"History of White County", Chapter IV

History of White County is a 1935 book by Reverent Monroe Seals.
==CHAPTER IV==
===War===
Revolutionary War. Our County was not settled when the Revolutionary War was
in progress, but more than half of the land in the County was given to Veterans
of this war as grants for their services. Great numbers of the early settlers
rendered distinguished service in the Revolution, men like George Ailsworth, who
was a charter member of the first Masonic Lodge in Sparta, William Greenfield,
Archibald McDaniel, Abel Hudson, all of whom were buried at Mount Pisgah, Major
William Lewis, Rev. James Hickey, John White, John Templeton, Major Nathaniel
Evans, E. Alverson, Thomas < Hill^ Elijah Chism, Thomas Hickman, father of the
famous Jesse Hickman.
War of 1812. In the War of 1812 the government made a requisition for
twenty-five hundred men. White County furnished two full companies. John W.
Simpson, who later was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, commanded one. The other
company was commanded by Captain George Gibbs, who resigned as State Senator to
go to this war. Gibbs became a General. Simpson distinguished himself,
particularly at the battle of New Orleans.
Creek War. During the Creek War White County raised two companies commanded by
Captains Rotan and Ramsey. These companies gave a fine account of themselves.
Mexican War. In the Mexican War White County raised one entire regiment
commanded by Colonel Anthony. This regiment covered itself with glory at
Monterey. After the Mexican War was over and the regiment returned home, the
village which up to that time had been known as Standing Stone was renamed
Monterey. It was then in White County.
Civil War. In the Civil War White County furnished nine full regiments and
portions of other companies to the Confederates. The first company organized was
Captain D. T. Brown's company, organized early in 1861. Brown was promoted to
the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. One-half of Captain Shield's company in the same
regiment in which Brown's company served were White Countians. Three companies
were organized and reported to Camp Zollicoffer in Overton County. When the
infantry was organized at that camp, Captain G. G. Dibrell was elected
Lieutenant Colonel. He later became a General. The White County companies in
this regiment were commanded by Captains D. M. Southard, W. Gooch Smith, and Dr.
J. H. (Mack) Snodgrass. At least one-half of Abram Ford's company of the above
regiment, organized in Putnam County, were White Countians. In October, 1861,
Captain E. P. Sims organized a company in White County and joined the 28th
Infantry, and in December, 1861, Captain David Snodgrass and Captain William M.
Simpson organized a company each and joined the Coim Battalion, and in the later
part of 1862 Captain Thomas Taylor organized a company and joined Murray's
Cavalry. General Dibrell was given authority to raise a full regiment of
cavalry. This he did within the enemy's lines, raising twelve full companies.
This regiment with Dibrell as Colonel was mustered into service at Yankeetown
September 4, 1862, F. M. Daugherty of Overton County, Lieutenant Colonel, Jeffry
Forest, Major, and M. D. Smallmann of McMinnville, later a Judge, Adjutant.
White County furnished two companies for this regiment commanded by Captain
Jefferson Leftwick and J. M. Barnes. The regiment reported at Murfreesboro
October 8, 1862, and was placed under Forrest's command, Dibrell becoming a
Brigadier General. We had a large number of men who joined companies in Putnam
County. Colonel J. H. Savage had a great number of men under his command who
came mainly from the southern part of White County. Captain George Carter
organized a regiment from southern White County and Van Buren.
In 1861 Captain Edmond Pennington organized a full Federal regiment which
joined Farrett's Fourth Tennessee Regiment, Mounted Infantry U. S. A., which was
one of the best fighting units in the Federal Army.
====Battles and Skirmishes in White County====
Young's Mill Skirmish. The first skirmish in White County was at Young's Mill,
four miles below Sparta, between Colonel Wharton's Texas troops and a Federal
advance under General Nelson, in which several were killed and the advance of
the Federals checked. In this battle Jeff Clark was being pursued by a Federal
soldier who was trying to saber him. The Federal was gaining and the result
seemed inevitable when Captain Leftwick, a Confederate, shot the Federal soldier.
