Editing Kentucky Colonel (section)

=== First Kentucky Colonels ===
In 1776, Col. [[John Bowman (pioneer)|John Bowman]] was the first Kentucky colonel officially appointed. Col. John Bowman was appointed as colonel of the Militia of [[Kentucky County, Virginia|Kentucky County]] by Governor of the [[Colony of Virginia]], [[Patrick Henry]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Workers of the Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of Kentucky |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hD6NFPOO5MeN1F3AD_Ml0WZkXKNLBksU/edit |title=Military History of Kentucky |publisher=The Military Department of Kentucky |year=1939 |series=The American Guide Series |location=Frankfort, KY |pages=9}}</ref> Notable pioneer, [[Daniel Boone]] was given the title "colonel" by Col. Judge Richard Henderson in 1775 when he founded the settlement of [[Boonesborough, Kentucky|Boonesborough]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Daniel Boone |url=https://www.fortboonesboroughlivinghistory.org/html/daniel_boone.html |access-date=2024-05-28 |website=www.fortboonesboroughlivinghistory.org |archive-date=May 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240528215258/https://www.fortboonesboroughlivinghistory.org/html/daniel_boone.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Boone was not officially granted a Kentucky colonelcy until 1780 when he was commissioned by the governor of Virginia.<ref name="ref1">{{Cite web |title=Kentucky Colonel: Honorable American Title - First Kentucky Colonels |url=https://www.kycolonelcy.us/first-kentucky-colonels |access-date=2024-05-28 |website=www.kycolonelcy.us |language=en-US}}</ref>  At the time Kentucky colonelcy was still military appointment in contrast to the modern Kentucky colonelcy which is an honorary title for civilians.

[[Charles Stewart Todd|Charles S. Todd]] is often mistakenly believed to be the first recipient an honorary commission of a Kentucky colonel in 1813.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aide de Camp |url=https://www.kycolonels.org/aide-de-camp/ |access-date=2024-05-28 |website=Kentucky Colonels |language=en-US}}</ref> This is disputed by Col. Todd's biography, and US military archives.<ref>{{Cite web |title=American Colonels - Kentucky Colonel |url=https://www.colonels.net/states/kentucky-colonel |access-date=2024-05-27 |website=www.colonels.net |language=en-US}}</ref> The identity of first civilian honorary colonel is not known. In 1895, Governor [[William O'Connell Bradley]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chronicling America |first= |date=February 22, 1887 |title=Colonel Bradley |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85052020/1887-02-22/ed-1/seq-2/ |access-date=March 10, 2021 |work=Semi-Weekly Interior Journal |at=column 3, top |issn=1941-3009}}</ref> commissioned the first honorary Kentucky colonels<ref>{{Cite journal |date=1969 |title=News and Notes |journal=The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society |volume=67 |issue=1 |pages=86–92 |jstor=23376815 }}</ref> as an award of merit bestowed upon citizens for their individual contributions to the state, good deeds, and noteworthy actions.