Oroville daily Butte record., 1857-05-09
OmuilIe 1]aiIq Dutte RerurG.
n Frontier Scene.

About seven miles north Of Hopkins
vile, Kentucky, is "A very remarkable
spot. A solitary post oak stands in the
barrens, in the forks Of the roads, and
has obtained, universally. the name of
the Lonesome Post OAK In the ear
iy settlement Of the country, more than
halt century ago, this was the only
tree to be Sem for many miles around.
aud hence obtained it name. 1t was
then tall, green, and flourishing; il is
now, however, if it yet stands, leaf
less branchless, thunder-riven, shat
tered trunk, sending up its shafts as
straight as the mainnast of ship Of
war. Superstition has long guarded
the spot. The tree is looked upon
with something like the same vcncra-
ton with which the Egyptian regards
his pyramids, those grim scntinels Of
antiquity.
The place is rmarkablc for severe
battle fought by Harpe and Davis
The Big Harpe, aud Little llnrpc, his
brother, were the terror Of the sur
rounding country in those ear y times.
Two more exccrable monsters never
disgraced humanity. They lived with
two women as bad as themselves, in a
cave about twenty miles from this tree.
Blood and massacre were their delight
1t was their custom TO sally forth, and
without any reason, to murder, with
out distinction, all the men, women
and children they could find AS the
country filed up, the peop.e could no
longer submit to their horrid dcpreda-
tions. Men and dogs collected, and
took the pursuit. They come on the
two lIarpes in narrow valley, at about
two miles from this tree. They imme.
datelv mounted their horses and dash
ed off in the direction of their cave. In
gong about five miles, Davis, whose
horse was very fleet, hal left his COM
panions, and caught up with Big llar-
pc, he having previously separated
from his brother, the Little llarpe.
Here were two powerful men, armed
with rifles, butcher knives and tomas
hawks, by themselves, far from help
and bent Oh death. Davis we'll knew
that if overpowerod, lie would certain
" be killed, and Harle had determln-
ed to die rather than be taken alive
they passed and re-passed each other,
frequently making blows without effect,
each dreadng to fire for fear of mis-
sing, and thereby placing himself at
the mercy Of his antagonist. Finally,
the horse Of Big ilarpe fell, and t.rew
his rider, thea rose and guloped off.
Harpe sprang to his feet, and fired at
DAVIS horse, which reared aad fell
They were now not more th.n ten
yards apart lIarpe, wh.s sagacity
was equal to his courage and villlan>,
kept lodging and sprinsing from side
to side, approaching DAVIS. how yer
by, impcrcrptlble degrees. Davis, dis
covering he would soon lose the bene-
fit of his gun, now fred in ms turn but
without effect. Each man now drew
his knife, and they closed in mortal
struggle. Very soon they fell, side by
side, but at this juncturc largr wolf
dog of Davis came to his master $ AS
sistance, aud seized llarpe by the throat
This produc, d diversion IN favor of
Davis, who Immediately recovered him
self snd st ,bbed Harpe to the heart.
The hideous yell whicn the wretch sent
up, is said still to be heard on dark
nights, ringing wildly along the heath.
Some ,fDavis' friends >oou joined him,
they dug a hole and buried Harpe at
the foot of the Lonesome Post Oak.
Little Harpe escaped, wert down
the Mississippi, and joined the c-lebra-
ted Mason and his gang, at Stack Is
land. Soon after iIarpe joiaed him,
Nj son attacked a fat boat from Can
cinuaii, and killed all hands. For thu
a large reward was offered for Mason
to obtain which Little Harpe was dc
coyrd to Natchez, and there mfarmed
against him and betrayed his lrie"d.
On Mason's trial, Harpe himself was
recognized, was tried and fond gui ty,
and on the sane day that Mason was
hung he also expiatcd his crimes on