The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-05-19
, THRILLING STORY OF THE WAR
nr. K. Gwaltney Writes of the Heroism of
R' Confederates at Fort Hamby.

r.an.. through -
wife. in the Blue Ridge. On the
DF'' ,Ia~ch he entered Boone. n. =,
9th tay following the column was
anu 90 ,ra division under General
ti'ta'u' ,,arching towards Wilkesboro.
StoAe"|" o+her under General Gillian,
"hL' The Blue Ridge at Blowing Rock
cV7' 10 Patterson, IN Caldwell
and ,Lara Joined General Stoneman at
cOul'' On the 31st of March Ger
NHN.,.nan moved over into Surry
sF"' Going toward Mt. Airy. During
coU".g march through this section
S.oD s+ate. his men committed many
OF '' .,toos After leaving Wilkesboro
u'r'.t-r of the lawless of his command
" .,af S~roueman's army, and other
o'...hi..s characters led by two desper-
w." -.n Wade and Simmons, completely
d--rf,4a wilkes and portions Of other
,u+f.e by their frequent raids. They
..17 ride into the yard, dismount and
- of them would enter the house,
80, are or more would point loaded pis-
81. or guns at any person or persons
~ might be in the house, saying III
- oran your mouth we will drop you in
.o,r racks" while others would go
..trough every trunk and drawer to pc
<,,od taking With them everything that
suited them and every good horse on the
,1antatfon. 1t must be remembered that
-. that time almost every man fit for
r,;rit.r, service was in the army and the
nonnrry was almost completely at the
,,aray, Of the robbers. After Lees sur
lender and the soldiers began to return
,oma this state of affairs continued.
Tbesa marauders then vide into two
hands one led by Simmons with head
orartprs In the Brushv Mountains, the
otber led by Wade, who had headquarters
an the Yadkin River. in Wilkes county.
Several times these two bands operated
together. But as the writer had to deal
with Wade's band, and with it had i
most lively experience, this article will
he devoted to him and his fiendish work.
He claimed the rank of major in Stone
mans army and said he vas from Michi-
gan. The house in which he was forti-
fled was on the road leading from
Wilkesboro to Lenoir, and nearly a mile
from Holman Ford, where the valley road
crosses the Yadkin River. The house
was situated on a high hill commanding
a fine view of the Yadkin Valley and of
the valley road for a distance of a mile
above and a mile below the ford. The
house fronted the river OF the south. On
the west Lewis Fork. a stream smaller
than the Yadkin River. emptied into it.
On the north and east lay a Wid belt of
thick woods. In this section were many
sympathizers if not aiders and abettors
Of the band. From this position the
Yadkin Valley and the surrounding
country for at least a half mile in every
:--z4s- -~-lI ~ $1,000 o-1 ~
by Wade's guns. There is a legend thai
on this very hill Daniel Boone was for
tilted against the Indians. 1t would have
been difficult to have chosen a strongel
location, both offensive and defensive
than this. The house was built of logs
two stories high. The robbers had GU
port holes for their guns in the uDpe,
story. They were army guns of the bes
type and could command the approach t
the house from all directions. Their
would be nothing more hazardous than Il
attempt to reach it. This house belonged
TO som ~disreputable woman by the name
Of Handy and after Wade had fortified
and occupied it the name by which i
was known was Fort Handy. 1t is no
known just how many men were engage
in these depredations. Perhaps the mum
~ u u O. NV IN SihN1
thirty. A list of eighteen names wa
found when the fort was taken, but NOR
than that number was known to coop
crate with them. They showed a spiri
of revenge and a desire for plumber /
all their raids: Indeed, they seemed {
think that they must treat with the ut
pathy with them. They were brave me
and we'll drilled. All the people Q
Wilkes county lived in constant dread f:
e. them-frightened by every bark of a do
or the rafting of the leaves. Life seem
ed worse than death. All Wilkes count
was subdued by them. They made sev
eral raids into Alexander and Caldwe
counties, robbing the citizens and sui
lecttng men and women to the crosses
insults. On the 7th of May, 1865. the
made a raid into Caldwell county. Majt
Harvey bingham, with a few men, mad
a we'll planned move on the fort Sunda
night following. 1t seems that Wade al
MS men We're not aware Of Bingham
approach until he and his men had ef
tered the house. Wade and his me
announced their helpless condition al
begged for their lives. No guns beir
seen Bingham believed them his prisO'
efS. They gave Wade and his men tin
10 dress, after which, at a moment whe
the captors We're off their guard, tn
rushed to their guns, which were COZ
cealed about their beds and opened fl
On them. The result was tina Clark,
sun or General Clark, of Caldwell count
ana Henly, Of the same county, were xii
co. The others escaped, leaving Il
ooales of Clark and Henly.
me Saturday niuh4 fo11nufpr tn,
crossed over into Alexander county, i
'uo'hg to capture and kill w. G.. Gree
son OF Rev. j. r. Green, who had been
.e"lehant In the Confederate army. Re
N'' Green had been Informed Of the e
dressed purpose to kill his son, and tn,
'''T on the lookout for them and we
.gddy TO give them a warm receptio
'"sE surrounded the house, and Wad
100 on a Confederate grey s,
%"eh ne always carried with him VIII,
wanted to enter a house without for
ms way into it. He claimed to
'iucer in the Confederate army al
Vas returning home and desired a nigh
w7as. The moon was shining bright
Green could see him and his m,
"3Id, Il know you and you cam
No.. III mere unless you come in ov
t 'Saa body" Mr.. Green had his pos
',,'N al the front door with a pistol
CO.. nahd and a dirk In the other. II
darn'S at the front window and h