A Harrowing Tale of Perseverance

Fleming County has a rich history that goes back to the days of the earliest Kentucky pioneers. In 1787, Major George Stockton erected a station just north of Flemingsburg, close to where the stockyards are today. During that time, Native Americans were still a threat to settlers, and in several instances, the station and people around it were targeted by the Natives.

An interesting story found in Collins’ Historical Sketches of Kentucky relates to Stockton’s Station and tells of one man’s perseverance while facing a dire situation.

It was February, 1789; Robert Stockton, brother of Major George Stockton, and his comrade Beacham Rhodes set out for a hunting expedition. Their travels took them east across the wilderness and plains to Fox’s Creek near present day Plummers Landing. Traveling with the pair were their dogs, who managed to keep up to step with the men on the long journey.

Stockton and Rhodes set up camp along Fox’s Creek and began their hunt, unconcerned about any Natives due to the season. The two hunted for a few days without incident until the night of February 15.

The fifteenth day of the second month, 1789 was, by Rhodes’ account, a productive day. He and Stockton settled in for the night with their trusty canine companions faithfully standing by. Up in the night, a two shots rang out, instantly waking the hunters. Robert Stockton took to his feet and was hit by a musket round, collapsing almost instantly and mortally wounded. Rhodes jumped up at the same time and was hit twice in the hip. Quickly realizing the dire situation at hand, Rhodes ducked behind some trees to get cover. The dogs took off in the direction of the shots, while the wounded hunter waited for the attackers to raid the camp.

The attackers were Natives, and chose to take to their horses without further incident; quickly scurrying off into the night. Rhodes crawled into the creek bed and concealed himself for about a half mile. He found a brush pile that had washed down, and that is where he lay; hopeful the Natives wouldn’t return.

Rhodes hid in the brush pile nearly all the following day with his lower body torn by two musket balls. After dark, he started making his way westward toward Stockton’s Station, several miles across the wilderness.

On the seventh day, Rhodes, who had been reduced to crawling, reached Fleming Creek, about fourteen miles from the site of the Native attack. The creek was at a high state, and he laid down, exhausted from the perilous journey. Sometime later, a hunter stumbled upon Rhodes and assisted him the rest of the way to Stockton’s Station.

Once back at the station, Beacham Rhodes was treated for his wounds while a party of men sought out the encampment in hopes to retrieve the body of Robert Stockton. The approached the camp and found Stockton still lying where he fell. Next to him was his dog, faithfully guarding the body of it’s fallen master, There were signs where wolves and other predators had tried to take Stockton’s lifeless body, but were fought off by the now malnourished dog. The group of men buried Robert Stockton where he lay in a stone grave. The men departed to back to the station, carrying the dog the entire distance. A few weeks later, the other dog returned to the station on it’s own.

Today, the Stockton campsite and grave is about 2 miles off Muse’s Mill Road in Fleming County. There is an historical marker just up from the intersection of Kentucky 32 that has a brief description of the events that took place February 15, 1789. Beacham Rhodes survived and by 1800 was residing in Nicholas County. He relocated to Hart County, near Elizabethtown, where he died in 1826.

George Stockton set aside land to establish Flemingsburg; named after his brother-in-law, John Fleming. The tale of what happened along Fox’s Creek, now known as Stockton’s Creek, is just one of a few encounters between Natives and settlers in the area; but it is one that deserves mention for the simple act of perseverance and survival.