i Price 10 cents. 3 THIS MOUNTAIN SCOUT 1 i db is .a. :k "^* . CAPTURE OF FORTHAMBY A Thrilling Story of the War. REV. W. R. GWALTNEY, D. D. PUBLISHED BY THE MOUNTAIN SCOUT, Taylorsville, N. C. **M§ PUBLISHER'S PREFACE. The following Thrilling account of the troubles, in this section, just about the close of the war of 1861-4 was published in thel Scout in June. Quite a number of our citizens have expressed a desire for a copy of it to lay away and keep for their children to read. Yielding to the many requests made we have concluded to place it before the people in the form of a pamphlet and we hope that it may find its way into every home within the territory cov- ered by Wade and his hand. The Author, being a participant in the capture of Wade's band, has given the facts as seen by an eye witness. MOUNTAIN SCOUT. MOUNTAIN LIBRARY. 4 00 No. 4. Taylorsville, N. 0., Price 10 cts. CAPTURE OF FORT HAMBY OR A THRILLING STORY OFTHE WAR. Rev. Dr. W. R. Gwaltney writes of the Heroism, of Confed- erates at Fort Hamby. O — O In March 1865, General Stone- man left East Tennessee, mov- ing from Taylorsville, Tenn., through Watauga county to Deep Gap in the Blue Ridge. On the 26th of March he entered Boone, N. C, and on the day following the column was divid- ed, one division under General Stoneman marching towards Wilkesboro, while the other, un- der General Gilliam, crossed the Blue Ridge at Blowing Rock and went to Patterson, in Cald- well county, there joined Gen- eral Stoneman at Wilkesboro. On the 31st of March General Stoueman moved over into Sur- ry county, going toward Mt. Airy. During Stoneman's march through this section of the State, his men committed many de- predation?. After leaving Wilkesboro a number of the law- less of his command deserted Stoneman's army, and other worthless characters led by two desperate men, Wade and Sim- mons, completely terrorized Wilkes and portions of other counties by their frequent raids. They would ride into the yard, dismount and several of them would enter the house, and one or more would point loaded pis- tols or guns at any person or persons who might be in the house, saying "if you open your mouth we will drop you in your tracks. 1 ' while others would go through every trunk anddraw T er to be found, taking with them everything that suited them and every good horse on the planta- tion. It must be remembered that at that time almost every man 2 CAPTURE OF fit for millitary services was in the army and the country was almost completely at the mercy of the robbers. After Lee's sur- render and the Confederate sol- diers began to return home this state of affairs continued. These marauders then divided into two bands, one led by Sim- mons with head-quarters in the Brushy Mountains, the other led by Wade, who had head- quarters on the Yadkin River, in Wilkes county. Several times these two bands operated to- gether. But as the writer had to deal with Wade's band, and with it had a most lively experi- ence, this article will be devot- ed to him and his fiendish work. He claimed the rank of major in Stoneman's army and said he was from Michigan. The house in which he fortified was on the road leading from Wilkesboro to Lenoir, and nearly a mile from Holmans Ford, where the valley road crosses the Yadkin River, The house was situated on a high hill commanding a fine view of the Yadkin Valley and of the valley road for a distance of a mile above and a mile below the ford, The house fronted the river on the South. On the West Lewis Fork, a stream smaller that the Yad- kin River, emptied into it. On the North and East lav a wide against the Indians, have FORT HAMBY. I belt of thick woods. In this sec- tion were many sympathizers if not aiders and abettors of the band. From this position the Yadkin Valley and the sur- rounding country for at least a half mile in every direction could be swept and controlled by Wade's guns. There is a leg- end that on this very hill Daniel Boone was fortified It would been difficult to have chosen a stronger location both offensive and defensive, than this. The house was built of logs, two stories high. The rob- bers had cut port holes for their guns in the upper story. They were army guns of the best type and could command the ap- proach to the house from all di- rections. There would be no- thing more hazardous than to attempt to reach it. This house belonged to some disreputable woman by the name of Ham by and after Wade had fortified and occupied it the name by which it was known was Fort Hamby. It is not known just how man}' men were engaged in these depredations. Perhaps the number actually engaged was not more than thirty. A list of eighteen names was found when the fort was taken, but more than that number was known to co-operate with them. They CAPTURE OF FORT HAMBY showed a spirit of revenge and a desire for plunder in all their raids. Indeed they seemed to- think that they must treat with the utmost cruelty all who were not in sympathy with them. They were brave men and well drilled. All the people of Wilkes county lived in