Battle of Meredith's Mill. On August 2, 1862, General Dibrell, four hundred
strong, engaged the Federals in battle at Meredith's Mill on Wild Cat Creek
three and one-half miles North of Sparta. The Federals, four thousand strong,
were commanded by Colonel Minton from Michigan. Twelve men and twenty-four
horses were killed on the Federal side, and several Confederates wounded. This
was in the forenoon. In the afternoon the Federals returned to the attack,
reinforced by three additional regiments, while Dibrell was reinforced by two
additional companies from Starne's regiment. The Federals, were driven back with
a loss of forty-two. Fate Quarles and another scout were sent to see where the
Federals went. They followed as far as Young's Mill and the Federals kept going.
A Bushwhacker Whacks. Tom Yates, with nine men, had been following one hundred
and twenty-five Federals for three days watching a favorable opportunity to
attack. The Federals came to Brice Little's early one morning and began catching
poultry for their breakfast when Yates and his men opened fire from behind the
garden palings. The Federals took to the barn and Yates gained the house. Yates
commanded his men, "Let's burn the barn." The Federals thereupon scattered.
Yates returned from the chase with thirteen prisoners and twenty-six horses.
There was no casualties on either side except that in following the Federals,
Yates saw occasional blood stains.
Cherry Creek. Some Federal soldiers belonging to Captain Charles Burgess'
command attended church at Cherry Creek. Burgess advised against the attendance,
and remained under the hill having laid down the fence so that easy egress was
possible. It was night, and Rev. Jesse Hickman was preaching. Soon Burgess heard
hoof beats. Captain Champ Ferguson was coming. Ferguson and his men opened fire.
They were singing in the church and Sam Poteet was shot in his open mouth and a
woman, Ann Gooch, was accidentally wounded. One Federal soldier remained in the
house while all the others made a hasty exit out the back door. The one
remaining was a lad who laid down on the floor between the benches and the woman
put their feet on him, thus hiding him with their dresses.
At Anthony Dibrell's. Nine Federal soldiers were having a ball at the Anthony
Dibrell home. Three Confederate soldiers attacked them, and the Federals began
retreating toward the mountains eastwardly. The fight continued toward the foot
of the mountain, where four of the Federals scattered among the timber, the
other five having been killed. Jonathan Scott, grandson of the old Jonathan
Scott, and son of James Scott was a cripple. His horse became frightened and
stampeded among the Federals, when he was shot through the head, the horse
carrying him hanging in the, saddle head downward, back to Sparta.
Skirmish at O'Connor's Branch. It was known that William Matlock had great
wealth. Dr. Elkana Williams saw a number of Federals going to Matlock's. He went
on and told some Confederate soldiers about it who started for Matlock's place.
The Federals were led by Captain Bill Slaughter. With Slaughter were Dave Barr,
Snorton McCaleps, Josh Hickey, and his sixteen-year-old son, John, who was the
toughest of them all, and George Lever. They came to Matlock's and demanded
breakfast. In the meantime they began to search for money. They shook the
dresser but the roll of money they expected to find did not fall out. John
Hickey said, "I demand your eight thousand dollars in gold. Ain't I brave to
demand such a sum from you, I being only a boy?" It is said that John Hickey
then pulled off Matlock's boots and began pulling his toe nails out with
pinchers and burning his feet to make him tell where his money was. Matlock's
granddaughter said, "What would you do if you saw the Confederates coming?" They
laughed, but when a man holding their horses gave the alarm, they got busy. They
broke away in two bunches, some say the reason was that the Confederates came up
in two directions. Mrs. Matlock, seeing that a battle was imminent, told them to
go out the back door. McCaleps and Slaughter did so. One part of the Federals
came toward the O'Connor Branch. Here Bill Hudgens, thinking that Dave Barr had
surrendered, met Bar, both being on horseback. Barr began shooting, the first
shot cutting a wisp of Hudgen's beard off. Hudgens held his pistol out arms
length toward Barr and held himself sideways until Barr had shot out his load.
