USA > Kentucky > Trigg County > Counties of Christian and Trigg, Kentucky : historical and biographical > Part 39
USA > Kentucky > Christian County > Counties of Christian and Trigg, Kentucky : historical and biographical > Part 39
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Old Guard .- This publication, the latest newspaper venture in Trigg County, was established January, 1884, by G. B. Bingham and Matthew Mckinney. It is a seven-column folio, Democratic in politics, and under the able editorial management of Major Mckinney has already acquired an extensive circulation, which is constantly increasing.
The business of the paper is successfully conducted by Mr. Bingham, while as a writer Maj. Mckinney is the peer of any newspaper man in Kentucky. The outlook of the Old Guard is very promising, and its friends predict for it a brilliant future.
Trigg County has an able press, and should appreciate it as it deserves. Few counties have two better or more sprightly newspapers. They have prospered through the energy of their owners, and are now upon a solid foundation; their patrons should see that they continue so, by supporting them liberally.
Crime.t-Notwithstanding the history of Trigg County has been proverbial for its good order and the peacefulness of its population, if we take some other counties as examples her record has been rather a bloody one. It is pretty well conceded now that in most of the counties of Ken- tucky if a criminal is found guilty and the death penalty affixed, that public sentiment has driven the jury to the finding of the verdict; but if malefactors will take upon themselves the trouble to look into the county records of Trigg, we think they will come to the conclusion that it is not a very favorable location for the perpetration of their murderous designs.
* Prepared by A. T. Wimberly.
+ From Mckinney's Sketches.
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HISTORY OF TRIGG COUNTY.
The death sentence has been pronounced seven times since the county has been organized, and there have been five executions. The first was Jerry, a slave of Starkie Thomas, who was arraigned for trial in the Trigg Circuit Court the 7th day of July, 1841. The jury was composed of a lot of stanch old gentlemen, among whom are remembered the fol- lowing: John H. Prescott, George Grace, John Wallis, Sam Stanrod, Thomas H. Young, Alex Wilson, Robert Hawkins, William H. Martin, Z. E. F. Mitchison and William Waldin.
He was prosecuted by Iredel Hart and defended by Cormenius Bur- nett. He was found guilty, and executed on the 30th day of July, 1841. The day of Jerry's execution drew the largest crowd to Cadiz that has ever been there from that day to this. The bulk of the population not only of this county but most of the adjoining counties all seemed to have been there. Not only the gentlemen but the ladies turned out in full force, and the most refined and cultivated ladies in the county at that. There was considerable sympathy manifested for Jerry, and most likely if such a case had occurred during Gov. Blackburn's administration, he would have been called upon for an interposition of executive clemency. The proof was positive, but there were mitigating circumstances, the in- troduction of which the law forbade, that gave the finding of the jury somewhat the appearance of a harsh verdict.
The second execution was Minerva, a servant, the property of Mrs. Martha Mayes. Herself and husband, the property of Jane Miller, were tried for arson-the burning of the storehouse of Messrs. Gardner & Ragon. It seems to have been the generally received opinion that George. was guilty, but there was always a doubt in the minds of the people as to the guilt of Minerva, except perhaps the knowledge of her husband's in- tention to commit the offense. Public sentiment, however, was wrought up to a high pitch, and notwithstanding the testimony was all circumstan- tial, they were both found guilty. George committed suicide in jail before the day of execution, and Minerva suffered the extreme' penalty of the law on the 9th day of February, 1856.
Sol Younce was tried and found guilty by a Committee of Vigilance as being a leader in a proposed insurrection of the negroes, and a plot to murder the whites-found guilty, and was executed some time in the spring of 1856. There being no record of this matter kept, we are consequently unable to give the precise date.
Anthony, a slave, the property of R. V. Grinter, was regularly in- dicted by the Grand Jury and tried for a similar offense, found guilty, and was executed on the 6th day of February, 1857. Anthony had been tried for his life on one occasion previous to this. The first offense was the breaking open and robbing the house of Mrs. Kelly.
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HISTORY OF TRIGG COUNTY.
The next conviction and sentence was Austin Bingham for murder. He was sentenced to be hung, and the day of execution fixed for the 4th of November, 1859. There was a great effort made both in the trial and after judgment by his attorneys to save his life, and finally Gov. Magoffin was prevailed upon to commute his punishment to imprisonment for life. He died in the penitentiary a few years after.
Andrew Jackson was tried and found guilty of murder, condemned, and executed on April 12, 1860.
John Bridges was tried for murder, and executed on the 30th day of June, 1882.
