explorers of Kentucky have been very poorly documented. In fact some should be classified as fiction. One gets a better grasp of the true history of Kentucky by reading "The Kentucky Papers," so-called, in the Draper Collection that fill thirty-four volumes and constitute but a large fraction of the manuscripts accumulated by Dr. Draper which relate to the history of Kentucky. Another important group of manuscripts relating in large part to Kentucky is the "George Rogers Clark Papers."

I never ever was able to find support among original documents that proved Anthony Lindsay, beyond a shadow of doubt, accompanied McConnell and LeCompte. However, way back in the days when I kept files in shoeboxes, I found at least two more references in Draper’s papers on microfilm and in "The Register" of the Kentucky Historical Society. These, of course, are secondary sources; yet, I have many other reasons, too numerous to mention, that will forever believe this to be true. My perspective of the true story goes like this:

Anthony Lindsay Jr. and Rachel Dorsey moved from Eldersburg, in Carroll Co., Maryland, to Baltimore County, when they bought land from Rachel’s brother, Charles Dorsey 13 August 1767. They made this home until 1774 when the moved to Frederick Co., Maryland.

They lived in the Linganore District, which was the middle district of Frederick County. It is possible they again bought land from other Dorsey relatives, because in The History of Western Maryland, page 365, reads, "those who repaired thither from other counties of Maryland were the well-known families of HOWARD, DORSEY, etc."

Edward Dorsey, a known relative of Rachel, is listed in the Frederick County Debt Books of 1755-1756. These books record how much annual rent was due Lord Baltimore, when a tract of land was granted to an individual. Edward Dorsey is shown to own almost 10,000 acres. My research among the Dorsey family leads me to believe this Edward Dorsey was Rachel (Dorsey) Lindsay’s uncle. Basil Dorsey was listed as a justice for Frederick County in 1777. Most likely, he was also related, but I don’t know in what way.

I found one other interesting item in that Debt Book: the name Darby Lux. He was the Captain of the ship that brought Anthony Lindsay Sr. from Newgate Prison in London to Annapolis, Maryland 12 May 1735. Darby Lux, of Baltimore County and his heirs are recorded as owning 259 acres in Frederick County.

Most likely, Anthony Lindsay Jr. was only a small farmer. In March of 1774 the British passed the Boston Port Bill which closed the port. In response to the blockade of the Boston Harbor, the citizens of Frederick County met Saturday, July 2^nd, 1774. Eight hundred people from the upper part of Frederick County assembled at Elizabeth Town and passed eight resolutions. Resolution #8 stated that they "will immediately open a subscription for the relief of their suffering brethren in Boston."

This was to be a collection of money from the citizens of Frederick County with each person signing the subscription and showing how much they gave. On 30 November 1774 the inhabitants of Linganore District signed the following:

Here we see that Anthony Lindsay contributed two shillings and his older brother, John Lindsay, contributed two shillings and six dollars. Now, some disagree with me here as they think the John Lindsay, is my Great-great-great grandfather, John C. Lindsay, Anthony Lindsay’s eldest son. Logic tells me, this is John Tolson Lindsay, an older brother to Anthony Lindsay Jr. The reason I think this is because John C. Lindsay would have only been fifteen years old and John Tolson Lindsay; also in Frederick County at that time would have been forty-four years old and capable of paying the larger amount.

Forty-one people signed the above subscription from the Linganore District, raising eleven pounds & ten shillings in British currency. After the meeting the crowd showed disapproval of British Prime Minister Lord North’s conduct by hanging and burning his effigy. Furthermore, a number of merchants declared that they would not purchase any more tea. The women showed their support by resolving to "drink no more tea for the years to come, not until the war was ended, but will eat mush and milk, drink water, and live frugally until our father’s, sons, husbands and brother’s achieve a brave victory."

