Girty

by Richard Taylor

GIRTY is the story of Simon Girty, probably the man most hated by Americans during the Revolutionary War. An acquaintence of Simon Kenton and Daniel Boone, he sided with the Indians and British and fought against the Americans on the frontier throughout the Ohio Valley. One of his most infamous victories was at the Battle of Blue Licks, considered by many to be the last battle of the Revolutionary War, where many Kentucky frontiersmen were killed, including the son of Daniel Boone.

164 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Richard Taylor is a professor of English and currently serves as Kenan Visiting Writer at Transylvania University. A former Kentucky poet laureate, he is the author of six collections of poetry, two novels, and several books of non-fiction, mostly relating to Kentucky history. A former dean and teacher in the Governor's Scholars Program, he was selected as Distinguished Professor at Kentucky State University in 1992. He has won two creative writing fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and an Al Smith Creative Writing Award from the Kentucky Arts Council. He and his wife Lizz own Poor Richard's Books in Frankfort, Kentucky.

Reviews

[Patrick Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many have never heard of Simon Girty, I was lucky enough to have heard of him because I come from an area he spent some time in. Girty was an enigma and history has not treated him well. Many thought of him in his time as a valiant warrior with rough edges who was instrumental in opening the frontier with his knowledge of the local Indians. He gained this knowledge watching his father killed and he and his brother were kidnapped and raised in local tribes. His life took him from central Pennsylvania west throughout the Ohio Valley country and on to Canada long before the United States was formed.

As an adult even more contemporaries thought of him as a traitor to his country, a walking devil and one of the most despised men, and outlaws, in the frontier region. He ran with the Indians, he fought against and for the British at different times. Before Benedict Arnold he was the most known traitor in the country and even after Arnold it could be debated. But most of his story was lost to history.

This is a small book that tells his story, not from his viewpoint but, by piecing together stories told about him and other's opinions of him. Both friends, enemies and relatives have a part in this book and what arises from the book is the same confusion as to who the man really was. He had a good side but he certainly had an evil and treacherous side. He was a tough man equal to living in the tough times and areas he lived in. He had to be.

Simon Girly, patriot, traitor, warrior, Indian, white, father, husband, thief, murderer, soldier, drunk, scout, translator, friend and enemy. What evolves while reading the book is a portrait of all of the above. A man who lived on his own terms and was never led by another's lead but by his own will alone.

Someone to be admired? Or despised? Read the book, the choice is yours to make. I look forward to a time when there is a more in depth book that may come out on this man.

[Kalah Vera · Rating 1 out of 5]

I bought this book to learn more about my ancestor Thomas Girty. There was very little about him specifically and the format was all over the place. Just a book of exerpts from other books and articles really.

[Ricky Orr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an interpretation of many of the events surrounding Simon Girty, based on the author's research. Girty was despised by his contemporaries in the Ohio River valley and Northwest Territories because he sided with the Indians and with the British during the many conflicts after Americans began to migrate west of the Appalachian mountains.