THE STORY OF AN EARNEST LIFE.

CHAPTER I.

Birth and ancestry of the author-Removal to Green river countryCharacter of the country-Politics of the times-Slavery questionRemoval to Illinois, in 1831.

My earliest recollections go back to a new, and then sparsely settled, portion of Southern Kentucky. My father, Louis D. Palmer, was born in Northumberland county, Virginia, on the third day of June, 1781, and was the third son of Isaac and Ann (McAuley) Palmer, who were both born in Northumberland county in that state, the first on the first day of November, 1747, and the latter in June of the year 1747; they died in Christian county, Kentucky, within a few months of each other, the oldest persons in that part of the state. My great-grandfather, Charles McAuley, came to Virginia from the north of Ireland, and, as may be inferred from the name, was of Scotch descent. My great-grandfather, Thomas Palmer, emigrated to Virginia early in that century from England.

My grandfather, Isaac Palmer, and my grandmother, Ann McAuley, were, when young, baptised by Lewis Lunsford, one of the early Baptist preachers in Virginia; they adhered to that church as long as they lived with unshaken fidelity.

My mother, Ann Hansford Tutt, was born on the twenty-seventh day of October, 1786, in Culpepper county, Virginia, where her father, Lewis Tutt, and her mother, Isabella Yancy, were born about the year 1750.

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Their ancestors were early settlers in Virginia, the Tutts from England and the Yanceys from Wales. Their families were wealthy, and so proud of their connection with the established church, that I imagine my grandfather Tutt did not join in the revolutionary movement in Virginia with much enthusiasm. My grandfather Palmer, in his quiet, stubborn way, took part in the contest; he appears upon the roll of Revolutionary soldiers as a "minute man," and received a pension of eight dollars per month for his services. I remember what I thought to be the excellent wit he exhibited in calling Cornwallis "Cobwallis," because he said "they shelled the corn off him in Yorktown!" In his old age his heroes were Washington and Lafayette, the latter of whom he remembered only in my day by the name of "De Marcus," to whom, as he said, "General Washington compelled the shelled 'Cobwallis' to deliver his sword at Yorktown."

His life was spent in the quiet pursuits of agriculture, following the simple methods of his day. I remember that his pride was, that he "owed no man," and that he attended the monthly church meetings which were always held on Saturday, and followed by Sunday preaching, with unfailing regularity. He had aspirations, however, for his boys, and "bound them out" to learn trades. Seven years was then the term of an apprenticeship. My father, when fourteen years of age, was bound to Archibald McIlvaine, a cabinet-maker doing business in Lexington, Kentucky, where he remained until his twenty-first birthday, June 3, 1802, when his apprenticeship expired.

While in Lexington, my father, who was then and always was, an omnivorous reader, made himself familiar with the meager political literature of the day, and became an admirer and devoted adherent of Mr. Jefferson, while I even now remember that my grandfather disliked him. He insisted that Mr. Jefferson was an infidel, and had opposed Washington. Those were, in his esti

mation, unpardonable offenses. My father and mother were married on March 22, 1814, soon after he returned from a campaign in the northwest against the "British and Indians." He was in the rifle regiment raised and commanded by Colonel John Allen, who fell at the disastrous affair at Raisin river, where so many brave men were sacrificed to the tomahawk of the Indians by the shameful conduct of the British commander. From all accounts I have heard, General Winchester probably lacked capacity, and his volunteer troops were insubordinate and reckless, but they were brave, and if left to themselves, would either have died. with their arms in their hands, as Colonel Allen and Captain McCracken did, or have obtained better terms than General Winchester did for them. My father was on detached service that day and escaped the massacre which followed the surrender.

No names were more familiar to me in my boyhood than were those of Colonel John Allen and Captain Archibald McCracken, to whose company my father belonged; both fell at Raisin river, gallantly doing their duty, and Kentucky has honored their names by bestowing them upon counties in that state. My father served for a short time after the affair at Raisin river, but as the time of his enlistment (six months) had nearly expired, he was not present at any other affairs of importance. After his return, he visited the then territory, now state, of Indiana, and bought land on the Ohio river, near Madison, but after his marriage he abandoned the idea of removing to that state. He followed his trade, living in Woodford and Scott counties (I was born in Scott county on September 13, 1817), and until the fall of the year 1819, then, attracted by the glowing descriptions of the beauty and fertility of what was then known as the "Green River Country," he, with my mother, my eldest brother Elihu and myself, removed to Christian county.

Our removal was after the manner of the times; we

traveled the distance on horseback, my brother, then four years old, rode on the horse behind my father, and my mother, on another horse, carried me in her lap; their worldly goods consisted of two hundred silver dollars and two horses, as I have often heard-"the silver was carried in saddle-bags." I have listened to many talks about their removal, but only recollect that my father often said that during the journey, if I had a full allowance of food and sleep, I gave no trouble. I think I have maintained the character then earned ever since.

Soon after his arrival in Christian county, my father bought a tract of land containing about three hundred acres in the "Barrens," as they were called; the land was nearly in the condition of some of the prairies in Southern Illinois; it had upon it scrubby black-jack and hickory growth which showed marks of the fires which had swept over it for many successive years; it was easily cleared and when once put into cultivation, produced excellent crops of corn and tobacco, which afterwards became the chief commercial crops of that part of the state.

The settlers of Southern Kentucky established schools that met the demands for instruction in the essential branches of education as they were then understoodreading, writing and arithmetic as far as the "Rule of Three;" later, English grammar according to Lindley Murray, was introduced, but "grammar" was for many years treated as one of the optional studies, being considered rather ornamental than useful.

My teachers, Isaiah Boone, a relative or descendant of the famous Daniel Boone, and Hezekiah Woodward, a professional teacher, were competent instructors and used the rod of good sound hazel or hickory with great energy. I received my fair share of instruction and punishment and do not distinctly recollect when I could not read.

Mr. Boone was a Baptist preacher and allowed no profane amusements in connection with his school, but one