USA > Kentucky > Garrard County > A history of the feud between the Hill and Evans parties of Garrard County, Ky. The most exciting tragedy ever enacted on the bloody grounds of Kentucky > Part 4
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The Doctor wished to sow a piece of oats, but feared to let the boys do it, for the field was surrounded on three sides by a con- tinuous thicket. But they told him that there was no danger of the Hills molesting them if he would give them his old hat. The Doctor thought this rather a strange idea, but obeyed their request. The field was in sight of Rus and Bill Hill's houses. The boys took the old hat and placed it nearly behind a tree, so that it looked like the Doctor standing guard, and peeping round the tree to watch the Hills. Every night they changed the position of the hat, as if the wearer had changed to a more comfortable posture. The Hills thought it was the veritable Doctor himself standing guard. They continually shot at it with their ounce balls, and cursed it with the most bitter oaths, telling it to " come down here, you old bald headed coon, and get some- thing to drink, I know you are dry - there's nothing like having plenty of " liker" to drink and a good horse to shoot from !" After these eloquent harangues, they would mount their horses, gallop around a tree and shoot at it, to show the Doctor's old hat what good marksmen they were, and how well their horses were trained. Thus, even an old hat was as much guard as needed, until the boys finished sowing their oats. The Doctor's hat must have imbibed some of the military from his warlike head ; at any rate, it knew how to stand guard pretty well.
The Hills drew many other people, and even strangers, into their difficulty. They gave little dancing parties, wood-cuttings, log-rollings, house-raisings, etc., to collect crowds of the floating loafers of the country. When thus collected, they pleasantly de- tained them with the fiddle's charm, and the bold spirit of Bacchus, and with the embraces of women of no enviable reputation. What could better please a rabble crowd -- frolic, whisky and women! These were the tools needed to help prosecute the war, for no
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THE HILL AND EVANS FEUD.
respectable person could be caught in such society, or volunta- rily engage in such a disastrous strife. You may know that even the females of the IIill party had no exalted opinion of virtue, when such names as Sall Hill's Bill, etc., are familiar to the citizens of Garrard; no better name having been found for a numerous class of progeny whose paternal origin is debateable
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THE COURT-HOUSE TRAGEDY.
CHAPTER VI.
The Doctor and two of his sons go to Lancaster -Judge Robinson delivers a political speech - Hills appear and attempt to shoot - Jesse Hill swears to kill the Doctor - The crowd rushes into the Court-house - Jesse Hill attempts to shoot the boys, but Ward holds him - The Doctor goes to the door - Hill gets loose from Ward -- The Doctor requests Hill to go away- Hill throws up his pistol ; the Doctor shoots him through the heart - The Doctor fires again - Hill leaps and falls on his head -- The Doctor gets his horse to leave -- The sheriff cries out " catch him " - The Doctor challenges the whole crowd - None accept -- He mounts and gallops off -- The multi- tude give chase, and throw rocks -- A boy repulses the pursuing host -- The sheriff and party pursue, and attempt to take the Doctor at his house -- Ile refuses to surrender - The sheriff's threats - The Doctor flees the country.
IN March, 1850, the Doctor went to Lancaster to attend court. Two of his sons accompanied him, one about eighteen, and the other about fourteen years of age. As none of the Hill party made their appearance, and as Judge Robinson was expected to deliver a political speech in the evening, they concluded to remain till that time. During the speech, the Doctor, however, took the precaution of posting his sons on guard in the rear, so that none of the party could creep up unperceived. The Judge had not spoken many minutes, when half a dozen Hills were seen in the aisle, holding a council of war. The Doctor watched them narrowly, and soon saw that he would have to fight his way out, if he got out at all ; for they had formed nearly an entire circle around him. It was very evident from their moves, that Bill Ware had been chosen to do the shooting. He attempted to shoot several times, but as soon as the Doctor threw his piercing glance at him, he would turn and walk out of the door. At the opposite door there was another party, with Jesse Hill at their head - but they were closely watched by the boys. Jesse attempted to shoot, and even presented his pistol once, but at the same
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THE HILL AND EVANS FEUD.
instant seeing the boys with their dreaded pieces coming down on him, dropped it and walked out of the house. He then went over to the tavern, took a glass of brandy, flourished his pistol in the air, and swore he would never take another drink of liquor till he had killed the Doctor or one of his sons. He returned to the court-yard, dashed around in a wild frenzy, and insulted several people ; and even hawked and spat in the face of one Mr. Dollings, cursed him, and told him to take THAT, if he did not he could get THIS, at the same time shaking the pistol over his head. Dollings walked immediately away.
