While researching online, I found this account on the “Digital North Carolina” website where Abraham Thomas shares a story where he and Daniel Boone were scouting companions.
“In the summer of 1780, Gen. Clark was getting up an expedition, with the object of destroying some Indian villages in the Mad River. One division of the expedition, under Col. Logan, was to approach the Ohio by the way of Licking River; the other, to which I was attached, ascended the Ohio from the falls in boats, with provisions and a six pound cannon. The plan of the expedition was for the two divisions to meet at a point in the Indian country, opposite the mouth of Licking, and thence march in a body to the interior.
In descending the Ohio, Daniel Boone and myself acted as spies on the Kentucky side of the river, and a large party, on the Indian side, was on the same duty; the latter were surprised by the Indians and several killed and wounded. It was then a toilsome task to get the boats up the river, under constant expectation of attacks from the savages, and we were much rejoiced in making our destination.
Before the boats crossed over to the Indian side Boone and myself were taken into the foremost boat and landed above a small cut in the bank, opposite the mouth of Licking. We were desired to spy through the woods for Indian signs. I was much younger than Boone, ran up the bank in great glee, and cut into a beech tree with my tomahawk, which I verily believe was the first tree cut into by a white man on the present site of Cincinnati.”
While young Thomas celebrated the opportunity to outrun the well known Daniel Boone to the top of a riverbank, I like to think that maybe Boone proceeded with a bit more caution, as they were in hostile Indian territory – and he might not have known who or what was at the top of that bank….