"Let justice be done though the heavens fall," is the motto of our people, but they very much hope at the same time that long years may elapse before another crime will be committed in the county that will de- mand so severe a penalty.
Trigg County Medical Society .- The medical fraternity of the county have formed themselves into an organization known as the Trigg County Medical Society. The society was organized in 1872, any graduate of medicine from a respectable medical college being eligible to membership.
The first officers were Dr. Thomas Jefferson, President ; J. S. Lackey, Secretary ; and J. W. Crenshaw, Treasurer. Many of the physicians of the county have since joined the society. Dr. J. W. Johnson is Presi- dent of the organization at this time; J. L. Trice, Vice-President ; and J. W. Crenshaw, Secretary and Treasurer. The present membership consists of the following physicians : J. W. Johnson, J. L. Trice, Levi Lindsay, J. W. Crenshaw, T. L. Bacon, A. G. P. Good, William Lind- say, J. W. Cullom, Henry Blane, - Roscoe and J. H. Lackey. The society is yearly growing in interest, and its meetings are productive of much good to the profession in the county.
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HISTORY OF TRIGG COUNTY.
CHAPTER V.
WAR HISTORY-THE REVOLUTIONARY PATRIOTS-SOME WHO SETTLED IN TRIGG COUNTY-OUR SECOND MISUNDERSTANDING WITH ENGLAND- BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS-WAR WITH MEXICO-TRIGG COUNTY'S PART IN IT-THE LATE CIVIL WAR-COMPANY G OF THE FOURTH INFANTRY -A SKETCH OF THEIR SERVICE-THE HANDFUL WHO SURVIVED THE WAR-COMPANIES B AND D OF THE EIGHTH-THEIR EXPLOITS AND ACHIEVEMENTS-COMPANY B OF THE SECOND CAVALRY-COMPANY D OF THE SAME REGIMENT-THE FEDERAL SIDE-IT IS RATHER BRIEF -- THE FORTY-EIGHTH-OTHER VOLUNTEERS-BURNING THE CADIZ COURT HOUSE-MURDER OF A NEGRO SOLDIER-A FEW INCIDENTS-PEACE, ETC., ETC.
B UCKLE, in his History of Civilization in England, startles the world with the announcement that the invention of gunpowder, "though a warlike contrivance, has in its results been eminently service- able to the interests of peace." His argument is about as follows: 1. Its invention has made war more destructive to human life, thereby exciting the fears of would-be belligerents, and causing them to dread its issues ; therefore it has been "eminently serviceable to the interests of peace." 2. Its invention has made war more expensive, thereby putting it out of reach as an everyday luxury, and making it only possible to the wealthier nations ; therefore in this respect also it has been "eminently serviceable to the interests of peace."
By the same process of reasoning the invention of dynamite should have precipitated the millennium. Its greater destructiveness should have shocked the world into a paralysis of fear, and its greater expensive- ness should have made war forever impossible to the richest.
No; the true solution of the problem of modern civilization lies else- where than in the invention of improved agencies and implements of de- struction. We must go beyond and deeper. War is the outgrowth of human passion and pride, and the true conservators of peace must be sought for and found in those influences and agencies that correct and control these. The Christian religion, reaching down to the very fount- ain-source of man's being, and turning hate to love, covetousness to alms- giving, and selfishness to self-sacrifice, is alone such principle. In its enlightening and ennobling influences are to be found the prime factors of the present civilizations. Its very germ-life is to be found imbedded in the injunction, "Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men
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HISTORY OF TRIGG COUNTY.
should do to you, do ye even so to them." The life and teachings of the Son of Mary are the very incarnation of peace, and under the benign in- fluence of such example and teaching the moral conscience of the world has been educated to look upon war as an unmitigated evil, and its insti- gators as heartless tyrants and oppressors of the race.
War is always an aggression upon one side or the other ; the stronger, from motives of cupidity and power, making encroachments upon the rights and privileges of the weaker, or the weaker seeking to revenge themselves upon the stronger.
In the war between the mother country and her colonies she was the aggressor. The King, backed by a venal Parliament, sought to impose onerous burthens of taxation upon the struggling colonists, while at the same time persistently refusing to concede to them the just and inalien- able right of representation. The colonies insisted that taxation and rep- resentation were inseparable and should go together, and therefore that " taxes or subsidies of every sort for the support of Government should be the voluntary tribute of the people through their representatives." The insistance upon this principle of taxation without representation by Parliament on the one hand, and its resistance by the colonies on the other, soon brought about the heroic struggle which finally resulted in the complete independence of the latter.