Alexander Arnold then went into the house and said to Dr. Evans : ----
" Jesse Hill is out there ranting around ; your little son is out there also. You had better go out and take care of him, he might get killed." 1.
The Doctor not being very well acquainted with Arnold, thought it might be a trick of the party to get him out, and replied : ---
"He is smart enough to take care of himself in any crowd, how small soever he may be."
" I thought it my duty to inform you of the fact ; his danger certainly demands attention," replied Arnold.
" I am much obliged to you, sir, for the information-accept my thanks."
At this moment, a crowd with great excitement, came rushing in at the door, some crying " let me get away, for God's sake let me get away." The Doctor pushed his way through the crowd to the door, and saw one of his sons standing near the door, the other on the steps of the court-yard enclosure, both with their hands in their pockets on their pistols, while their pale countenances trembled with excitement. Their anxious eyes directed him to the danger. He saw James Ward in the corner of the yard trying to pull Jesse Hill away - Jesse struggling violently to free himself. As soon as Hill saw the Doctor, he cursed Ward, and gave him to understand that more persuasive means would be used, if words could not obtain his freedom. He struggled desperately, and shook off his best friend. Ward walked away behind the corner of the court house. The Doctor stepped back against the door-facing, ready
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.COURT-HOUSE TRAGEDY.
to draw his cocked pistols. Hill walked directly toward him, and drew his revolver. The Doctor making a gesture, said :-
" Jesse, you had better go away."
" G-d d -- n you," said Hill. making vague gestures, " come on, I am not afraid of all HELL."
" You had better go away," said the Doctor with more emphasis.
. Hill advanced to within ten or fifteen feet, turned his right side to the Doctor, threw up his pistol and exclaimed -
" G-d d-n you, now crack your dasher."
. As he uttered these words, and was bringing down his pistol, the Doctor drew his instantly and shot him under the arm. When the smoke of his pistol blew away, the Doctor saw him aiming and pulling at the trigger of his pistol. He stepped two. steps forward, which threw him behind the other facing of the door. 'A voice was heard from the crowd, " Doctor, you hav'nt touched him! " He stepped back to his former position, saw Hill leaning against the court-house with his revolver in both hands trying to shoot the boy on the enclosure steps. The Doctor again raised and fired, and shot him through the heart. When the ball struck him, he sprang half bent and fell about five feet from the court-house. Thence he sprang twelve or fifteen feet and fell on the right side of his head. As he was thus turning a summerset in the air, the Doctor fired again, but missed. The same unknown voice from the crowd exclaimed --- " Don't shoot any more, Doctor, you have killed him." He retained his position some time, expecting every moment that Ware and a half dozen more would be shooting at him. When. the curious crowd formed a circle around Hill, the Doctor stepped up a few benches and watched their movements through the window. That was the safest place to be found, for no one could sneak up behind him, and he had full view of both doors. When the fight began, the house was perfectly crowded ; but when it ended, the Doctor was the lone occupant. The people disliked to see these actions between the two parties, for they feared to be brought into court as witnesses, for they might thereby render themselves liable to incur the displeasure and. malice of one of the parties, and peradventure by this means
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THE HILL AND EVANS FEUD.
be thrown into the maelstrom of the war. It is not certain that Hill fired at all, but Madame Rumor say he did. The boys soon went in.
.. " Father, we had better leave here and go home !"
" I will not go - I've done nothing to go for, and do not intend to go," replied the Doctor, in a petulant tone.
" Oh, father, please come on ; we will all be killed in here if we stay ---- this is no place for us now, and we had better get away ! ".
