Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-11-03
states troops from General Morgan, which

Robson county only on condition that the
citiz rs co-oreratc with them. When re
arrived. We went directly ito camp at
Eureka, n railroad GRO sing, immediately |
in the district whcr il the rubb; rs ooer
ated, ard awaited thu. 90 ning Of the vol
un,eers, who were G Ill, ing At Shoe Heel |
Ga the following day, sO.ue ten or twelve
citizens Joined u.s. principally consisting Of
the band of refugees previously men toned.
and during the week following they were
Joined by nine me re-. These wtr5 oil tbe
uOI,uateeg,s Colonel Wishart was ever en-
able TO obtain, and several OF these were
citizens of Richmond county, and but few
of the entire Dumber kne any of the gang
of robbers sufficiently we'll to tell them
should We have happened 10 have seen
them in the swamps Moro volunteers
were promised in a few daya, and with the
force that was present, under the direction
and suggestions Of Colonel Wishart, and
his interchangeable Lieutenant, Colopel Jas.
Nick Mclean, We proceeded INN G6iate'y
| to commence operations
| Right here, tbink is the proper race
10 give some description of the country
which compose S the district euphoniously
called "Scuff1 stown," wherein the robbers
hide and emerge from to commit their
various phases OF ontlawry. It is not as
! many suppOte, a huge swamp. ScUff1 >
town proper, embraces some twelve or fl
Lumber River, slow and shallow stream
in summer, but which in wiutgr, affords
| water enough to float rats OF ton timber
and prevent its crossing kept on legs or
bridges. During our stay Of five weeks, il
was fordable at almost any point. The
whole country is fiat and sandy. For per-
haps half mile on each side this stream is
a dense swamp Of evergreen growth which
in winter is miry aud aImo impossible,
0prfaIn inf li,.I
River Swemp, Beyond it somo two or
three miles. Back Swamp and Devils
| Den" low marshy places running almost
parallel with the creek which aft ,rl a run
ming stream II winter, but dry IN sum
mer, almost impenttrab'e with trees, and
evergl ecu bushes which grow to soma ten
or Twelve feet in height, and are inte1laced
with Running vines that form an almost
net work Of impeachment TO progress.
These swamrs run almost through the en-
tire length OF the ScEffietown district, and
range from a half mile to two miles wide.
Betwt en- the swnmps and GU both SIDES
are iunumerabie fit places Of vari Us
dimensions, from square acio h. mil ,
| having the same character Of growth,
called Bays" and "Slashes," and the
remainder is of pine land, on viii, Ii the
''Scuffietonians" generally reside IL !og
| sLantles, with only patches Of sck!E lock
affording their only visible means Of eu~to-
nance. They live. as general thing. by
''tending boxes getting out crude turpen-
tine) cutting Ton timber for RATS IL yin
ter, and doing odd jobs for the more
thrifty farmers who live q few mile3 from
them. There are exceptions to this gen
eral rule, however, where they have good
farms of hundred or moro acres, we'll
| cultivated. and whore the honesty, sobrie-
| to nd hch IF hn
above rerroach. Prominent among such
are Patrick, Calvin aud st. Clair Lo Rry,
| brothers to three tf tbs outlaws, aud eev-
eral others. In the section to which allude
there are perhal 200 families, composed
fer the main part OF the class OF people to
| which the OUTLAWS belong, being mixed
| breed between the white man. black and
Indian, many Of whom retain in remark
able degree tie Indian characteristics in
face, color and form, and are said to pcs
sess all the natural sbrewdness belonging
to the IndiaD. They live generally from
| hand to mouth, in a state If much pOv-
| erty, IN log houses With slab roofs, with
| little or none of the comforts Of civilized
life. The locality detired it's name lopg
before the war, 1 suppose, from the divers
| ScuD3es which occurred amongst them,
| they bearing the rame of their being qnite
| belligerent in characFer-as well IS TIC
scuffle it evidently took for then to Pre-
cure an honest living off their two acre Of
cultivated potatoes. Only SOM three or
four white farmers continue TO live on
their farms amongst them, and these are
constantly raided upon by tie outlaws fyr
provisions. which they give without much
demurriug, AID barely whisper the fact
after having been tlecced Of their prop
erty. Theke live in constant state of
dread and uncertainty, not knowing what
hour of the day or night they may be
visited by the outlaws. aud arc m object
OF suspicion, it is alleged, by both the
outlaws and those who have previously
hunted them.
Some two or three white men have mar
lied mulatto women, and live on places in
the neighbOrhOod with their wives and rs
assisting in the further mixture OF the race.
The whole race is moro or loss connected
by blood, and some five or six family naucs
constitute the majority of the inhabitants,
the Lowreys, the OXendines, and Chayises
being the largest in number. It is assert.
ed, and my experience rather goes to prove
the assertion, that nearly this whole COM
mnnity are in active sympathy with the
outlaws, many doubtless through fear, 9th
ers from prejudice, and the balance from
ties of frateIn nifty and blood. Ali, without
exception, lend no aid whatever in the
capture of the gang, and never report their
hiding places or whereabouts, and will not
even mention the fact when they see them,
until sufficient time has elapsed to place |
the outlaws beyond the reach Of pursuit.
It is positively affirmed that any move
ment made by the officers Of the law and
others to capture the banditti, is speedily
telegraphed by signals known only to the
initiated, and by divers other means,
whereby they are enabled to elude pursuit,
and from this cause is attributed the inva-
riable failure OF the parties to surprise
the gang. or at any time to catch them IN
awares. Besides this, this whole people.
living as they do upon the edges of the
swamps and bays. which in winter are al
most islands surrounded by water, have
numerous paths and short cuts from house
to house, which they almost invariably
follow. instead of the roads. and they are
by this means enabled TO communicate
with the outlaws much sooner than par
ties who go the ordinary roads to reach
any place at which they may suppose them
to be. The trails and paths ramify the
swamps and pine fields bewilderipgly to