The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-09-12
DROP FEUD TO ENLIST
Bakers, FatieIds, and WHITES Join
the Army--NO Hostilities for Two
Years
Chicago Times-Herald.)


Peace reigns in the Mountains of
Cha county, KY, for the fighting men
or the famous Baker family, knowing
themselves O~verpoWered, beaten. and
outnumbered, resolving not to stand
n be killed nor to sue for peace with
the Towards, have enlisted in the Unit
ed States army. The fighting strength
OF the Baker family is gone the boys
have joined Company M, of the new
T~hirty-first United States vounteer in
fantry, and are now Vt San Francisco
waiting to go aboard the transports
bound for Manila.
Forty of the most famous of the Ken
lucky fghters-Bakers, Hatfelds, and
Whites-are in Company M. The
Whites, Of Company M, although re-
lated to the Whites, Of the Howard
family, are friends of the Bakers and
related to them through marriage. and
are exlled with them through fear
II the word can be used in connection
with these men-of determination. The
Boys are marching to war, but they
VOW TO return when the two years of
service l the Philippines is over, and
one OF them, a corporal, says when
they do they Will rally and there will
be left no Howard in all Kentucky.
BOB BAKER FIRST TO ENLIST.
The T%hirty-first regiment, under Col
~ WCS ICCIulI0u At EOrC
Thomas, in the highlands back of New
port, KY. When the caM for troop. 20
suppress the rebellion in the PhiIippn,es
came and recruiting of the new. Thirty
first commenced. a blue-eyed, handsome
mountaineer, armed with a revolver.
came and announced his intention Of
enllstlng. He was examined and accept
ed. He was Bob Baker, one of the
nerv1est men and one Of the best Shots
in the mountains; and everybody in the
Kentucky hills can shoot.
w I'm a week he was Joined by a
dozen of his brothers and kinsmen. and
when the regiment moved on August
18th there were forty-two of the clan
enrolled in Company M, and peace was
assured in Clay county for the next two
years at least. Of those forty-two me-
every one is a crack shot, but they
long for their pistols, and viii. not be
.reconcfled with a Krag-Jorgensen.
A few days g when the
was on the rifle range Bob Baker, shoot
ing over 400 yards, scored 96 out of a
possible 100, and when his lieutenant
congratulated him on his workmanship
he said: "That amt nothin.' If r
only had my As Winchester T
reckon I could shoot some"
THREATS OF VENGEANCE.
The Baker and White boys, of Com |
M, as they clambered--for the
first time in their lives-into the sleep |
ers that were to carry them to San !
francisco, and gazed for the last time
IN two years., perhaps forever, at the |
kentucky hills, won't hopefully. One |
Of them, talking to his Lieutenant, Just
as the train moved, said: "We'll come
back, and when we do them fellows |
had better watch out" |
outnumbered and driven from home, |
the spirit of the fQII6iStC Gill ha1I !
in the mountain lads
They declare the Bakers are NOS vet
whipped, and that they will revenge
themselves yet. They say they connot
hope to contend with the Towards un-
less they ecure allies, and they hint
that the PhllpotS-one of the strongest
in the mountain country-are
friendly to the Bakers, and that if the !
Phlipots ever come out openly againS
the towards the feud Will end IN the |
sxtermlnation of the Howards and the
Grif1n-Morris families. The Philpots
and Griff1n-Morris clans have been at
for five years.
The history of the Baker-HoWard
var has been written many times. The
-rouble started originally in a dispute
,ver the ownership Of some logs. and
n the fight which followed Tom Ba-
ler killed w. Howard and 2. Storer.
srom that day to the departure of the
odherS 1oT the army there has been no |
Of hostilities. During the LAST
wo years four Bakers and nine How
d have been killed.
FAMOUS SHOTS IN COMPANY.
Bob Baker, a corporal in Company
u, Is the leader of the Bakers in thar
company. His father, one brother. and ]
hree cousins have been killed IN the
asst four a His cousin, Tom Ba-
was killed recently while in the
uardhouse Of a Kentucky militia reg
nent, surrounded by soldiers. He was /
eing held for the killing OF Will White. I
ohm and Sid Baker are the best shots |
the nerviest men of the clan. They l
re brothers, but have prayed them
on different sides of the feud. G
,r Sid Baker married a Howard and
nee has fought with the clan of his 4
life against his own family. c
Bundy Green, private in Company NJ, a