Daily Republican., 1879-10-30
AKEHrUOKYs ssUD.
Ths war Betwssn shs S,nderwooda
and Holbr0oks In Carter COuasy
Tho End Of IN Extraordinary

and HOlbrOOks N Cofter COuoey
Tho Ead Of IN Extraordinary
Siege.
A correspondent at Mt. Sterling, KY,
gives a detailed history Of the Under
wood Holbrook fsud in Carter County.
The quarrel began just after the war,
In September, 1865. Jesse Underwood,
son Of old George Underwood, got into
bar room quarrel with q man who
called for "Jsff Davis drink" and in
the fight that snsusd George Trumbo
was shot and killed by Jesse. Many
efforts were made by the authorities ia
capture Jesse, and in one Of the raids
ON the Underwood "fort" Squire Hol.
brook shot and seriously wounded the
Young man, thus starting the fsud be.
tween the two fsmilies.At length Jesse,
to avoid so much fighting, went to
Iowa, and then there was peace for q
time. Hostilities were renewed, how.
ever, when old George Underwood be.
came bail for some men charged with
horse. stealing.
The war was soon in full progress
again, and many were killed on both
sides. Lewis Underwood was shot
through the stomach, and fingered two
years with a wound through which the
process Of digestion could BE- seen. Jesse
came back from Iowa to see bis brother
before he died, and the affair culmina-
ted in siege OF the cabin in which the
whole Underwood family had gathered.
The siege lasted nineteen days, and
finally, when = surrender was agreed
to, nothing was done by the authori-
ties, and through the agency Of Jesse
peace prevailed again. Besides being
a specially good shot, Jesse had fallen
in love with q neighbor's daughter,
and 1t would have been considered q
breach Of etiquette to shoot him during
his courtship. From this point the
correspondent goes on as follows:-
Old George promised Jesse that he
would sell out and move to Iowa, and
Jesse again started for the West, TAX
ing young wife with him. Travelling
overland to a point on the Ohio, where
he intended to take q steamboat, he
was followed by the Sheriff Of Lewis
county-the old rewards Of the killing
Of Trumbo, twelve years before were
thought to bs still outstanding. They
ambushsd in tho path Of the bridal
couple late one night, and as they pas
sed opened fire on them, badly wound
ing Jesse at the first shot. But he
fought desperately, killed one Of the
posse outright, and wounded two 9TH
srs before he fell, bleeding from half q
dozen shots. He was taken to the Bath
County Jail, q new indictment for the
murder Of Trumbo is framed, and he
was In jail awaiting trial, when in the
spring of 1878, he escaped and made
his way back to Carter. His wife was
dead, mean while, but his brother Lew
Is was lingering from the wound Of 3
year before.
Jesse only left the fort thereafter to
attend church meetings, but with the
precaution Of two revolvers and his
shotgun. The hatchet was buried for
nearly a year. 1t was on the goth Of
May last that it was dug up, and the
complete wiping out Of the adult Un-
derwoods was the result. On that day
Blverton Underwood was shot while
surrounded by his children. Two bull
let's passed through his body. They
were fred from ambush. Jesse claimed
that he traced the assassins to Squire
Holbrook's and that the tracks of one
Of them were those Of the old Squire
himself. But his brother Lewis was
dying, and Jesse did nothing until in
September death released the boy from
two years of great suffering, when the
bloody work was renewed.
The boy died September J.. Septem-
Der s Squire Holbrook and his son
we're shot at as they were catching a
horse in the pasture adjoining their
house. A rife ball passed through the
old 'squirs's brain, and be fell dead.
The son escaped. September VIM.
Underwood was shot through the
heart while at work. September IL
David Wilson, Of the Holbrooks, was
shot at from ambush, and his left arm
shattered. September Is, as old George
Underwood was stepping out of the
door Of the fort sixteen shots were fired
from behind the trees opposite. He
was badly wounded in the arm and
shoulder, and the women dragged him
In and sent for Jesse.
Jesse was out in the forest and at
once hastened home. Just as he was
entering the door one OF the three
shots from the brush-covered hillside
opposite struck him in the shoulder, and
passing through his left lung, came
out on the other side OF his body. He fell
across the doorsill. but the ready hands
Of the women dragged him in before
another shot could finish him. Then
began a drama unparalleled even in
the history Of these mountain outrages.
The Holbrook faction rose from their
ambush, and rushed yelling to the door.
Inside there were huddled dozen
women and children and on two corn-
nnsk pallets the father and son we're
tIylng mortally wounded. There was !
Plttle to eat or drink in the house.
around 1t the HolbroOks established a
Eordon Of sentries, and for seventeen
pays the door was never opened, ex-
cept that a shot warned the women to !
c,lose it speedily. On Sunday, four I
ofays after Jesse was shot, the walls of
Ihe women inside gave notice that the {
man was dead but, as they had before t
refused to allow any doctor to 60 to the
relief of the wounded men, SO now the
oesieging party gave notice that any
man or woman, either in the house or
outside, who attempted to bury the '
aead man, would need to arrange for
his or her own funeral,
IN this stress old George Underwood g