The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-09-25
WI.1a2SALG BUTCHERY.
A Story of tho Bloody Deeds Of
Two Brothers
They Vowed Vengeance Upon Confederate
Desertcrs and scores IF Deaths
Told of Their Dead
ly Work.

Near New Holland. Ga, there Is
little swamp near the road. At its edge
stands large white oak tree. Years ago
this spot was often pointed out as the
scene of the murder of twelve men. and
the place bore the reputation of being
haunted 1t was said the rattling of
chains and groans and prayers Tor
mercy could be distinctly heard by
passersby. No one ever stopped to in
veStigate, as we can testify from per-
sonal experience, says writer in the
New York Dispatch, having heard the
groans some fourteen years ago. and
having also done some of the most dis
tinguished travelling in all our eventful
career.
But to the story: Howard Thompson
was witness TO the killing, which oc-
CURED in 1868, he being ten years old
It the time The killing was done by
Bob and Ben Jordan, of Pichens county.
and the murdered men were deserters
who had been arrested in Gilmer county.
While the Jordan boys We're in the
confederate army a crowd of deSerters
visited the house of their father, as
saultcd their sister and the wife OF Bob
Jordan and carried their father. who
the mountains "A distance of sixty miles,
and subjected him to many shocking
crueltics. Then the Jordan boys re-
turned home and began their record of
killing. Every man known TO be de
scrter or a Sllulller became victim OF
their unerring rifles. Bob kept a list OF
the names and dates in small book.
He was pursued one day and in crossing
hundred and twenty-five names. After
that he kept no record. This was be
fore the killing near Gainesville.
Bob and Ben Jordan became recruit
ing officers and arrested twenty
six men in Gilman county, and
started with them 10 the front. On
the way two escaped and twenty-four
were lodged in Gainesville Jail. Next
morning the JorJlaus picked out twelve
whom they had the best reason to be-
lieve had been implicated in the out
RACES upon their family and chained
them together and marched them 10
this white oak tree on the New Holland
road. They stood them up in a row
and Bob Jordan marched slowly along
the line with large army pistol and
shot them with his own hand one ut n
time. Some fell on their knees and
and prayed, while others looked their
slayer square in the face and died with
an oath on their lips. Among the num-
Der was Il fragile boy about fifteen who
was chained to Il very large man.
The boy was shot first and the man
supported him in n standing posture un-
Ill he himself was shot, when they fell
T., th. ,r-pppI t,trNthPr.
Those twelve men were hastIiT ourlcd
in n trench. aug upon the spot, bur
after the war they were cXhumcd
by the federal authorities and removed
10 the national cemetery at Chatta-
noOga.
Ac.cr the war Bob Jordan was shot
to death in Florida 10y weak. siclIly
young man upon whom he was impos-
ing. Ben was stabbed to death in a
barroom in Texas.
The spot where the killing occurred
is now in cultivation, but the old tree
still remains. The land is part of the
tract which Tom Daniels bought about
two years ago for eighteen hundred
lollars and sold few days ago for six
thousand dollars.