HISTORY OF KENTUCKY, by Lewis Collins, and J.A. & U.P. James, published 
1847.  Reprinted by Henry Clay Press, Lexington, Ky., 1968, p. 233 
[Jefferson county].

Col. WILLIAM CHRISTIAN, in honor of whom this [Christian] county 
received its name, was a native of Augusta county, Virginia.  He was 
educated at Stanton, and when very young, commanded a company attached 
to Col. Bird's regiment, which was ordered to the frontier during 
Braddock's war.  In this service, he obtained the reputation of a brave, 
active and efficient officer.  Upon the termination of Indian 
hostilities, he married the sister of Patrick Henry, and settled in the 
county of Bottetourt.  In 1774, having received the appointment of 
colonel of militia, he raised about three hundred volunteers, and by 
forced marches, made a distance of two hundred miles, with the view of 
joining the forces under General Lewis, at the mouth of the Great 
Kenhawa.  He did not arrive, however, in time to participate in the 
battle of Point Pleasant, which occurred on the preceding day, the 10th 
of October, 1774. In 1775, he was a member of the general state 
convention of Virginia.  In the succeeding year, when hostilities had 
commenced between Great Britain and the American colonies, he received 
the appointment of colonel in the Virginia line of the regular army, and 
took command of an expedition, composed of 1200 men, against the 
Cherokee Indians.  No event of moment occurred in this expedition, the 
Indians having sued for peace, which was concluded with them.  After his 
return from this expedition, Colonel Christian resigned his command in 
the regular service, and accepted one in the militia, at the head of 
which he kept down the tory spirit in his quarter of Virginia throughout 
the revolutionary struggle.  Upon the conclusion of the war, he 
represented his county in the Virginia legislature for several years, 
sustaining a high reputation for his civil as well as his military 
talents.
	In 1785, Colonel Christian emigrated to Kentucky, and settled on 
Bear-grass. The death of Colonel Floyd, who was killed by an Indian in 
1783, rendered his location peculiarly acceptable to that section of the 
state, where a man of his intelligence, energy, and knowledge of the 
Indian character, was much needed.  In April of the succeeding year, 
1786, a body of Indians crossed the Ohio and stole a number of horses on 
Bear-grass, and with their usual celerity of movement, recrossed the 
river, and presuming they were in no futher danger of pursuit, leisurely 
made their way to their towns.  Colonel Christian immediately raised a 
party of men, and crossed the Ohio in pursuit of the marauders.  Having 
found their trail, by a rapid movement he overtook them about twenty 
miles from the river, and gave them battle. A bloody conflict ensued, in 
which Colonel Christian and one man of is party were killed, and the 
Indian force totally destroyed. * His death created a stong sensation in 
Kentucky. He was brave, intelligent and remarkably popular.
	*Vide Marshall's History, vol 1., page 228.  This account varies 
in some of its particulars from that which appears in the biographical 
sketch of Lieutenant Governor Bullitt, who belonged to the party of 
Colonel Christian.

Christian Bird Braddock Henry Lewis Floyd Marshall Bullitt
=
Augusta-VA Botetourt-VA Christian-KY

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/jefferson/christian.w.txt