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The Doctor then went out at the door, where he expected to find Ware with his hostile clan, and walked across the square, with pistol in hand, to where his horse was hitched. A friend ran up to unhitch his horse for him, but the Doctor pushed him away and said : -
" I want neither friend nor foe to lay hands on me ! "
: About that time some one, supposed to be the sheriff, jumped upon the court-yard steps, and hallooed -
" Catch him, catch him - don't allow a man to shoot another down in the court-yard and then get away ! I command the mule-ishe (militia) to take him !"
This was evidently a fellow of corpulent words and lean actions, a specimen of the genus homo that the Young America spirit of the age calls " gas." When the Doctor heard this pompous harangue, he left his horse, advanced to within fifteen steps of the orator and the crowd, and said : --
" Gentlemen, if any of you feel like it, come out and try your hand, try the virtues of lead! Choose your champions, or all come together - I am ready for any emergency, life or death !"
A friend brought his horse and urged him to go; the boys, likewise, still entreating him to leave. He then told the younger son to get his horse and saddle bags in order to leave. The boy did as directed, and they galloped across the square past the crowd. The other son had not yet mounted. As they were passing they encountered a shower of rocks from men not, till then, supposed to have any interest in the affair. The whole crowd ran in pursuit, yelling like Indians ; some mounted horses and with pistols in hand, set out in full speed. The older boy, Sam, I believe, soon mounted, and with a fleet horse got before
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the pursuers. When he passed the foremost one, who was Elijah Duggins, he wheeled his horse and observed - .
" You dirty puppy, this shows where you stand ; - come another step and I will shoot you down !"
Sam stood there with his pistol presented ; the crowd wheeled and ran back about as fast as they came. These were the brave mule-ishe so bravely commanded and so heroically re- pulsed by a beardless youth. Kentucky is renowned for her Spartan bravery, but little valor could be anticipated in such a rabble crowd as this. The flying party then rode on without further molestation.
When he reached home, the Doctor appeared a little excited, and his wife asked ----
" What is the matter, dear ?"
" Oh, nothing, only I have killed Jesse Hill ! "
" How do you know you have killed him ? "
" I know it, because I saw him die."
" Where did you hit him ? " inquired she, seeming considera- bly excited.
" I did not miss his right nipple more than half'an inch. But pray, tell me, are you going to give me anything to eat ? "
" Good Lord ! you don't want to eat !"
" Yes I do ; I'm very hungry. "Make haste ; the whole party will be here on me in less than half an hour. I want to eat to be strong enough to whip the whole crowd, and I fear I shall not have time to do it."
He immediately dispatched a negro to the fields to tell the other boys and William Chrismon to come in with their guns and prepare for a general battle. Just as the Doctor finished his dinner, he saw the sheriff, his deputy, and four other men approaching. Some of these were his friends. It was reported that a mob, about fifty strong. had stopped a few hundred yards distant, between the house and the creek. When the sheriff and party rode up, the Doctor, through bis sons, told them --
" Gentlemen, you must not come in here."
" Ask your father how many times he shot," replied the sheriff.
" He shot three times.".
" If he did, tell him to not let it be known ; for it is rumored in town that there were only two shots, and they were so close
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together that one man could not have shot them both. The peo- ple generally believe that he and Jesse Hill shot about the same time. Tell him to let the report go that way, for it would be more favorable for him."
" He does not desire any such report, for it is untrue, and he wishes only the truth to go to the world. He did actually shoot three times, for it took that many loads to fill up."
" Tell your father he had better surrender himself to me; it will be better for him upon trial."
"He says that he does not intend to surrender, that he is not afraid of the law, nor will he evade it, but he is unwilling to be taken out, stripped of his weapons and be shot down by an enraged mob."
" I will not let that be done - it shall not be done !"
" You could not prevent it, and even if you could, he has no surety that you would. He gives his word and honor that he will not evade the law, and that he will appear at court when the trial comes up."
"My oath binds me to take him, and I intend do it, even if I have to fire the house, or go to Danville, get a cannon and knock it down ! "
" If you get him, you will have to pay dearly for him, and when you do get him, he will not be worth much. If you are his friends, he wants you to go away, and if his enemies, you had better do it ! "
" Whenever a man tells me to leave his place, I feel it my duty to do so," said William Conn.