Then when Barr started to run, Hudgens shot him in the left shoulder, Barr
falling off his horse dead at the point in the road where the brick house now
stands. Barr was taken a few yards south and buried by the side of the road,
where he remained until the straightening of the road for the hard road, when
his people came from Putnam County and removed the remains there. George Lever
was killed in the fight and Josh Hickey was wounded. The Hickeys went up the
road and on to England's Cove, but Josh returned to beg for his son's life. Sam
Scott, hearing the fight, hurried his team to arrive and prevent the killing of
the prisoners, but it was too late. John Hickey begged for his own life. Mr.
Luke said, "How can I spare your life when you now have on my dead son's
clothes." John Hickey had evidently killed Luke's son and taken his clothes.
Both Josh and John Hickey were killed. Sam Scott gave a negro a half dollar to
remove the bodies of the Hickeys where hogs would not mutilate them. McCaleps
lived in Putnam County many years after the war. The Confederates in this
engagement were Bill Luke Hitchcock, Taut Isom, and Dan Smith, the latter on
hearing the firing, came to the skirmish from his home. Bill Hudgens, and some
say, two Texas rangers, were also in the fight, making six on each side. Hudgens
would not have shot Barr, who seems to have had little to do with the affair,
had Barr not opened fire on him. Four of the six Federals engaged in the
skirmish were killed and the other two shot as prisoners.
The Battle of Dug Hill. Colonel Stokes was in Sparta making a speech to the
citizens, having sent out some men. The Confederates decoyed the Federals on,
Wiley Steakley and another man firing and retreating. Steakley fired the first
shot of the battle. The Confederates were under Colonel J. M. Hughes. The
Federals were under Colonel Exum. About eighty or eighty-five of the Federals
were killed, which was about two-thirds of their number in the engagement. The
place was a gulch with high cliffs on each side. When the Federals entered this
ravine, it was difficult either to advance or retreat. Those present say that
the slaughter was indescribable. Their ammunition giving out, the Confederates
slew some with stones. A Mr. Gann ran his horse down an incrediably steep place,
fell off his horse, crawled into a hollow log, and at night returned to the
Federals. Joe Blackburn came to Mrs. L. D. Snodgrass mother's home and to other
homes to requisition horses and wagons to haul off the slain at night. Of
forty-one who were carried through Sparta thirty-eight were shot in the heads
and three were killed with stones. More were killed than at first was estimated.
Skeletons were found by the road side and in the woods for a year or so
afterwards. Ferguson faced his enemy, Tinker Dave Beatty in this fight.
Yankeetown Skirmish. Ferguson met Blackburn who had some of Stokes' men with
him at Yankeetown. The battle began with Ferguson in the road. Mrs. Mary Young,
then a small girl, saw Ferguson shoot one of Blackburn's men, then leap off his
horse and thrust the man through with his sword. Then Ferguson chased Blackburn
and his men up Cherry Creek, killing several of them. At the Clint Gooch farm
near Key Ferguson and Charles Burgess with their men met. One of Ferguson's men
had a pistol drawn to shoot Burgess. It required quick action. Burgess shot
behind him. Looking back he saw the man hit the ground but Burgess kept going. A
boy named Little under Burgess had his horse shot from under him. Burgess saw
that if he stopped to take up the lad on his own horse, he himself would be
killed, so he kept going. The lad was shot, making the killed one on each side.
The Bear Cove Battle. Captain Charles Burgess and Ms men met Captain Champ
Ferguson and his men at Bear Cove. Ferguson almost destroyed Burgess' entire
command. The Federals attempted to come onto the public square at Sparta, but
were repulsed by General Dibrell. John Gatewood on his gray race horse went
through Sparta giving the rebel yell. Stokes' men pursued him out of town north
when Tom Yates men closed the gap behind them and Dibrell came down on the north
of them, killing several of them. Two Confederates were killed on the cliff of
the river north of Sparta. Ferguson was surrounded in a swamp on Golden's
mountain by Blackburn's men, but Ferguson extricated his men and made good his
escape.
