Big Sandy SAR

William Robert Leslie, father of Robert and John Lesley (both Revolutionary War Soldiers), is buried on the original Leslie Settlement property located on Lower John’s Creek (KY-194) near Gulnare, KY in Pike County, KY. The burial site is on a point overlooking the Mountain Pub-Links Golf Course approximately 1000 feet downstream of the burial site of his son Robert Lesley. GPS N37.62786° W082.55524°.

William Robert Leslie assisted in establishing American Independence by paying for supplies.  Proven patriot by the NSDAR.

Per Henry P. Scalf's publication dated January 21, 1957 "Two of the Clan Leslie came to New York City from Dublin, Ireland in 1755. They were John and William Robert, brothers. While in New York they engaged in a street brawl and, having extricated themselves successfully, went into a barber shop.  The barber was a partisan of the defeated man and tried to slit Robert's throat. The seriously wounded Leslie escaped.  After lying in bed, between life and death for a considerable length of time, William found himself alone one day, for John disappeared.  When fully recovered he headed southward, paused in Virginia, married Elizabeth Buchanan, and finally came to John's Creek and found the Leslie Settlement."

Per Henry P. Scalf's publication dated January 21, 1957 " William Robert Leslie choked to death on vension at his cabin home on Johns Creek, the difficulty in swallowing being due to the wound inflicted by the New York Barber."

Ely in "The Big Sandy Valley", p 211 describes his casket and burial as follows: "In early days when the plank in the upper Johns Creek country was sawed by hand, and used as fast as sawed, William Leslie died at seventy-three, and no plank could be forund to make hin a coffin.  Relatives and friends determined to give him a decent burial, cut down a poplar tree, chopped off a log of proper length and with ax and adze, shaped it into a coffin, digging out a trough .  They took clapboards and shaved them, which made a nice lid for the coffin."

Revolutionary War Service Ancestor #A069487 Abercrombie & Slatten, Va Rev Pub Claims Vol 2, P.690; Gwathmey, Hist Reg of Va in the Rev P. 469. Paid For Supplies. DAR 863092