He lived on the edge of danger, and the frontier provided plenty of it! Indian attack, disease, even near-starvation—early pioneers faced these and more. Never one to run away from danger, frontiersman Simon Kenton used his scouting skills to aid them whenever he could. Rifle loaded, Kenton crept as silently as an Indian to rescue kidnapped settlers. His narrow escapes from Shawnee Indians rivaled those of his famous friend, Daniel Boone. Simon’s influence on the events of his day can be gauged by the men he counted as friends—the daring military leader George Rogers Clark, fellow frontiersman Boone, and the renegade Simon Girty, whom settlers loved to hate.
Bravely facing gauntlets and tortures, Kenton earned great respect from the Shawnee, and admiration from the pioneers. But would the death sentence of burning at the stake be his undoing? Tramp the woods with frontiersman, Simon Kenton and gain a new appreciation for what the pioneers faced as they sought to claim their own slice of wilderness on the Ohio frontier.
Simon Kenton first came to Kentucky in 1772 as a teen fleeing justice. The land captivated his heart and he dedicated the next 28 years to helping settlers, fighting Indians, and scouting for famous military leaders. When Lord Dunmore picked a fight with the Shawnee, Simon and his buddy Simon Girty carried war messages at the Battle of Point Pleasant. They also carried Chief Logan's eloquent speech to the peace negotiations. When his friend Daniel Boone fell from a Shawnee bullet, Simon lifted him like a sack of grain and carried him to safety. When George Rogers Clark led the daring attack on British Kaskaskia, Kenton played a key role. When captured and tortured by Shawnee Indians, Simon showed remarkable courage and endurance. When General "Mad Anthony" Wayne led an army in the Northwest Indian War, Captain Kenton headed the crew of one hundred scouts. When the Greenville Treaty brought peace and settlement of the Ohio Country, Simon headed to this new frontier. When Tecumseh and his brother The Prophet gathered Indians for a final effort to regain their lands, Kenton rode to investigate rumors and kept the nation advised. When Tecumseh joined forces with the British in the War of 1812, Simon, though not a young man, rode with the Kentucky militia as an advisor. Read the fascinating story of this mostly unsung hero of our nation's early history.
“I personally have to say that I love, love, love what you are doing with this project!!! I have read three Simon Kenton books (Eckert, Kenton and Clark-along with hours upon hours of internet research while putting together the Kenton Kin's new website) in the last year, so I have a fair point of reference. It is easy to see that you have researched your subject well and I appreciate that you are making every effort to keep things historically accurate. I know I speak for all of the Kenton Kin Association, when I say we take our family history seriously. As a group "the primary objective of our organization shall be to promote the life and deeds of General Simon Kenton, frontiersman, scout and protector of early Kentucky. To promote Kenton genealogy. Encourage family unity and fellowship. Preserve Kenton artifacts and historical accuracy." In this regard, you have hit a home run and I am behind your project 100% - I support what you are doing all the way!” -- Marc Faulkner, Assistant Editor, The Kenton Kin Association, www.thekentonkin.wordpress.com
“I rate this book five stars. Never a dull moment, and I couldn’t put it down. It is a detailed story of a little-known American hero.” -- Sawyer Gorney, 4th Grade Student, Colorado
“Karen Meyer has done it again with this new title on the life of one of the major figures in the settlement of the Colonial frontier. Thrown into an adventurous life at a early age, Simon Kenton gained a place in history as the frontier developed. Ms Meyer has caught the flavor of the tumultuous times and events and the personalities who were close to Kenton in this book aimed at the Middle School reader. Middle School literature teachers speak of how difficult it is to find books for this age level that appeal to young boys and Meyer has perfectly hit that spot. Highly recommended to any young reader, or their teachers.” -- Boone Morrison, 4x Great Grandson of Daniel Boone
