Meshech Browning: the Daniel Boone of Maryland
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
- Meshach Browning
This fellow claims he killed more bears with a knife than he did with his musket.
When faced with multiple deer or bears, Browning popped his lead round balls in his mouth and gave chase, so reloading his muzzleloader was faster.
He was innovative, bending his muzzleloader barrel between two trees to make his rifle shoot to sights. It was not uncommon for Meshach to crawl into occupied bear dens during hibernation with nothing but a knife and successfully take them.
Meshach Browning (1781-1859) was an early settler of western Maryland and a prolific hunter.
His book, Forty-four Years of the Life of a Hunter, provides one of the best accounts of pioneer life in the Appalachian Mountains during the early 1800’s.
Browning's memoir of his "hunting-fever" through the years along with other activities was originally penned with a turkey quill.
Half backwoods history, half heroic adventure story, it recounts his hunting expeditions and life-threatening encounters while stalking game and records details of life in early frontier America, western Maryland folkways and early settlement life.
In 1754, just to the northwest near what is now Farmington, Pennsylvania, the Battle of Fort Necessity pitted members of the Virginia Militia led by George Washington against an attack by the French and Native Americans.
This Ending in defeat, the skirmish sparked the French and Indian War.
The next year, British Maj. Gen. Edward Braddock, the first commander-in-chief in the war, led troops into what is now Pittsburgh to assault the French position of Fort Duquesne. The assault ended in disaster and the death of Braddock.
Among the highly demoralized, defeated troops was Joshua Browning, who decided to desert and take up residence in Maryland.
In 1781, Browning and his wife, Nancy, celebrated the birth of their son, Meshach.
However, father and son had only two months together before Joshua Browning died.
Nancy Browning moved to Allegany County to be closer to relatives, and when Meshach Browning turned 14, he began - with a bare minimum of education - to write down his hunting exploits, his travels and his encounters with the few people living in the western part of Allegany County.
Making his way throughout the region that would eventually become Garrett County, Browning reported that in his career as a professional hunter, he killed 2,000 deer, 400 bears, 50 panthers and numerous wolves and wildcats
Meshach was the Daniel Boone of Maryland. He details how he started with nothing but an empty shell of a hunting shack. Through hard work, he carved a life as a cattle farmer and a mill operator out of the Garrett woodlands.
While focused mostly in the Garrett County area, Browning’s travels took him into Pennsylvania and the future West Virginia, hunting in neighboring Preston County (formed in 1818) and south to the mouth of the North Branch Potomac River.
Most of the content Meshach shares in Forty-Four Years has to do with his life as a hunter. He was the most respected hunter in the county.
Very interesting. Thanks for telling his story.
I greatly appreciate you putting your energy into this, by research, I descend from his daughter Jane Browning, and Joab. Bertha browning is my 2xgreat grandmother. I actually drove from IL. recently and located his grave and found some other sites, I also found my direct Friend grandparents of Friendsville.
Great video 😊
Excellent.... never heard of him.... badass guy
My family are all descendants of Meshach. I have a few old family books and documents that link us as well as a copy of his own book.
I found out through studying the genealogy of my mother’s - mother’s family that Meshach Browning is my 6th great grandfather. Nothing but fun ever since. “Fourty Four Years…” was a trip back in time, to get to know Meshach and Mary McMullen , from the first time they saw each other, and fell in love through their difficult but happy time as settlers in Sang Run and Meshach’s many adventures. The birth of their first child, my grandmother Dorcas. The book is alive in that the places he hunted and lived, and faint traces are still there. The places he surveyed and named, still there.
He has been written about a ton, in articles from publications such as Field and Stream, Currier and Ives, family histories, and other sources paid tribute. His trail is still warm there in Garrett county and I’m so proud to be among the hundreds of living descendants of these fearless pioneers. This was wonderful, thank you so much! You have a gift of narration. Very nice to know someone your age takes interest in our pioneer heritage. God bless.
Thank you for the recommendation! It was a story that needed told! Hopefully others can have their interpretations. Cheers ! ❤️
I, too, am a direct descendent of Meshak through his daughter, Dorcas. I live PA and hope to visit Maryland this summer. Thank you for the video and information on the trail system. I love a good hike!
I read his book and I have to say 😢😅 it was fascinating and to realize how hard life was.
It was hard to finish reading because how little empathy he had for any animals and people of color during those times. I am from Maryland and raised for some time in oldtown Maryland as a kid. He and fellow hunter's with him during that time surprised me with his method and cunning to dominate to the point of wiping out whole species of animals that belonged to this land from before the beginning of our time. Strong man yes and provided for his family in unbelievable hard times you better believe it. But is he someone who we should put 🤔 up on a pedestal and look at horrifically
Honorable is what I meant to say. Also my mother was born and raised Friendsville Maryland so I a lot of history with western maryland.
Interesting, cause I never heard tell of him till now! Just think of ALL the others who never wrote a book or achieved fame.
Probably because although he was a noted Maryland county frontiersman, he had no Indian battles, major explorations or founded any towns or territories as had Daniel Boone. Apparently his hunting abilities is where the comparison rightly ends.
Meshach is both my 7th GGF and Great uncle, his brother is the same for me obviously lol .. figure it out 😂