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 6
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THE ARMISTICE.
to Dr. Hill, they relinquished the case to him willingly. After. this change of physicians, old John's lamp soon ceased to burn.
After the death of John Hill, Dr. Hill assumed the command · of the forces ; though he kept himself in the background and denied having any participation in the feud. But actions speak louder than words. He spent nearly the whole of his time with the party and in the immediate neighborhood of Dr. Evans's residence.
About this time, January 1852, Dr. Evans had the misfor- tune to shoot his hand. Having returned from a visit to a patient, when he dismounted, he attempted to take his pistol from the holster, but it was frozen to the leather, and when he broke the icy cement the noise frightened the horse, and made him jump and strike the hammer of the pistol against the horn of the saddle, causing the cap to ignite and explode the powder. He happened to seize the muzzle of the pistol in his hand ; the ball entered the palm and coursed down the arm, between the two bones, about seven inches. Since the ball was very large, it shockingly mutilated his hand, so much so that the attending physician said it would have to be amputated. Though it was perfectly dead, he said it should not be taken off- that he would not take the whole of Garrard county for it. It gave him intense pain, and confined him a considerable length of time.
As soon as his hand got well enough he went to see a patient, .having to pass by Isaiah Hill's house. He saw a squad of Hills watching him very closely, and anticipated a difficulty on his ·return. He had taken Sam along with him, to open the gates, and, if .needs be, to do the shooting. As they were passing through a gate, about twilight, on their way homeward, the Doctor, having gone through, heard a pistol fire, but thought that Sam had by accident fired one while shutting the gate. He soon heard another, and saw Sam's horse dash up the road. He then looked back and found Rus Hill immediately behind him. He threw the glove off his well hand, snatched his pisto! from the holster, threw the bridle over the horse's head, and sprang to the ground, behind his horse. As soon as the Doctor touched the ground, Hill leveled his pistol and fired, but missed. During this time he was swearing at a wicked rate.
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THE HILL AND EVANS FEUD.
"I can whip a hundred and ninety-nine Evanses --- I am beeswax and rawsum (rosin) ; by G-d-I can whip all h-11!" And when Sam's horse ran away with him he cried -" Come back ! Come back ! G-d d-n it, come back ! - I didn't think you were so easily scared off!"
As soon as Sam could cheek his horse, he came back and asked his father :----
"Are you hurt -how came you on the ground ?"
"I am not hurt. Shoot that scoundrel, don't you see how he keeps on shooting at us ?" replied the Doctor, composedly.
Sam dashed up to Hill and fired - Ilill returned the fire. Sam's horse then reared up, wheeled and ran off again. . While Sam was gone, the Doctor leveled his large pistol at Hill. Hill tumbled off his horse and got behind a log, about fifty feet dis- tant, and kept up the fire. When Sam returned, the Doctor said to him :
" Get off that horse, for you cannot manage him. Quit shooting that little revolver, take my large pistols and kill the dog !"
Sam handed his father the bridle, took the pistols and started toward Hill. But the Doctor, seeing to what danger Sam was exposed, told him to -
... "Shoot the horse down ! Don't give him that advantage of you - behind a horse and log too! Shoot the horse down out of your way !"
Sam would not shoot the horse, but marched directly toward IIill, under a heavy and steady fire. When he got about half way, Sam pulled trigger, but snapped - he pulled away again and took a clump of hair and skin from the top of Ilill's head. The Doctor then told Sam to return and get another pistol. As they were exchanging empty for loaded pistols, Hill fired at them, then wheeled and ran off leading his horse. Sam gave chase, but Hill soon sprang upon his horse and galloped off. There was no damage done on either side, save the minus por- tion of Hill's head ; though Sam was in imminent danger when he walked out unprotected before Hill.
