General Notes

On Rowan Co. NC tax lists 1778.  With bros. was an early settler of KY, then a county of VA, which opened to settlement by Daniel Boone, bldr. of Wilderness Road,1775 and founder of Boonsborough.  John served in Revolution.  For service he received 2-7-1781 a grant of 300 acres on Bullskin Creek in Jefferson Co.KY
Later moved to Shelby Co. til 9-10-1811 when he and wife Rachel moved to Jefferson Co. IN.

Left New Jersey with his parents in 1751 and settled in North Carolina.  In 1775, he moved on to Shelby County, KY with the Boones and finally to Indiana in 1811.  his first wife was Mary Shepherd but the date and place of marriage is not known.  His second was to Rachel Ryker, nee Demaree, widow of Geradus Ryker, Sr.  sometime after 1781. 

John was at Boonesboro during the Indian siege of that station and he and his family were at Bryant's station at the time it was attacked by more than 500 Indians under Simon Girty and some British officers on August 15-16, 1782.  It was at that time that John Van Cleave, son of John, then about 15 years old, distinguished himself by shooting an Indian who was standing on a high stump overlooking the fort.  For about a year before the attack of Bryant's station, John Van Cleave and his family had been living at the station of his brother-in-law, Squire Boone.  The folks living at this station became alarmed about the Indians in the area and decided to move to Boonesboro for greater security.  They started their move on Sep. 14, 1781.  Squire Boone was suffering from a gunshot wound from an Indian bullet so he and a few others remained behind to attend the stock.

John's wife, Mary Shepherd VanCleave, was carrying Nancy, one of the twins, daughter Rachel the other, Sally.  The boys were trudging along behind.  They were ambushed by Indians.  Mary was killed and Nancy carried away by the Indians.  Rachel and Sally were taken prisoner.  Sally cried so that the Indians motioned Rachel to suckel the baby to quiet it, not knowing she was not the mother.  When she didn't understand and the baby continued to cry, they were about to kill it when a party of men from Boonesboro arrived and drove the Indians away, rescuing the prisoners.  However, Nancy was never found and the family never knew her fate.  This attack was known as "The Battle of Boone's Defeat" even though Squire Boone was not present at the time.  The VanCleave boys made their escape by following the horsement.

John, a "fleshy" by could not run as fast as Aaron and Benjamin and was left behind.  He hid in a hollow tree stump and remained there all night.  He was found the next morning by scouts who went to look for the dad.  Mary's body was found and buried there in the forrest-----exact spot of her burial is lost.

The VanCleave family is next found settled on a small creek called Bullskin Creek in Shelby County, KY.  Aaron settled on Salt Creek near Bearstown but the other all remained pretty much together.

John VanCleave served in the Militia of the Territory of KY in 1780.  He entered land on Buyllskin Creek, Jefferson County, KY on July 2, 1782.  He recived a military grant from the State of VA of 300 acres on Muddy River on Jan 18, 1790.