My Genealogy Home Page:Information about Gideon Ison IV
Gideon Ison IV (b. June 11, 1802, d. December 11, 1870)
Notes for Gideon Ison IV:
Gideon IV established a home at the mouth of Defeted Creek on Linefork Creek, Letcher County, Kentucky.There he had quite an empire according to his value listed in the census of 1850.According to legend he was a slave holder.His wife was the source of Retinitis Pigmentosa in the Ison family.She was blind for some 20 years prior to her death.Until the 1980's the home place was still standing.It was a two story log home which in it's day would have been quite a home.He and Rachel are buried on the hill back of the homeplace about 150 feet from where the house stood.
Gideon Ison's First visit to Kentucky:
Around the year 1796 William Cornett and Gideon Ison came from Virginia to Kentucky on a hunting expedition, as game had become scarce in the part of Virginia in which they lived.They had been informed that there was a lot of bear, deer, and other game to be found in Kentucky.They decided to come see for themselves although they were a little fearful as they also heard that there were still roving bands of Native Americans in Kentucky.The temptation was too great for them to be scared off so they begin to prepare for the trip.After gathering their equipment, which consisted of corn meal, ax, long-handle skillet, hunting knives, powder, bullets, puch, flints, blankets, and flintlock rifles, they put their packs on their horses and started for the hopeful hunting ground.When the two hunters crossed over the Big Black Mountains into "Kaintuck" they became more fearful of the Indians.They had heard awful stories about the brutality of the Indians but they were very determined to make the trip to back out.After two or three days travel they came to the mouth of Beech Fork on Big Leatherwood, Perry County, Kentucky.At this point there are some twenty or thirty acres of level land which was covered with the finest timber they had ever seen as well as signs that the wood held plenty of game.They decided to set up their first camp in Kentucky here.
While preparing their supper the hunters talked of the beautiful level land and of the feasibility of bringing their vamilies and living at this part of Kentucky.Their only question was whether or not corn, potatoes, beans, and other vegetables would mature in as well here as it did in Virginia.They felt pretty sure that all of their native crops would mature but to be sure they decided to cut down a beech tree and come back the next month and if the bark on the tree had bursted from the effect of the sun then that would be a sure sign that their native crops would be fine.Early the next morning the hunters arose very much enthused with the prospects of the new country.One of them decided to cut down the beech tree while the other prepared their breakfast.After breakfast they decided to make an extended hunt for bear and deer.They hitched their horses securly to Leatherwood bushes, which grow thick in the Beech Fork bottoms, and started out for the day's hunt.One went up the creek and the other went down the creek in order to explore all of the country that they possibly could.
Gideon Ison had not traveled more than two hours when he came upon a smoldering fire.After investigatin the surroundings it was obvious that Indians had camped there the previous night.The first thought that entered Gideon's mind was the danger of being scalped and killed by the Indians so he did not hesitate in retracing his steps as fast as he could back to his horse and back to his camp.After returning to his horse he began to think about his friend,he knew that he was fleet footed and alert and very able to compete with most any "redskin" single-handed, but this thought did not relieve him of the great fear he was under.He was fearful of the Indians capturing him so he decided to go back to camp and wait for his partner until dark.He made up his mind that if his friend did not come back by the first signs of nighthe would head back to Virginia without him.He spent the rest of the day in worry.Waiting, watching, and hoping that he might see his companion coming into camp soon.At last, dark shadows of night began to gather around him.He slowly unhitched his horse and leaped upon his back, he thought hat his companion was surely lost in the thick wooded country and so he decided to start back to his Virginia home.He turned in his saddle to scan the direction that he was expecting his companion to come and to his great pleasure he waw him coming toward him come distance away.He dismounted and hitched his horse the way he had left him that morning and acted as if he had suffered no uneasiness, he did not want his companion to know he had acted so silly.
William Cornett or "Billie" came into camp with a small deer on his back that he had killed that evening.Usually when a hunter killed a deer they would skin one front leg and one hind leg from the ankle to the knee and take the bones out so they could tiethe legs together and carry them "shot-pouch" fashion.This was the way Billie was carrying the little deer.Soon after Billie came into camp he began to prepare the venison for supper.Gideon stood by not having much to say, the great strain that he had labored under for the last six or seven hous had left him almost speechless.At last Billie broke the silence by asking "Gid, what was you on that horse for awhile ago?"Gideon knew that Billie had seen him on his horse and he then began to talk freely.He told him about coming across the Indian camp and that he had imagined that they had killed him and that was aiming to start for home soon as he saw the first star in the sky.Billie replied "Damns to hell if I didn't see one's head stuck over a log today".He said that the Indian was in front of him as he was coming toward the camp and that he waled straight ahead pretending that he did not see the Indian until he passed him.He then started to run and after running a short distance he looked back to see if the Indian was after him and saw the Indian running at high speed in the opposite direction.
They ate their supper very quietly after this conversation and then began to pack their camping outfit preparatory for an early start for home next morning.The though that the Indians might attack them during the night was so impressed in their minds that they did not try to sleep but sat quietly by their packs all night and when the light of day began to show on the eastern sky theyt mounted their horses with their scanty belongings.They left for Virginia.
We have no history of their returning to the Beech Fork bottoms to see if the bark on the Beech tree which they had sut down had bursted, but we do know that they soon came back to "Kaintuck" and that Gideon Ison settled on Line Fork in Letcher County and William Cornett settled at the mouth of Bull Creek in Perry County.
More About Gideon Ison IV:
Burial: Gideon Ison IV Cemetery, Defeted Creek, Linefork, KY.
More About Gideon Ison IV and Rachel Stamper:
Marriage: 1
Children of Gideon Ison IV and Rachel Stamper are:
- +Gideon Ison.
- Usley Ison.
- Doc Ison.
- Jonah Ison, b. April 20, 1840.
- Moses (Mose) Ison, b. 1837.
- Elijah (Lige) Ison.
- John Ison.
- +George Henderson Ison, b. May 24, 1829.
- +Napoleon Bonaparte "BONY" Ison, b. October 11, 1832, Linefork, KY, d. December 03, 1879, Defeted Creek, KY.