History of the Thirteenth Regiment, Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry, U. S. A., Part 26

Author: Scott, Samuel W; Angel, Samuel P., 1840-
Publication date: [c1903]
Publisher: Philadelphia : P. W. Ziegler
Number of Pages: 576


USA > Tennessee > Johnson County > History of the Thirteenth Regiment, Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry, U. S. A. > Part 26
USA > Tennessee > Carter County > History of the Thirteenth Regiment, Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry, U. S. A. > Part 26


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Vaught was captured and taken to the Fish Spring, some six miles distant. He was accused of having been in company with the Union men in the mountains and carry- ing news to them. He asserted his innocence and pleaded for his life, but in vain. It was said the old man was driven along by horsemen and in his feebleness became so exhausted he could not go further, and Parker shot him down. It was alleged that owing to his age, and ap- parent innocence Parker's men refused to shoot him, and the heartless wretch dispatched him with his own hand. The avenging angel shut his eyes when this crime was committed, but it was not long until he drew his sword to avenge this and other crimes, and when the day of ven- geance came it was terrible indeed.


The death of Vaught was universally regretted. Capt. Slimp, an old-time friend of his, heard the news when in Cincinnati, O., and was moved to tears by his tragic fate. His body was buried at Fish Spring, away from his home,


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dressed in the bloody garments in which he died, and lies there still.


L. W. Hampton, of Doe River Cove, was one of the proscribed Union men. His home was near where John- son was shot. He had been hiding in the mountains some distance from his home, but that day it had rained and he had slipped into his house and was sitting by the fire doz- ing when the shot was fired that killed Johnson. This aroused him, and running out the back way he escaped just as the men were approaching his house. It was said Parker had made this raid on purpose to get Hampton and kill him. It was a singular circumstance that the shot that killed his neighbor and friend probably saved his life.


The death of John Hawkins, a venerable citizen and octogenarian of Johnson county, and Levi Guy, another aged citizen of that county, were charged up to Parker's insatiable desire for blood. It would look like their gray hairs and trembling limbs would have been a sufficient ap- peal for mercy, but it seems they were not. We are not advised as to what incentive led to these deaths or by what argument he appeased his conscience, if he needed any by this time.


David Oaks, it is said, was another victim of his wrath. We will pass hurriedly as possible over these scenes, over which this modern Robespierre seemed to gloat, but from the recital of which the ordinary man or woman will shrink with horror. But passing on we are told that Enoch Guy, the son of Levi Guy, met a sad fate at his hands. The touching story was related to us by Mrs. Clara Shuffield, wife of W. E. Shuffield, of Lineback, who was a young married lady at the time of the war, while her husband was bravely battling to rid the country of such men as Parker and his followers. The story was that Enoch Guy was afflicted with rheumatism and could not help himself. He was secreted on the mountain and was nursed and waited on by Miss Mary Ann Buntin, who was to be his wife, his sister, and a neighbor girl, Miss Loraine Perdue, who carried him provisions. Park-


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er's gang came onto his hiding place one day when the girls were not there, and when they returned they found he had been murdered; and it is related by another that, "He was stripped of his clothing, and his lifeless body thrown over a cliff forty feet high." We do hope, for humanity's sake, this last may not be true. But our in- formant told us that the men were afraid to go near his body, and that these three young ladies, his sister, sweet- heart and friend, prepared him for burial, and with their own hands dug his grave and carried his body to it and buried it. The reason assigned for the killing of this man was, that he was a Federal recruiting officer.


The next victim was David, brother to Levi, and son of Enoch Guy, who was also a Federal soldier who had come home on leave to visit his family. The "home guards" made short work of him. His plea to be treated as a prisoner of war was in vain. He was shot down in the presence of his wife and children.


Another son of Levi Guy was hanged later in the war, making four-the father and three sons, who paid the penalty of death for being loyal to their country.