constant dread of them — frightened by the bark of a dog or the rattling of the leaves. Life seemed worse than death. All Wilkes county was subdued by them. They made several rades into Alexan- der and Caldwell counties, rob- bing the citizens and subjecting men and women to the grossest insults. On the 7th ef May 1865 they made a rade into Caldwell county. Major Harvey Bingham, with a few men, made a well planned move on the fort Sun- clay night following. It seems that Wade and his men were not aware of Bingham's ap- proach until he and his men had entered the house. Wade and his men announced their help- less condition and begged for their lives. No guns being seen Binhham believed them his prisioners, They gave Wade and his men time to dress, after which at a moment when the captors were off their guard, they rushed to their guns which were concealed about their beds and opened fired on them. The result was that Clark, a son of . General Clark, of Caldwell coun- ty, and Henly of the same coun- ty, were killed. The others es- caped, leaving the bodies of Clark and Henly. The Satui'day night follow- ing they crossed over into Al- 1 exander county, intending to I capture and kill W. C. Green, son of Rev. J. R. Green, who i had been a lieutenant in the confederate army, Rev. Mr. Green had been informed of the expressed purpose to kill his son, and they were on the look- out for them and were ready to give them a warm reception. They surrounded the house, and Wade had on a Confederate grey suit which he always car- ried with him when he wanted to enter a house without forc- ing his way into it. He claimed to be an officer in the Confedrate army and was returning home and desired a night's lodging. The moon was shining bright- ly. Mr. Green could see him and his men and said : "I know you and you can not come in here unless you come in over my dead body," Mr. Green had his position at the front door with a pistol in one hand and a dirk in the other. His son was at the front window and his daughter at another window armed with a knife of CAPTURE OF FORT HAMBY. long keen blade They had taken five of their servants into their confidence and armed them also and placed them into the rear of the house. Three of the gang were about to enter through a window in the rear part of the building and Lieu- tenant Green hearing it, rushed to the place and knocked out a pane of glass and fired at them, slightly wounding one of them. They withdrew, leaving two of their horses and two or three hats and went in haste back to the fort. The next day (Tues- day) Col. WashiDgton Sharpe gathered to gether about twenty men, old soldiers who had re- turned from Appomattax, and pursued them, James Linney, Brother of Hon. R. Z. Linney, and Jones Brown were killed and left in the yard. The others, some of them sprmging from their horses and running on foot, escaped. They manag- ed to get together at Moravian Falls and returned home great- ly dejected, while the robbers were greatly emboldened by their two victories in one week. The loss of Linney and Brown cast the darkest shadow of gloom and sadness over the whole community. The burning question was asked by every one, "what is going to be done?" Some thought that there was little or no hope of anything being done — Some who had been, were really afraid to go again and did not go. Now the writer must speak as an eyewitness of all that follows, After returning from the army I took a small school in Alexan- der county and boarded in the home of Ellis Haynes, Esq. The company which wa» driven from the fort the Sunday be- fore was made up in this com- munity. Col. Sharpe called together and held a consultation with a number of the old soldiers and it was soon decided that another effort should be made to dis- lodge them and put an end to the work of plunder and mur- der. I left my school in the Lands of one of my pupils and joined the company. We started on Tuesday after-noon following the Sunday on which our Alex- ander men had been repulsed. The company numbered about twenty men. Having crossed the Brushy Mountains at Cove Gap just before reaching Mora vain Falls, in Wilkes county, we met a man near Holman's Ford who told us that Wade was looking for lit* and he declaired he could whip a thousand of us, and he hoped we would come on. We stopped and held a consultation CAPTURE OF FORT HAMBY sent one of our men into Iredell county to ask Col. Robt. V. Cow- man, who had commanded the 33rd Regiment of N, C. Troopers in the war just closed, to gather up all the returned soldiers he could and come to Holman's Ford with all possible speed- We sent another one of our number tj the headquarters of a por- tion of the Federal army en- camped near Lexington, N. C, to inform them of the condition of things in Wilkes county, and to ask them to send and relieve the situation as early as they possibly could. We then went on, reaching Moravian Falls about sun-set, and remained there till near midnight, and then moved slowly and cau- tiously up the road leading to Holmens Ford. The night was dark, or