Little Mountain

Near present day Mount Sterling, in what would become Montgomery County, Kentucky, opposing forces clashed on March 22, 1782, in what became known as both the Battle of Little Mountain and Estill's Defeat. Few clashes on the Kentucky frontier produced bloodshed on this scale, and disputes have persisted for generations over the conduct of William Miller, an officer serving under Captain James Estill. Miller's decision to order a retreat abandoned the remainder of Estill's men, leaving them to be overrun by the Wyandots who had launched the attack.

Background

Captain James Estill learned on March 19, 1782 that Colonel Benjamin Logan needed help, having spotted indications of a Wyandot war party in the vicinity of Boonesborough and noticed empty canoes drifting down the Kentucky River. Rounding up roughly forty men drawn from settlements in the area, Estill set out to scout the surrounding country. During his absence, the Wyandots struck several nearby settlements, among them Estill's Station itself. Fourteen-year-old Jennie Glass was killed in the raid, and Munk Estill, a man enslaved by James Estill, was taken captive.

While being questioned, Munk managed to talk the Wyandots out of pressing their assault, telling them the station was heavily defended. This was far from true; aside from a single man too sick to fight, only women and children remained inside the fort. The raiders slaughtered several head of cattle before withdrawing back across the river. Once the danger had passed, two young men, Samuel South and Peter Hackett, rode out to locate Captain Estill and warn him of what had happened. They caught up with him on the morning of March 21 near where Drowning Creek meets the Red River.

Roughly twenty of Estill's forty men had wives and children waiting at the station, so this group headed back that same day, with Estill following shortly after alongside the remainder of his force. Five men were left behind to guard Estill's Station while the captain took the rest in pursuit of the raiding party. The company made camp that night at Little Mountain, close to what is now Mt. Sterling. When the pursuit continued the following morning, ten additional men had to drop out because their horses could go no farther. The remaining twenty-five men, guided by Estill, picked up a fresh trail and soon caught the Wyandots at Little Mountain Creek.

Aftermath

Blame for the loss and for Captain Estill's death fell squarely on William Miller. David Cook, who had lived through the fighting, is said to have menaced Miller's life two decades later. Miller chose never to set foot again at Estill's Station, leaving him unable to answer those who accused him. By contrast, Monk Estill emerged from the fight with a reputation for courage, having borne James Berry, a wounded militiaman, nearly 25 miles (40 km) on the journey back to the station. Wallace Estill freed him shortly thereafter, making him the first enslaved person granted freedom within Kentucky. An old sycamore on Hinkston Creek, identified by a millstone marker, is traditionally pointed to as the spot where Estill fell. Kentucky's Estill County took its name from Captain James Estill in 1808.