The Song of Lancaster, Kentucky: To the statesmen, soldiers, and citizens of Garrard County

In Short

Eugenia Dunlap Potts presents a verse history of Lancaster and Garrard County, Kentucky, tracing its evolution from an untouched wilderness to a mid-nineteenth-century town. Adopting the trochaic meter of Longfellow’s Song of Hiawatha, the narrative charts the clearing of primeval forests, the establishment of civic institutions, and the arrival of modern technology. Along the way, the poem chronicles the community's trials through foreign wars, a devastating cholera outbreak, local political squabbles, and the internal fractures of the American Civil War. It endures as a vivid, affectionate chronicle of local heritage and American growth.

The Story

The narrative begins in the primeval wilderness of central Kentucky, an uncultivated landscape of dense forests, wild animals, and winding rivers. This pristine environment begins to shift with the arrival of white settlers, who clear the timber, lay out streets, and establish the town of Lancaster. Early domestic life takes root around log fires, with women spinning homespun fabrics and the community organizing simple social gatherings, schools, and local government.

As decades pass, the town becomes deeply intertwined with broader national events. Lancaster answers the call to arms during the War of 1812, sending its citizens to fight in distant engagements that culminate in the Battle of New Orleans under Andrew Jackson. Following this military epoch, the focus shifts to civic life and public governance. Lancaster emerges as a cradle for prominent lawyers, judges, and lawmakers—most notably Chief Justice George Robertson and Governor R. P. Letcher—who shape Kentucky’s legal system and national politics.

Tragedy interrupts this era of prosperity in 1833, when a cholera epidemic strikes the town. Panic-stricken residents flee to the countryside while the disease claims lives across all social strata, tested only by the steadfast courage of local caregivers like Dr. B. F. Duncan. Order returns in the aftermath, illustrated by lighthearted community events like the 1838 "Battle of the Bridge," where the local Guardsmen humorously capture the commander of the country "Cornstalk Militia."

Military conflict returns with the Mexican-War era, prompting another wave of enlistments and political rallies. The town continues its physical and cultural modernization into the 1850s, building new churches, adopting contemporary fashions, and upgrading turnpikes. However, the onset of the Civil War deeply fractures the community. Citizens split their allegiances between the Union and the Confederacy; local men join units such as the Nineteenth Kentucky Infantry or Confederate cavalry outfits, turning neighbors and brothers against one another.

When the war concludes, Lancaster enters a period of rapid industrialization. The arrival of the railroad in 1869 physically alters the landscape, sweeping away ancient landmarks like the original Republican Church to make way for steam engines, factories, and new commercial buildings. The narrative closes in 1874, reflecting on a century of profound transformation—from a chance lunchtime meeting between early founders and a young Henry Clay at a wilderness spring to a fully modernized nineteenth-century city.

How It Unfolds

The wilderness transformed The narrative opens in an untouched, natural landscape of forests and wildlife before settlers arrive to carve out streets, construct homes, and establish the early social fabric of Lancaster.

Call to national defense Lancaster’s citizens answer James Madison’s call to arms during the War of 1812, leaving their farms and shops to fight in battles across the country, ending at New Orleans.

Statesmen and the law The town becomes a hub for influential legal minds and political figures, led by Chief Justice George Robertson, who shapes state jurisprudence, and Governor R. P. Letcher, who rises through the Whig party.

The pestilence strikes A devastating cholera outbreak ravages Lancaster in 1833, causing widespread panic and flight while dedicated medical figures remain behind to care for the dying.

Militia maneuvers and mishaps Local military tradition turns lighthearted in 1838 during the "Battle of the Bridge," a humorous encounter where the newly uniformed town Guardsmen capture the commander of the rural militia.

Fraternal conflict and modern steam After sending troops to the Mexican War, the town suffers the bitter divisions of the Civil War as locals enlist on both sides, followed by post-war reconciliation and the arrival of the railroad.

The People

• George Robertson: A native of the pioneer wilderness who rises to become Chief Justice of the high court of Kentucky. He seeks to defend the Constitution and advance public infrastructure, leaving a vast legacy of legal decisions, essays, and legislative accomplishments.
• R. P. Letcher: A genial lawyer and prominent member of the Whig party who serves in Congress, travels as a diplomat to Mexico, and eventually wins election as Governor of Kentucky.
• William Jordan Graves: A Lancaster lawyer and congressman who becomes embroiled in a fatal duel as a second for an editor, reluctantly using a Kentucky rifle to defend his obligation before returning home to community support.
• Dr. B. F. Duncan: A dedicated local physician who demonstrates steadfast courage during the 1833 cholera epidemic, remaining at his post in the deserted town to treat the sick despite overwhelming mortality.
• Colonel William Stein: The burly commander of the local "Cornstalk Militia" who challenges the newly formed, elegantly uniformed town Guardsmen, ultimately getting captured in a night encounter at Dix River bridge.
• John K. Faulkner: A Union officer who leads the Nineteenth Kentucky Cavalry, following in the military footsteps of his father who commanded local troops decades earlier in the War of 1812.

In Its Own Voice

"And the noisy hum of traffic, / And the roll of cart and carriage, / Told of barter and of bargain, / Told of human gains and losses,"

Potts captures the shift from quiet forest to a bustling center of commerce where domestic life and trade replace the wilderness.

"'Twas the cholera of Asia, / Laying hands upon the city. / 'Twas this skeleton so ghastly, / With its breath of foul miasma,"

The poem turns grim as it details the sudden arrival of the 1833 epidemic that emptied the town's homes.

"Thrilling incidents unnumbered, / Mark the story of the struggle, / Mark the hideous distortion / Of the nation's sunny temper,"

Reflecting on the Civil War, the text mourns the internal strife that pitted local families and neighbors against one another.

What It's Really About

Beneath its chronicle of local names and dates, The Song of Lancaster, Kentucky is about the relentless march of human progress and its impact on both nature and memory. Potts contrasts the pristine, unblemished wilderness with the noise, profit, and convenience of civilized life, acknowledging that industrial advancement inevitably erases historical landmarks. The text wrestles with how small communities endure profound crises—plague, political division, and fraternal war—while maintaining a sense of shared identity. Ultimately, it argues that a town’s true legacy rests in the memory of its everyday citizens, its leaders, and its fallen soldiers, serving as a monument to local historical preservation before those memories slip into oblivion.

Why Read It Today

The Song of Lancaster, Kentucky offers readers an intriguing cultural artifact: a complete county history written entirely in trochaic tetrameter. Regional history enthusiasts and students of nineteenth-century Americana will appreciate its detailed accounting of frontier life, local legal battles, and wartime rosters. Potts writes with clear affection for her subject, giving standard historical records a rhythm and dramatic flair that reflects the civic pride of post-Civil War Kentucky.

Reading the work requires an adjustment to its stylistic choices. Adapting the meter of The Song of Hiawatha to list nineteenth-century Kentucky politicians, street names, and military inventories can occasionally feel unusual or repetitive. Additionally, large portions of the text read as poetic directories or historical catalogs rather than standard character-driven narratives. Modern readers should also anticipate nineteenth-century attitudes toward land development, native wilderness, and military conflict. Nevertheless, for those interested in unique forms of local history, Potts’s work stands out as an earnest, highly structured monument to small-town American endurance.