What an Amazing year-1755

     For all those that follow and treasure the Swift mine lore, one of the key elements in all versions of the supposedly Swift journal is the per chance meeting Swift had with a Frenchman named George Munday, sometimes spelled Mundy.  In nearly all accounts of the legend John Swift joined the pioneer militia and combined British army under the command of General Edward Braddock.  This time being before the winds of revolution evolved into all out war, the single purpose here was that the French had established a Fort at the the point where the two rivers combined and formed the mighty Ohio.  Today this location is Pittsburgh.  The French and Indian allies of various tribes  were intent on keeping the British loyal colonist from expanding westward.  It was into this volunteer and regular army that Swift claimed to have joined.  Here he says that he met a prisoner, George Mundy,  that claimed to have been mining and smelting silver south of the Ohio River in the wilderness.

     Now the truly amazing historic fact related to this matter is that  Daniel Boone did join this same army in 1755 and met  John Finley, who claims that he had operated a trading store south of the Ohio in the wilderness as the same time. Finley operated a trading business in Esskippikithiki, the Shawnee town located on the level plain just west of Pilot Knob.  Both events, one the legend, the other historical fact, coincided the same amazing year, 1755.

     Daniel Boone made his second trip into the Kentucky wilderness in 1769.  It was a successful trip because he and his party were led by John Finley.   Finley took the party to near the place he had traded with the Shawnee some 16 years earlier.   The group of hunters set up camp along the largest creek in the area.  It was reported that the men would spend hours around the evening campfire being read the only book brought on the journey.   The book was called Gulliver's Travels, written by Johnathan Swift.  Now that is quite strange, indeed.