The Maulding Memorial association, with W. B. Maulding of Dahlgren as president, and H. Anderson of McLeansboro as secretary and consisting of many of the leading citizens of McLeansboro and Hamilton county, had worked long and hard to plan Maulding Memorial day and secure the data necessary to make the day a success and to complete the $1500 memorial fund raised by popular subscription incidental to the erection of the monument.  The many children of so distinguished a forefather came prepared for a day of deep reverence and tribute and spent the day discussing the achievements of the one man foremost in their minds, hearing the address so ably delivered by Rev. Cyrus Maulding of Ewing, Ill., Rev. John B. Maulding of McLeansboro, and the Hon J. H. Lane, and drinking in with intense interest the genealogy, that had been prepared and was read by Harry Anderson, a prominent attorney of this city, in hopes of tracing their own direct descent.

          Maulding Memorial day was indeed a red letter day in the history of Hamilton county, being crowned by an excellent program, consisting of music, addresses, etc., and was diversified by a mammoth picnic feast.  The unveiling of the Maulding monument occurred in the afternoon while heads were bowed and benediction was pronounced.  A military salute was fired by a squad of Legionnaires of McLeansboro Post 106 over the grave of one of the fathers of our country, who has so long lain unhonored and his deeds of valiantly unsung.

          A part of the program and one of the features of the Memorial exercises, along with the genealogy read by Mr. Anderson, was the early history of the Maulding family, read by Val B. Campbell, cashier of the First National Bank of McLeansboro, and prepared at a great cost of both money and time.  The history appears in connection with this article.

          We have endeavored to mention all who had a prominent part in the exercises.  If we have overlooked anyone we shall try to make amends in our next issue if our attention is called to the omission.

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          Mr. Chairman, Relatives and Friends:--

          I am glad to see as many of the descendants of Ambrose Maulding and their friends here today to witness the dedication of this monument to this Revolutionary soldier, who gave eight years of his life in battles and skirmishes with the Indians who were allies of the English during the Revolutionary war in North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky.

          Being a descendant of this distinguished Revolutionary soldier, I have been requested to speak to you today on the first settlement of the Maulding family in this county and their great achievements in assisting in converting a wilderness inhabited by Indians and wild animals to on the riches and most beautiful countries in the world.

          Captain Richard Maulding, a native of England, and a regular soldier of that county, emigrated to Caroline county, Virginia and was granted 387 acres of land on April 11, 1732 (Book 14, p. 400), the first Caroline Survey Book, which is now in the Clerk's office of Campbell county, Kentucky, and of which a photostat copy is in the Clerk's office in Bowling Green, the County Seat of Caroline county, Virginia.  This book discloses the fact that this 387 acres in St. Margaret Parish in Caroline county was surveyed for Captain Richard Maulding on the 9th day of September 1729.  The book was taken to Kentucky by the Taylor, Taliaferro and Brookes emigrants, and the unused portion of it served as the first Deed Book of Campbell county.  The first half of the book contains 47 surveys and the latter half 20 deeds, 2 surveys and one sale bill.

           Captain Richard Maulding was the father of James Maulding, who received a good education and wrote in a fine hand.  He married Katy Tyler, a near relative of President John Tyler, U.S.A.  James Maulding and his wife had four sons, Ambrose, Morton, Richard and Wesley and several daughters.  James Maulding and his family moved to the backwoods country of North Carolina and his children were deprived of the advantage of good schools.

          Ambrose and his brother, Morton Maulding, in company with other soldiers in 1778 established Manskers Station where Clarksville, Tennessee, is now located.  The Cumberland River formed a trench on the south, east and west, and all around defended by the other stations and Red River formed a trench on the north and the inaccessible bluff and hills formed a rampart to protect the Station from the Indians.

          There were nearly 500 settlers on the Cumberland, one-half of them being able bodied men in the prime of life.  The central station, the capital of the little community at the bluff where Robinson built a little stockaded hamlet and called it Nashborough, in honor of Governor Nash of North Carolina.  It was the usual type of small frontier fortified towns.  The other stations were scattered along both sides of the Cumberland River, among these stations was Manskers (usually called Kaspers or Gaspers, he was not particular how his name was spelled) Stone River, Bledsoe, Frenlands, Eatons Clover Bottom and Fort Union.  Two hundred fifty-six names are subscribed to the compact of Government.

