The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-05-05
A History Of the Fort Handy A.
fair.

We are indebted to our valued friend.
is. Hoover, ESQ.,, for the following
particulars concerning the tragieal tax
ing of Fort Handy. Just at the close
of the war, when the Confederate Gov
eminent had collapsed, and before any
provisional government bad been set
up by the Fe,ierals, anarchy reigned 10
these parts tempered only by the re-
straint imposed by the few Confederate
soldiers and members of the home guard
who were in the country. Under thsee
circumstances. d band of robbers, head
ed By a Capt Wade, entrenched
themselves in Fort Hamhv, a log struc
ture, . by IS feet, situated upon an
elevation at the junction of the Yadkin
river and Lewis Fork, in Wilkes oun
ty, eight miles from Wiikesboro The
house was completely protected Oh the
south and east by these two streams and
could only be approached from the
north and east. From this lair, the
outlaws made forays upon the surround
ing country, pillaging the inhabitants
of every thing portable, stealing horses,
robbing passers-by and inaugurating a
perfect reign of terror for miles around.
A few instances of the outrages CON
United by these daring robbers will suf
iciently indicate their character. They
threatened to shoot Jos. Ferguson, aged
so, ofCaldwell, if he did not give up
his money robbed a lady, travelling
from Patterson to Salem, of all her Jew
elry and baggage; fired at a man and
his wife, driving along the road, and
killed the m : indeed, they made
their block house a rendezvous from
which they went out soon ~piunderlng
expeditions into our four counties, and
became such an open, notorious and
dangerous nuisance, that self preserva-
ton demanded concerted action tor then
humiliation. On Sunday, the 23d O
April, 1868, a week after Stoneman'i
troop had passed through Lenoir, {
gentleman from Wilkes came to Lenoi
!, to make up a squad Of men to attach
: the fort on the next day. The squad
composed of Capt. jeff johnson, Q
Burke, Capt. T.. L. Norwood. Majo
Bingham, Henry Henley, of Watauga
! Z. S. Hoover, Robert Dula, G. s. Pow
! ell, George Dula, Robert Clarke, Georg
Clarke, Pickens Barlow and Wilson Lax
! ton, left Lenoir In the morning an
took supper at Pickens Cartons
> They rode all night and reached th
$ fort about 3 O'Clock, a. III where the
e bivouaced until daylight. At day
u break a charge was made upon the tol
u and the inmates were summoned to SUI
y render. A woman and "a lad came ou'
i the other inmates opening fire upon tn
!, attacking party and re barring the door
Immediately. The beslegers sougf
e shelter behind some apple trees and a
q old kitchen neal at hand Robel
g Clarke was mortally wounded by tn
1t fire of the robbers. An Intellectual fl
m was kept up for some time by the b'
siegers from behind cover, when Cap
N Johnson ordered a retreat, which WI
a safely made by all but three men VIII
/ did not hear the order and RENAME
70 behind. Capt. Bingham. T. S Hoovt
's and Henry Henley were the thee mel
D. Capt Bingham then ordered a retrea
when the three men started for the
ID comrades at double quick, and Henle
IS was shot and killed Instantly. only
y short distance from the fort. The dea
p bodies of Clarke and Henley we
te brought away by flag Of truce, carrie
s to Lenoir and buried.
1e A second unsuccessful attack upc
the fort was mauol by a party fro
or Alexander, who lost AUo men.
ut The third besiegins party was ma
e up from Caldwell, Wilkes and Alexar
Il. der, and was composed of $50 men, u
der command of Col. Sharp. A strcl
be picket line was thrown round the for
and heavy firing kept up during Il
whole of the first day. At night t
d. picket line was draw2 in and the fri
er continued until 4 o'clock, a. M, VIII
the old kitchen was set on fire by a VI
I'd unteer. The inmates then surrendere
n three of them coming out at the nor
door and giving themselves u
a Capt" Wade emerged at the sou
w door and made his escape under a hea
he fire. He was never heard of again,
w those parts. Every thing of value W
ce taken out of the house, and it W
burned to the ground. A court mart
Nv quickly condemned the robbers to
i. shot. Rev. Isaac Oxford offered a pra
OF er in their behalf, they were placed
IT. front Of a platoon detailed to execu
in the decree of the court, a puff 0 fsmok
by a crack of muskets, and an outrag'
be public was avenged. -Lenoir Topic.
1H A WRONG MASH.-A good thing