|
The Capture of Mary Neely |
|
|
On a hot August day in 1780, 19-year-old Mary Neely accompanied her father William to Neely's Salt Lick along the Cumberland River. |
 Some men from nearby Mansker's Station accompanied Mary and William. They were in desperate need of salt and meat but had been cautious about venturing from the fort because of recent Indian raids. |
 |
While the men hunted for game, Mary used a
black kettle similar to those at left to boil water and extract the
salt. The ones at left are located today at Mansker's Station. |
| Once the men had killed enough game to feed their families, they returned to Mansker's Station, leaving Mary and William behind. When Mary and William did not return as expected, the men returned to Neely's Salt Lick, where they found William dead and scalped and Mary was missing. | |
|
Two miles west of Neely's Salt Lick is a plaque commemorating the site of the Indian raid, the murder of William Neely and the capture of his 19-year-old daughter Mary. Mary was taken north along the Cumberland River past Fort Nashborough... |
|
