The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-01-29

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81 : . cce .as&E' Sd - s<Eu lda z@st saf
HISTORY OF A BLOODY tFAMIL,
FEUD In TENNEssEE.a aai IL
The following letter gives the singular hisse
~ and tragic conclusion of one of those blood
family feuds which are common in the States o
Kentucky and Tennessee, but rarely heard Q
elsewhere in this country:n al -2.'3s2 -,
t'Fo you who live among the restraints .ane
amidst the security of fixed laws that minister
all the remedies and redresses that are expected
or desired, the rude customs Of settling quarrels
avenging Insults and inficting, punishments
still in vogue throughout the further limits oil
our State and adjoining States, read like the
imaginings of a second-rate novelist, or the OBJ
solete customs of frontier Standardization.
But here the law in practice principally deals
with civil matters. Actions Cor minor matters
of assault or slander are rare. A blow begets a
blow; an insult a chsstisement; nor would pub
lie sentiment sustain him who rushed to the re-.
fuge of court to obtain damages put upon his
courage or his honor, when the general opinion
is that both should rest in the keeping and vim
dication of the man himself The war has left
many feuds that will be settled in this summary
way; nor does the hand of authority, in our
outer limits, often take hold of him who re-
dresses his own injuries, when the provocation
was obviously great, and the burden of merit
resting upon the party that squares his own ac-
counts and takes the risks. Not a few animosi-
ties ante.date the war, which was but tempo
rary cessation to their opportunity for redress;
and now that strife is ended, they come again
with added hereditary rancor, and viii write
themselves 10 many tale of blood. ~ ~
ba N, oct ctr;L;oc soekonno thok <,1i;ns
the preceding statements has just come to my
notice from the details of the simultaneous kill
ing by each other of Randall Rogers and Robert
Johnstone, on the 5th of January, at Elizabeth.
town, Carter county, in this State, at the juno
ton of the Watauga and Dee rivers, in the iron
region. So 49,, ...
They met in the one tavern Of the place, and
after some words, went out in the street, where
they drew revolvers and commenced firing at
each other, at the distance of about ten PAGES
But three shots were fred by each. The first
from Rogers grazed the shoulder of his adversa-
ry, whose ball wounded the pistolarm Of his
despite which he continued firing,
receiving ball in the thigh, and lastly in the
neck, from Johnstone, whom he shot the third,
time, with fatal effect, in the abdomen, thus
each, lying side by side, dying within few
minutes of each other
The beginning of this tragedy dates twenty
one years back. La October, 1916, Thomas
tombstone and his two sons, James and Henry,
came from Randolph county, North Carolina,
and settled near Elizabethtown as small farmers
doing their own work, and trusting more to the
resources Of the soil than to the reported stories
If iron ore, which report then was but family
attributed to the locality, but which labor has
since proved richly true. They were quiet, in
lustrious people, and drew but little notice other
han the praise their industry won from those
among whom they lived. Another family, of
arger wealth, Rogers by name, the father of
ghom was Justice of the Peace, lived hard
BY, and one morning the elder Johnstoue be-
came involved with him in quarrel about the
of some rails, the timber of which
Rogers insisted had been cut from his land,
which the latter denied. aLiar and thief from
Rogers Induced sound chastisemeut Of him
rom the three Johnstones. An hour after
Rogers returned with rife and shot the elder
tombstone through the heart. The custom of
he country and the wealth Of Rogers led to
general acquiesence with his course Matters
vent on for four years. Meantime the elder of
he Johpstope sons, James, had attained man.
rood, and 10 November, 1850, shot this same
SQUIRE Rogers through the heart as he was sit
ing on his front porch one Sunday morning,
Squire Rogers left son, William, the father of
large family, who let is vengeance siumber o.
y for opportunity, and four months afterwards
ode to Elizabetbtown, caught Henry Johnstone
It breakfast, aBd sent bullet through his brain
he could rise from the table. 80,
Soon after this William Rogers was himself
hot early one morning in the woods by son
# Henry Jchnstone. Time rolled on, and ten
ears passed till 1860, when Henry Johnstone
encountering the son of William
Rogers in the Courthouse of Carter county,
oasted to him that he had killed his father,
ecause his own father had been killed by
Tames. The grandson of Thomas Johnstone at
nee set upon young Rogers with bowie knife,
e died the next morning.
But two survivors nov remained, Robert |
ohnstone, who had killed William Rogers, and
landall Rogers, son of the latter. These en-
cred Confederate regiments from this State |
nd section, and returned to EIizabethtown at
he close of the struggle. How they met and
illed each other have already written. Thus
be fueG of blood has had for victims, Thomas
ohnstone, Squire Rogers, James Rogers, Will
am Rogers, Henry Johnstone, Randall Rogers
nd Robert Johnstone, two grandfathers, two
lthers and three sons Of the latter, who have
allen in consequence Of the original feud of
S46. As they (the two last) were both un-
,arried men, and leave no brothers, it is to be
oped that here the terribly true story o. blood
ill end, but from the large number OF col
.teIal relatives each leaves it is By no means
crtaiE. r.Ea s,ea -s-ftz-7ss - -->1
Long ago, in Massachusetts,, it was the custom
DR. person to 60 about the meeting houses, +
uring divine service and vske the sleepers.
He bore long wand, on one end of which /
a.. hall and-nn 4ho o.har fnx tail When [