Private Achaelaus
Craft
Achaelaus Craft was born on a vessel en route from
England to America in 1750. His father settled in N.C. I do not know
where. He had but two sons. [He] was in the Revolutionary
War. He never saw his brother after the war closed. As Wilkes County was the home
of Daniel Boone, it is not strange that he
followed the pioneer to the wonderful land which he explored.
Consequently, after the war, he came to Fayette Co., Kentucky and laid his
claim where a part of the city of Lexington now stands. But his wife
feared the Indians and to please her he retreated to the very border of the
"Promised Land" and located near the head of the North Fork of the Kentucky
River, five miles from the Virginia line.
Later he removed to Colley Creek which falls into the North Fork, a little
below where he made the first settlement. There he lived until his death
which occurred somewhere from 1850 to 1854. Another tradition is that he
was 14 years old when he ran away from home and joined the Army of the
Revolution. At the earliest this would place his birth at 1762, and make
him about 92 years old when he died. (I think this was the more probable
story. J.J.D.) His wife, or first, was an Adams, Elizabeth, I think, and
was connected with Governor Owsley. She was the mother of all of his
children [Source:Dr John J Dickey Diary]
Elizabeth, a daughter of John Adams, married Archelaus Craft on Roaring River in
1785. Craft, veteran of the Revolution, was later to migrate with his wife's people
to Kentucky [Adam's Colony. The decision to not go on to the Bluegrass was made by a
council including the three elder Adames, James Webb, Archelaus Craft, and head of
other families.] [Source: Kentucky's Last Frontier, Henry P. Scalf, p.462]
Mark's x great Uncle
Updated 5:47 PM 1/29/2013
Mark S. Carroll