They all followed his example, and immediately put his theory into practice. As the Doctor had determined not to be taken, he held a council with his sons and friends, to know what he had best do. As they believed their enemies had the favorable side of the law, they advised him to leave the country, for they might force him to do things which the law would not justify. His primary motive for leaving was to give the mob time to think, for he remembered the old adage - "A mob has many heads but no brains." He made arrangements with his sons for the preparation of his trial, and for them to send him word when it would come off, so that he might return in time. According to the advice given after deliberation, he left immediately.
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THE DOCTOR'S ABSENCE.
CHAPTER VII.
The Doctor's flight -- He goes to Indiana - Does not receive intelligence of his family - Sets out for home - Meets his son - The son's narrative - Hills besiege the house --- Officers search for the Doctor - Gen. Dodd and the Militia - The Hills attack the boys and negroes - They shoot Thomas Evans -- The Hills and sheriff's guards repulsed by the boys - Hills sivear out a peace warrant against the boys, and a writ for one of the negroes -- Hills attempt to set the Doctor's house on fire-News of the Lancaster fight - The Doctor returns and demands a trial - Citizens attempt to restore peace.
GENTLE READER, do not get uneasy for the Dootor's fate, for I do not intend to make a second Ulysses of him, nor a Penelope of his fair dame, although she did suffer in a different way as much persecution as the royal web-raveler.
According to the well digested advice, the Doctor crossed the Kentucky river at the mouth of Sugar creek, that night, passed through Lexington, and took breakfast beyond Georgetown the next morning. As he had many relatives in Indiana, he resolved to go there and spend the time of his exile. He visited among his friends till the first of May, and had not during all that time, received any intelligence of his family, although he had written five or six letters, and they as many more - none had been received on either side. This made him uneasy, for he knew not but what the Hills had burned his house and massacred his helpless family - hence, he determined to return and learn the state of affairs. He was within about eighteen miles of the Ohio river, on his way home, when he met his son in the road.
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" Hallo son ! how does it happen that I meet you here ? "
" We all became so uneasy that I was sent off in post haste. to see what had become of you."
" Is the family weli ? "
"We have all had excellent health." "
" Well, tell me what has been going on since I left."
" We have had a pretty bitter time. The Hills have been 4
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THE HILL AND EVANS FEUD.
around the house all the time, and the officers have been there two or three times searching for you. The day after you left, the sheriff came down with General Dodd and a company of militia to take you. When they got to the foot of the hill, the General told the sheriff and militia to stay there, that he and William Turner would go up and get you, if they could not, no power on earth could. The General and Turner came up and asked us where you were. We told them that we did not know, that you had left for parts unknown, the night before. " As dinner was about ready, we invited them to dine with us; they did so. Before they finished dinner, the sheriff and whole company came in, thus violating the positive orders of the Gene- ral. We treated them kindly, and proposed to prepare dinner for them all, but they refused to wait, saying that their number was too great. Not long after that, one morning before day- light, the sheriff, his deputy, and some fifty men of the same malicious company, came back. We asked them what they wanted ? They replied that they wanted to search for you, - that they had learned that you were at home. We told them that you were not there, but that they might search if they felt so disposed, and gave them a candle. They searched every room with their guns cocked, poking them about under the beds as they looked. They even looked in the hen house and smoke house, and went into the barn with lighted cigars in their mouths, as if they would slily set it on fire. Some of them went back to the house, cocked their guns at the children, and, with many- wicked oaths, threatened to shoot them. The sheriff and deputy then divided the company equally among themselves. The deputy, with about thirty men, went down to Rus Hill's and took breakfast.
" After this crowd had left, and everything was quiet, Tom took the negroes and little Doc out to repair a piece of fence in the direction of Rus Hill's. The remainder of us went to work at the barn. Before they began to work, Tom went to the brow of the hill to see if they could work in safety, and to see whether the crowd were yet at Hill's. They were, and as ' soon as they saw him, began a brisk fire, at the distance of about three hundred yards. He told the negroes to go back home, and walked leisurely that way himself, not expecting to
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THE DOCTOR'S ABSENCE.
