Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-08-25
The End of a Vendetta.

the same farms, and were at peace
with all mankind. Joe and Jim had
lived there from infancy to middle
age, and never so much as an angry
look had passed between them. When
the war broke out "a strange thing oc-
Cured. Tarbell espoused the Confed-
crate cause with his whole soul, while
Streeter dared to raise the Union flag
on his house, and defy anybody to
pull it down. One would have
thought that, living together, reading
the same papers, and thinking alike
on Almost every subject, including re-
ligion and politics, they would both
have gone one way in the war, but
such was not the case. Tarbell had
three sons old enough to go to war
Streeter had four.
Before any Confederate troops were
in the field. young Ned Tarbell and
Frank Streeter met in a small village
and inaugurated feud that was to run
through years, and end not while any
male member Of either family was
alive. They argued, fought, and
young Streeter fell. This evened up
the families, but only for a week.
Then one of the Tarbells was am
bushed and shot dead. Soon after
that, Tarbell and his two sons enter
ed the Confederate army, and Streeter
and his three SONS went to the noun
tains and became scouts, spies and
guides for the Unionists seeking to
leave the distracted State. One day
Streeter was captured by Confeder-
ates on the watch for him. The band
was in command of Tarbell, and as
soon as the prisoner was brought be-
fore him, he took a carbine from a
soldier and blew his brains out. This
left three Tarbells to three Streeters,
but inside Of two months they were
odd again. One of the Streeters heard
that one of the Tarbells was home on
furlough, and he travelled fifty miles,
over mountains, through thickets and
across rivers to reach him. He made
his way among people who would
have hacked him to pieces had they
discovered his identity, and he run
such risks as no man without bloody
purpose would have ventured, and he
shot Tarbell dead, through a window,
as he sat eating his supper. There
were now two left on one side, and
three on the other. Things had gone
i'll in the old mountain homes. The
cabins had been burned, the farms
laid waste, and both wives and moth
ers had been dead a year when the
war closed.
In May, 1866, l Vas making my
way through East Tennessee, in
charge of certain military orders to
Federal posts. One forenoon / was
joined by three men who had served
in the Federal ranks, and were now
on their way home. l took them to
be brothers, and they acknowledged
that such was the case, and gave their
names as Streeter. They were on
foot, and well armed, while 1 was on
horseback, with only revolver in the
holster. We had kept company about
two hours, when, as we descended in
to valley, another highway Joined
ours. Two ragged and way-worn
men with guns OH their shoulders met
us right there. Each party at once
uttered war cry, and next instant
were firing upon each other. My
horse received the first bullet fred,
and fell OH the road almost without
struggle, and in such way as to
hold me fast by the foot. | heard
shouts and oaths and shots and whist
ling bullets, but after three or four
minutes the rifles and revolvers ceased
to crack. / raised my head and saw
one of the last comers dead in the
road near me, and just beyond was
his friend, wounded unto death but
making determined effort to raise
up OH his elbow. He was the last of
the Tarbells. could not see in the
other direction, but ! heard some one
dragging himself along and cursing
and groaning, and pretty soon re-
volver was thrust over the body of
the horse and voice said:
stranger, l am the last of the
Streeters and that devil is the last of
the Tarbells. Lower your head SO
/ can have fair mark"
His revolver cracked three times
and / saw Tarbell stiffen in death.
AS no more shots were fired | soon
attempted to remove the burden from
my foot, and in this, after five min
utes hard work, succeeded. There
lay the FIVE men dead, each one Of
them hit by from two to four bullets.
Each one still grasped his weapon,
and OH each face was look of grim
resolve which death could neither
han;sb nor softeu.-Tree Press.