           Ambrose Maulding and Morton Maulding were signers of the Cumberland compact in 1780.  Throughout 1781-1782 the Cumberland settlers were worried beyond description by a succession of small war parties.  In the first of these years they raised no corn, the second they made a few crops on fields they had cleared in 1780.  No man's life was safe for an hour, whether he hunted, looked up strayed stock, went to the spring for water, or tilled the fields.  If two men were together, one always watched while the other worked, ate or drank and they sat down back to back.  The Indians were especially fond of stealing horses and the whites pursued them in bands.  Pitched battles were fought with loss on both sides, and as often resulting in favor of one party as of the other.  They most expert Indian fighters naturally became the leaders, being made Colonels, Captains and Lieutenants. 

           Ambrose Maulding was made a Captain and served under "Old Kasper Mansker" after whom the Station was named.  He was one of the most successful Indian fighters, and may be taken as a type of the rest.  He was ultimately made a Colonel and shared in many expeditions and inflicted great losses on the Indians.

          In the fall of the 1780 James Maulding came from North Carolina with his wife and children, and settled on the Red River and called the Station Mauldings Station, sometimes called Red River or "Old Station" which is situated in Logan County, Kentucky.

          In the year 1782 at Maulding Station there were two young men named Mason and Moses Maulding, Ambrose Maulding, Josiah Haskins, Jene Simmons and others.  The two Masons had gone to a lick and posted themselves in a secret place to watch for deer, and while in this situation several Indians came to the Lick and the boys took good aim and fired upon them killing two of them and then ran with all their speed to the Fort.  They returned, found the dead Indians, scalped them and returned to the Fort.  That night John Peyton and Ephraim Peyton on their way to Kentucky called in at the Fort and remained all night.  The Indians in the night took away almost all of the horses.  The next morning the people pursued them and killed three and retook all of the horses, that night encamping at the Fort, and the next morning they proceeded on their journey, but the Indians had gotten between them and Maulding Station by a circular route, and when the whites came near enough fired upon them and killed on the Masons and Josiah Haskinson and wounded Ambrose Maulding.

           When the Mauldings settled on the Red River in 1780, their country was an Eden of Peace and tranquility reigned supreme.  They heard of attacks on other quarters, but here was undisturbed quiet, game was abundant, wild turkeys were to be seen in great droves, also deer, elk and buffalo.  The bellowing of the buffalo resounded through the woods like distant thunder.  One hunter in one day killed enough meat to do a regiment for a week.  Besides the game mentioned, there was small game in abundance, also a goodly number of bear and the nature of the country was wild, romantic, and rich; knob after knob raising up to the beholder.  While the barrens were covered with a fine green growth of grass and cane interspersed with the most beautiful flowers, the whole county being filled with rich and delicate odors.

          The first visitor to Russellville, county seat of Logan county, Kentucky, was Morton Maulding.  In his deposition in the suit of Craddock and Company, he says in 1780.  I think in May, I went hunting from Manscoes Lick, and fell into a buffalo trace at the head of Muddy River at the Big Spring and pursued it to the middle Lick at which place I cut the first letter of my name and encamped all night.  Upon my return I gave information of the Lick I had found and no person known of them, I name one Moates Lick by which name it has been called ever since.

          The next person who visited Russellville was Ambrose Maulding in 1782.  Richard Maulding came in 1783.  Kentucky in an early day was a part of Virginia and Tennessee a part of North Carolina.  In 1772 the residents of east Tennessee organized a government of their own and called it Washington District, and May 23, 1775 the residents of eastern Kentucky organized a state and called in Transylvania, but it perished in infancy.  Francis Price was captain and Ambrose Maulding was Lieutenant of all the forces at Maulding Station in 1783 and James Maulding, father of Ambrose Maulding was the judge.