Other Skirmishes. Pennington raided Ferguson. Ferguson soon thereafter raided
Pennington, chasing him up Cherry Creek. It is said that you could trace the
line of retreat of the Federals by the knives and forks they lost or threw away,
which had been taken from the citizens. Captain Burgess was at the home of
Stephen Wilhite and Ferguson passed by. Burgess ran out and killed one of
Ferguson's men and his Federals killed two more of the Confederates. Ferguson
retreated forward first north then west. Three weeks later Ferguson raided
Burgess, killing six of his men.
Captain Ferguson captured a wagon train on Cumberland Mountain. The next night
he gave a dinner and invited the girls of Cherry Creek. There was a ball
afterwards, after which he ordered the girls taken safely home.
There was a skirmish between Colonel Blackburn's men and those of Captain
Simpson south of Bon Air. The Confederates went to Bon Air. Ferguson requested
that he be given a dozen men and he would capture the pickets of Blackburn. The
request was granted, Wiley Steakley being one of them. That night Ferguson
captured all of Blackburn's pickets but one whom he killed.
Some bushwhackers were once having a ball in Wamon Dibrell's house when
Confederate soldiers came upon them. The bushwhackers retreated to the bushes
where the Lee Hotel now stands. The Confederates set fire to the woods. The
bushwhackers ran out near the old Sparta Cemetery, and twelve of them were killed.
Colonel Joe Blackburn was once in pursuit of some Confederate soldiers. He
came to the gap of the Gum Spring Mountain where Joe Mosely lived. Mosely had
seen the Confederate soldiers pass but had refused to tell anything about it.
Blackburn ordered Mosely hung upon a tree, the stump of which may yet be seen.
Mosely was then let down, but again refused to tell anything. He was again hung
up and for a longer time, but again he refused to tell anything. He was again
hung up and for a longer time, but again he refused any information. Then he was
hung up the third time. This time it took some time to restore him to life, but
he was still silent. Blackburn went on then and reached the camp of the
Confederates, capturing many of them.
Bill Slaughter with about 18 men came one night to John T. Goodwin's. He left
all of his men but one under the hill to watch while he and that one went to the
house for money. Entering the house he said to Mr. Goodwin, "Bring out that five
hundred dollars and be quick about it, I haven't killed a man for three days."
The money was handed over and it seemed that Slaughter was about to slaughter
the family, when the dog barked and Slaughter, fearing an attack, made haste to
get to his men. That same night Slaughter beat up Jim Mills but got no money,
Mills having hid his money in an auger hole in a post. The next night Slaughter
was in Officer's Cove near Monterey when he was attacked by Confederates, and he
and his men were annihilated.
Once in a skirmish Cam Terry, a negro raised in upper Hickory Valley, captured
Bill Anderson and another man. Terry was an officer in Colonel Blackburn's
command. Terry intended to kill Anderson, but Anderson knowing Terry's weakness
for the game, proposed a game of cards. Anderson and his partner were to go free
if they won. If Terry and his partner won, then the prisoners were to be killed.
Anderson won, yet he could see that Terry would be pleased to kill him. He used
the bayonet a few times before Anderson went away. A few nights after this
Anderson and another man went to Terry's home and took him north of Lost Creek
and hanged him to a cedar tree, then dumped him in a hole near the tree. Dr.
Morgan came later for the skeleton, but it could not be found.