, A few days after this incident, Dr. Evans went to Lancaster .and told the Hill party, or rather, their friends, that he wanted to settle the difficulty; that he was willing to meet their best
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THE ARMISTICE
marksman anywhere and let the events of the battle-field de- cide the controversy; that if he came off victorious the Hill party would leave the country, if his antagonist, he and party . would leave. He also left word with them that he thought Dr. Hill was the proper person to take up the challenge, since they were considered the generals of the two parties, and that he certainly would not be such a poor, pitiful coward as to be afraid to meet a one-handed man. But the wished-for combat did not transpire, for Dr. Hill was notoriously afraid to stand before such a deadly fire as came from any of the Evans family. Had this challenge been accepted and Dr. Hill killed, it would not have terminated the tragedy. for the Hill party would not have observed the agreement ; but the passion of revenge would have stirred their hearts to darker deeds. ,
. The next occurrence happened between the Hills and Sellars, Sellars had been unfriendly with the Hills some ten or fifteen years, during which time they had many skirmishes and fights. Sellars was also an enemy to Dr. Evans, but as the war had assumed a general form, it was dangerous for him to stay at home ; hence, for his own personal safety, he chose to enlist under the banner of his mildest and most honorable cnemy. The Doctor was thus placed in an unpleasant position - to have an enemy in camp, one in whom he knew not how to trust.
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During one evening, Sellars saw some eight or ten of the Hills pass by his house. After dark, when he supposed they were all at home, he started down the creek to attend to some business. He had not gone more than half a mile when several men, with their hands armed with rocks, stepped out from behind a large tree, and said : -
"G-d d-n you, we've got you now !"
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Sellars in an instant leaped to the ground, and took shelter behind his horse. But he soon gathered up some rocks and got his horse out of the way. As he did this, one of the Hills struck him a severe blow on the arm with a rock. Sellars had the next throw -he knocked Fred Hill down, and, as he was falling, struck some of the others in the face with rocks. At - that instant he heard the sound of horses' hoofs coming up the .. road, and supposed it to be the approach of more of the Hills. He was not deceived, for, soon, nearly the whole party arrived.
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THE HILL AND EVANS FEUD.
He ran to the fence, jumped over, and escaped under the cover of darkness. This is Sellars version of the affair. The Hills then reported over the country that the Doctor and his sons had waylayed them and beat up Fred Hill ; and talked of instituting a prosecution upon that ground, but found that the innocence of the accused could be proven. Sellars sent them word that he did the work for Fred Hill. But they accused a man by the name of Murphy, then Sellars and Chrismon, and swore eternal vengeance against the latter two. . They then scoured the country to find a victim to atone for the lost blood of Fred - frequently searching the houses of Sellars and Chrismon.
While the Hills were thus prowling about the country, "seeking whom they might devour," Esquire Bruner, of Jessamine county, called the Doctor to see a patient. The Doctor at first refused to go-making apologies and telling him the state of affairs, and directing him where to find another physician. But the 'Squire would not hearken to these excuses, and replied : -
" The Hill party do not know my business, and we can get across the river before they can discover our design."
" Yes, that is all true, - we can cross the river very handily, but to get back again, that's the rub."
" Never mind that. I can furnish you with a guard of one hundred men, well armed, whose valor is as unflinching as the most tried veterans that ever trod the bloody hills of Kentucky. Your wife need not be alarmed for your safety - I will pledge myself to her for your safe return."
The Doctor finally went, and took Sam with him. They remained about three days, and set out for home in the evening- the 'Squire accompanying them. At the Doctor's urgent request to take the shot-gun along, the 'Squire laughed and said there would be no use for it. They arrived at the river, but the ferryman was absent. The ferryman had seen the Hills congregating, and knowing the whereabouts of the Doctor, suspected what was to follow, and ran away to avoid setting them over. This was very clever and generous in the ferry- man, for if he had set them across, he would have landed them in a crowd of Hills, for they were lying thick in ambush on the opposite shore ; and there would have remained little hope for
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THE ARMISTICE.
the Doctor with his short arms in opposition to such an unequal foe with their long guns. They stood on the river bank some time and called the ferryman, but to no avail. Sam went down to the ferryman's house to see if he could be found there, but, as was afterward learned, he had left, through fear of the Hills, for they had threatened to kill him if he did not set the Doctor across.
The Doctor laid down on the bank to rest, and soon saw that it would not be expedient for them to cross. He saw several groups lying in concealment, and watched them change their locality as cautiously as a flock of quails would before a fowler. 'Squire Bruner saw another group, but, not suspecting anything, thought it was some of the ferryman's friends coming to set them across. Only a few minutes had elapsed when the Doctor heard a rifle fire, and a ball whiz by his head. This opened the 'Squire's eyes to the reality of the case, and he wanted to get away without delay. In order to deceive the Hills, they went down the river, as if aiming to cross at the lower ferry, till they came to a secluded path that led back to the 'Squire's. They returned to Bruner's as quickly as possible, for they feared the Hills would cross the river and give chase. As the Hills were running down to the other ferry, several people saw them and asked where they were going. They replied : -
"We have started an old buck up the river, and are running down to head him at the next ferry."
