Rash's Surname Index
Notes for Silas HARLAN
In front of the courthouse in Harlan County, Kentucky, is an historical marker that reads: "County named 1819 for Major Silas Harlan, born in Virginia 1752, came to Kentucky in 1774. Built Harlan's Station 7 miles south of Harrodsburg on the Salt River, 1778. Commanded spies, 1779, in Illinois Campaign of General George Rogers Clark who said: 'He was one of the bravest soldiers that ever fought by my side.' Killed 1782 at the Battle of Blue Lick while commanding his detachment. Buried at Blue Licks."
According to Alpheus H. Harlan's book, "In the month of May, 1774, James Harlan #216, then aged 19 years, and his brother Silas #215, two years his senior, joined a company of adventurers from Virginia and Pennsylvania, then being raised by Captain James Harrod. They embarked in periouges, or canoes, on the Monongahela and Ohio Rivers, and thence to the mouth of the Kentucky River, which they ascended to the mouth of a creek, called "Landing Run", now Oregon in the lower end of the present county of Mercer, east of the village of Salvisa; thence across to Salt River at "McAfees Station", and up that river to Fountain Blue, and to the place where Harrodsburg now stands," which was the first permanent white settlement in Kentucky.
After the Revolutionary War began in 1775, Indians friendly to the British made repeated attacks on the settlers. This prompted the construction of forts or stockades called stations along the frontier to which the settlers could go for protection when the Indians were on the warpath. "About the year 1778, assisted by his brother, James, Silas built a stockade fort on the Salt River, 7 miles upstream above the present town of Harrodsburg which was called "Harlan's Station". During this period many Virginians moved into the Kentucky region which had become a County of Virginia in 1776.
As a part of the Revolutionary War strategy, England hoped to destroy the Kentucky forts and control all the region west of the Allegheny Mountains. They supplied the Indians with arms to make war on the pioneers. These activities prompted General George Rogers Clark to capture forts in 1779 in the so-called Illinois Campaign during which Silas Harlan commanded the spies, or scouts as they would be referred to eventually.
During the winter and spring of 1782, the Indian attacks began to increase and three stations were under siege for a few days resulting in several wounded and dead. After the Indians departure, Colonel Todd, Colonel Trigg, Major Silas Harlan and Colonel Daniel Boone assembled one hundred and seventy-six well armed men and pursued the Indians after these attacks. This force caught up with the Indians at a bend in the Licking River about forty-three miles northeast of Lexington. After the forces crossed the river, a fierce battle ensued and being outnumbered, they were obliged to retreat back across the river with a loss of sixty killed and seven taken prisoner. Among those killed were Colonels Todd and Trigg, Major Silas Harlan, and Daniel Boone's second son. After being reinforced by Colonel Logan, they returned to the scene of the battle and buried the dead. Accordingly, Silas Harlan was buried on the south side of the Licking River at the Blue Licks, so named for a fine salt spring.
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