Joe Blackburn once pursued Tom Yates up Pine Mountain, Yates going up at the
Bill Wallace place, then coming down at the hanging rock. Blackburn not knowing
the mountain, considered this way too rough and went around the mountain, but
Yates was gone when he got there. Shortly after this Yates ordered a man named
Brewer, a weakly man with a wife and three little children to cut a tree out of
the road where it had fallen. Brewer worked hard, but lacked a little of
finishing the task in the assigned hour, so Yates shot Brewer with his big
pistol three times. Each time he shot Brewer caught to a sapling and reeled
round the sapling saying, "Oh, Lord what will become of my wife and poor little
children." Yates afterward said, "I took pity on the poor devil and finished him
with the little pistol." Some time afterward Yates took dinner with Bennie Sapp
in Sequatchie Valley. "Where are you going, Tom," asked his Uncle Ben. "To get
Dr. Collin's two stock horses," replied Tom. "Let Doe alone," said Mr. Sapp, "He
is behaving himself. I know you and I know this man. You can't take those
horses." Tom replied, "I have thirteen men who have taken dinner over there on
the hill." The thirteen men came. Half an hour later firing was heard. Mr. Sapp
went over to the doctor's, the horses were playing in the lot. A negro was in
the yard with a pistol in his hand, and the doctor was sitting on the doorstep
with two pistols in his hand. Yates was gone with one man shot in the foot and
one horse shot in the hip. Yates took a fine mare with him. The enemy were in
pursuit. The farmer held on to the bridle. Yates requested that he be freed with
the mare. The enemy were firing and Yates hit the farmer with the butt of the
pistol, laying the hide open on top of his head. Yates afterward said that he
hated this worst of all his deeds.
Yates was going at another time to Grassy Cove with J. Frazier who lived
there. He was waylaid by Bill Flynn and his brother and shot through the thigh,
and Frazier was killed. Frazier begged Yates to stay with him, but Yates knew it
was useless and so he went to a cave on Lee Cunningham's place, where he
remained for three weeks behind a wall he built, until sufficiently recovered to
travel again. While here a man named White was hunting squirrels in Hickory
Valley for Yates. Blackburn's men shot White through the hand, claiming that
White was shooting at them. White was at home on furlough from the Confederate
Army.
When the war was ended, Yates was taken by the Federals, and was being taken
to Nashville for trial. Yates knew what his fate would be if he were tried. He
was nearing McMinnville and it was growing dark, all were horseback. Yates
leaped off his horse suddenly into a ditch in a briar patch. He could hear the
bullets going into the bank of the ditch above and beyond him. They never caught
him.
General Dibrell fortified with trenches which may still be seen on Cemetery
Hill, once fought an engagement with a Michigan regiment located where the high
school now is. Artillery was used. Three of Dibrel's men were killed and
forty-two of the Federals.
John Webb once placed a number of people on the proscribed list, one of these
being his uncle, who he said, had burned his barn. This was a falsehood. The
uncle, Crock England, was plowing in a field when Webb came to him and killed
him. England's children begged Webb not to kill their father but Webb was
obdurate. Now Webb was a disreputable bushwhacker whom no one would believe. His
father was a Methodist minister. Later Webb and his brother, another
bushwhacker, were up in a tree and Federal soldiers shot them out of it.
A woman named Mrs. Alby and her daughter, Mrs. Clark, both disreputable women,
kept a liquor store at Yankeetown. Some Confederate soldiers came there to get
some liquor. Blackburn and his men ran in on them and killed Taylor, who lived
on the mountain and Copeland and Reagan of Putnam County. Reagan had his wedding
ring with him. It was taken by Blackburn's men who always robbed the dead. At
the same time they also killed a man named Jones.
Captain George Carter was in Overton County. One morning he took an
inoffensive hired boy out of the home of Isham Richards and shot him in the
cHmney corner, the only known reason being that the boy's father was a Federal.
Now Carter was a brave man but he was given to such deeds of recklessness.
The Federals beat up a near-sighted man, known as Blind Jim Howard, but they
failed to find the hiding place of his money.
On the Smithville road between Peeled Chestnut and Cassville a Michigan
regiment was camped on a hill above a stream. A Federal was cut off from his
company and killed by Confederates. The Confederates then killed the Federal
pickets. During the encounter two or three Confederates were wounded. The
Federal commander was so angry that he threatened to burn every house within ten
miles around.
Tinker Dave Beatty came once to the widow of Bill Sims and his men began to
carry out bed clothing. Mrs. Sims asked to see Beatty, whom she informed that
she was Bill Sims' widow. Beatty made the men carry the things back, for Sims
had once kept Beatty out of jail and Beatty appreciated it, but the men went
down to the negro shack and took what they wanted, even to the negroes' fiddles
which they went away playing.