When they got there, they hid themselves in the bushes, and awaited the expected arrival of the buck. It is believed that they stationed half of their forces at one ferry and half at the other, and remained there the entire time of the Doctor's absence. Bruner, not being used to the wiles of the Hills, found himself dreadfully puzzled how to secure the Doctor's return home.
" I have you here now, and I have pledged myself to your wife for your safe return. You know more about the maneuvers of the Hill party than I do, so choose your way home and I am at your service. I will furnish you with as many men and rifles as I promised, and more if needed."
"I know you will do whatever you promise Squire ; but
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since you have left it to me, I wish to start in the morning about two o'clock. I want only two men, of the right sort, with the right sort. of rifles. We will go lower down and cross on the bridge, for they cannot hide there, and if they meet us on the bridge, we can whip them."
With the guards, the Doctor set out for home, and arrived without further molestation.
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THIE SCOTT'S FORK TRAGEDY.
CHAPTER X.
Sellars and Chrismon at the Doctor's -- The Hills besiege Sellars and Chrismon in the tobacco house - Hills wound Chrismon in the bowels - Sellars kills Rus Hill - Hills turn to retreat - Dr. Hill's cowardice - Alverson and Sam Sellars wounded ; their flight -John Sellars kills Isaiah Hill -John Brown kills John Sellars - Barbarity of Brown and Bill Hill - Ilills kill Chrismon - Hills fly at the approach of the Evanses -- Hills inhumanly neglect the dead bodies of their fallen - Dr. Hill's resolution to drive the Evanses from the country.
WHEN the Hills heard that the Doctor had succeeded in getting home, they left the river, and went in search of Sellars and Chrismon. They went to Sellars's house - but he saw them coming, and ran away. Then they proceeded to Chrismon's --- who hid himself in the garret, and thus eluded a battle. They kept up this hunt till the battle known as the Scott's Fork tragedy.
On the evening before this battle, Sellars and Chrismon went over to the Doctor's and told him ----
. " We have been running from the Hills so much, that we can- not run any longer - we are perfectly broken down, and have determined to run no more."
" You had better keep out of their way - you had better continue yet to run ; for if they catch you, there will be little hope for your escape ! " replied the Doctor.
" It makes us feel so mean, cowardly, to be always run and dogged in this manner. We would rather die a brave death, than to be thus chased like infamous cowards -- and, in fact, we are unable to run any longer. We have only one rifle apiece ; and these, you know, could make little resistance against such a number as are thirsting after our blood. Now, as you have an abundance of arms - just look around, the walls are studded with them - we want to borrow another gun apiece."
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THE HILL AND EVANS FEUD.
" I cannot part with any of my guns ; I have not enough for my own defense."
" You must lend to us, for you can borrow as many as you need, and more too ; but no one will lend to us, and we have not the money to buy them."
" I will have need for all the guns at my command. Now, as you have been running so much, and as you are too much worn out to fight, you had better stay here with me. We will protect you, for the Hills will not dare come here."
"But we must be at home - we have to prize our tobacco to-morrow. We have sent word to the Hills, that if they will let us prize cur tobacco and sell it, we will leave the country immediately - we told them we wanted only time to wind up our business."
" You had better leave as soon as possible ; for I fear they will not grant you this short respite."
" Then if they attack us, we would have a better chance to protect our lives with two other guns. They are likely to attack us in the tobacco house, while we are at work there ; and if we had more guns we could give them a hotter battle - we can whip them at any rate - intend to try it if they make the attack."
" You had better not attempt it. It would be bloody work. Such a company, even if they were the basest cowards, can with ease whip two men so scantily armed. And there is Chrismon, he cannot kill a man - he cannot fight that kind of a fight. The materials of which he is composed are too tender for such hardihood - his nerves could not withstand such a contest. He would rather kill himself -his nature is too good and benevolent for the iron disposition of the world. If he had all the Hills tied ont there to an apple tree, he could not kill one by shooting all day. But you. Sellars, have the heart of a lion, and 'can give the enemy their dues. But against such odds, I would advise you to avoid a contest."
" You are mistaken, Doctor, about Chrismon ; he has more nerve than you imagine."
