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YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

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LIFE AND ADVENTURES I

OF

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WESTERN LAND PIRATE.

CINCINNATI:
PUBLISHED FOR THE PUECHASEK.

5®^®C

'^ELrE,

PORTRAIT OF MUE EL.
Token in the Tennessee State Prison at NasbTthi

A HISTORY
OK THE
DETECTION, CONVICTION, LIFE AND DESIGNS
OF
THE GREAT WESTERN LAND PIRATE;
TOGETHi3l WITXI HIS
SYSTEM OF VILLANY,
^3i.&27 OF SXCITXS7& jSt 3TSQSO HSSSIiZiIOSr
ALSO, A
CATALOGUE OF THE NAMES
CF
FOUR HUNDRED AKD FiFTY-FlVE
OP KIS
St1j)sttc Qtlan jFellctejs nvOa jFcIIolaers,
AKD A BTATEMEKT OF
FVif r efforts for the destruction of Virgil A. Stemiirl, the
young man who detected him.

TO WKICH IS A£tI>E0
A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH i) b'

BY AUGUSTUS Q. WALTON, ESQ.

ClNClNIiA'Xiz

PREFACE.

Is presenting the histoiy of the great 'Westcm Land Krate, J jhn A. JIo-
rcl, and his followers, to the world, I have discharged the duty and trust
committed to my care by my much esteemed young friend, Mr. Virgil A.
Stewart ; and fulfilled the promise which I made him at the time I took
charge of his papers, documents and business, when it was thought he -nas
on his dying bed with the illness produced from a wound which was inflicted
by the hand of an assassin. Even in this extremity of piain and misery, his
greatest concern was, that his country should have his information oa that
subject. There is no country under the canopy of heaven, which has, in any
other age of the world, produced so formidable a banditti, so extensive in its
operations and so scientific in its plans, as the North American Land Piracy,
of which John A. Murel was the leader and master spirit who directed its
operations against community ; but it was tlte will of heaven that this enemy
of the human family and destroyer of the lives and happiness of man, should
be stopped in his fiendish and destructive career ; and that he should be de
Uvered into the iron grasp of the offended laws of his country, to satisfy the
demands of bleeding justice. The marvellous circumstances attending his
detection will be highly calculated to amuse and entertain the reader, while
it shows the power and protection of our Creator to tlioso who look to him
for support and defence; and maybe a warning to others who may be post
ing the road which leads lo misery and degradation, and convince them of
the final justice of their Creator, before their consciences are for ever steeled
to his reproofs by progressive crimes, which must eventually end in the fato
of John A. Murel. If any one individual should be reclaimed, whose con
science has begun to be seared by transgression and crime, I will consider
my labor more than remunerated.
It must be acknowledged that John A. Murel has never been surpassed m
cold-blooded murders, by any whose names have been recorded on the pages
of history, and his other villanous feats have never been surpassed by any
who have preceded him. He may justly claim the honor of reducing villany
to an organized system, and he may as justly claim the most important sta
tion among adepts in crimes and iniquity of the blackest dye. The extent
of the designs of John A. Murel and his feUows are awful to reflect on. The
blood, carnage, confusion and universal devastation which were meditated by
that daring and presumptuous banditti against their country and fellow be
ings, without the least regard to age or sex. This proves that their adamant
hearts are cold to every emotion which swells in the bosom of humanity.
Beings who can coolly and deliberately deprive an unoffending human being
of his life, and mangle his body with as little emotion or feeling as if he was
a brute — and what is still more awful to the imagination, to think of seeing
whole cities wrapt in smoke and flames, and houses and human beings to
gether swallowed up by quirling sheets of fire; and hear the desponding
screams of the innocent sufferers while in the agonies of death, without being
moved to compassion, or deterred from their awful purposes.