John Tilly was another of Parker's victims. He was a scouter and had come home to visit his sick child. What had once been his home-that name so sacred to us all, that place about which John Howard Payne composed the immortal song of "Home, Sweet Home," proved to be his death-trap. One other victim we will mention whose life-blood will stain the garments of William Parker, when he presnts himself for trial in the final account, was a young conscript whose name was William Church. It was said his entreaties to be spared were pitiful but they were addressed to a heart of stone. Captain Ellis, in his book, mentions three other men, strangers, two of whose names were never known, who, in passing through John- son county, probably fleeing to the Federal army, fell into the hands of Parker and were shot on the Laurel, six miles from Taylorsville, Tenn. (Mountain City). A Bible was found in the pocket of one of these men in which was written the name "Lafter," and it was learned he was a minister whose home was in North Carolina.


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JOSEPH CHEEKS,


an uncle of David Cheeks, the latter a brave soldier in Company G, Thirteenth Tennessee Cavalry, was killed on Elk Creek, in Carter county, Tennessee. He was also one of Parker's victims and was shot down while attempting to escape from Parker and his men, and left lying where he fell. Miss Rachel Whitehead, daughter of James Whitehead and af. terwards wife of Joseph Green (soldier in Co. G), assisted by Joel Pardue (another Co. G. soldier) went with a sled drawn by an ox, and took the body to his home and buried it. Miss Whitehead assisted to dig the grave, and accompanied by Miss Rebecca Cable and two small boys went to the camp where two Union men, Norman and Cates, were killed by the same parties the next day after Cheeks was killed and were the first to discover them. They sent the two boys after Gideon Lewis, a Union man, who came and brought blankets and he and the girls dug a shallow grave, wrapped them in the blankets, and buried the bodies there on the mountain where they were mur- dered !


Near this same time, a young boy, brother, we think, of Joseph Green, seeing the Indians, ran and was fired on, the bullet striking him in the back while in a stooping posture, passed up through his body and out under his eye. He got well, to the astonishment of all.


DEATH OF JOHN SMITH.


A tragic death or the execution of a man for crime when it is done under the forms of law and civilization, and when the unfortunate man has an opportunity for de- fense and is tried and convicted by a jury of his country- men whose hearts are not filled with malice towards him, is a scene from which the ordinary man turns away with a shudder. But when the victim is brought up for trial before men who are filled with hatred towards him and when no testimony is admitted but that of his enemies


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and accusers, and when the unfortunate man is thus con - victed and marched off to some lonely spot and shot with- out the consolation of a minister or even a friend, without a parting word to his wife and children, it looks like "the very stones would rise up in mutiny."


Such, however, were the circumstances surrounding the death of John Smith (known as "fiddler John Smith"), who lived in Turkey Town in what was know11 as the Lyons settlement. In April, 1863, he was captured and lodged in jail among other Union prisoners. As far as we can learn he had always been regarded as a good citizen. He was a man about thirty-five years of age and had a wife and three small children. He would attract attention in almost any crowd by his fine personal appear- ance, having very black, curly hair, deep blue eyes, fair complexion and rosy cheeks.


An accusation was lodged against him that he was one of a party that had robbed the house of Isaac L. Nave, a secessionist, who lived on the Watauga river. Nave and his wife testified against him. We do not know that he offered any defense, it would have been useless, as the testimony of Union people would not have been con- sidered. Nor do we know that the sentence of death was even made known to him, but he was taken from jail and in company with other prisoners marched off towards Bristol, under a strong guard. When the party reached a place 41/2 miles north of Elizabethton, Smith, whose hands were tied, was separated from the other prisoners and taken off the road a short distance by two rebel soldiers, Motte and Duff, and soon the shots were heard that sent him into eternity. He was killed only about a mile from his home. This tragedy was enacted on a ridge near the "Narrows," on what was known as the Murphy land. Motte and Duff left the main road with the prison- er at what was known as "Zan. Wood's timothy patch." After these men shot Smith, Motte cut the dead man's finger off to get his gutta percha ring and placed it on his own finger. He then came down to a small stream of water and washed the blood off his hands, but there was a


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stain on his soul that no amount of ablution could cleanse !


