Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-02-07
FENTREss CoUNTYs REPREsEN-
TATIVE.
Interesting Biography of One of the
Members of the 44th General
Assembly.
Huntsville Sentinel.

HartsWlle Sentinel.
Occupying the extreme back desk
on the right side as you enter the leg
islative hall may be seen stout,
healthy man, thirty nine years old, of
medium stature, ford complexion,
heavy brow, reclining forehead, fairly
well dressed, wearing whiskers a la
Napoleon ILL.,, and of a generally in
telligent appearance. That man is
Hon. "Clabe" Beatty, of Fentress
county. Probably no man in the Leg
islature has so remarkable a record
To look at him and talk to him one
would not suppose the quiet, unobtru-
sive legislator mad killed nearly score
of his fellow men, but such is fact.
He has killed eighteen men. He is a
son of the noted thinker Dave" Beatty,
and was one of his fathers most trust
ed lieutenants during the late war.
The company of which he was mems
Der and his father, the Captain, killed
more than FIVE hundred men of the
class known as "guerrilas" in the last
two years of the war.
In the mountainous section of Ten
nessee and Kentucky the name of
Tinker Dave" was a terror up to his
death, and the many deeds of blood
shed and death in which he participat.
ed, are yet recounted with horror by
the older inhabitants thereof.
Prior to the war Tinker Dave"
was peaceable citizen, earning an
honest living in the mountains of Fen.
tress county. In the early part of the
rebellion the guerrillas in that section
raided the old mountaineer's premises
frequently and made havoc of his
property, greatly mistreating his tami
ly. Finally, he swore to have re-
venge, and, organizing a company of
100 desperate and daring men, he set
about to kill all of the class that had
annoyed him. The slain of his hands
are buried all over the mountains and
in the valleys of East Tennessee and
Kentucky. "Clabe," the member of
the Legislature referred to, was then a
boy eighteen years old, and enlisted
with his father to kill and dismay the
enemy wherever found. Many were
the bloody battles he fought in savage
disorder, sometimes with the most un.
equal Odds against him, and sometimes
with the "balance of power" in his fa>
vor. In his method of warfare there
was no surrendering, no taking of
prisoners, no ransom for the captured.
1t was death. When an enemy was
captured, he was shot dead upon the
spot. 1t is not, therefore, wonderful
that during nearly three years of
steady searching for blood, he should
have killed eighteen men to his certain
knowledge, besides, probably, many
others of whom he did not know. In
the mountains of White county small
detached force, of which he was leader,
struck squad of guerrillas, and a run
ming fight ensued. Ammunition soon
became scarce, and BeatY's men at
tempted to capture and subdue the
fleeing party by physical force. In
this they partially succeeded. One Of
Beaty's men, however, caught large,
stout fellow who resisted, and a rough
and tumble fight followed until the
"Hon. Clabe" turned to the rescue,
and, leveling his Enfield rifle, fired
and shot the man dead, and left him
gasping in the mountain wilds. That
entirely exhausted the ammunition,
and the question now arose, how were
they to dispose of'another man whom
they had captured? Beatty hurriedly
and summarily settled the discussion
by picking up large club and strik'
ing the man a deadly blow on the
head, killing him instantly. In Clay
county he was reconnoitering with ten
Of his fathers company when an arm
ed force of about seventy.ive men at
tackled him. He returned the fire,
almost every shot killing its man, and
then fled, turning every few moments
and pouring deadly volley into the
pursuing force. Such was the mark,