IS PREFACE.
As to the names given in John A. Murel's m-\'ic catalogue, there is Ki
person responsible but Murel himself, he being tht. pc.^on who gave thcni si
his followers.
There is a large portion of this publication givti In John A. Murel's owr
language, some of which is quits obscene and presumptuously profane.
'J'herc is likewise the language of Virgil A. Stewart, given in many dit
logues between himself and John A. Morel ; and I would fu?ther reicttS
that I have given the language of Mr« Ssewart's own notes on many o.\<
ttiona. AUGUS'J'US Q. "WAL'l'Ol

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

It has been a notorious fact, for a nnmber of years past, that negroes and
fine horses are frequently missing from the farms of planters and the citizens
of thc Mississippi valley, and never again heard of by the unfortunate owners.
These occurrences in many parts of the soathern and western countries are so
frequent, that they have become a matter of the greatest concern to persona
who.sc capital is invested in property of that kind, there being no sccuriiy of
its safety, as they do nst know on what night their farms ma_,- bs robSed of a
part of their most valaable horses and negroes.
Tbe nuinber of detections ^<i-! offences of this kind have been inconsiderable
when compared with the great number of outrages which have been com
mitted by a mysterious banditti, whose deep laid plans and well orj;a.ii/.ed
system of villany have heretofore evaded every cflbrt of the law to bring its
vicious and destroying members to justice. 'J'here have been many imagin
ary suppositions concerning the means which were employed by this mys
terious banditti in effecting so much destruction arid distress to commu
nity. On the night of the 1 8th January, A. D. 1 334, Parson John Henning anij
his son, of Madison county, in the state of Tennessee, lost two negro men
from their farm ; and it appears that Providence in the wise dispensation of
his mercies to the slave-holding states, used the outrage committed on the
property of Parson Henning as a blessing to community, in developing an
organized system of villany, and exposing a piratical clan and detecting the
leader and master spirit, who directed its operations against society. It w.-xs
in the investigation nf this felony, that John A. Murel, the great western
land pirate, and his clan, were detected and their awful deeds exposed, and
their mjre awful plans and designs defeated.

HISTORY OF JOHN A. MUREL.

Joiix .\. Mnnr.L, the far-famed personage who, by reason of his distin
guished acts of villany ha.* acquired the title of the ll'estem Land PtTcte.
was born in the Slate of Tennessee, and at a very tender age he acquired
considerable fame for his .skill in the performance of feats of villany. His
notoriety in his native county had become a matter of considerable inconve
nience to his designs, so he concluded to hunt a position better adapted to hii
profession. He selected a home in the western district of Tennessee, in
Madison county ; in this new country, where society was not much refined,
Murel expected to enjoy the profits of his skill and ingenuity in villany in an
uninterrupted state ; but a rich and fertile country like the western district
of Tennessee, held out too many inducements to the industrious and enter
prising world to remain long in a state of rudeness. Wealth and fashion
have superseded the rough forerunner of the country, and the western dis
trict of Tennessee can now afford ample materials for Murel and his mystic
clun to work on, which are negroes and fine horses. The infamous charac
ter which followed him from his native county, and liis ravages in the adjoin
ing neighborhood, soon taught tho citizens of that, vicinity to abhor and
dread him. The frequent thefts which wcre committed in the adjoining
counties and country, and the long trips and absence of Murel from home,
which no person could account for, convinced the community of his guilt ;
though by his unparalleled skill and management, he still evaded the laws
of his country ; and so paved the way lo his acts of villany that the law
would not affect him should he be detected.
The first grand detection of Murel which was satisfactory to the commu
nity in the vicinity of his new home of the baseness of his character, was
the case of a Mr. Long, of Madison county, state of Tennessee. It appeared
that Murel had decoyed three of Mr. Long's negro men from his possession,
and had harbored them in a rough wood near his house for a considerable
time. Mr. Long beUeved they had run away, and were harbored by some
negro in the neighborhood: but at length the tirne was drawing near when
Murel intended to remove them and convert them to his own use. One of
the negroes had left some clothing at home which he wanted, so he emerged
from his lurking wood that Murel had placed him in, and ventured home for
his clothing. The overseer happened to discover him, and took him ; and
extorted from this fellow where his fellow servants were, and the designs of
Murel. Mr. Long gathered a company and went to thc lurking wood, and
surrounded his negroes, having the one he first took for a pilot. The negroes
lold Mr. Long the time that Murel would come to feed them. Mr. Long in-
siructed his slaves to ask Murel certain questions concerning his moving
ihem, and then disposed his company around the thick wood so as to hear
Murel's answers to the interrogations of the negroes.
.^t the time the negroes had said, Murel appeared in the wood with a has-'
tet of provisions on his arm. Mr. Long, after hearing the questions answer
ed by Murel, which he had instructed his slaves to ask, gave the signal for
them lo seize him, and hold him fast, which they did. When 'Mr. Long:

20 HISTORY OF JOHN A. MUREL,
and his company advanced forward, Murel, with much plausibility, infiirme^
Mr. Long thut he had found his black boys, and had been feeding iheni there
so as to detain them until he could give him word where they were : but Mr.
Long had heard his sentiments befoie in their purity. Murel was lodged in
prison ; but his friends enabled him to give hail, and mony persons thought
he would not appear on the day of trial, but Murel appeared. On an inves
tigation of the law against negro harboring, it was found to be a finable of
fence, and not (as was supposed by many persons) a penitentiary crime;
and that it could not be brought under the penal code. Murel was fined
se\eral hundred dollars, and in case the amount could not be made out of his
property, the decision of the court was, that he should become Mr. Long's
slave for five years.
Murel made an appeal to the supreme court, and took exceptions to the
constitutionality of the law against negro harboring. Every person appeared
astonished that Murel had escaped the penitentiary ; and on an investigation
of the law he was about to come clear, and overset the law entirely against
that ofl'ence. Murel and his friends appeared much elated and became quite
insolent and daring. During the trial for thc ofience against Mr. Long's
property, all good men in the vicinity appeared to take some interest in the
matter to get rid of so dangerous a characttr.
All of these Murel singled out as victims of his vengeance. He was not
in thc habit of stealing in his immediate neighborhood before. He work
ed at a distance ; but now his revengeful nature was excited against many
persons in his immediate neighborhood; among this number he had enrolled
the good old Parson, John Henning, and his ivin, who on the night of the
18th of January, A. D. 1 S'34, lost two negro men from their farm in Madison
county, state of Tennessee. Circumstances co.ivinced them their negroes
were stolen so soon as thcv' wcre missing, and t^i same negroes wcre known
to be in the habit of going to the house of Mure) before they were missing.
The movements of Murel were watched by persons appointed for that pur
pose. Parson Henning believed that if Murel w.u llie lllief, he would be
likely to go where the negroes were as soon as susjVcions again:;t him had
apparently subsided ; some time had elapsed, and ail .-.carch for the negroes
had ceased ; but there was still a strict watch over tho movements of Murel.
Murel became ver}' impatient to be off; but he was to>i. keen, and had too
many frieiid.s, not to discos er that suspicion rested on him. The Parson
determined that if he went oft", he would try to know w.he.i-e he went lo, if it
was possible to follow his track. — He thought that if he co'ild not come up
with his negroes, that he might get on the course that ih^y wcre taken, so
that he might follow them. The Parson's watch learned tl'i\i Murel was go
ing to start for Randolph, a little town on the Mississippi .'iver. Parson
Henning solicited a young friend of his, who was at his hou.-o on a visit, to
accompany his son on the expedition of following Murel. Tlv Parson knew
him to be of untiring perseverance, and well schooled in the ilisposition of
man ; and possessed of an inordinate share of public spirit. The Parson in
sisted on remunerating him for his trouble ; but he refused to be T*:uiuncrated
for any services he might render on that occasion, but parted w ith the Par
son, under the promise to do all in his power to reclaim his propei(y. This
young man had lived in the neighborhood two years, not far from the Par
son's, but had been gone from the state nine months. He had seen Murd
once in his life to know him ; but he was not close to him, and cowld not
have a very correct idea cf his features. The young man stayed all ni'-ht at
a friend's liouse, not far from the Parson's, the night before he was to start
with the Parson's son. They had agreed to meet in Denmark, a little coun

THE WESTERN LAND PIR.VTE.

