Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-06-04
IFNOIR. CaIDvETT, Co Mo,

ouuSes Eli hAnu, N1mrOu LanQ ana James
Land were tried for the murder of Sarah
Land, the daughter Of James Land and
sister OF Eli and Nimrod. The following
is summary of the evidence
The Land family consisted of James, O
man apparently OF fifty years OF age, his
wife, Jane, his sons ELI aud Nimrod, aged
sixteen and seventeen, his daughters Sarah
and Polly, older than the boys, and two
children OF tender years. They were very
poor, living on rented land in log cabin
at the base Of Cox's Knob of the Brushy
Mountains, Alexander county, North Caro-
ilna. They We're remarkably quiet, peace
able, honest, and industrious people, and
were noted for their kindly affection to one
another. The wife and mother, Jane, O
woman of very limited education, but of
strong will and fervent passions, had ac-
quired a controlling influence over her
husband and children, and was in every
way the ruler of her family. The religious
feelings, always marked, had become inten-
sifed by the exercises and manifestations
at a "protacted meeting" held at
Dover Church, in their neighborhood,
last August, where, for nine days
and nights, from 9 a. IN. to 10 p. M,
preaching was kept up by three minis
ters, with brief interruption for meals -
From attending these meetings this family,
who were, with the exception of the two
little children, all church members went
home more than ever interested in devo-
tional subjects. Their daily work in field
and house as little by little neglected and
laid aside they began series of home
meetings. in which Jane and Sally Were
the exhorters, and which every member CT
the family took part in. During the pro-
gress Of these meetings the mother and
Sally began to see visions. and the mother
to prophesy. Sally claimed to be the
true God, the mother often saw Polly on
the cross. and sometimes herself felt on
her head the thorny crown, and felt in her
side the spear, as her Saviour had done be-
fore her. The mother would sometimes
predict that some dreadful calamity was
about to overtake the community she
did not know its precise nature, nor its OBJ
iects, but it was surely coming, and coming
soon. She often would prepare a dinner,
set a table, and wash and put out a suit of
clothes for her son John, who had entered
the Confederate army, and had never since
been heard from. John Was coming home,
she would say, in Gods own good way and
time, in a mighty draw (seine), and would
bring with him all she, Sally and Polly
had been suffering to gain. Sally was to
be sacrificed for the sins of the world-her
death was to ransom the rest of her family.
For days and nights together they would
fast, sing, preach and pray. In these exer-
cises Jane and Sally led off, Polly follow
ing, while the father and his two sons
would either sit silently listening, Or follow
ing the lead of the women, and when their
vocal manifestations gave place to such
physical ones as dancing, would march
in procession, and chase away the devil
Two or three weeks before Sally's death
they began to see evidences of the devils
peculiar malignity towards themselves
they believed, or pretented to believe
that he was trying to destroy them, and
that he must be driven away by physical
prowess; they were seen, at the command
OF Jane, to rush out of their cabin like a
swarm of bees, shouting 'Here he goes !!
it il the devil kill him kill him - and
to run violently about the yard, garden
and house beating the air with their fists,
and shouting loudly enough to be heard a
mile off, On Saturday, February 20, 1869.
the whole family excepting Sally were
seen in Jonathan Lands field some half
mile from their house, preaching, praying
and singing, exhorting bystanders to re-
pent, threatening damnation to all who
denied obedience to their commands, and
were observed, with their sleeves rolled up
above their elbows knocking dried chesnut
burs about from one to another until their
naked hands and arms were covered with
blood. While this was going on, Sally
was. noticed setting apart, her eyes fixed
on the sun, which, although near the
West, was still brilliant and cloudless;
when she was asked what was going on up
yonder, pointing to the family she began,
with wild gestures to reply, preaching,
sir, from Heavens King"-keeping this
up rapidly for some minutes, and then
changing into some unintelligible jargon.
Shortly after this, the same evening, they
were met in narrow path, by brother
of James, marching by twos towards home,
the mother clasping her husbands arm
with both her hands in front-next came
Sally and Polly, then the boys, and last
the children; their heads were bare, their
hair dishevelled, their dress disordered,
their eyes fixed and starting, their faces
set steadily to the front, and their whole
look wild and strange. The witness spoke.
None answered. He moved little to one
side, still keeping close to them and ad-
dressing them, but the whole procession
filed past him without word or sign of re-
cognition. The witness believed them
crazy, and went several miles away for
James father, an old man named Murphy,
who testified that the next day Sunday
he went to their house, met Eli and MIN
rod close by, who were entirely averse to
his entering until he prayed-for said they,
" It is Gods house and we are Gods peO-
ple." Gaining an entrance at last, he found
that the whole family had tasted for three
days, eating, as they claimed, "hidden
mama" His visit was proftless, and he
went away. That evening neighbor and
four young women called on them. Sally
was standing by the hearth. holding out
gourd Of water to Eli and Nimrod, calling
on them to drink and be cleansed; that
she was the true and only God. They
drank the water, ard then Eli seized pine
torch, lit it, and with his shirt drawn out
over his waist. and his right arm and
shoulder bare, held his blazing torch up in
the middle of the room ; the rest of the
family danced about it, shouting and clap
ping their hands, until they put out the
torch, when they exclaimed "We have
conquered the devil" Seeming then to
notice their visitors for the first time, they
approached them, shouting, I" Here are
five more devils, and On the floor We'll lay
them, and on the five persons so accosted
fleeing affrighted from the house, they fol-
lowed them into the yaro, exclalming,
s' Out of the door they go. and In the yard