Boone: A Biography

by Robert Morgan

After such a disaster there is a lot of blame to go around, and though Boone’s name is rarely mentioned in any of the recriminations, Boone did not let himself off so easily. He knew that losing his temper when snarled at by McGary was a serious failure of leadership at a critical moment. That his outburst was so uncharacteristic of him made the episode all the stranger and more painful. All his life he had shown calm good sense in moments of danger. Boone’s relative Abraham Scholl, who was with the company from Boone’s Station at the battle, said Boone “rather blamed himself in some degree for the Blue Licks battle.” For the rest of his life, Boone broke down and wept when he mentioned the battle. It was the greatest failure of his life. It was the occasion when his capacity for clearheadedness deserted him. His son Israel and seventy-six others had been killed as a result of his lapse. He may never have completely trusted himself again. The battle marked the end of the most important period of his life.