It is not the present purpose to recount any part of that eventful period-it was over and almost forgotten before this part of " the dark and bloody ground " was thought of as a possible habitation-but to pre- serve to the pages of history the names of some of those who were par- ticipants in its fortunes. After the war was over and the people had again settled down to the more peaceful vocations of life, the growing importance of this portion of Kentucky began to attract the attention of many of the more adventurous spirits of Virginia, Georgia and the Caro- linas. Many of the war-worn veterans of these and other States, by themselves or in groups, began to make their way to this, then a part of Christian County, and the contiguous portions of south western Kentucky. A few of these names have been preserved, and it is the pleasure of the historian to spread them upon these pages.
In the year 1792, Thomas Wadlington, of North Carolina, who had been a soldier under Gen. Nathaniel Greene, came West with his family and settled near Kent's Bridge on Little River, about five miles from the present site of Cadiz. All that is known of his war record, beside the mere fact that he was one of Greene's men, is that he participated in the battle of Guilford Court House under that distinguished officer. No doubt he was in the subsequent engagements at Camden, Ninety-six and Eutaw Springs, but there is no record remaining of the fact, and none living able to decide.
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HISTORY OF TRIGG COUNTY.
Another of Gen. Greene's veterans in the campaigns of North and South Carolina, and who came to the county in 1806, was James Thomas, father of Perry Thomas, now in his eighty-eighth year. James Thomas, beside being a good farmer, was an excellent citizen and full of "the milk of human kindness." He settled on the place adjoining that on which his son Perry now resides, and continued to live there till the year 1832, when he died full of years, and was gathered to his fathers.
In 1811 Capt. Thomas Humphries, of Virginia, came to the county with his brother Absalom. He and Absalom and three other brothers had been in the patriot army, and had distinguished themselves on many a hard-fought field. Thomas was a Methodist preacher of much force and eloquence, and perhaps the most cultivated and accomplished scholar in the county at that day. Only one of the veterans who followed the for- tunes of Gen. Francis Marion, " the Swamp Fox," is now recalled. John Grasty, of South Carolina, came to Christian in 1790, and settled in that portion now comprehended within the boundaries of Trigg County. Besides being a scarred and war-worn veteran of the Continental army, like Humphries he was a man of education and refinement, and for a long time taught one of the early schools.
The name of but one Revolutionary soldier appears as such upon the Trigg County records. In 1820, June 19, Thomas Owsley (indexed Woosley) made application for a pension, and produced in open court the following schedule of his property : "An old horse, one cow, one calf, two two-year-old heifers, fourteen sheep, two sows and seventeen pigs, six old pewter plates, five knives, as many forks, and some wooden uten- sils of little or no value."
Besides these, the names simply of James Barnum, Miles Hollowell, John Mayberry and Balaam Ezell, an old Baptist preacher, have been preserved. They were among the earlier settlers of Trigg, and were doubtless as gallant in war as they were afterward adventurous and enter- prising in peace.
The War of 1812 .- The humiliation and defeat of "the mother country " by her rebellious colonies left a bitter sting in her proud, imperious heart. Though acknowledging their independence, and out- wardly maintaining a show of amity and good-fellowship, within their rankled feelings of wounded pride and deep resentment. These exhibited themselves from time to time in overt acts of aggression upon the high seas and elsewhere. In June, 1807, the British man-of-war Leopard fired into the United States frigate Chesapeake, killing three men and wounding eighteen more. This act of unprovoked hostility was, it is true, disavowed by the British Government, but again in 1811 the Little Belt, a British sloop-of-war, fired into the United States frigate President.
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HISTORY OF TRIGG COUNTY.
