On this day in 1778 Chief Blackfish led a group of Shawnee allied with the British in a siege of Boonesborough, Kentucky, that lasted 11 days.
Blackfish had previously captured and adopted Daniel Boone. Boone managed to escape in time to return to Boonesborough to lead the resistance to the attack.
He was originally captured when, on February 7th, he and a party of men left the settlement to find salt with which to preserve game.
The siege was lifted after 11 days but Daniel Boone was court-martialed on charges of being “in favour of the British government.” These charges included surrendering his party without a fight, promising the Shawnee that he would surrender Boonesborough to the British, leaving Boonesborough for an attack when the settlement was expecting Blackfish and his men, and agreeing to meet the Indians outside the fort with American officers, which led to an attempt by the Shawnee to capture those officers.
After testimony the court found Boone not guilty and promoted him to the rank of major.