Tradition holds that soon thereafter, a company of men, led by Charles LeCompte set out on an exploration trip into the wilderness of Virginia. Anthony Lindsay Jr., I believe, was among that group. These brave men trekked their way over ground they had all traveled during the French and Indian War. They rested at Cresap’s Old Town, climbed over the Allegheny Mountains, down the Monongahela Valley and on to Fort Pitt. Here, in February 1775, they joined another company of Pennsylvanians led by William McConnell. Among the many Pennsylvanians were brothers, Arthur Lindsay, Joseph Lindsay, William Lindsay and a relative by marriage, Robert Patterson. At Fort Pitt they built longboats, gathered supplies of food, gunpowder and lead. In several longboats they made their way down the Ohio River, staying close to the south bank where they camped each night. Scouts and hunters patrolled the riverbank each day, hunting for game and keeping lookout for possible trouble.

They arrived without problems where the Kentucky River empties into the Ohio. They initially set up camp where the present city of Carrolton, Kentucky, now stands. Both groups explored the areas on both sides of the Kentucky River and up the Elkhorn. Soon afterward, they split and McConnell extended his exploration farther down the Kentucky River as far as the present city of Lexington where it is said they got news of the beginning of the Revolutionary War and the Battle of Lexington. This battle occurred April 18, 1775. How long it took for this news to travel, I have no idea. Anyway, historians report they named their camp, Lexington, in honor of that event.

LeCompte’s company returned to Frederick County, Maryland, in April 1776 after extensive survey/exploration of the area west of the mouth of the Kentucky River west to where Frankfort now stands and south as far as the present town of Stamping Ground.

Back home, in 1776, Anthony found the inhabitants of Frederick County had formed a militia. Every man from sixteen to fifty was formed into companies of sixty men each. Each company was to choose a captain, two lieutenants, an ensign, four sergeants, four corporals and one drummer. Each company was to make themselves masters of military exercise and drill. Each man was provided with a good musket and bayonet, half pound of gunpowder, two pounds of lead, a powder horn and a bag for ball. They were to be ready to act in any emergency. However, it appears they never had enough firearms to go around, so they resorted to seizing weapons from Tory sympathizers.

On 17 June 1776 the freemen of Frederick County resolved, "That what may be recommended by a majority of the Congress, equally delegated by the people of the United Colonies, we will, at the hazard of our lives and fortunes, support and maintain." Please note that this was before the Declaration of Independence was ever issued.

17 January 1777, Anthony Lindsay Jr. was listed as a Second Lieutenant in the Linganore Battalion in Captain Henry Baker’s Company, according to Archives of Maryland, Vol. 16, page 37. Also, I want you to know that Charles LeCompte is also listed as a Second Lieutenant in Caroline County in 1780. As a side note, a Second Lieutenant is the third ranking officer of a company.

In January 1777, General George Washington appealed for reinforcement. On 25 January the Frederick County Militia was ordered to join General Washington "at once in the Jerseys." If Anthony Lindsay Jr. was a part of this reinforcement and campaign of 1777, I do not know. I’m always leery about assuming such things without some form of legal document. I learned long ago never to trust secondary sources, without first checking. Here would be the start of a search by some future aspiring Lindsay family historian. I’m inclined to think he was because, his son and my Great-great-great grandfather, John C. Lindsay, was part of that campaign in the fall of 1777 (see John Lindsey Revolutionary War Pension File S30545 which I obtained copies from the General Services Administration 19 September 1964.)

In 1778 the people of Frederick County heard news of George Rogers Clark’s capture of the forts at Kaskaskia and Vincennes. Travel down the Ohio would be safer, now. Late in the spring of 1779, Anthony Lindsay’s eldest daughter, Kate Lindsay, married her first cousin, John Lindsay, son of her Uncle Samuel Lindsay. Kate and her new husband remained in Maryland, but the rest of the clan moved west along with Charles LeCompte and his family. They went through Old Town, then crossed the Mason-Dixon Line into Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania. The area in which they lived is now in Fayette County.

The next year, 1780, the families moved further west into an area that both Virginia and Pennsylvania both claimed jurisdiction. This section is located in the present Panhandle of West Virginia slightly above present day Wheeling, West Virginia where Fort Henry was located.

