 from "Sandra's Notefiles" The article below tells about John Gilbert being the one who found and buried the murdered body of Chief Red Bird (for whom the Red Bird River, in KY, is named).  ~Sandra |
from "Sandra's Notefiles" The article below tells about John Gilbert being the one who found and buried the murdered body of Chief Red Bird (for whom the Red Bird River, in KY, is named). ~Sandra |
Recorded in the 1870's and beyond. Reprinted in Kentucky Explorer, Volume 11, No.?, March, 1997, p.107. By permission. Clay County. |
 The Indian chief for whom Red Bird Creek in Clay County was named was probably a Cherokee from Tennessee or North Carolina. Like others of his race, he was a great hunter and allured by the game in this remote region. He finally took up his residence on the creek that bears his name at the mouth of Jack's Creek in this county. He came to his death by the avarice of the "pale face." There lived with him a crippled Indian amed Willie. This man dressed the skins which Red Bird brought to their wigwam and looked after the culinary department of their house. Some hunters from North Carolina, greedy and unscrupulous, came to the wigwam and murdered Willie. They then secreted themselves and awaited the return of the brave chief who had long before buried his tomahawk and for years had been living in peace with the white man, and as he approached his crude castle the bullet of an assassin laid him in the dust. They threw his body into a hole of water nearaby which is still called "Willie's Hole," and from which John Gilbert and others took him and buried him. One tradition is that he was sitting on the bank of a creek fishing when he was shot and that he fell into the creek. ~~~~~~ Red-Bird Gilbert= TN NC |
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William &Nancy(Taylor)Gilbert |
Felix Grundy Gilbert |
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