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This is an image of the cover of Ezekiel H. Field's personal journal. In the journal he recorded some financial data but it is mostly a record of birth, death and marriage dates of family members. Not all of the entries are made by Ezekiel. On page 7 is recorded the birth and death of Ezekiel and Polly, his second wife. The writing changes at this point. There also appears the writing of other people.
Ezekiel was the oldest child of Abraham (1744-1822) and Elizabeth ( -aft 1825) Field. Abraham most likely was the son Keen Field ( -bef 1754) of Culpeper County, Virginia. Abraham's father died before his grandfather, Capt. Abraham Field (bef. 1699-1774) died. In Capt. Abraham's will of 2 July 1774 he leaves property to his grandson Abraham.
Abraham and Elizabeth were married in Culpeper County, about 1771. In 1784, following William Clark, they immigrated to the Falls of the Ohio, the present Louisville, Kentucky. They lived in several locations but they were all near the mouth of the Salt River close to West Point, Kentucky. Abraham had been wounded in the Battle of Point Peasant in West Virginia, in 1774. It was during this battle that his uncle Col. John Field (1720-1744) was killed. Abraham was unable to work as a farmer so he became a surveyer.
Ezekiel was a salt maker. He lived on property about 1.5 miles south of West Point. Much of his property in now on the property of Fort Knox. He raised a family of ten children from two wives, Mary Myrtle ( -1804) and Mary "Polly" Ditto who were both from other founding families of the Salt River area. It was Ezekiel's two younger brothers Joseph (abt 1780-abt 1807) and Reuben Field (abt 1781-1822) that were members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition between 1804-1806.
The original journal is in the possession of Richard A. Briggs of West Point, Kentucky. Richard is a historian and among other publications he has authored is Pioneer Settlers and Related Families at the Mouth of Salt River (West Point, Kentucky). Published by Ancestral Trails Society, Inc. P. O. Box 537, Vine Grove, Ketucky. Lucie and I had the pleasure of spending parts of three days with Richard in July of 2011. He took us to several cemeteries and also showed us land having belonged to Ezekiel Field.
Richard graciously allowed us to scan Ezekiel's journal and gave us permission to publish in on our website.
Ezekiel is buried in a family cemetery on the property of Ft. Knox. These cemeteries can only be visited on Memorial Day. We have seen photographs of Ezekiel's tobstone and it is in excellent condition.
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