This time they did not fare so well, for the doughty Commodore (Rogers) replied by a broadside, and soon placed his antagonist hors de combat. About this time also the feeling of hostility toward England in this coun- try was much aggravated by the Indian outbreaks in the Northwest, which were attributed directly to her instigation. Gen. William Henry Harrison promptly met and suppressed them for the time, but there was every indication of further trouble in the future, and much uneasiness was felt. At last the emissaries of the British Government became so bold as to seek to corrupt our own citizens, and one John Henry was found try- ing to foment sedition among certain disaffected classes in New England. The fact was communicated by President Madison to Congress in a special message, and taken in conjunction with the other acts of unfriend- liness and aggression, and the frequent and forcible impressment of American seamen upon the high seas, finally led to a declaration of war upon the part of the United States Government. The people were much exasperated against the English, and everywhere the declaration of hos- tilities was received with demonstrations of hearty approval. In Ken- tucky much enthusiasm was manifested. The war spirit blazed forth, and over seven thousand volunteers at once tendered their services to the Gov- ernment. In answer to a call for 1,500 by the Governor to join Gen. Hopkins at Louisville, over 2,000 responded. Among those from Trigg County, then a part of Christian, were Lieut. Hampton Wade (grandfather of Lieut. Robert Major of the late war), James Baradill and Jonas Mitchell, uncles to Perry Thomas, Stephen Boren, William Camp- bell and Asa Reddick. These gallant spirits, or the most of them, fol- lowed the fortunes of Hopkins in his expeditions against the Kick- apoos in Illinois, and the following November moved against the Indian villages on the Wabash in Indiana. It is not the present pur- pose to follow the varying fortunes of our arms in this war, though Ken- tucky perhaps contributed to its success more than any other State in the Union. Suffice it to say that, in the main, both on land and sea they were crowned with success, and in December, 1814, a treaty of peace was signed at Ghent, conceding to us all the points involved in the controversy. But the news of the treaty did not reach our shores till fifteen days after the battle of New Orleans had been fought and won.
On the 8th of January, 1815, Sir Edward Pakenham with some 12,000 soldiers and marines attacked Gen. Jackson, who was entrenched behind cotton bales at New Orleans. The result was a most brilliant vic- tory for our arms. "Two thousand British soldiers led in a charge on Jackson's breastworks were left dead or wounded on the field. Paken- ham himself was killed ; Maj .- Gens. Gibbs and Keane, the two officers
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HISTORY OF TRIGG COUNTY.
next in command, were both wounded, the former mortally ; while Jack- son's loss was only seven killed and six wounded."*
Here also Trigg County was well represented. Among those of her sons who participated in the fight, under Col. Posey it is thought, were James Wade, a cousin of Hampton Wade; George Newton, familiarly known as " King Newton ;" James Saltzgiven ; John Jones, an uncle by marriage of John L. Miller ; James, father of Wimberly Thomas, who was wounded and subsequently, on his return home, died of his wounds; T. W. Hammond ; Barnes and Henry Jones, brothers ; Jerry Saunders, Jack Cotton, Winborn Futrell, William Ramey, David Cahoon, or Cal- houn, Warren Clark, William Pitts, Robert Coleman, Henry Vinson, - Christopher Brandon and William Rushing. Sergt. Lunsford Lindsay, father of Dr. Lev Lindsay, went from Orange County, Va., under Capt. William Stevens, and served in the war, but where and under what circumstances is not known. He moved to Trigg a few years after, 1819, and was long identified with her best interests as a good and useful citizen.
The Mexican War .- After the termination of this second war with England a long and restful peace smiled upon the country, only inter- rupted from time to time by the fitful outbreaks of the Seminoles in Flor- ida, and in 1832 of the Black Hawk war in the Northwest. Gen. Win- field Scott speedily put down the Winnebagoes under Black Hawk, and in 1837 Col. Zachary Taylor succeeded in bringing the Seminoles to terms.
In this latter war with the Florida Indians Trigg County had one representative at least, in the person of Harrison Frizzell, who was also afterward in the war with Mexico.
The difference with Mexico had its origin in the openly-expressed sympathy, if not active aid, of the Americans with Texas in her struggle for independence. On the 12th of November, 1835, the latter, through her representatives at San Philipe de Austin, declared her independ- ence of Mexico, and set up a regular State government for herself. This brought on an engagement, first at Bexar, and then at Goliad, in both of which the Mexicans under Gen. Cos were beaten. Gen. Santa Anna, President or Dictator of Mexico, then moved on the Alamo with 7,500 men, and late in February, 1836, attacked the garrison. Col. Travis with 140 brave Texans defended the place, and for eleven days, in which Santa Anna lost 1,600 killed and wounded, succeeded in keeping them at bay. The defense was unprecedented in the annals of war, and at the time thrilled the whole nation with wonder and admiration. The place was finally carried by storm, and on the 16th of March the entire garri- son was cruelly put to the sword by their cowardly captors. Among
4
* History of the United States: By Alexander H. Stephens.
85
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HISTORY OF TRIGG COUNTY.
those who perished at Alamo were " the brave, eccentric and famous David Crockett, of Tennessee," and one of Trigg County's gallant sons, Jesse Humphries, a descendant of the brothers Thomas and Absalom Hum- phries, of Revolutionary fame.