21

try hamlet four miles from the Parson's, the next morning. 1'he young man
was prompt in his attendance, but young Henning failed lo attend. He
waited for him several hours, and he still failed to come. The young man
became impatient, and started on, believing his friend had taken sick, as he
was complaining when he parted with him. He had concluded to uiRlcrtake
the trip by himself. He left Denmark about ten o'clock, and proceeded towards
Estanaula, a little hamlet on Hatchee river, seven miles from Denmark.
The wc-ather was very cold and the road much cut up \\ith carriages, and
then hard frozen and covered with sleet It was bad traveling, and he gi.it
on but slow.
Both man and beast were every \4-here housed, and nothing sccmeJ mov
ing but himself. His meditations were not interrupted, on thc lonely road
from Denmark to Estanaula, by the appearance of a human being. The
smoke that rose from a group of small cabins thinly scattered along a little
island of high ground near Hatchee river, informed hiin that Estanaula
was near at hand, 'i'here was nothing in this scene to inspire or aniniate.
The smoke from the cabins had settled among thc heavy timber cf an exten
sive bottom in large black columns, and seemed to wrap all nature in deep
mourning. Such a scene was calculated lo impress the idea, that nature was
weeping over the miseries of the inhabitants of so desolate a spot. He arri
ved at the toll house and called thc keeper lo the door, and was inquiring of
him if Murel had passed, and whether his gates could be passed in thc night
will out his knowledge ; and while he was making his inquiries, the keeper
turned round, and observed, " Yonder comes Murel now I" The young m.an
turned round; but Murel was too near for him to reply. Mure! rode up,
pai.i his loll and passed on without any ceremony. The young man discov
ered that Murel did not know him. Afier Murel had passed by, the young
man asked the keeper if he was certain that it was Murel that passed 1 The
keeper asserted that it was; that he knew him well. The young man paid
his toll and started after him';
Murel had not started at the time the Parson had learned he would, and
the young man was astonished to find himself ahead of the man whom he
thought he was following. He had passed Murel in Denmark. Murel had
stopped at the house of one of his friends in that village ; and was engaged in
writing a letter lo young Henning. His friends had given him intimation
that young Henning intended to follow after him. 'i'hcse friends were plenty,
and many of them respectable, so Murel had the advantage ; but no person
know that this young friend of the Parson's was going, for he did not know
it himself until late in the evening the day before he started. Mun-l wrote
to young Henning that he had learned that he charged hiui with taking his
negroes, and if it was true, he could whip him from the point of a dagger to
the anchor of a ship, and made use of a variety of expressions highly charg
ed with irony and sarcasm; and then concluded by saying, that if what he
had heard was false, he. wished him to receive his epistle as a friendly letter;
and stated that he was going lo Randolph on some private business, and de
sired young Henning to come and go with him and satisfy him.self that he
was not on any dishonest business. This letter was immediately sent to
Henning; but Murel did not wait to see whether Henning would accept of
his company or not, but pushed on ; in fact he did not wish his company, but
this was an artifice to prevent his following. While thc young man was hi
Denmark there was not much passing. It was extremely cold, and -all was
closely housed and around the fires, so he passed out of tho place without
eeeiug Murel, and traveled just before him all the way from Denmark to Es
tanaula.

