Henry Scaggs
Encyclopedia
Henry Scaggs was an American hunter, explorer and pioneer, active primarily on the frontiers of Tennessee
and Kentucky
during the latter half of the 18th century. His career as an explorer began as early as 1761 as one of the so-called long hunters— men who undertook lengthy hunting expeditions into the Trans-Allegheny wilderness. In subsequent years, working as a land agent with Richard Henderson and Daniel Boone
, he explored large parts of Middle Tennessee and Central Kentucky. Scaggs is credited with the rescue of noted kidnap victim Jenny Wiley
in 1790, and led a failed attempt to apprehend the Harpe Brothers
in 1799.
in 1724 to James Scaggs, a Scots-Irish immigrant, and Rachel Moredock, a native of Fincastle County, Virginia
. James Scaggs and his sons were noted hunters and fur traders.
In 1761, Scaggs joined an expedition led by Elisha Walden into Carter's Valley in present-day Hawkins County, Tennessee
. This was followed by a 1763 trip deeper into Cumberland territory.
In 1764, Scaggs led his first expedition through the Cumberland Gap
, a mountain pass at the junction of Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. These early trips westward attracted the interest of famed explorer Daniel Boone. Boone used his existing relationship with North Carolina land speculator Richard Henderson to recruit Scaggs as an agent for Henderson's land company, Richard Henderson and Company. In 1765, Scaggs explored the lower Cumberland River
region (upper Middle Tennessee) as an agent of Henderson and established his station
near the present day Goodlettsville, Tennessee
.
In the Fall of 1769, Scaggs returned to the Cumberland with Kasper Mansker, Joseph Drake and Colonel James Knox. This expedition reached the Dix River
in Kentucky, and pressed on to the Green River
country. One day on this expedition, the group heard an eerie sound unlike anything they had ever heard before. Mansker pressed forward to investigate only to find the source of the mysterious noise to be Daniel Boone, sprawled on a deerskin singing. The Boones, Daniel and Squire
, stayed with the expedition for a week or two, harvesting wild meat and rendering tallow
.
Part of the Wilderness Road
, crossing Rockcastle County, Kentucky from Hazel Patch to Crab Orchard, was known as "Skaggs Trace," named after Henry Scaggs.
In June 1775, Scaggs, along with Valentine Harman, a member of the Transylvania Convention at Boonesborough in May, led Colonel Thomas Slaughter to the Green River country of Kentucky to explore that land on behalf of Richard Henderson's Transylvania Company, which had recently purchased the area along with a large portion of Central Kentucky.
from a Native American
raiding party at Harman's Station, Kentucky in 1790 by piloting a crude raft made from logs and vines to transport her across the river to the safety of the blockhouse.
In 1799, Scaggs led the pursuit of the notorious serial killers, the Harpe Brothers
, in Western Kentucky. Several posses were formed to look for the escaped men, but the only one that found them became frightened and ran. Scaggs, enraged, tried to re-form the scattered party and pursue the Harpes, but to no avail. Undeterred, he pressed on alone, and an hour later encountered a crowd of some 20-30 settlers, jigging and drinking in the cabin of some newcomers at the close of a house-raising celebration. Scaggs told them his dire news. The men, already quite drunk, grabbed bottles and rifles indiscriminately and joined the hunt for the Harpes. Once in the forest, however, the posse’s enthusiasm evaporated. Once again, Scaggs saw his followers disappear, and continued on alone.
Scaggs came to the cabin of a pioneer named Colonel Daniel Trabue, an old Indian fighter. Trabue agreed to join the hunt for the Harpes as soon as his son returned from an errand to borrow some flour and beans from a neighbor. Unfortunately for Trabue, the famished Harpes found his son first. The son's blood-soaked dog returned to the cabin and led Trabue and Scaggs to the sinkhole where the Harpes had discarded the body. He had been brutally beaten and tomahawked, and his load of supplies was stolen. Scaggs and Trabue searched for days, but never found the Harpes.
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
during the latter half of the 18th century. His career as an explorer began as early as 1761 as one of the so-called long hunters— men who undertook lengthy hunting expeditions into the Trans-Allegheny wilderness. In subsequent years, working as a land agent with Richard Henderson and Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone was an American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman whose frontier exploits mad']'e him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. Boone is most famous for his exploration and settlement of what is now the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which was then beyond the western borders of...
, he explored large parts of Middle Tennessee and Central Kentucky. Scaggs is credited with the rescue of noted kidnap victim Jenny Wiley
Jenny Wiley
Jenny Wiley was a legendary pioneer woman who was taken captive by native Americans in 1789. Wiley endured the slaying of her brother and children and escaped after 11 months of captivity...
in 1790, and led a failed attempt to apprehend the Harpe Brothers
Harpe Brothers
Micajah "Big" Harpe and Wiley "Little" Harpe , pronounced and , were murderers, highwaymen, and river pirates, who operated in Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, and Mississippi in the late 18th century...
in 1799.
Long hunter
Scaggs was born in MarylandMaryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
in 1724 to James Scaggs, a Scots-Irish immigrant, and Rachel Moredock, a native of Fincastle County, Virginia
Fincastle County, Virginia
Fincastle County, Virginia, was created in 1772 from Botetourt County, the boundaries of which extended all the way to the Mississippi River. Fincastle County was abolished in 1776, and divided into three new counties—Montgomery County, Washington County, and Kentucky County .Although no county...
. James Scaggs and his sons were noted hunters and fur traders.
In 1761, Scaggs joined an expedition led by Elisha Walden into Carter's Valley in present-day Hawkins County, Tennessee
Hawkins County, Tennessee
Hawkins County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 56,833. Its county seat is Rogersville, Tennessee's second-oldest town....
. This was followed by a 1763 trip deeper into Cumberland territory.