A second butchery followed shortly afterward at Goliad, where Col. Fanning and 300 of his men were cruelly put to death. These enormities upon the part of the Mexicans exasperated the American people to the very highest pitch of indignation. Texas, nothing daunted, and perhaps secretly instigated by the Americans, proceeded to adopt a Constitution for an independent republic, and elected David G. Burnett as President. Commissioners were sent to this and other countries, asking for recogni- tion. In 1837 the United States recognized her independence, and in August of the same year she proposed to annex herself to the United States, but it was not till the 29th of December, 1845, that Congress acceded to her request. The Mexican Minister called for his passport and withdrew from the country, and Gen. Zachary Taylor was sent to the Rio Grande. Here on the 26th of April, 1846, hostilities began with the killing and capturing of Capt. Thornton and sixty-three men. A series of brilliant engagements began under Taylor at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, and later on under Scott at Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo and other places, resulting in the capture of the city of Mexico on the 12th of September, 1847, and the subsequent submission of the Mexican Government to the forces of the United States.
In this war, through her Taylors, Clays, Crittendens, Prestons, Breck- inridges, Butlers, Marshalls and others, Kentucky covered herself with glory. More than 13,700 men offered themselves as volunteers, though only about 5,000 or less had been called for as Kentucky's quota and could be accepted. Trigg County tendered one or more companies, but the quota being already made up they were declined. The companies were disbanded, but quite a number of the more adventurous spirits who had composed them hurried off to different points to seek enlistment in other commands. The first man to go was Lycurgus Edrington, now of Missouri, and he is said to have been the first man to volunteer from this Congressional District in any command. He was a man of fine physique, and made a brave and efficient soldier.
Shortly after Wiley Futrell, also in the late war under Col. Suggs of the Fiftieth Tennessee ; James Thomas, Fifer ; Alfred Boyd, Quarter- master, George Boyd, his son ; Reuben Nance, Commissary ; Owen Mc- Ginness, Gilliam M. Ezell, Alfred Martin, Robert and Frank Husk, Ezekiel Beard, George Orr, Griffin Lackman and Archie Bowie made application and were accepted in Company E, Fourth Kentucky Infantry, then being organized at Hickman, Ky. The officers of this company
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HISTORY OF TRIGG COUNTY.
were George Cook, Captain ; John Snyder, First Lieutenant ; Edward Barbour, Second Lieutenant ; Benjamin Egan, Third Lieutenant.
Six others, Edward Spiceland, Linn Bell, Alfred Sumner, Har- rison Frizzell, John Ward and John Farleigh, arriving shortly afterward and finding the company full, engaged as wagoners, and in this capacity accompanied Gen. Taylor on his campaign into the interior of Mexico.
The organization of Capt. Cook's company being complete in October, 1847, it embarked with Company C, of Caldwell County, on board a steamer and proceeded to join Col. John S. Williams, Fourth Regiment of Kentucky Infantry at New Orleans. The officers of the Fourth were John S. Williams, Colonel ; William Preston, Lieutenant-Colonel; and William T. Ward, Major. From New Orleans without delay, the regiment was embarked on a fast-sailing ship for Vera Cruz, where on their arrival they were assigned to duty in the brigade under Gen. William O. Butler. Gen. Butler began his march to the City of Mexico in Novem- ber, but before they could reach that point it had surrendered to the forces under Gen. Scott. With the fall of the city the war closed, and after a few days the troops were disbanded and returned home.
Though not in any engagement the company lost heavily from measles, dysentery and other "camp " diseases. Griffin Lackman died and was buried at Jalapa, Alfred Martin and Ezekiel Beard died on their return to Vera Cruz, George Orr died and was buried at the head of Wolf Island, and Robert Husk died at Smithland. The body of the latter was brought on to Trigg, where it was buried with appropriate honors by his comrades and a large concourse of sorrowing citizens. The balance of the company was mustered out at Louisville, August, 1848, and on its return was welcomed home with a splendid banquet spread in a grove near the town of Cadiz.
The Great Civil War Between the States .- It would be interesting to go back to the beginning and trace out step by step the cause or causes that led up to this great struggle, but this has been done by abler pens, and the reader is referred to Alexander Stephens' History of the United States as a fair and impartial view of the subject. Though there were many secondary causes, the war had its origin primarily in the intro- duction of African slavery into the Colonies. Slavery was the germ- seed of the deadly upas that, planted in the virgin soil of the Colonies, grew with the growth of years and finally spread its blighting shadows over the whole continent. It was the infectious virus that, injected into the veins of that youthful people, ultimately resulted in the poisoning of the whole body politic of the full-grown nation. Nor is it a question of responsibility as to its introduction, nor yet as to its agitation by the friends and champions of either side. The future historian must and
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