According to John Lindsey’s pension record, he volunteered to serve for six months in the Pennsylvania Ranging Company of Captain Joseph Ogle as a private. Captain Ogle was an Indian fighter and Ranger with a lot of experience, as in a letter from Colonel Shepherd to General Hand, dated August 1777, "the Indians have been with (us) once since I saw you, they crossed the River (Ohio) in the night near the mouth of the Buffelow Creek when Capt. Ogle with a party of his men followed their tracks next morning and over took them, they changed several shot but none killed or crippled on either side."

There are other letters that reference Captain Ogle in other battles with the Indians; however, these battles occurred before John Lindsay joined Ogle’s company. A letter to Colonel Edward Cook reads, "Cap Joseph Ogle… About eight miles below weling (Fort Wheeling) was actacted (attacked) by a learg (large) number of Indians. The kild (killed) and wounded is unknown aney (any) ferder (further) than sixteen. This certainly tells us Captain Ogle was an experienced Indian fighter.

My Great-great-great Grandpa, John C. Lindsay was stationed at Charles Wells Fort on Buffalo Creek and this is nearby where all the Lindsays resided. I suspect Charles Wells Fort was more of a station, or blockhouse and not nearly as large as Fort Henry. Charles Wells Fort was near Alexander Wells Fort and Mill in the disputed area of Ohio County. In his pension application, John C. Lindsay says, "the area was infested with Indians." John also said his primary duty at Charles Wells was "scouting parties against the Indians and there were but few men in this section of the country able to bear arms and his help was constantly needed to repel the incursions of the savages."

When his six months tour of duty ended he was discharged but Indian attacks were so prevalent, he immediately reinlisted in October 1780 for another three months as a private volunteer soldier in the company of Captain Ogle.

From his pension application, we know that in the spring of 1781, the Lindsay families moved from the Buffalo Creek area in Ohio County to Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania. In May 1781 John C. Lindsay again volunteered as a private soldier in the company of Captain Lynch for another three-month tour. He stated the "Indians were exceedingly troublesome" and he served actively against them. He was discharged at the end of this tour in July 1781 and did not re-enlist until eight months later in March 1782, again in Captain Lynch’s Company. The Lindsays all lived near Colonel Edward Cook who was Colonel of the Westmoreland County militia. His house was a large house built of native stone at the forks of the Youghhiogheny River. He served several other tours of duty until the Indian attacks subsided in 1783 and in 1784, the Lindsays and other families took long boats down the Ohio River to the mouth of the Kentucky River which then was in Fayette Co., Virginia, where Anthony Lindsay Jr. and his family built Lindsay’s Fort. This was necessary for their own protection.

Some Lindsay historians do not believe it was Anthony Lindsay Jr. who founded this fort. They, and some early writers, think it was his son, Anthony Lindsay III who was married to Ailsey Cole. I can understand why some think this. After all, in the book, "Forks of the Elkhorn Church", reads in part:

I have this Anthony as being born 14 Feb 1767 in Baltimore Co., Maryland not 1761 as shown in the Forks of Elkhorn book. His tombstone bears me out as do his own Bible Record.

Also, the original Lindsay Fort Kentucky Historical Marker which is shown at the beginning of this paper says the station was founded in 1790 by Anthony Lindsay who was a member of a party led by Charles LeCompte and
William McConnell in 1775.

My contention is the this fort originated in 1774 and have found evidence that Lindsay's Station was founded prior to 1786 or 1787 as the Kentucky Papers of the Draper Collection of Manuscripts show that Lindsay's Station was besieged in 1786 or 1787, page 489.

Furthermore, in 1775, Anthony Lindsay III who married Ailsey Cole would have been 8 years old in 1775. His father, Anthony Lindsay, Jr., who married Rachel Ann Dorsey, would have been about 39 years old at the time when Charles LeCompte explored the Kentucky River area. Please don't tell me I'm wrong in this logical thought. This is why I think it was the elder Anthony who founded the station.

I'm still investigating this and wish to invite you to participate in the chase (research). I'm as interested as anybody else is in getting to the facts of all our family's history.