In 1764, Scaggs led his first expedition through the Cumberland Gap
Cumberland Gap
Cumberland Gap is a pass through the Cumberland Mountains region of the Appalachian Mountains, also known as the Cumberland Water Gap, at the juncture of the U.S. states of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia...
, a mountain pass at the junction of Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. These early trips westward attracted the interest of famed explorer Daniel Boone. Boone used his existing relationship with North Carolina land speculator Richard Henderson to recruit Scaggs as an agent for Henderson's land company, Richard Henderson and Company. In 1765, Scaggs explored the lower Cumberland River
Cumberland River
The Cumberland River is a waterway in the Southern United States. It is long. It starts in Harlan County in far southeastern Kentucky between Pine and Cumberland mountains, flows through southern Kentucky, crosses into northern Tennessee, and then curves back up into western Kentucky before...
region (upper Middle Tennessee) as an agent of Henderson and established his station
Station (frontier defensive structure)
A Station was a defensible residence constructed on the American frontier during the early nineteenth century.Many of these structures were built on the Kentucky frontier in and around the Louisville area during the struggle with the British and Native Americans...
near the present day Goodlettsville, Tennessee
Goodlettsville, Tennessee
Goodlettsville is a city in Davidson and Sumner counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Goodlettsville was incorporated as a city in 1958 with a population of just over 3,000 residents; at the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 13,780. Goodlettsville chose to remain autonomous in 1963...
.
In the Fall of 1769, Scaggs returned to the Cumberland with Kasper Mansker, Joseph Drake and Colonel James Knox. This expedition reached the Dix River
Dix River
The Dix River is a tributary of the Kentucky River in central Kentucky in the United States.It begins in western Rockcastle County, about west of Mount Vernon. It flows generally northwest, in a tight meandering course, passing north of Stanford and east of Danville. Northwest of Danville it is...
in Kentucky, and pressed on to the Green River
Green River (Kentucky)
The Green River is a tributary of the Ohio River that rises in Lincoln County in south-central Kentucky. Tributaries of the Green River include the Barren River, the Nolin River, the Pond River and the Rough River...
country. One day on this expedition, the group heard an eerie sound unlike anything they had ever heard before. Mansker pressed forward to investigate only to find the source of the mysterious noise to be Daniel Boone, sprawled on a deerskin singing. The Boones, Daniel and Squire
Squire Boone
Squire Boone Jr. was an American pioneer and brother of Daniel Boone. In 1780, he founded the first settlement in Shelby County, Kentucky. The tenth of eleven children, Squire Boone was born to Nathan "Squire" Boone Sr. and his wife Sarah Boone in Berks County, Pennsylvania at the Daniel Boone...
, stayed with the expedition for a week or two, harvesting wild meat and rendering tallow
Tallow
Tallow is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat, processed from suet. It is solid at room temperature. Unlike suet, tallow can be stored for extended periods without the need for refrigeration to prevent decomposition, provided it is kept in an airtight container to prevent oxidation.In industry,...
.
Part of the Wilderness Road
Wilderness Road
The Wilderness Road was the principal route used by settlers for more than fifty years to reach Kentucky from the East. In 1775, Daniel Boone blazed a trail for the Transylvania Company from Fort Chiswell in Virginia through the Cumberland Gap into central Kentucky. It was later lengthened,...
, crossing Rockcastle County, Kentucky from Hazel Patch to Crab Orchard, was known as "Skaggs Trace," named after Henry Scaggs.
In June 1775, Scaggs, along with Valentine Harman, a member of the Transylvania Convention at Boonesborough in May, led Colonel Thomas Slaughter to the Green River country of Kentucky to explore that land on behalf of Richard Henderson's Transylvania Company, which had recently purchased the area along with a large portion of Central Kentucky.
Kentucky pioneer
Scaggs permanently settled in Kentucky in 1789 on Pitman's Creek in Barren County. He is credited with the rescue of the kidnapped pioneer Jenny WileyJenny Wiley
Jenny Wiley was a legendary pioneer woman who was taken captive by native Americans in 1789. Wiley endured the slaying of her brother and children and escaped after 11 months of captivity...
from a Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
raiding party at Harman's Station, Kentucky in 1790 by piloting a crude raft made from logs and vines to transport her across the river to the safety of the blockhouse.
In 1799, Scaggs led the pursuit of the notorious serial killers, the Harpe Brothers
Harpe Brothers
Micajah "Big" Harpe and Wiley "Little" Harpe , pronounced and , were murderers, highwaymen, and river pirates, who operated in Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, and Mississippi in the late 18th century...
, in Western Kentucky. Several posses were formed to look for the escaped men, but the only one that found them became frightened and ran. Scaggs, enraged, tried to re-form the scattered party and pursue the Harpes, but to no avail. Undeterred, he pressed on alone, and an hour later encountered a crowd of some 20-30 settlers, jigging and drinking in the cabin of some newcomers at the close of a house-raising celebration. Scaggs told them his dire news. The men, already quite drunk, grabbed bottles and rifles indiscriminately and joined the hunt for the Harpes. Once in the forest, however, the posse’s enthusiasm evaporated. Once again, Scaggs saw his followers disappear, and continued on alone.
Scaggs came to the cabin of a pioneer named Colonel Daniel Trabue, an old Indian fighter. Trabue agreed to join the hunt for the Harpes as soon as his son returned from an errand to borrow some flour and beans from a neighbor. Unfortunately for Trabue, the famished Harpes found his son first. The son's blood-soaked dog returned to the cabin and led Trabue and Scaggs to the sinkhole where the Harpes had discarded the body. He had been brutally beaten and tomahawked, and his load of supplies was stolen. Scaggs and Trabue searched for days, but never found the Harpes.