Colonel Joe Blackburn had a skirmish in and near Bear Cove with Captain
Bledsoe, capturing Bledsoe, Will Green, and W. F. Jones, a lawyer of
McMinnville, the latter being BO drunk that Blackburn thought he was crazy and
turned him loose. He killed the others and afterwards hung Green's body to a
walnut tree. Blackburn being a Federal, started for Kentucky, neutral ground,
but he was met by Gatewood and his men at Bon Air and killed. Atrocities like
those given above filled the years of the Civil War and such things were of
frequent occurrance for years afterwards. Cruel deeds were not confined to one
side, but both sides were guilty.
During the war a number of notable men were in Sparta. Among them were General
N. B. Forrest, who was in Sparta twice during the war, one time skirmishing most
of the way from Rock Island. General Bragg's army passed through Sparta on the
way to Chattanooga, the army was three days in passing. General Bragg had his
headquarters in Sparta for a while at the home of Colonel Wamon Dibrell. General
Russell A. Alger of the Federal Army came to this County at one time with four
thousand soldiers and had his headquarters for a time in Sparta. Champ Ferguson
for a while used White County as a basis for his raids through Tennessee,
Kentucky, and Virginia. Colonel Bill Stokes who commanded the Federal garrison
at Sparta for a long time was a White Countian. He was a man of great ability, a
good speaker, and he was successful. After the war he made the race for Governor
of Tennessee, and would have been elected but for the fact that Center, the
other candidate for governor, persuaded J. C. Brown to support him instead of
Stokes, Center agreeing that if he should be elected, he would enfranchise the
ex-Confederates who had been disfranchised. Center was elected.
The years following the Civil War were years of strong prejudices and bitter
hatreds. The men who had fought on the side of the Union and the men who had
fought for the Confederacy were back at home to live together. It is hard for
those who can not remember those days even to imagine the bitterness and the
terror of that time.
The Loyal League and the Ku Klux Klan organized by the opposing forces after
the war was over kept alive much of the bitterness of the conflict. The first
Loyal League in White County was organized by Levi Kerr at Onward Seminary just
after the Civil War. Most of the League was composed of negroes, though some
white men were members also. There was a Loyal League also in the south end of
the County. The League went down as soon as the Confederate soldier was
enfranchised. The Ku Klux Klan also was organized soon after the War and was
composed for the most part of those who had been Confederate soldiers. Many
atrocities were charged against the Ku Klux Klan, among these being the killing
of negroes. It seems to be the opinion now of those in position to know that the
Ku Klux Klan was, considering its size, a very law abiding order, and that most
of the crimes charged against it were done after the order was disbanded by its
leaders and by State law.
====Spanish-American War====
I have only an incomplete list of those who went to the Spanish-American War.
Some of these were, Johnson of Bon Air, James Onboy of Quebec, Slatton of Peeled
Chestnut, Rousseau Hudson of Fancher's Mills, Jarvis of Sparta who died while in
the service, Price of Sparta and Charlie Brock who died of fever while in the
service. A man named Moore who was always fighting and frequently in Court for
it was released from his fine by the Judge if he would go into the army and
fight our enemies. Moore agreed, but was rejected because of his physical
condition, whereupon he cried.
====The World War====
When the World War broke out, our people were shocked for they had come to
feel that war was a thing of the past. As the war went on the people were more
and more stirred by the stories of horror that daily filled the papers.
Sentiment was divided, some favoring the Central Powers and some the allies.
