Richard Callaway

Richard Callaway (c. 1724 – 8 March 1780) was an early settler of Kentucky, now a state in the United States. With Daniel Boone, in 1775 he helped mark the Wilderness Road into central Kentucky, becoming one of the founders of Boonesborough, Kentucky. There, he took part in organizing the short-lived colony of Transylvania.

In 1776, two of his daughters, along with a daughter of Daniel Boone, were kidnapped outside Boonesborough by Native Americans. Callaway led one of parties in the famous recue of the girls. His son Flanders married Jemima Boone, the daughter of Daniel Boone, after the rescue. Along with John Todd, in April 1777 he was elected to the Virginia legislature as a burgess from Kentucky County, Virginia. In June 1778, he was appointed justice of the peace and colonel of the county militia.

Callawy took part in the siege of Boonesborough in 1778. Callaway disagreed with some of Boone's actions and resented the younger man's popularity with the Kentucky settlers, however, and brought court martial charges against Boone after the siege. Callaway was upset when the court acquitted and then promoted Boone.

On 8 March 1780, Richard Callaway was caught outside Boonesborough by Shawnees and was killed, scalped, and mutilated.

Although spelled differently, Calloway County, Kentucky is named for him.

References

*Draper, Lyman Copeland. "The Life of Daniel Boone". Written in the 19th century but unpublished; edited by Ted Franklin Belue and published in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books, 1998. ISBN 0-8117-0979-5.