the after part of it, and all felt that the march was fraught with danger. Coming within a mile or less of the ford, a voice rang out sharp and clear: "Halt, who comes there?" Col. Sharpe replied : ''Men from Alexander : Who are you?" The answer came, "Oxford's men from Caldwell county. "Advance" This was good news to us. We found Oxford's men all sleeping soundly in the woods near the road except two or three who were walking the sentinels'sl beat, We shared the bed of leaves till break of day and then the call came for all to rise and fall into line. The two com- panies to gether numbered not more than forty men. We left the road leading to the ford and turned up the river to the left and crossed at a small ford on the farm of a Mr. Tolbert and then ascended a hill to the val- ley road and dismounted and fed our horses and opened our haver sacks and ate breakfast in the yard of Mr. Tolbert. In his house a woman was dying, who with her husband the day before was approaching the ford in a wagon and was shot by one of" the robbers from the fort more than a quarter of a mile distant. While here Mr. Tol- bert said to us : "You can easily judge what my fears of these robbers are and my feelings to- ward them, but I dare not say a word. My advice to you all is that you go back home for with that force you will not be able to tal^e them. They are on the lookout, for you, and they have doubtless sent to their sympathizers for recruits, and should they capture you they will surely kill you, and no doubt now they are lying in those thickets waiting in am- bush for you, and as soon as you turn the top of that hill you 6 CAPTURE OF FORT HAMBY. are in danger of being shot thicket. We felt that an enemy down. We held a counsel of war. | whom we could not see was A few of our bravest men were about to drop us in our tracks in favor of going back and wait- , in constant expectation of being ing till we could rally a strong- shot into enternity. We were er force. By a large majorit} 7 never so conscious of safety as it was decided to go on. After I when we reached that hill where passing the top of the hill and , we felt that in the fight we could coming to a little narrow foot- j see the foe. We had been on path leading through a long that hill only a few minutes stretch of thicket and old field ' when one of the robbers was pines, the Colonel said to me : seen leaving the fort and going "You take these five men and into the field below where seve- follow this path till you reach ral fine horses were grazing. He the hill yonder on the West of bridled one of them, and while the fort between which hill and bridling the horse the writer ran the fort runs Lewis Fork. Feel ; down the hill about twenty your way carfully through the ; yards toward the creek (Lewis' thicket and when you reach the ! Fork) and from a pine tree was hill scour it all over and see trying to get a shot at the rob- that their is no one on it. I will ber. But there being so many take the company on horses and . trees in the way he led the horse station them on the North and | rapidly away beyond some East of the fort and thew we Thickly timbered land and was have them surrounded with the out of sight. In less than five Yadkin River on the South. ' minutes I heard the gun of one When the men are stationed a I of my men on the hill top snap, gun will be fired on the East I looked and saw that he was that you may know that we are pointing his gun towards the in place. I took tine live men greek below me. Hisgunsnapp- atid we went single hie one after ed several times. I knew that another, expecting every step to he was trying to shoot one of be shot down. We breathed not Wade's band, but I could not a free breath until we reached see him, but I felt that the man the hill and scoured it all over was between me and the creek, and found no one on it. We _ Thpn X saw ano ther one of my had been in manv places or dan- ; ., . , i 4.1 " i 4. men slip his gun to the one ger during the war, but never l b had our courage been tried a> it whose gun kept snapping, He was in this march through that reached his hand and took hold CAPTURE OF of the muzzle of the gun and pulled it to him. He raised it to his face and I thought I never heard a gun roar louder. He shot at one of tho robbers sitting on the bank of the creek, but missed him. He pitched forward into the creek and ran it towards the Yadkin. The creek was so over hung with under growth that we saw no more of him. We supposed he was then wat- ching for our approach. If he knew of our presence till fired on we knew not. The warning he got saved his life, for he did not return to the fort. Our men kept up filing on the house all day and they returned the fire at us, and shot with such accur- acy that we had to keep at a great distance behind trees and logs. In a very few minutes after the shot was fired at the robber on the creek bank one of the men from the east of the fort fired his gun to let us know that all were stationed. Then such a yell was raised in the fort as we never heard before or since. The most fearful oaths. It was more like the howling of devils, cursing us and daring us to come on ; evidently trying to make it appear that they w T ere there in strong force. Night came on and it was a very dark cloudy night. Anoth- FORT HAMBY. 