           In 1776 Virginia established Kentucky county including the present lines of the state.  In 1780 Kentucky was divided into Fayette, Jefferson and Lincoln counties, the last of which included the county of Logan.  The convention in April 1792 formed the first Constitution of Kentucky and in May the officers were elected.  Isaac Shelby was the first Governor, and the government of the commonwealth of Kentucky went into effect June 1, 1792, at which time the Legislature met.  Early in the session an act was passed forming the county of Logan.  Copy of the first meeting of a court in Logan county, September County Court 1792, at a county court held for Logan county at Richard Maulding's the 2nd day of September 1792 agreeable to an act of the assembly in that case made and provided a commissioner of the peace directed to Burwell Jackson, Ambrose Maulding and Young Ewing, gentlemen, whereupon the said Young Ewing had the oath administered to him prescribed by the Constitution and the Law by the said Burwell, Jackson, and then the said Young Ewing administered the oath of the said Burwell Jackson and Ambrose Maulding, and then a court was held for Logan county the 25th day of September 1792.  Present: Burwell Jackson, Ambrose Maulding, and Young Ewing, Samuel Caldwell was appointed clerk, whereupon he had the oath administered to him prescribed by the Constitution and the Law. 

          Wesley Maulding, a gentleman, produced a commission appointing him sheriff of the county of Logan whereupon he had the oath of fidelity to the U. S. the oath prescribing by the Constitution and also the oath enjoined by Law administered to him, and thereupon he together to him, and thereupon he together with Morton Maulding and Richard Maulding executed and acknowledged a bond in the penalty of three hundred dollars conditioned as the law directs.  Ordered the building for hold Court be erected on the land of William Campbell on the head of Muddy River.  Ordered that it be certified to the Judge of the Supreme Court that Justinian Cartwright is a man of honesty, probity and good demeanor.  Cartwright was an applicant to the Supreme Court for a license to practice law, and was the father of Peter Cartwright the renowned Methodist minister of Illinois, and a member of legislature of our State.

          Now, that Wesley Maulding, raised from a private citizen to be high sheriff of the county of Logan, he must had a home suitable for such a dignitary, so the citizens from all parts of the county assembled to raise Wesley Maulding, a cedar house of four rooms; two above and two below and a cellar, the most commodious and elegant house in the Green River country.  To this house Mr. Maulding moved his family the first part of 1783.  The boards were fastened on with pegs.  At the March Term of Court 1794 Wesley Maulding, Sheriff, and Samuel Caldwell, Clerk, each received as their pay 1200 pounds of tobacco.  The first election held in Logan county was held in May 1794, and Morton Maulding was selected to be the first Representative of the County of Logan in the Legislature, and served several terms.  Ambrose Maulding served as Judge for many years and Wesley Maulding served as Sheriff for years, and also as a member of the Legislature.

          James  Maulding died in 1797.  Morton Maulding and his brother, Ambrose, left Logan count in 1808 and settled first in Christian county, then in Livingston County, Ky.  Morton Maulding died there in 1820.  Ambrose Maulding was living in Union county in 1813, and moved to Hamilton county, Illinois, then a part of White county, in 1815; and entered land from the Government on 'August 11, 1817.  Richard Maulding emigrated to Illinois in 1808 and lived in Hamilton county in 1821, moving to Missouri, near Maulding, Mo., where he died and was buried.

         Ninian Edwards settled in Logan county and practiced law in Judge Ambrose Maulding's court.  He was elected Circuit Judge and Supreme Judge in Kentucky; appointed Governor of Illinois Territory in 1818; elected United States Senator and in 1826 elected Governor of Illinois.

          Wesley Maulding remained in Logan county among his old and true friends, that had honored him by electing him to nearly every office in the county.  He passed away in 1832 and his remains were buried on Maulding Hill, Russellville, Logan county, Kentucky.

          Ambrose Maulding was sixty years of age when he came to this county and entered from the Government eight acres of land, East 1/2 of the Northeast, Section 13, Township 5 Range 5, in Knights Prairie township, and lived on this land until his death in 1833.  His children who lived in Kentucky emigrated to this county.  Captain John Anderson married his daughter, Mourning Maulding, who was my great, great grandmother, and lived on the southwest side of the fair grounds near the reservoir, and the first court held in this county was held at his house.  He and his wife reared a large family.  Dr. Lorenzo Rathbone married my great-grandmother, Permelia, daughter of Captain John Anderson, and reared a large family.  Dr. V. S. Benson married my grandmother Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Dr. Rathbone and wife, and reared two children, Dr. George and Kitty B. who is my mother, the wife of General James R. Campbell.