About a month later the rebel soldiers killed a young man named Berry Pritchard a mile east of Elizabethton, at a place called "Island Creek." He was accused of being a bridge burner. Pritchard's home was on Stony Creek. He is said to have been killed by Capt. R. C. Bo- zen's men. Motte and Duff were also said to be con- nected with this crime. This officer was said to be from Grayson county, Va., and like most other Confederate officers who were sent into these counties seemed to re- gard the murder of Union men as a praise-worthy em- ployment, especially when they were unarmed and de- fenceless. Bozen was charged with the murder of Wil- liam Thompson, whose home was in the Greasy Cove, Carter county, but who, fearing to be found at home, had come to the vicinity of Elizabethton. Wishing to do something to pay his board he went into a field to gather corn. He was captured by Bozen's men, placed on a mule and taken to his home several miles away. After torturing him in various ways they took him a short distance from home on the farm of a rebel citizen named Brown and shot him to death. We are not advised as to the crime charged against Thompson. If the Bible be true there will be an investigation at the day of judg- ment, and Bozen will say to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on me and hide me from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb."


DEATH OF HENRY ARCHER.


This occurred at the same place that John Smith was killed and was one of the saddest of all the lamentable tragedies of that period. It happened in June or July, 1863. Archer was said to have been afflicted so that he would not have been able for military duty had he gone through the lines. He hunted out what he considered a safe retreat in a dense thicket, but his hiding place was


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betrayed to Captain B. H. Duvall's men and he was cap- tured and taken to the Elizabethton jail. Some charge was brought against him and he was speedily condemned to be shot. His wife with a babe in her arms pleaded in vain for mercy. He was taken to the "ridge of death" in the Narrows where several others had been murdered. It was said the company having him in charge, seeing his wife following, hurried him up (though he was walking and had his hands tied) to keep her from overtaking them. Her moans and eries were enough to move any one to pity who was not lost to every sentiment of human- ity. She followed him towards the place of death and heard the shot that killed him. In company with a young lady, Miss Nannie Jobe, and a young boy, Andrew Perry, strangers, whom she met up with along the road, she went and found his dead body divested of every vestige of clothing. She wrapped her skirt about his nude body with her own hands. Archer was about 35 years old and his home was on Stony Creek. The body was taken in a wagon by sympathizing friends and conveyed to his home for burial.


DEATH OF MADISON LOVELACE.


Madison Lovelace was the son of Thomas Lovelace. He lived on Stony Creek and was a strong Union man. The particulars of his death as given to us were as fol- lows: Lovelace had been to Elizabethton, some six or eight miles from his home, and was returning home and reached Isaac L. Nave's house on the Watauga river just after dark. Nave was a Confederate officer and had been from the beginning of the war an ultra secessionist. He was at that time at his home, and Lovelace, who it is said, had been drinking and was noisy, opened Nave's gate and started towards the house when the latter shot him dead from an upstairs window. Lovelace was unarmed, and we have heard no motive assigned for this killing other


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than that Nave's activity in having Union men arrested and some of them shot, and being conscious that he was an object of hatred by them, he supposed Lovelace had come to kill him. More than a year later Nave met the. same fate, in Sullivan county, at the hands of Captain Ellis' men, which is briefly told in the sketch of Ellis.


It was about the time of the killing of Lovelace that the shooting down Union men and burning the houses from over the heads of women and children, whose hus- bands or brothers were in the Federal army had become so common in Carter and Johnson counties that Gen. Samuel P. Carter, who was Provost Marshal-General of East Tennessee, sent for an officer of the Thirteenth Tennessee Cavalry who had spent much time in these counties on recruiting service, and told him that something must be done to stop the murder of Union people and the burning of their homes. He said he was authorized to say that $1000 in gold would be paid for the body of every man, soldier or citizen, dead or alive, who had been engaged in shooting Union men or burning their homes, whether they were robbers and scoundrels under the mask of soldiers, or whatever they were. The officer informed Gen. Carter that with a small force he could easily make reprisals and bring them to him and make a fortune in the operation, but that unless the Union people could get away, or an army should be sent in strong enough to hold the country, it would only result in their utter ruin.


We would observe here that just at the close of hostil- ities a force was sent into Johnson county under Major R. H. M. Donnelly and under the supervision of Hon. H. C. Smith, of Carter county, to break up a gang of maraud- ers who infested the mountains and who were men with- out principle, scoundrels and deserters from both armies, who were preying upon the people and robbing and steal- ing what little property they had left, regardless of whether they were Unionists or Secessionists. A large number of them were captured, and should have been hanged, but they were taken to Greeneville, and as no courts were yet established they were turned loose, prob- ably to resume their nefarious practices.


HON. J. J. M'CORCLE. (See page 305.)