After our nation entered the war sentiment very quickly crystalized in favor of
it. Many wanted to volunteer and some did so. But the prevailing idea was that
since there was a Draft Act it would be the patriotic thing to do to wait until
drafted to go. Many of the young men who were examined for the Draft showed
great eagerness to go. Some who were rejected showed keen disappointment. There
were some, however, who sought to evade service. They were called slackers. A
cavalry company was located for a time in Sparta, the duties of which were to
guard the railroad bridge and to round up slackers. A number of these slackers
were captured and brought to Sparta by these soldiers. Some of them were from
other Counties who had sought refuge in our mountain fastnesses. On the whole
our people were very loyal and when the meatless and wheatless days came, there
was little complaining. In all of the drives of war activities our people did
their full share, some people even borrowing money with which to buy Liberty
Bonds and in other ways to finance war activities. In the crop production drives
women and girls put on overalls and went to the fields to work. Boys left the
high school in order to help make crops, "Help win the War" was the motto of our
people.
As unit after unit was called to go to the training camps enthusiasm ran high.
As the war went on and our boys began to take part on the battle front, there
was eager scannnig of the papers every day by all classes of people to find the
casualty lists. Those who did not take daily papers went every day to some place
where there was a daily paper. White County soldiers in the World War gave a
good account of themselves as they have in all wars. When the war was over and
the soldiers began to return home, public meetings in their honor were held in
almost every neighborhood. White County lost comparatively few men in the war.
Two of these were Clayton Hennessee and Joe Baker after whom the local Post of
the American Legion was named. These were brave soldiers and they died heroic
deaths.
During the war and for several years afterward was a time of demoralization as
all war times. Prices of all commodities were unreasonably high. People lost all
sense of value. Wages and farm products were also high in price. People began
mortgaging their homes to buy costly automobiles and other luxuries. Reckless
young spendthrifts actually worked at saw mills in silk shirts. Unnecessary
debts were piled up. There was a let down in the moral standard of the people as
always happens in time of war.
In all the wars our country has had since the settling of White County, White
Countians have played their full part. The Civil War affected our people more
than any other for it divided the County and while no major battle was fought on
our soil there were small battles and skirmishes continually throughout the war,
and there were many deeds of cruel vengence for years afterward. Practically all
of the feuds in our County, as in all the mountain country, had their origin
during the Civil War. At the outbreak of the Civil War the South had a
population of nine million, nine hundred and fifty thousand slaves, three
hundred and eighty-four thousand slave holders, with only eight thousand holding
over fifty slaves. In the whole nation in 1840 there were two million
abolitionists. The Quakers raised the first voice against slavery as early as
1700. The first anti-slavery society was founded in 1815. Eihu Embree of East
Tennessee founded and edited the Emancipator, the first Abolition paper
published in the United States. Some claim that the Abolitionists of Tennessee
were a sorry lot and I am sure it depends on which side does the estimate. We
are far enough away now from the great struggle to act sensibly and to give the
need of glory to whomsoever it is due. We should use the standards of today
instead of the prejudices of yesterday. As the Civil War divided us, so the war
with Spain reunited us. The sons of the Blue and the Gray fought side by side in
that war. The Blue and the Gray now sleep side by side. In their breasts all
wounds have healed, in their dust they are at peace; so let it be with us, and
let all join in the sentiment, "Our country once divided, but now, our country."
===Crime===
Many of the crimes done in our County began in the heat of passion caused by
war. Some of these have been mentioned in connection with the Civil War, but a
great many crimes have been done in peace time. Some of the most noted of these
are the following: On the porch of the old Crook Inn at Pomona, which was then
in White County, one day sat Jerry Baker, John A. Murrell's counterfeiter. He
was reading a paper when M. C. Dibrell, an officer of the law, rode1 up to the
inn. Baker quietly mounted his horse and rode away. Dibrell announced that he
was seeking Baker, some one said, "You'll have to beat that, for that was Baker
who rode away when you came." Dibrell finally got Baker and he was tried at
Sparta for the murder of Fuget in connection with an accomplice named Paskell.
Fuget was a man from the North, but was then residing in Jackson County, and was
a counterfeiter working with a man from McMinnville named Fletcher Woodard, son
of Rev. Ike Woodard. Fuget wanted a guide across the mountains and Baker
undertook the task, later Fuget's body was found behind a log and Fuget's horse
hitched nearby. At a branch nearby, where Baker had probably washed his hands,
was found a knife with Baker's name on it. Baker and Paskell were arrested and
brought to trial and after the trial had been going for three weeks feelings in
the County became so intense that the trial had to be moved to McMinnville.