7 er counsel of war was held. Some advised that in view of our small numbers and thepro- babilty of their bringing in re- cruits that night and surround- ing us, that it would be the part of wisdom to with draw and wait till we could rally greater forces. Others said if we did not dislodge them then that they would never return for another effort. A majority of us declar- ed that we could whip all the re- cruits that might come and that we must stay till the fort was taken saying : "Death is prefer- able to the miserable life which they are causing us to lead, and live or die let us stay till the work is done." We stayed. And in the darkness we constructed a new line of breast- works near the fort and kept on shooting at the house for some time after dark. The enemy fired no more after it became too dark for them to see us. We had in our Alexander company a man from Iredell count}' by the name of Wallace Sharpe. He went by the name of Wall Sharpe. His sta- tion was near the spring and between him and the fort and very near it stood the old kitch- en built of small pine logs, cov- ered with boards and it was very old and dry. Wall Sharpe, as soon as he could see signs of ap- proaching day, pulled off his 8 CAPTURE OF shoes and very quietly made his way to the old kitchen and push- ed some dry trash into a crack and struck a match and touch- ed it and then ran back to his station. Soon the whole kitchen was ablaze, and you may be sure that no fire was ever more eager- ly watched. Very soon the sparks began to fall on the roof of tha fore. And soon little blazes sprang up here and there on the roof. Our men raised a shout for joy. Then the robbers raised a yell. The call for a surrender by one of our men was heard. They asked what we would do with them if they surrender- ed. Wall Sharpe replied with an oath : "We will kill the last one of you." They came out with Wade in front. He raised his hand and touched his hat as though he would surrender and then darted like an arrow down the steep hill towards the river and so on through the line, our men firing several shots at him, but it being too dark to see, not a snigle shot hit him. He ran across the bottom to the Yadkin river and hid under the bank of the river. With all our search- ing we failed to find him. He told some one afterwards that some of our men came within five or six feet of him. We tracked him to the river, but FORT HAMBY. could get no further trace of him. Such strides as he made across the bottom, according to his tracks, it did not seem pos- sible to be made by men. As soon as the others came out they were seized by the soldiers, and for a few minutes it seemed that they would be torn to pieces. The} r were in the hands of men whose mothers, wives and sis- ters tLey had insulted. The whole company was for a little time an infuriated mob. Then for the first time some of us were impressed with the fact that there is nothing so much to be feared as a company of men so enraged as to loose their heads. Men were comanded to climb to the top of the house and ex- tinguish the fire, so that suffi- cient time would be had to as- certain what was concealed therein. Property of nearly every description was found. Many fine dresses and ladies hats which they had taken from the desolute woman who occu- pied the house. Many fine horses were in the pasture near by — about twenty. They were returned to their owners. Stakes having been erected for their execution, they were told that they must die, They begged to be imprisoned for life, but were 'told that they must be disposed CAPTURE OF of summarily, as they had di- sposed of Clark, Henly, Linney and Brown. Passing with them through the yard to the place of execution, Colonel Sharpe told them that they could have a little while to make any pre- paration for death, should they so desire : They began praying but their prayer was, "Men spare us!" Wall Sharpe said with an oath, "don't pray to us. Pray to God. He alone can save you." Some of the men still burning with rase be- gan to ridicule, and mock them, Wall Sharpe said: "Men, we have given them time to repent, and you shall not bother them." Col. Sharpe then commanded every one to be quiet. All was still. He then turned to me and asked me to pray for them. 1 replied, "Colonel, I cannot, for I never had such feelings as I now have. ' ' I feared to approach the throne of grace just then lest I might come into His pre- sence without sincere desires, Rev. Isaac Oxford, captian of the Caldwell company, said to me, "Hold my gun and I will pray for them. ' ' I took his gun and he thanked God that none of us were killed and that justice had overtaken them at last, and this was about the burden of his prayer which was nothing more than a thanksgiving. FORT HAMBY. 