" That matters not; if I err, it is on the safe side. One man cannot whip such a gang, but two can, if they fight right. Keep on running till my hand gets well, then you (Sellars),
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THE SCOTT'S PORK TRAGEDY. 73
and I will meet them anywhere. But if the fight must come up, get Sam to help you - you and he can whip them in any situation."
" But we must have the guns!" said Sellars, picking up two, one a very large shot-gun.
"I cannot spare them."
" We can get guns nowhere else - you can borrow fifty, and by G-d we intend to have these - you had better not offer resistance. This is the very big shot-gun that I wanted - it is the only gun that can burst that iron shield off of Rus Hill, and by G-d I intend to have it. Now let Rus try to run me any more, if he wants his iron skin pierced !" ៛
Thus saying, Sellars walked off with the guns. The Doctor did not want to resist him, for he feared to stir up old animosities. ,
Late next evening, after the above conversation, Jack May rode up to the Doctor's in great haste and excitement, and told him that Sellars and the Hills were fighting -that the Hills, about twenty strong, had besieged Sellars and Chrismon in the tobacco house, and were shooting at them as fast as they could load.
Upon the reception of this intelligence, the Doctor told his sons to get their rifles and run over to assist Sellars. But when they arrived, the battle had terminated, the Hills were all gone, and some of the neighbors were hauling off Sellars and Chrismon on a slide. The boys returned home and reported the misfor- tunes of the day.
We derive a description of the battle from the testimony of both parties, as given in court.
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On the morning of the 13th of March, 1852, the Hill party desired to move John Brown down to Isaiah Hill's place. A portion of the party, under the command of Dr. Hill, armed themselves well with guns, pistols, bowie-knives, etc., and went along with the wagon. Their road led by the tobacco house in which Sellars and Chrismon were prizing tobacco. In the morning, when they passed, Sellars and Chrismon ran away and hid themselves in John Warren's house, which was near by. The party went on together to Teetersville, where a portion of them remained to indulge in the delights of bacchus, till the cthers returned with Brown and his furniture. Before leaving.
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74.
THE HILL AND EVANS FEUD ..
the village, they replenished their copious jugs with the mad- dening fluid, and often, during the journey, held communion with the spirits. They told Thomas Warren to tell John Warren : not to let Sellars and Chrismon conceal themselves in his house any more, for on returning they were determined to take them, . even if they had to pull the house down.
James Alverson, Sellar's uncle, and Sam Sellars, his brother, on hearing that Sellars and Chrismon were preparing to stand their ground, tried to persuade them not to have an engagement with the Hills, but to run away as they had done previously. But before their persuasion had the desired effect, a gun was heard a few hundred yards up the crock, which was known to. be a gun of the approaching party. They still continued their entreaties, but in reply were told it was too late then to retreat. While the Hills were gone, Sellars and Chrismon put the house in a more defensible condition, closing the apertures between the logs with fence-rails, etc., and making port-holes through : which to shoot. As the party approached, Alverson sat down : in the door, Chrismon on a bulk of tobacco in the back part of the house, Sam Sellars beside a hogshead of tobacco, and John Sellars stood, with rifle in hand, watching at one of the port- holes. 'When the Hills got within shooting distance of the house, Henry Sacracy and Rus Hill fired and wounded Chrismon in the bowels. John Sellars then fired and killed Rus Hill. When they saw that their men could be thus easily plucked from their midst, they became frightened and turned to flee. But Dr. Hill ordered them to storm the house, else they would all be killed. They then ran up to the house. Dr. Ilill kept Brown's wife and the wagon between himself and danger till he got past the house, then got down and hid behind a log. When the party surrounded the house and were shooting through the cracks, Alverson arose from the door-sill and received a ball in his wrist. This one was enough of lead pills for him, and induced his legs to do him good service in carrying him as fast as possible to Warren's house. Sam Sellars imitated the example of his uncle, and like him, concealed himself in the garret ; but as he ran, a ball gave him a slight cut across the abdomen, which doubtless increased his velocity. The fight still raged with fierceness. When the balls began to come in
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THE SCOTT'S FORK TRAGEDY.
