The Phelps' and Pittman's Station

James and Nellie (Jones) Phelps, natives of Green County, and of Scotch-Irish and English descent respectively.  James Phelps received his early education in his native county, but while yet a young man, in the latter part of the last century, removed to what is now Butler County, Ky., which was then a part of Ohio County, and almost an unbroken wilderness.  Here he was afterward married; bought wild land on the waters of Welch's Creek, erected a log-cabin, and subsequently improved a farm, upon which he resided for many years; then removed to Edmonson County, where he resided some five or six years; returned to Butler County and again bought wild land, adjoining his first purchase, where he improved another farm and resided for several years; then sold out and bought a farm and corn-mill on big Reedy Creek, same county, upon which he resided for some five or six years, after which he made his home among his children until his death, in 1863. 

He and wife were from early life members of the United Baptist Church; he was also for many years a captain in the State militia. His mother, Nancy (Nail) Phelps, was killed by the Indians soon after settling in Green County; and her husband Julian Phelps, was severely wounded at the same time; the whole family only escaped massacre through the courage and forethought of his brother William Phelps.

According to family lore James was just weeks old at the time of the Indian massacre.  He survived because his brother William put him in the trundel bed and pushed it under the bigger bed.  Both Nancy (Abbott) Phelps and Nancy (Nail) Phelps (James' mother and grandmother were killed by the Indians).

Kentucky: A History of the State, Battle, Perrin, & Kniffin, 2nd ed., 1885, Butler Co. ..from Kentucky, A History of the State, Battle...

From Doris M. Phelps

I am probably going to start a discussion here about the accuracy of Battle's History, but here goes anyway. I do not think that Battle is correct in saying that James Phelps was was the son of Nancy Nail Phelps. She would have been fifty-three when James was born on February 8, 1789. It is not likely that she had another child at that age. I believe that James was the son of Julian Phelps and Nancy Abbott Phelps. They also had a son by the name of William who was born in 1788. He was one year old at the time of the Indian attack, in March 1789, and it is highly unlikely that a one year old put the one month old child under a trundle bed. It was much more likely that William, the son of William and Nancy Nail Phelps, was the one who saved the baby's life. At five, he probably could have managed to do that quite easily. In another article on the Hon. Julian N. Phelps, Battle says that Nancy Nail Phelps was married to Julian Phelps. I know this to be an incorrect statement because I have a copy of the marriage bond for Nancy Abbott and Julian Phelps. In a biographical sketch of the Hon. Julian N. Phelps, Battle states that both his mother and his grandmother were killed in the Indian attack. His mother, Nellie Jones Phelps, was born in 1792 several years after the massacre occurred. Would like to hear your reaction to my comments.