22 HISTORY OF JOHN A. MUREL,,
.-\fter Murel had passed the young man at thc toll-house there was no dit-
ficully in getting on his track. The young man followed on behind Murel
a shoit distance; bnt it struck him that he vvould venture a trick on him, and
see if he could not impo.se himself as a horse hunter, and travel in company
with him — so he rode on and overtook him. He spoke very jioliloly to Mu
rel, and Murel returned the civility in equal a-Jdress, but glanced a severe
look of iiKjuiry and scrutiny at him as his head turned away, when the fol
lowing dialogue ensued :
•Stranjfer. We have disagreeable traveling, sir.
JMin-ifl. Extremely so, sir.
Strajit^er. 'l"he traveling and my business correspond very much.
.Murel. Pray, sir, what can be your business, that you should compare it
lo traveling on such a road as this '{
Stvangsr. Horse hunting, sir.
J\£icrel. Yes, yes, disagreeable Indeed ; your comparison is not a bad one.
Where did your horse stray from, sir 1
Striuiger. Yallobusha river, in the Choctaw Purchase.
JMiirel. Where is he aiming for, sir 1
.Stranger. I do not know ; I am told that he was owned by a man in this
country somewhere; but it is an uncertain business; and a cross and pile
chance. [He had been requested by a friend in the Purchase to inquire for
a certain nag, as ho was going to Tennessee, so he made it the description.]
JMuvel. How far down will you gol
.Stranger. I do not know. The roads are so very bad, and the weather
so excessively cold, tliat I am very tired of such an uncertain business, and I
am quite lonesome traveling by myself. How far down will you go on this
road !
J\furel. About eighteen miles, to the house of a friend ; I am anxious to
get there to-night, but it will be very late traveling in such cold weather. Sir,
perhaps your horse is stolen.
.StruJigfr, No, I guess not; though I had much rather some good fellow
had stolen him than for him to be straying. [Here the young stranger dis
covered that Murel was niiich pleased at the expression which had just fallen,
apparently inadvertently, from his lips.]
Murel. Sir, are you acquainted in this part of the country !
Stranger. I am a stranger, sir.
,Miirel. Where are you from, sir ?
Stranger. I was born in the state of Georgia, and raised there; but I
have moved to the Choctaw nation, and have been there about nine or ten
months. .Murel. How do you like that country, sir \
Stranger, Very well, sir.
jMurel. Is there much stealing going on in that country 1
Stranger. No, not much, considering we are pretty much savages and
forerunners. You know how all new countries are generally first settled, sirl
..Murel. Certainly, sir, I am well acquainted with these things.
Here the young stranger discovered that Murel became much more free
and 0[ien in his manners, and that inquiring look all disappeared ; for he did
not know but what he was some person that would be acquainted with his
i-haracter ; but when he learned that the stranger was from Georgia, and that
he had been in the Choctaw nation only nine or ten months, he knew that
he could know nothing of him or his character ; and the young man had no
thing to do now but dissemble well, lo rcmoin in Murel's company without
being suspected, and Murel having said that he was going to the house of a

THE WESTERN LAND PIRATE. 23
{fiend, made the young stranger much more ari,\ions to continue with him;
for he was in hopes to meet with the good old P:irson's negroes at thia
house. Alurel and the stranger traveled on, conversing quite free, fiir several milea,
and had exchanged ideas on several matters; the stranger €-ndeavoring to
learn the bent of the mind and di.'iposition of the ina.-fter spirit that he had to
deal with. Thc conversation turned again on stealing, which was Murel's
favorite subject; a topic on which he could dwell with the utmost pleasure
and satisfaction, as in the following dialogue.
Murel. This country is about to be completely overrun by a company of
rogues; and they are so strong that there can be nothing ^mm: witli them.
They steal from whom they jjlease ; and if the person they take from accuses
them, they jump on more of his property ; and they find thai the best pl.m is
lo be friendly with Ihem. There are two young men who moved down from
middle Tennessee to Madison county, keen shrewd fellows. 'I'he eldest bro
ther is one of the d  dest best judges of law that there is in the United
States. He directs the operation of the banditti ; and he so paves the way
lo all his offences that the law cannot reach him.
Stranger. Well, sir, if they have sense enough to CTade the laws of their
country, which are made by the wisest men of the nation, let them do it. Il
is no harm. Il is just as honorable for them to gain property by their supe
rior powers, as it is for a long-faced hypocrite to take the advantage of the ne
cessities of his fellow-beings. Wc are placed here, and we must act for our
selves, or we feel the chilling blasts of charity's cold region; and we feel
worse than that, we feel the power of opulent wealth, and tho sneer of pom
pous show; and, sir, what is it lli-.it constitutes cbar-jcter, popularity and
power in the United States? Sir, it is property ; strij) a man of his property
in this country, and he is a ruined man indeed — 3-ou see his friends forsake
him ; and he may have been raised in llie highest circles of society, yet he is
neglected and treated with contempt. Sir, my doctrine is, let the hardest
fend off.
.^fiirel. You have expressed my sentiments and feelings better than what
I could myself; and I am happy to fall in with company possessed of prin
ciples so congenial with my own ; I have no doobt but these two brothers are
as honorable among their associates and clan as any men on earth, but per
fect devils to their enemies ; the}' are undaunted spirits, and can never be
found when they are not armed like men of war. The citizens of Madison
have once attempted to arrest thc eldest brother for having three of a certain
Mr. Long's negroes in his possession, and they carried near a whole captain's
company for a guard ; and if they had not Uiken a cowardly advantage of
him, he would have backed them all — though he cared nothing for the
cliarge. He knew that they could not hurt him ; but they took him priso
ner, and carried him before a d  d old jackass of a squire, who neither knew
nor cared for the law or his duty ; and would have comniittcd him against
positive proof; and there is nu doubt but Long perjured himself in endeavor
ing to convict him. The people thought he was good for the penitentiary
hut he laughed at them, and told them that they were all fools : that it was
only a finable offence to make the worst of it. He had plenty of friends tc
bail Viim. On the day of the trial the house was thronged to hear the trial
He had employed the most eminent lawyer at the bar, Andrew L. Martin ,
and dunng the trial he took his lawyer to one side and cursed him, and told
him d  n him he paid him his money to work for him, and that he
could not get him to work the way he wanted hira. He showed Martin thn
law, and got him in the way ; and he gave them hell. He is a flowery fellow.

