Some More History Ties on Osbornes

I mentioned in a previous blog about   Andrew Osborne of Johnson County, Ky. and his death in the Civil War. Andrew's father was Jesse Osborne who had come to Johnson County from Harlan County, Ky which had been a part of Knox County, Ky. Jesse's father (Andrew's grandfather) was Ephriam Osborne Jr. who had been an Indian fighter and a member of his brother's militia (Enoch Osborne) in what was then Montgomery County (now Grayson County), Va. during the Rev.War. Ephriam Jr. had been born in the Yadkin River Valley of North Carolina. His father and mother were acquainted with Christopher Gist and all the Boones of that area as was Ephriam Jr. He fought at frontier forts with Boone sometime during the 11775-1777 timeframe as Boone had been put in charge of several garrisons in SW Virginia.                             One fort that Ephriam knew well was the one where his father and brothers and he were all fighting around for security from Indians and British-Osborne's Fort. Named so because they built it and because his brother Enoch was Captain of the militia.                                                                                               Ephriam moved laterin life to Lee County, Va and Knox County which became Harlan County, Ky. He was born about 1752 and died in Harlan County in 1852 making him 100 years old. He is buried with a Rev. war marker beside his wife Mary Brock in the Forrester Cemetery at Coldiron, Ky just overlooking the Cumberland River. According to records Mary was the daughter of Aaron Brock, a three quarter Cherokee, and an unknown full blooded Cherokee. Aaron Brock was reputed by most to be Chief Red Bird, recognized as having been killed in Clay County, Ky and a fork of the Kentucky River up KY. rte. 66 in Clay County is named for him. Roadside markers about him are on this highway. I used to do a lot of work up this highway and saw the signs bur that was 35 years ago and I did not know my genealogy at the time.       A visit to the Harlan County Court House will reveal a plaque recognizing several men who had fought in the Revolutionary War that called Harlan County home at the times of their deaths. One of these is Ephriam Osborn Jr and another is his wife's brother.