In researching my Herrell families, I found that James Herrell settled about
three miles from where I presently live. James brought his family there
about 1769 and claimed land and began farming.. This was about the time
Daniel Boone began his excursions into Kentucky to hunt.. In 1773 Boone sold
his land in NC and started with a group to settle in Ky. but was attacked by
Indians in the Powell Valley and they turned back.. Boone found an old cabin
near the Clinch River and his family lived there about two years until the
Indians quieted down..
There was a trail from Wolf Hills (Abingdon) Va. to the Clinch River
settlements and it passed right by the James Herrell farm.. Daniel Boone
traveled the trail a lot and often stopped to talk to the Herrells..
One day Mrs. Herrell was down in the spring house churning some butter.. in
an old tapered, wooden churn when an Indian came in and tried to take her
captive, but she was a tough frontier woman and she pulled the dasher from
the churn and beat him severely about the head and shoulders with it! Then
she picked up the churn of milk and butter and jammed it down over his head!
The Indian took off across the field, running all over the place because he
couldn't get the churn off his head.. The milk and butter ran down all over
him!
About that time, a big black bear came out of the bushes along the creek and
smelled the butter and took off after the Indian.. Mrs Herrell ran to the
house and told James what had happenend. He loaded his rifle and went out
into the yard and saw the bear running after the Indian, Licking the Butter
Off! James had only one shot and couldn't decide which one to shoot, so he
didn't shoot either one.. A few days after that he found the Indian beside a
tree in the woods with the busted churn.. The bear had licked him to
death...
A few days later Daniel Boone came along the trail and stopped at the spring
house to get a drink and saw a bear in the bushes... so he went up to the
house and told Mrs Herrell," You be careful if you go to the spring, I just
saw a big bear in the bushes down there and he might hurt you."
Mrs. Herrell said, " Why Dan'l, that bear ain't gonna do me no harm! He's
jist waitin' fer another Buttered Indian!"
The End... Some Fact, Some Fiction

G. Lee Hearl
Authentic Appalachian Storyteller
Abingdon, Va..
http://hearlshill.freeservers.com/index.html