CAPT. S. E. NORTHINGTON. (See page 307)


LIEUT. H. C. NORTHINGTON. (See page 307.)


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We have been told recently that Motte and Duff, two Confederate soldiers who figured prominently (and un- enviably) in a number of Carter county tragedies were Johnson county men whose homes were in Shady. We are informed that one or both of them were Confederate officers, that Duff had a brother, and that there was one Cliff Blevins, Jacob Nave, Chris. Frasier and Landon Ellis all of whom were Sulivan, Carter or Johnson county men, and were associated with Parker in many of the atrocities committed in these two counties and all seemed to possess that unnatural and inhuman instinct that gave them pleasure in vieing with each other in committing acts of violence upon those who had at one time been their neighbors and friends.


DEATH OF JAMES L. GARRISON.


Motte and Duff had committed so many crimes upon these Union people that a number of Union men deter- mined to put a stop to it. Learning that they were to be at the house of Melvina Hilton, in Elizabethton, on a cer- tain night, Elbridge and Robert Treadway, James L. Gar- rison and some other Union men, including four or five colored men who had been in hiding and had a camp in the mountains near a place called Queen's Station, about four miles south, or southeast of Elizabethton, came into town and surrounded Mrs. Hilton's house, stationing men at the doors and windows. Motte and Duff, with one or two others (citizens), were sitting at a table play- ing cards, in a small room at the south side of the house, which had but one door and one small window. Tread- way called on them to surrender. They arose from the table and barricaded the door with a bedstead so that it would open only far enough for Duff to reach his pistol through the opening and fire on the men outside. This he did, fatally shoot- ing Garrison and seriously wounding one of the colored men, and was severely wounded in the wrist


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himself. The attacking party being unable to force the door or get into the small window without serious loss of life, withdrew and the two men escaped. The colored man was removed and soon afterwards made his way to the Federal lines. Garrison was taken back into the mountains and his wound was finally dressed by Dr. H. T. Berry, a rebel citizen, and he lingered some time in great agony.


Garrison was a good, kind-hearted man, true to his principles and loyal to his country. He was about 35 years old, and left a widow and seven children, the oldest 12 years. His widow, Mrs. Hannah Garrison is still living and resides with her son at Valley Forge, Ten- nessee.


In looking over the entire field of tragedies in these two counties we have selected as the crowning horror


THE MASSACRE AT LIMESTONE COVE.


This occurred at an earlier date than other tragedies already mentioned, November, 1863, but we have written this chapter as the events were brought to our minds with- out regard to their sequence.


One Col. Witcher, of Virginia, had just arrived in Carter county to try his hand in subduing the "Lincoln- ites" and "Thugs," and he proved a fitting successor to the bloody-handed tyrants who had come and gone, and predecessor of those that were to come. Between them all it was a question of ability to devise the most shocking methods of murder and rapine. In the case of Witcher it would appear that behind him must have been an un- seen Beelzebub in spirit-form directing and aiding him in his atrocious work, as well as men in the flesh so lost to justice and human sympathy as to go with him and point out their neighbors as his victims. We suppress their names for humanity's sake.


While in the army the murders and house-burnings. perpetrated by this man reached our ears and filled our men with unspeakable rage. In a charge near Mount Airy, Va., some rebel prisoners were captured, and being


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asked to what command they belonged they said they were Col. Witcher's men. A half dozen men grasped their carbines to shoot them, but officers interfered. We are informed that there were two Confederate officers named Witcher who held the rank of Colonel in the C. S. A., one, Vincent A. Witcher, Sr., of Pittsyvania county, Va., the other one's name was also V. A. Witcher, Jr., a nephew of the former. It is said to have been the latter who operated in these counties.


James and David Bell were well-to-do and well-known citizens of Carter county. The latter was a reputable physician, and was a man of family, and his brother James was a bachelor past the conscript age. Their home, like that of every loyal man in Carter county, was a place of refuge for Union people and they fed and cared for them with unstinted hands.