be followed. But the Hills and a portion of the deputy's guard came on in hot pursuit. He heard a noise and turned to see what caused it. As he turned around, they fired on him at the distance of about one hundred and five steps. An ounce ball struck him in the breast, penetrating about half an inch into the flesh and knocked him down. He arose, picked up his gun . and fired back on them, then ran toward the house. Little Doc thought there would be more safety at a little distance from Tom, but that made no difference, for the balls whistled by his ears as briskly as ever. : When we, at the barn, heard the shooting, and saw Tom fall, we ran instantly to the house . to get our rifles, for we thought he was killed. When we got into the house, mother fastened. the door and would not let us out. Just at that time Mr. Collier and his wife rode up to the gate. We told mother to go and let them in. While she was going out we got out also, and ran to meet the advancing foe. Mrs. Collier would not come in, but ran back with feminine timidity. Mr. Collier, seeing that we were about to meet the Hills, and hearing the balls whiz by and rattle on the house top, staid to witness the battle. The Hills came very near to the house and got behind a large haystack; and sent their shower of balls with renewed vigor. Sam took one of the large guns and knocked off the capping of the stack. This so much fright- ened them that they ran out from behind it, and as they ran, . ; he snatched a rifle from me and fired at them, which so much augmented their terror that they did not lessen the rapidity of their flight till they got back to Hill's. For a day or two the sheriff and his valorous guard laid around in the neghborhood --- the majority of them were beastly drunk nearly all the time. The sheriff then left them, which gave them a little more licen- tious liberty. They laid around the house, shot into the win- dows, and at any of the family whenever seen, till an angry storm drove them away. We could scarcely do any work out of doors, for they would attack and drive us from the fields whenever we attempted it. They would neither work them- selves nor let us work. One day we were cutting corn stalks off the young wheat, they discovered us, and Rus Hill sent & detachment to make an attack, while he went to town and swore out a peace warrant against us, and a writ for one of the negro
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THE HILL AND EVANS FEUD.
boys. The officer came that night after us, and advised us to take the negro off and sell him, for, if we did not, the Hills would swear enough to hang him, no matter how innocent he might be. He then proposed to serve the warrant on us, but we refused to surrender ourselves without he would furnish us . with a guard to accompany us to town. He agreed to do this, "and came with a guard on the next Monday. But we were in- formed that five of the Hill party had concealed themselves in an old house on the road, to shoot at us as we passed. When this information was received, the neighbor's, who were sum- "moned 'as our guard, consulted among themselves what had best be done, and concluded to let the officers come to us and re- ceive the bonds and security, for they knew if we went some >person would be killed. Accordingly, the officers came and we were placed under a heavy penalty, with good security, to keep the peace with all mankind, and more especially with the Hill party. Every person then believed that the difficulty was "at an end, for the Hills were honor-bound to keep the peace in virtue of our bonds. And the Hills themselves expressed as "much."
"But pray, son, tell me how things are now going on at home," earnestly inquired the Doctor.
. . " We get along very well, now ; everything is quiet."
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" Ah, I fear there is some trick in this," observed the, Doc- tor. " Storms are usually the burden of calms. I very much . feared that they had burned the house down before this time.
"I am sorry that you left. We will stop at your grand-pap's to-night ; then go on in the morning."
" They did try to burn the house several times. On one occasion, a very dark night, I well remember, Sam took several -guns and went up into the garret to watch. He was laying "down, watching through the little window, when he saw a coal of fire shine in the distance. It would disappear, as if concealed in a vessel; or beneath the clothes of the bearer, and ever and anon it would shine forth, to show that it had not become : extinct. . Sam understood the movement, and watched it narrowly. The bearer of the dark design came along slowly and cautiously till he mounted the stile to cross the fence. Here he opened the prison-gate of his fire to be sure of its
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THE DOCTOR'S ABSENCE.
vitality. As he did. this, Sam fired upon him with the large shot gun. The wretch let the fire fall, and fell himself headlong to the ground. Sam thought he was dead, and did not fire again : but after a time he crawled off like a four legged beast, doubtless, not well pleased with the result of his crusade."
The Doctor and his son traveled together to Shelby county, within seventy miles of home, where one of their relatives resided. The Doctor told his son to hasten on home and prepare for his trial, while he remained for further information. The son traveled briskly, and got to Harrodsburg about dark, and there heard of the LANCASTER FIGHT. He went on immediately that night and found his brother Thomas dreadfully mutilated and not expected to live. He sent a runner to his
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