Baker was sentenced to be hanged and was taken to Nashville for safekeeping but
died the day before he was to be executed. Thus ended the career of Murrell's
most trusted right-hand man, a man whose brains more than any other had helped
Murrell in carrying out his plans. Baker had kept part of the Murrell clan in
the Bone Cave in Van Buren County, then a part of White County, prior to 1835.
He also had had his headquarters for a while in Blue Spring Cove. What became of
Paskell I do not know.
Another celebrated case was that of Archibald Kirby. Kirby told Peter Elrod
who ran a powder plant on the east bank of the Calfkiller River not far from the
Harriet Iron Works, that he had found a great salt petre cave and that if he
would go with him, he would show it to him. One day Elrod went over to where
Kirby was. Kirby had been trimming fruit trees and was wet to the waist, he had
his sleeves rolled up and a hatchet in his hands. They started to the cave.
Kirby walked before, hatchet in hand, leading the way to Hell Hole. When they
got there, Elrod hitched his horse and laid down to look over the hundred-foot
precipice. Kirby hit him with the hatchet and took ten cents out of his pocket,
but his heart failed him and he did not throw Elrod over the precipice as he had
intended. Seven days later the horse broke loose and came home. By tracking the
horse the searching party were led to Elrod's body. In the trial which followed
Kirby was defended by Sam Turney who made little defense because he saw that the
papers in the case were faulty. The case finally went to the Supreme Court and
Kirby was freed, Turney then said to Kirby, "You're as guilt yas hell, and if
you ever murder again, I'll volunteer to hang you." A short while after that
Polly Hunter was murdered and Turney, true to his words, volunteered and hanged
Kirby.
Another case was that of a Scott negro who killed a negro named Crock England
for beating up Scott's brother. This was one of the hardest fought legal battles
in White County. Swafford defended Scott. The case had to be moved to Van Buren
County, then to the Supreme Court. Scott was once sentenced to be hanged, and
finally he was sent to the penitentiary. The case cost the County sixteen
thousand dollars.
Another famous case was that of John Holder who killed his brother-in-law,
Halterman. Snodgrass was Holder's lawyer. The case was long drawn out and Holder
was finally cleared at a cost of sixteen thousand dollars to the County.
There have been at least twenty-five murders done in Sparta. Most of these it
seems have come about by some one trying to run the police out of town. A case
which caused a great deal of feeling and which was finally taken to the Supreme
Court arose out of a lynching. A widow was working at the Crook inn. She started
home and was met by a negro man. She was found later with her entrails hanging
on bushes, horribly mutilated. The negro was placed in jail. Calvin Crook, then
a young man, headed a mob, took the negro out of jail, and hanged him to a tree
near where Storm Townsend's garage now is.
Two more executions which caused considerable feeling at the time were those
of a man named Dooley and a man named Mitchell who were hanged on the same
scaffold near a spring near the Newt Carr place. Dooley had been reared by a man
named Patterson but had gone away for a while. Upon returning to Patterson's
house he was helping Patterson drive some hogs when they came to a spring. Men
that day usually carried their money with them. Patterson laid down to take a
drink, Dooley hit him in the head with his whip handle. Patterson said, "You
wouldn't kill me and me raised you, would you?" "I've dandled you on my knees
many times." Dooley hit him twice more and Patterson was dead. Who killed him
was a mystery until Dooley, conscious smitten, came forward to say that he could
not bear any longer to conceal the crime and made a full confession. He was
hanged without cap or anything to conceal his face. The other man who was hanged
on the same scaffold was a very ignorant fellow. He and his mother lived on the
mountain. The surveyor was surveying land near their home. The mother said to
her son, "If that surveyor comes on our land, take an ax and kill him." This he
did. The hats of both Dooley and Mitchell were left hanging where they had hung
them upon going on the scaffold for years after the execution.
Category:"History of White County"
Category:Texts