The morning of the tragedy a company of refugees, about 50 in number, making their way from North Caro- lina to the Federal army had arrived at the Bell home and expected to secure the services of Dan. Ellis to pilot then through the lines. They had traveled all night and stopped in the yard waiting to get something to eat which the family was preparing for them, and to take a rest before proceeding on their journey. It was probably not known there that Witcher, with his regiment, had come into Carter county, and they did not expect to fall in with a large force of rebels, Witcher, piloted by rebel citizens, came on to them unexpectedly and as was always the case, being unprepared to fight, they tried to save themselves by flight. The soldiers pursued them on horseback and shot them down without mercy. Eight or ten men were killed, and one or two wounded. The following are the names of the killed and wounded as far as we have learned them : Calvin Cantrel, John Sparks, Wiley Royal, Elijah Gentry, Jacob Lyons and B. Blackburn. Preston Pruitt was seriously wounded, as was a man named Madison who was cared for by the family of a Union man named Thomas Green, who lived close by, until he recovered from his wound.


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They shot and killed James Bell, and it is said that after wounding him his head was laid on a stone and his brains beaten out until they bespattered the ground all about his body. One other man, named William Sparks, was sick and had gone into the house and lain down and was in there while the shooting was going on. After killing James Bell, Witcher ordered the house, a large brick resi- dence, to be set on fire which was done. Sparks made his escape through the smoke and was concealed and finally saved through the efforts of Miss Elizabeth Morri- son, who lived in the neighborhood, and was at Bell's house through all that scene of horror; she did many brave and helpful deeds that morning.


The story of the inhumanity and cruelty practiced upon this family and these men should bring a blush of shame to a Comanche Indian if one-half is true that has been told.


On this same raid Witcher and his men killed two other Union men, namely, Commodore Sloan, fifty-six years of age, and William Bird, the latter at the house of Williant Mckinney, and the former in his own yard and in the presence of his family. It is said he boasted that in the brief space of twenty-four hours he had rid the world of twenty-one Lincolnites. He was soon called to other fields of usefulness and it was perhaps well for him for Dan. Ellis and his lieutenants had his case under consid- eration, and had he remained it would have been a wonder if he had escaped the fate of Young and Parker.


We have omitted some details of cruelties in the fore- going account, it being bad enough in the mildest form we are able to relate it.


DEATHS OF REESE AND BENJAMIN BOWERS.


We have been unable to obtain the date, or many of the particulars of this tragedy.


They were the sons of Rev. Valentine Bowers, who was an old and highly respected Baptist minister. They


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had two brothers, William C. and Joseph P. Bowers. Reese Bowers was a Baptist minister at one time. The father and sons were all Union men. Reese and Benja- min were very active in the Union cause and assisted in piloting Union men and refugees to Ellis.


On the day previous to their death they received word from L. W. Hampton, a prominent Union man of the Doe River Cove, that there were some refugees near his home who were wanting a man to pilot them. These men had some experience in that line and left their homes in what was called the Neck, crossed the mountain to a point on the Watauga river near the Fish Spring, intending to go from there to Mr. Hampton's. They requested a woman, Mrs. Smith, to set them across the river in a canoe. A company of rebel soldiers had made a raid down in the vicinity of Elizabethton and were returning just as the Bowers' got across the river. The latter seeing them started to run, when the soldiers opened fire on them as they ran towards the hills near by; the soldiers pursued them and overtook them. It was told to us that the elder Bowers, Reese, prayed and begged for his life, while Ben- jamin fought and cursed them with his dying breath ; but the fate of each was the same. We have heard different stories as to who killed these men, one that they were killed by the Johnson county home guards under Parker, but their cousin, Isaac Bowers, now a resident of Eliza- bethton, and whose character for truth is unquestionable, informs us that they were killed by Bozen's men, and that he recognized a pistol taken from them by Motte, whom we have mentioned as having been connected with a num- ber of other tragedies.


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JOHNSON COUNTY, TENN.


OTHER TRAGEDIES THAT WERE ENACTED THERE.


This county occupies the extreme eastern territory of the State, and extends from the Virginia line on the north, running nearly east and west to the North Carolina line on the south and east, and bounded by Carter county on the west. Mountain City, known as Taylorsville during the war, is in the central part of the county, and was a small village during the war. This county is watered by the Watauga river, Roan's creek, Little Doe river, and numerous springs and small streams. There are beauti- ful and fertile valleys along the streams of water, fine timbered lands, and endless beds of fine iron and other ores in the mountains of that county.




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