The life and times of Daniel Boone Part Three
The Making of an American Legend
Daniel's Youth
Daniel's youth had been normal for a boy of his culture and times. Native Americans often visited his Quaker community to trade and were entertained by the families. His friendly interactions with the native populations would prepare him for his adventures in the wilderness. When Daniel wasn't visiting with the Native Americans, Daniel was either visiting his uncle, John Webb or helping his father on the farm. He developed a love of nature early on he easily became fixated with. Every time he helped his father with the cattle he would pay careful attention to his natural surroundings. He developed a keen sense of the natural world from his observations. That awareness would stay with him his entire life. Daniel created his first weapon in his youth; a wooden staff he called his herdsmen club. He developed his keen eye for marksmanship by trying to sneak up on birds and small animals in order to kill them. When he was 12 he asked his father to buy him a rifle. Squire had refused his son's request at first. With time, his father submitted to his son's desire and bought Daniel his first rifle. That same year, Daniel killed his first bear without adult supervision. Daniel would always remember that kill because not many boys his age could kill a bear by themselves. Daniel's love for the hunt soon became an obsession. He would often neglect the cattle he was supposed to be caring for in order to hunt. While his obsession had upset his parents they couldn't complain much. Many nights he brought fresh meat him for his family.
Daniel Boone once told his children that he had never gone to school. In fact, his father taught him how to shoot a gun, survive in the wild and how to be a gentleman. Daniel apprenticed under his father in his father's smithing shop. There he learned the mechanical knowledge of gunsmithing that would aide him in his wanderings. When Daniel was 14 years old, his older brother Samuel (7 yrs his elder) married Darah Day. Darah took it upon herself to teach Daniel how to read, write and do arithmetic.
Paradise Lost
Life in Pennsylvania had been good for Squire and his family. Although they had not fared as well as his older brother, Squire had enjoyed a good standing with the Oley Meeting House. In 1736, he was a trustee of the church and on October 27, 1739 he was elected as an overseer. He had raised all of his children in the church. The Quaker foundations that had been laid in Daniel Boone as a boy would solidify Daniel's faith. He was known to be a gentle man with a strong faith. Life was good for the Boone family. Yet that would all come to an end when Squire's eldest child Sarah "Sally" Boone married an outsider, John Wilcox. Squire was soon reprimanded by the church for allowing his daughter to marry someone from outside the church. This wasn't the first time he had been scolded by the church for the way his children conducted their lives. His eldest son, Israel Boone, had also married outside of the church before that encounter. Squire resented the church's overbearing desire to control the way he raised his children. His children had married for love. Determined no other of his children should marry an outsider, he uprooted his family in 1750, sold his farm and started towards North Carolina. The family stayed for a year in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. In 1751 they moved into Yadkin River Valley of North Carolina. Squire and his family would never again join a Quaker church. Many of his children would leave the Quaker faith behind and become Baptist. It was here Daniel meet and fell in love with Rebecca Bryan.
Daniel's Youth
Daniel's youth had been normal for a boy of his culture and times. Native Americans often visited his Quaker community to trade and were entertained by the families. His friendly interactions with the native populations would prepare him for his adventures in the wilderness. When Daniel wasn't visiting with the Native Americans, Daniel was either visiting his uncle, John Webb or helping his father on the farm. He developed a love of nature early on he easily became fixated with. Every time he helped his father with the cattle he would pay careful attention to his natural surroundings. He developed a keen sense of the natural world from his observations. That awareness would stay with him his entire life. Daniel created his first weapon in his youth; a wooden staff he called his herdsmen club. He developed his keen eye for marksmanship by trying to sneak up on birds and small animals in order to kill them. When he was 12 he asked his father to buy him a rifle. Squire had refused his son's request at first. With time, his father submitted to his son's desire and bought Daniel his first rifle. That same year, Daniel killed his first bear without adult supervision. Daniel would always remember that kill because not many boys his age could kill a bear by themselves. Daniel's love for the hunt soon became an obsession. He would often neglect the cattle he was supposed to be caring for in order to hunt. While his obsession had upset his parents they couldn't complain much. Many nights he brought fresh meat him for his family.
Daniel Boone once told his children that he had never gone to school. In fact, his father taught him how to shoot a gun, survive in the wild and how to be a gentleman. Daniel apprenticed under his father in his father's smithing shop. There he learned the mechanical knowledge of gunsmithing that would aide him in his wanderings. When Daniel was 14 years old, his older brother Samuel (7 yrs his elder) married Darah Day. Darah took it upon herself to teach Daniel how to read, write and do arithmetic. Paradise Lost
Life in Pennsylvania had been good for Squire and his family. Although they had not fared as well as his older brother, Squire had enjoyed a good standing with the Oley Meeting House. In 1736, he was a trustee of the church and on October 27, 1739 he was elected as an overseer. He had raised all of his children in the church. The Quaker foundations that had been laid in Daniel Boone as a boy would solidify Daniel's faith. He was known to be a gentle man with a strong faith. Life was good for the Boone family. Yet that would all come to an end when Squire's eldest child Sarah "Sally" Boone married an outsider, John Wilcox. Squire was soon reprimanded by the church for allowing his daughter to marry someone from outside the church. This wasn't the first time he had been scolded by the church for the way his children conducted their lives. His eldest son, Israel Boone, had also married outside of the church before that encounter. Squire resented the church's overbearing desire to control the way he raised his children. His children had married for love. Determined no other of his children should marry an outsider, he uprooted his family in 1750, sold his farm and started towards North Carolina. The family stayed for a year in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. In 1751 they moved into Yadkin River Valley of North Carolina. Squire and his family would never again join a Quaker church. Many of his children would leave the Quaker faith behind and become Baptist. It was here Daniel meet and fell in love with Rebecca Bryan.
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