9 We then moved on to the place of execution and bound them to stakes. But before they were executed. I said "Col- onel, I feel a desire to pray for them now." He said he would be glad for me to do so. I tried to pray for their forgive- ness and salvation with all the earnestness of my soul. In a moment the comand was given to fire, and they were in eterni- ty. It may be interesting to re- late in this connection an incid- ent : In our Alexander company was a young man whose name was Fony Roseman who could shoot a rifle with great assuran- cy. He was a devoted friend of James Linney, who was kill- ed there the Sunday before. He had. learned from one of the rob- bers that Will Beck was the one who killed Linney. They had dug a hole into which they had thrown Linney 's body and cov- ered it up. Taking up his body it was seen that the Minnie ball had entered just above his right eye. Roseman asked Col. Sharpe to make him one of the detail to shoot Beck. This request was granted. He said, "Now, I am going to hit him just above the j eye in the same spot where he hit my friend Linney. He did just what he said he would do as though he had gone and placed it there with his fingers. 10 CAPTURE OF FORT HAMBY. The question then came up as to news of the victory of York- what we should do with the ; town. house. Without much discussion The next morning before it was decided that it should be ' starting to my school I saw corn- burnt down. There wero several ing down the road from the di- barrels of unshelled corn in the recti on of Fort Ham by twelve upper story of the building ; men on horseback. They had which was all thrown out : on blue uniforms, which all the through a window, and soon I robbers wore. My only thought the house was all in a blaze. I was that they were some of the When the flames reached the recruits who were expected at basement the firing of loaded Fort Hamby and that they were guns was like a heavy skirmish, after taking vengeance on all How many guns and how much j who had taken part jn the work ammunition they had stored . done the day before, As they away we were not able to tell. [ approached the gate, I was Wade was seen by some one j boarding in the home of Ellis in that vicinity not many days ; Haynes, Esq., I went into my afterwards. He said he lay all ' room which was on the first day under the bank of the river, floor and locked myself in and and some time in the night he \ looked to the condition of seve- came our and walked around ral guns and pistols which I and saw what had been done kept loaded ail the time, deter- and then went away. He said I mined to sell my life as dear as lie should leave that part of the ' possible. They dismounted country very soon. He has nev- and came in and asked if they er been seen or heard of since. : could get breakfast and their On our way back to Alexander \ horses fedjg Mr. Haynes told county we met Col. Cowan, of , them they could. They took Iredell county with twelve or; seats on the front porch and en- fifteen men coming to our assis- j tered in lively conversation tance, We also met some of the j with Mr. Haynes, Of course I citizens of Wilkes county com- '■. was listening, From all I could ing with wagon loads of provi- 1 hear I began to think that per- sioiib for us. When they heard haps they were not the men I what had been done their joy jhad taken them to be. I walked must have been as great as that (out iii their midst, They asked which thrilled the hearts of our: me if I knew anything of a band forefathers when they received ' of robbers near Holman's Ford, CAPTURE OF FORT HAMBY 11 in Wilkes county. I told them I did. They said also that they had heard that the fort had been taken and the band dislog- ed and wished to know if it weas true. I told them it was true. They wished to know if I was there and took part in it. I told them I was there and took part in it. Being still uncertain as to who they were and what their mission might be I deter- mined not to tell who else help- ed take it, should they ask me. They then asked me what we did unto those robbers I replied that we tied them to stakes and shot them. The lieutenant in command said: "I am glad of it, for if we had taken them we should have executed them." He then told us that the mes- sage which we sent while on our way to Fort Ham by had reach- ed their head-quarters and that they were on their way to set- tle all these troubles and put an end to all the lawlesness. It can be truthfully said that no men from whatever section ever came into that part of our State who wore more cordially wel- comed. The lieutenant had thirty-one men in his command on that trip, but two other di- visions of them had gone to ot- her places for breakfast. SIMMONS. They went into the moun- tains and captured the notori- ous Simmons, whose name has been mentioned in connection with that of Wade. They took him to their encampment near Lexington, N. C, and put him into the guard house. While plundering and murdering in the mountains he had- supplied himself with a good sum of gold and silver with some of which he bribed the sentinel and got away, and has never been heard from since in those parts. In August, 1865, I was asked to open up a school in Wilkes- boro and entered upon the work the first of September. The school house was on a high ridge West of the town nearly a mile from the court house. 