Other editions of book Daniel Boone, Backwoodsman

Example in this ebookI.THE AMERICAN BACKWOODSMANThe backwoods town in colonial days—The place of the backwoodsmen in the march of progress—Boone and his descendants among the leading pioneers—How the backwoods fighters forced the boundary westward—The frontier farmer was necessarily hunter and fighter—The character of the backwoodsman and his manner of life—The dwellings, dress and weapons of the frontier—Daniel Boone, a typical backwoodsman—His birth and boyhood in a frontier settlement—His parents migrate to North Carolina—Then he marries and settles on the border—He explores Kentucky and forms a determination to settle there.We shall be able to follow the story of Daniel Boone with a better understanding if, before entering upon it, we take a brief survey of the country in which his entire life was passed and the people among whom he lived—the American backwoods and the American backwoodsmen.At the outbreak of the Revolution the American colonies extended no farther west than the Alleghany Mountains, and consisted of the narrow strip of territory lying between that rocky wall and the Atlantic seaboard. By far the greater portion of the population dwelt along the coast in urban centres, or in comparatively closely settled districts which had been cleared and cultivated. In this belt were found the large plantations and wealthy slave-owners. Beyond it, the land was covered with virgin forest, dense, impenetrable, except along the trails, and infested by wild beasts and savages.In the portion of this region that lay nearest to civilization a rude backwoods town might be found here and there. It lay in a clearing of a few hundred acres, and usually at the junction of several frequented trails. It consisted of a cluster of log cabins, a general store, perhaps a smithy, a school, a tavern, and court-house. The inhabitants seldom numbered more than three or four hundred. It may not be strictly proper to speak of a people to whose midst the schoolmaster and the judge penetrated, as beyond the bounds of civilization, and, of course, the expression is used in a comparative sense. The backwoods dominie was hardly worth considering as an educational factor. He was generally ignorant, frequently intemperate, and sometimes immoral. The law lost much of its wonted majesty in a community where an unpopular judge was liable to be mobbed and a dishonest sheriff to be lynched.The fact is that these people were entirely different from the colonists of the coast—different in origin, in religion, in manners, and customs. With splendid natural qualities, such as made them peculiarly fitted to act as the pioneers of the nation, they were rude, unlettered, and impatient of restraint. In the upbuilding of the infant nation, these pathfinders formed the muscle and sinew, whilst the older communities supplied the brain. Although both classes were essentially Americans, in the Revolutionary period they had hardly anything in common but their patriotism.The inhabitants of the backwoods towns were in general the less bold spirits. Deeper in the forest wilderness were found more daring souls, scattered along the mountain border that divided the colonies from the Indian territory. They lived face to face and in constant touch with the fierce savages, and acted as a buffer to their countrymen behind them.To be continue in this ebook...

Many backwoods families devoted themselves, through several generations, to the winning of the wilderness with rifle and axe. The debt of the nation to these people is a heavy one. They may be compared to the outposts of an encamped army,[13] the border settlers being the sentries, stretching along the enemy’s face, and the backwoods towns the pickets. As an army sleeps in security behind its outposts, so was the main body of the colonists, screened from the Indians by the backwoods settlers, enabled to build up towns and cultivate its plantations in safety. And as, when an army resumes the march, the outpost of the night before forms the advance guard, so these border sentinels were ever in the front of our territorial progress.

An interesting work on the life and times of this famous soldier of fortune and American colonist, intended primarily for the young, but of such a character as to appeal to all. “A good, strong, interest compelling narrative, and a valuable addition to a boy’s library.”—The Sun, New York. “Historical fiction that appears to show him [Smith] in a clearer and more truthful light than has ever before been shed.”—The Courier-Journal, Louisville. “The book will be read with great interest by both old and young, for all men love adventures of the Smith type.”—The Republic, St. Louis. “Should mightily interest every boy who loves his country.”—The Inter-Ocean, Chicago.

The life of Daniel Boone told in the form of vivid and fascinating fiction of the early and adventurous phase of American history. The story, though based upon accurate historical fact, is rich in color, full of dramatic action, and appeals to the imagination. The author also wrote a number of non-fiction history books, including the story of the Panama Canal and the history of Washington, D.C.

"Daniel Boone, Backwoodsman" by C. H. Forbes-Lindsay. Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.