THE LIFE OF DANIEL BOONE, published by Stackpole Books, 1998, is a unique book about an 18th century explorer, written by a 19th century biographer and edited by a 20th century author. How does it come out? Not bad! In fact, this is probably the most credible account of the renowned frontiersman that we will ever see.
I have a special interest in the subject. Daniel Boone is my great-great-grandfather. No, I won’t bore you with my own genealogy. Suffice it to say that I descended through Jesse Bryan Boone, Daniel’s eighth son, who died the same year as Daniel: 1820.
Including notes and index, THE LIFE OF DANIEL BOONE is a large volume totaling 596 pages. And those pages are loaded with pretty small letters, plus pictures and maps. But don’t let that discourage you from taking a look at this unique work.
For a quick summary of the book, read the Preface. In eighteen pages, Belue values the character of Daniel Boone, what he did and what he thought of his own fame. We discovered that Boone was a skilled lumberjack, hunter, hunter, scout, scout, militia commander, judge, and county representative. And he was a natural leader.
In his introduction, Ted Belue describes him as “charismatic, calm, level-headed, and rarely willing to criticize even those who oppose him. Boone’s kind ways were the kind that universally generate respect and attract.” That, plus his lack of cunning and sense of honor, earned Daniel Boone a solid reputation.
But what did he think of himself? Belue quotes Boone’s own words: “I am told of many heroic feats and chivalric adventures that exist only in the regions of fantasy. For me, the world has taken great liberties, and yet I have been but a man. I have suffered many hardships and miraculously escaped many dangers, but other of my colleagues have experienced the same. “
Daniel Boone was modest. He gives the impression of being a good man, one we would like to have on our side in a crisis.
Next, we turn to the chronicler of information about Boone and his time. The self-proclaimed biographer, Dr. Lyman C. Draper, born September 4, 1815, displayed exceptional insight for his time. The storytellers of the 19th century had no qualms about mixing fantasy with truth. If it spiced up the story, even a good myth seemed preferable to worldly facts.
Against this mix of history and legend was Draper with his great vision of saving facts from oblivion. While the evidence was still available and the people who remembered the events were still alive, he wanted to separate fact from myth, correct misconceptions, and get as close to the truth about the history of the border as possible.
In his youth, Draper selected twenty subjects to save from mythology. In addition to Daniel Boone, other subjects that deserved Draper’s attention included George Clark, Anthony Wayne, Daniel Morgan, and Dunmore’s War.
From 1843 to 1852, Draper walked the trails that Boone had explored, seeking interviews and gathering data on the frontiersman. But the project never became a book. He died in 1891 regretting not having finished the “Life of Daniel Boone”. Since 1854, Draper’s manuscript has remained in the archives of the National Society of the State of Wisconsin.
In 1990, historian Ted Franklin Belue decided that Draper’s huge manuscript, rich in detail on Boone and frontier life, should be made available to the public. Thus began the book.
Belue presents Draper’s work as the biographer left it almost a century and a half earlier. The Belue changes in the Draper transcript were minor. He eliminated excess commas and made military titles and abbreviations consistent with modern usage.
Belue wrote the introduction and provided us with a series of notes at the end of each chapter following Draper’s original notes. The editor concluded his introduction by reminding us that what we have in our hands had been hidden since 1854. “Read it. Savor it. Take the time to get to know Lyman Draper, his methods, his point of view, the tenor of his time, and his man. , Daniel Boone “.
Good advice. But to that I must add, there are three men in this book who are best understood in the context of their time: Boone, Draper, and Belue. Of the three, Boone is by far the simplest. Simply put, he was an adventurer who couldn’t rest until he saw what lay beyond the next hill. His life was a continuous search for Eden, a virgin hunters’ paradise.
In Kentucky, he found a lot of what he was looking for. But civilization, which he himself helped introduce, quickly ruined what he found most attractive. So he went in search of a new unspoiled nature.
The real Daniel Boone was a man of courage, skill, and good fortune who suffered greatly during his 85 years. It wasn’t Fess Parker. He was not a great man. He killed few Indians and despised those who tried to portray him as a fearless killer of Indians.
From time to time we are surprised by the uniqueness of the time. Sentimentality, not “cool”, was the prevailing mood in the 18th century. Here is an excellent example. When Boone led a group of Boonesborough men, they managed to rescue his own daughter, Jemima, and two other girls from a combined force of Shawanoes and Cherokees.
How did Boone propose to hold the event? He said, “Thanks to Almighty Providence, boys, we have the girls safe; let’s all sit down and cry willingly.” And they did! That direct quote somehow never made it to the Daniel Boone TV series.
Now let’s consider the information compiler, Dr. Draper. What should I say about this mother lode of facts and opinions, and what should I leave for you to discover for yourself? I will limit myself to three observations.
Draper’s style is sure to catch your eye. Some pages of Draper are picturesque and charming. On the other hand, several hundred pages of it are downright tedious. For modern tastes, it’s too much: too wordy, too flowery, and too sentimental. But wasn’t that typical of the time? Yes, I think it was.
Draper reflected his time in other ways as well. The mood of the mid-19th century was positive. They were as sure of themselves, their culture and their values as we are not sure of bears at the beginning of the 21st century.
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Dr. Draper defended Manifest Destiny. The Anglo-Americans marched westward dragging their civilization. At times, Draper appears to be more of an entertainer than a historian. But, as Belue points out, Draper never had a historian’s perspective. He couldn’t distinguish the trivial from the significant. So your notes are full of minute details with no particular interest.
For all his flaws, Draper retained much of the historical interest that would be lost without his efforts. That is your true contribution. Unfortunately, he never got to explore the later years of Daniel Boone. This entire volume is dedicated to the first half of Boone’s life.
Belue, unlike Draper, is a historian. Overall, it shows the objectivity and fairness that Draper lacked in his manuscript. But it is a great respect that Belue reveals that he too is a man of his time.
The term “American Indians” has now been changed to the politically correct term “Native Americans”. Belue is among those who believe that what Caucasians did to Native Americans was morally reprehensible. What Belue defends is, in effect, a moralistic view of history.
Our question for Mr. Belue is: How did these indigenous tribes get their land? Well, they acquired them by driving away, killing or assimilating other tribes who had the land before them, as they had in turn with those who preceded them.
The history of Great Britain was no different. The Picts lost their land to the Celts, who in turn were driven out by the Anglo-Saxons, who in turn were conquered by the Normans. The largest tribes, the most aggressive people displaced others and took their territory. What Anglo-Americans did to Native Americans is what humanity has been doing to each other throughout recorded history, no more, no less.
Draper’s manuscript details the deceptions and atrocities committed by both parties, as well as the acts of friendship and goodwill offered by both. Here Draper seems to be objective. Belue agrees.
A couple of centuries after the fact, it is easy for us to criticize the border settlers. After all, they won, right? But what were those 18th century settlers really like? What were the Indians of the 18th century like? This book, the most authoritative document we have for this period, opens our eyes to the bell of the day. Before condemning the settlers, perhaps we should ask ourselves: if you and I were in constant danger, how altruistic would we be?
THE LIFE OF DANIEL BOONE is a book worth reading. This volume is our passport back to the 18th century North American frontier. It is a time of great beauty and danger, incredible opportunities and difficulties, and many acts of bravery, savagery and cowardice. It is an exciting period. See for yourself.