(November 2, 1734–September 26, 1820), was an American pioneer and hunter. He was instrumental in the founding of Kentucky. In 1755, he served with George Washington during the French and Indian War. He explored Florida, 1765, and Kentucky, 1767. In 1775, he brought the first settlers into Kentucky, founding the fort of Boonesboro. In 1778, during the Revolutionary War, he was captured by the Shawnee Indians and adopted by their chief. He was able to warn the inhabitants of Boonesboro of an impending attack by Indians who were allied with the British, enabling them to successfully resist it. Boone served as a Major in the militia, and in the Virginia legislature, 1781, 1787. Though he purchased a large amount of land in Kentucky, he began losing it in 1785, due to incorrectly prepared titles. In 1799, after having lost all his Kentucky land holding, he traveled west of St. Louis, Missouri, purchasing land from Spain. He lost this land in 1803, with the signing of the “Louisiana Purchase.” In 1814, by an act of Congress, he was given back the land.
In October of 1816, Daniel Boone wrote Sarah Boone:
The religion I have is to love and fear God, believe in Jesus Christ, do all the good to my neighbor, and myself that I can, do as little harm as I can help, and trust on God’s mercy for the rest.1026