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Note: N29 Re the photo attached to this bio: The woman in this photo is at most in her late 30's. Photography wasn't widely available until the 1860s when Rachel Rice b. 1784 would have been in her late 70's. My thought is the photo might be that of Rachel Rice b. 1816, daughter of Jonathan Rice and Margaret Edwards.
(Note: the references to “Fort Harding” and Old Man Harding, etc. refer to “Fort Hardin, and Old Man Hardin”. The text below was copied as written in the document handed down in the family. )
Chapter 3. Birth and Parentage of Rachel Rice and
Incidents and Adventures of a Frontier Life
Rachel Rice (the Mother of the Author) was born at Shraders Station 8 miles from Louisville, Jefferson Co., KY. in the year 1785, being the 10th child of Nicholas and Mary Elizabeth Rice (formerly Mary E Hickman) her grandfather’s name being John Rice. Her Mother's father's name was Andrew Hickman. Her parents left Shraders Station in the year 1790 and moved to Breckenridge County KY., then a frontier post or fort. This was rather an adventurous trip at a time when the Indian cry was to be heard echoing along the bold cliffs of the Ohio, or their lone fire was seen twinkling from among the thick underwood of some lonely dell. But perilous and dangerous as it was, they embarked at Portland below the falls of the Ohio late in the evening in order to avoid if possible their discovery by the savages, and arrived safe the next day at the mouth of the Sinking and from thence moved to Fort Harding. The following are some among the many daring and barbarous depredations of the Indians:
The old man Harding (Father of Wm. Harding) was living owing to some eccentricity some ¾ of a mile from the fort by himself with the exception of 4 or 5 Negroes and one white; where he was attacked on day and murdered and scalped in his house. The overseer coming in on the act saw the dead body fresh in its gore lying while the Indians were yet behind the door. When giving the alarm him and the negroes escaped to the fort without harm. About two days after their arrival at Fort Harding, her Father together with some of her sisters and Wm. Harding were out in the corn field tending their crop. The Indians having learned this thought to surprise them and capture or kill a part of all of them and put up blinds near the fence in some thick underbrush and lay concealed behind them. During the afternoon some of them made mention that the hogs kept up a desperate grunting, it being a similar noise made by the Indians in order to entrap them into listless security. Late in the evening the Indians fired upon the party and wounded Harding in the shoulder then braking out of their ambuscade pursued them as they ran for the fort. Her father ran for his gun and an Indian for it at the same time, but securing it before the Indian and killed him, then falling down in the grass loaded his gun again but not injured. They then returned to the fort where they all expected he was dead, having been several times shot at, but not injured. Thus were they continually kept in alarm by the savage Indians prowling around the fort, and killing and taking prisoner all that they could lay hands on.
One night a gentleman living something like a hermit a hundred yards out of the Fort had his door bursted in by the Indians when firing his gun and raising the alarm, they were intimidated. There was rather a remarkable occurrence of bravery took place at the time of the alarm. A gentleman living adjoining the fort had gone to Lexington on business and hired a man to stay with and guard the family. But when the alarm was given of Indians the Brave was missing, and although much search was made he was not discovered until late the next morning, when he was found under a bed in the fort, having climbed into the fort and crawled under the bed, for fear of
being carried off by the Indians.
A young man by the name of James Lally went out one fine day hunting and after spending the day thus amusing himself, was returning late in the evening and when near the fort was fired on by some Indians, which scared his horse and dashing off run against a tree and threw him upon the ground. The Indians at the sight of their victim being thus retarded from flight, gave their shrill and piercing war cry, instantaneously rushing upon him, stabbed and scalped him within sight of the fort.
After these depredations her Father moved up to Hardinsburgh, where the Indians often came into the streets, venturing so near as to peep into the cracks and see the folks at work. One rather amusing capture took place which from the novelty of the case is worth perhaps of record.
There was a good easy Dutchman by the name of Iaiob Brist, out one day making sugar. After toiling all day at his laborious occupation, and being somewhat fatigued he laid down to rest under his camp and soon fell asleep. But he had not lain long before he was aroused by the touch of something and opening his eyes he beheld a large Indian, Gun and Tomahawk in hand standing over him. The thoughts of death and of his home and friends involuntarily rushed upon him as he viewed the savage ready at an instant to take his life. But quickly recovering himself from his perilous dilemma, he cordially gave the Indian his hand and by signs and motions induced them to belief that he was glad to leave this place of toil and roam with them the wild and tangled woods. He soon bundled up his few clothes, then kindly giving the Indians all his sugar apparently with a joyful heart he bounded on one of their horses unfettered and rode with them away; having by this time gained their entire confidence. At times he would dash off with one of them at a rapid rate for two or three hundred yards then returning to meet the others with a smile which much amused them. In this manner did he amuse them until near morning when riding off at a rapid rate left them to seek him when and where they could find him.
After riding some distance as fast as his horse could convey him, he left the horse and took to the brush and traveled until tired he hid himself in the brush until somewhat rested. He then pushed on for home. In crossing Sinking Creek he fell in and being no swimmer he managed to crawl out upon the bottom. Asking him how he knew which side to come out on says “be sure and did I not know which side my house on”. But said they how did you manage to get out as you could not swim. “Be sure and I crawled out like a “Shrill Cruit”. (A turtle).
Soon after this John White was fired upon near the town and both arms being broken he ran for some distance but the Indians overtaking him with desperate savage yells they murdered and scalped him in sight of Hardensburgh.
About the year 1792 John McDaniel and John Bruner were moving to Hardensburgh by water, having landed at the mouth of Sinking Creek with their boat, the two men left their wives and a mulatto fellow to watch the boat and proceed to Hardensburgh to get help to move them out. While they were gone the Indians attacked the women, firing upon them, wounding Mrs. Bruner, while Mrs. McDaniel jumped overboard and was drowned.
The mulatto jumped overboard, but by diving he managed to swim out above the creek and make his escape. Mrs. Bruner and a child about 8 months old were taken prisoner and marched off through Indiana to the Indian settlements. The Indians carried the child for about two days by which time it had got so hungry that they would amuse themselves by throwing it the entrails of wild beasts, which it would grab at with much eagerness. Getting tired of this savage sport, they placed the little sufferer up against a tree as a target and amused themselves by shooting at it with their bows and arrows until it expired. Mrs. Bruner remained with them for about three years and had one son by an Indian who claimed her for his wife. In 1795 peace was concluded and she was returned to her husband.
There were many other depredations committed by the Indians, often stealing horses and destroying property. Sometimes they were to be seen in the streets of the town of a moonlight night at other times prowling round the skirts of the village. There were often pursued but seldom many of them killed.
Thus from this rough sketch it may easily be seen the many perils and hardships that the early settlers had to undergo without receiving any recompense save the privilege of hunting the wild deer and bear and living free and unmolested by a thickly settled country.
(from The Memoirs of John Edwards, son of Rachel Rice)
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10th child. In 1790 moved with her family to Fort Harding Breckenridge KY and later to Hardensburgh KY. She had some harrowing experiences with hostile Indians.
(Birth year 1785 according to handwritten notes by C E Brewster or E J Edwards)
“She died at George Washington Ammon’s house in Pleasant Grove, Indiana”
Rachel broke her hip and was never able to walk again.
(from a genealogy document marked Los Angeles Jul 25 1932 received from Richard Edwards Maynard of Aledo, IL in 2009)
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1820 Census - Crawford County, Indiana:
John Peckinpaw
Alexander Fraks
Jonathan Rice
Jacob Rice
Wm McKee
Peter Peckinpaw
Henry Peckinpaw
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