There he learned that he need not have fled from Pennsylvania, that the
man with whom he had fought years before was not dead, but had
recovered. For the first time since his appearance in the west, he
assumed his real name, and was known thereafter as Simon Kenton. Soon
afterwards he returned to his old home, and brought the whole family
back with him to Kentucky. One would have thought he had had enough of
fighting, but he was with Wayne at the Fallen timbers and with William
Henry Harrison at the battle of the Thames. Sadly enough, the last years
of this old hero were passed in want. His land in Kentucky was taken
from him by speculators because he had failed to have it properly
registered, and he was imprisoned for debt on the spot where he had
reared the first cabin in northern Kentucky.
In the spring of 1824, an old, tattered, weather-beaten figure appeared
on the streets of Frankfort, the capital of Kentucky. So strange and
wild it was that a gang of street boys gathered and ran hooting after
it. Men laughed--till suddenly, one of them, looking again, recognized
Simon Kenton. In a moment a guard of honor was formed, and the tattered
figure was conducted to the Capitol, placed in the speaker's chair, and
for the first and only time in his life, Simon Kenton received some
portion of the respect and homage to which his deeds entitled him.
Pages:
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235