1 boarded in the home of Mr. H. Curtis, at the ford of the Yadkin River on the road leading from Wilkes- boro to Jefferson, in Ashe coun- ty. It was just one mile from Mr. Curtis's to the court house, and about a quarter of a mile to the school house. I went to my boarding place each day for dinner, as did also his son, and daughter and a young lady who was boarding there. The first week in October the first court that had been held in a long time was in session, presided over by Judge Anderson Mitch- ell of States ville. One clay dur- 12 CAPTURE OF FORT HAMBY. ing that week, just after dinner, while in the sitting room with the two sons and three daugh- ters of Mr. Curtis and the young lady who was boarding in the family, two men rode up to the gate and into the yard and right up to the window of the room in which we were sitting and one asked Judson, the eldest sou of Mr. Curtis for powder to load his pistol, saying with an oath that he had just shot at a rebel and must have puwder to reload, Judson told him he could not get it. He replied that he would then come in and take it by force. Judson then turned to me and said, "What must I do?'' I re- plied, do not let him have it from now until noon on Doom's Day, and if he attempts to come in here we will kill him." On two occasions before this thn Hamby gang had entered this home and rifled every trunk and drawer and broken up fur- niture, and these two men were known to be thetr sympathizers. He then rode to a negro cabin nearby and learning where Mr. Curtis was at work, galloped up to him, pointing his pistol at his head. "Give me powder to load my pistol or I will blow your brains out." Mr. Curtis replied : If you get powder from me you will get it burnt." He came into the house as pale as a corps and told his younger son, Finley, to go into a small room in the rear of the building and load those guns as quick as pos- sible. Finley and I had them loaded perhaps in less than five minutes. The young man de- manding the powder was still in the-yardon his horse. I took my stand at the front window and turned to Mr. Curtis and said : "I want you to understand that I propose to kill him if he attempts to come in." He said. "That is exactly what I want you to do." The man had dismounted and was throwing the bridle rein over the horse rack. At this moment Mr. Curtis's oldest daughter came to me frantic with fear, begging me to put down the gun and let him come in and take what he would, say- ing if we resisted some one would be killed. I bade her go to the rear part of the building where she would be out of dan- ger, and to go at once, saying that I would rather die than to live in this way. Finley had taken his position at the front door, and his father at the par- lor window. Seeing that we were armed and ready, he at once remounted, and leaving the other man on his horse at the gate, said to him. "You remain till I return. I will go to town CAPTURE OF FORT HAMBY 13 and get my crowd and will come back to get what I want." He gallopped away toward town. I went out to the gate and told the. one remaning to take his companion away as soon as he returned ; that we did not wish to hurt any one. He said to me, "You have guns in that house, have you not?" He was told that it was ours to know what we had. In the meantime we sent Judson Curtis down the river through the bottoms to the court house to inform the Judge and Sheriff of what was going on, I sent the two young ladies who were my pupils to the school house to tell the young men there and who had been soldiers in the war to come to me immediately. They came and I had not more than time to tell them what was up, before he with eight or ten others came galloping down the hill with their pistols, and as they ap- proached the gate we all moved mto the hocse and took our places with our guns. They saw us when they reached the gate. He stopped and said : "Here is the place. ' ' Seeing our increased force and the advantage we had in the house they took his horse's bridle and said, "Come on, come on," and on they went across the ford and clear out of sight. That night the Sheriff with a posse of men pur- sued them and captured the two first mentioned and carried them before Judge Mitchell, who im- posed a fine on each and sent them to jail for a term of months. When the Judge sentenced the young man to jail he told him that if he had persisted in go- ing into that hou>e that he would have been killed. In a few days the young man sent his mother word to sell his pistols, saying that he never expected to buckle one on again while he lived, They served out their time in prison and both became good citizens, and so far as I know they may be living today. This was the last of the troubles that followed the war in all that section of the State. W. R. GWALTNEY.