too thick and fast to be comfortable, John Sellars jumped out at the door and killed Jim IIill. Then Isaiah Hill and Sellars had a chase around a hogshead of tobacco that was under prize. While this race was going on, Dr. Hill called Sam Hill to get his pistols and help Isaiah, his father. Sam, got the Doctor's pistols, ran up and shot at Sellars, but at that instant Isaiah fell before a fatal ball. Sellars then turned and bursted two caps at Sam - but while he was doing this, Sam shot him twice. At the second fire, Sellars seized his gun, and run. As he was running off, John Brown shot him in the back, which caused him to throw his gun into the weeds, stagger back a few paces, and fell. When he fell, Bill Hill ran up, put a revolver against his head and shot six balls through his brain. John Brown then ran up with a bowie-knife and stabbed him two or: three times in the breast. He would twist the knife around, then hold it up to the sun, and was almost frantic with ecstasy to see the large drops of blood trickle from its point. Some of , the young stock satiated their vile revenge upon the dead body by brutally mangling it with knives. Fred Hill and two or three others ran into the house to bring Chrismon to a savage' death. As they came, he shot at Fred and grazed his head, . which knocked him down. The others fired on him several times, setting his clothes on fire, and literally cutting him to pieces with their knives. He begged for mercy, but they told him to . beg his God - that they had no mercy for him. After they had thus dreadfully mutilated him, they took his rifle, pistol and bowie-knife, and the large shot-gun which belonged to Dr. Evans.
After this bloody work was finished, Dr. Hill, still lying behind the log, hallooed and told them that the Evanses were coming, and if they did not get away very quickly they would all be killed. They were about to fly and leave their dead on the field, but Jim Hill, a lad, swore that he would not leave the ground without the body of his father - that he would die before he would leave it. They ordered Sam Preston, a neighbor, to drag the body to the fence, being afraid to do it themselves. He told them that it was extremely wrong for them to make him do that which they themselves were afraid to do. But Jim, fearing the speedy arrival of the Evanses, drew
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THE HILL AND EVANS FEUD.
his pistol and told them if some one did not help to get his father away. he would fire upon the crowd. They then hastily dragged the bodies to the wagon, threw them in like so many hogs and made a quick retreat. When they arrived at their camp, they threw the bodies down on the entry floor and let them remain there all night without any attention. The wounded one got well in a few weeks and said that he did not mind taking leaden pills -that he could take them with ease, even without water. The next day, while yet the dead bodies were kicked about on the floor, they swore that they would kill Jack May for telling the Evanses of the attack, and that they would also kill Mr. Hall, John Warren and Henry Brookshire. . They laid around these men's houses, with their rifles. This so much frightened them, and pictured such a bloody future, that nearly, if not quite all of them left the country immediately.
· After this battle, some person asked Dr. Hill if the fighting would not terminate at this : "No," replied he, " by G-d, it is just begun. I intend to survey around these hills and whip every one of the d-n rascals or drive them from the country." The Evans party then went about the country two or three days, with their rifles, desiring a combat, till .Dr. Evans persuaded them to desist and stay at home. IIe told them that court would be holden in May, and then all the Hills would be indicted for willful murder and sent to jail. But the boys knew better about the state of affairs, and the fear that the officers had for the Hills. The Hill party made no cessation of hostilities, but swore that they would storm the house, go in and get the Doctor, cut out his heart, and sport it in triumph through the country on a pole.
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THE EVENTS OF BEDSTER'S DEATH
CHAPTER XI.
Hills receive a hired recruit from Washington county -- Dr. Hill's pretended desire to end the Feud - The Grand Jury indicts a number of the Hills - The Court grants them bail -The Evans boys go out to enlist help - Policy and conduct of the Evans party changed - The Evans boys go over the river, and on their return meet Bedster and Jim Hill - They kill Bedster and wound Hill - Contrast between the Hill and Evans parties - The Evans boys tried and acquitted before two justices of the peace - Hills scour the county - Citizens in danger - Public meeting - Dr. Evans proposes to stipulate - Arbitrators chosen, but fail to restore peace - Grand Jury indicts the Evans boys - Joe Murphy's stratagem - The trial delayed - The sheriff' detains the boys - The stratagem of the Hills to kill the Doctor fails - Hills, attack the Evan's party and kill Jesse May - The Court orders the capture of Dr. Hill and Joe Murphy -- The Evans boys put in jail - Dr. llill and Murphy's trial delayed till they run away -- The Governor offers $200 reward for them - Dr. Evans's little son shoots a Hill - Murphy captured and lodged in jail - Mrs. Rus Hill appears again - Hills disperse - The Evans boys have fine sport in jail - The Governor places a strong guard around the jail - The Evans boys tried and acquitted for the murder of Bedster.
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