Author: Lindsey Cook Brock
In 1750 when Charles Gatliff was two years old, his family moved from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Botetourt County, Virginia. The surrounding area was known to be inhabited by certain Native Americans tribes, so their raids were a common occurrence witnessed by Charles at a very young age. His father, James Gatliff, was a Lieutenant in the Virginia Militia and was killed during the French and Indian War when Major General Edward Braddock was defeated by the Indians. Charles was only 10 years old at his father’s death.
At the age of 24 Charles married Christina McGuire in Botetourt County, Virginia in 1772. At the age of 26 he was appointed as an Indian Spy for Fowlers Fort, which was located at New River, Virginia. Spies were paid five to eight times as much as regulars because of the extreme danger involved in that type of service. As an Indian Spy he traveled deep into hostile territory, usually acting alone or with just one other individual. Spies were generally the first to encounter the enemy. They knew if they were captured it meant death and scalping – hopefully in that order. During his service Charles was never captured and was wounded only once.
In 1779 Charles ventured into the western area of Virginia, which became known as the Kentucky Frontier. He settled with his family in Logan’s Fort, near present day Stanford, Kentucky. While there he assisted in the erection of Ruddle’s Fort and Martin’s Fort. Both forts were near present day Cynthiana, Kentucky. He was appointed Captain of Martin’s Fort, which was five miles to the South East of Ruddle’s Fort. While serving there he led his men in several engagements against the Indians and British forces to maintain the defense of the fort and control of the surrounding area. In 1780 while Captain Gatliff was out hunting for provisions for the two forts, both forts were attacked by the Indians and British. During the attack some of the inhabitants were killed and others were taken as prisoners of war by the British. Among those taken as prisoners were his wife, Christina, and their four children. The British relocated them first to Detroit, Michigan and then to Montreal, Canada. Thankfully, after the surrender of the British at Yorktown the family was reunited near Staunton, Virginia in May 1783 and shortly thereafter returned to Kentucky.
Captain Charles Gatliff was one of the many prominent pioneers of Kentucky. He served in every Revolutionary War campaign in Kentucky except the Battle of Blue Licks. Captain Gatliff often served alongside Daniel Boone throughout Kentucky. In 1780 Captain Gatliff was in a party of sixty men, including Daniel Boone and his son, Israel. The party was in pursuit of a band of Indians who had killed Daniel Boone’s brother, Edward. Later, in the spring of 1781 he accompanied Daniel Boone and Benjamin Logan to Virginia after Logan was elected to the Virginia Legislature. Charles Gatliff served as a spy and pilot in 1786 under Logan’s command and again in 1790 he served as a spy and pilot in Harmar’s Campaign. It was after Harmar’s Campaign that he came home and he “quit the service.”
Captain Gatliff died on June 30, 1838 and is buried in the Maple Creek Cemetery in Whitley County, Kentucky, near Williamsburg. The Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) has a chapter in Williamsburg, Kentucky chartered as the Captain Charles Gatliff Chapter.
Captain Charles Gatliff was a contemporary of the first Governor of Kentucky, Isaac Shelby, as well as Daniel Boone, George Rogers Clark, Simon Kenton, Benjamin Logan and many other prominent Kentucky frontiersmen, all of whom came together at an important time in the history of our country. Daniel Boone and Simon Kenton both wrote and spoke of Captain Gatliff as “a man of great courage and judgment.” If not for the westward push by these courageous Kentucky pioneers, this great country we call the United States of America might be a mere shadow of its present majesty – we owe them all a great debt of gratitude for their service and sacrifice.