24 HISTORY OF JOHN A. .MUREL,
but he has not dived into the quirks of the law like his client. They mulcv
cd him with a fine and the costs of suit ; and in case his property would not
make the amount, he was to become Long's slave for five years. ^V hen the
verdict was read he winked at Long and called him master Billy. He took
nn appeal to thc Supreme Court, and there is no doubt of his gelling rid of
the whole scrape at the May term, in spite of all the prejudice that is against
him. Though there has been bad consequences attending the matter, one of
his strongest friends has suffered in consequence of suspicion of being his
friend. He was the deputy-sheriff, and as fine a fellow as ever lived. .After
they found that they could do nothing with him al law, they formed a com
pany which they called Captain Slick's company, and advertized for all hon
est men to meet at a certain school house in the neighborhood on a certain
day. They met and bound themselves in certain matters ; made rules and
laws for the government of the company ; and in this company he had some
of the strongest friends, who would inform him of their movements in the
shortest time. He got several guns, and made an immense number of car
tridges, and prepared his house and buildings with port-holes ready for an
engagement On the day they published that they would be there to slick
him he had eighteen friends who came to his assistance. He disposed of
them in different buildings, so as to command a fair fire to rake the door of
his dwelling ; but they got a hint that it would be a dangerous undertaking,
and they gave it out as a bad job ; and a fine thing for them ; for if they had
gone he would have been apt to have cut them all off, situated as he was ; and
the law would have protected him in the course he intended to pursue.
But all who had any thing to do with it have got d  d sick of it. and are
trying to make fair weather with him. Not that they love him, but because
they dread him as they do the very devil himself; and well they may, for he
has sworn vengeance against some, and he will comply. He is a fellow of
such smooth and genteel manners that he is" very imposing ; and many of the
more credulous part of community are induced to believe that he is persecuted
by Long, when he only intended friendship and kindness in catching his ne
groes for him. He well knows how lo excite the sympathy of the human
heart, and turn things lo his advantage. He rarely fails to captivate the feel
ings of those whom he undertakes; and what is more astonishing, he has suc
ceeded in many instances where the strongest prejudice has existed ; and
where his revenge has been excited he never fiiils to effect either the destruc
tion of their property or character, and frequently both. He has frequently
been compelled to remove prejudices of the strongest kind for the purpose of
getting a man into his power whom he wishes lo destroy. In a matter of thia
kind he has never-tiring perseverance ; and many have become wise when it
was too late, and sunk under the influence of his great managing powers.
There is an old methodist preacher and his son who have had two very fine
negro men stolen a short time back ; and this old Parson Henning and his
son were officious in procuring counsel and expressing their sentiments about
him and his brother, and saying what the country ought to do with ihcin, and
all such stuff as this; and I have no doubt but those two young men h.i\e got
them. They live within about two miles of the old preacher, and he and his
son are as afraid of those two young men as if they were two ravenous beasts
that weic turned loose in the forest; if they were sure of finding their ne
groes by following them off, they would sooner lose their property than to fall
into the hamls of those dreaded men. In fact, they have managed with such
skill, that they have become a complete terror lo thc country; and when pro
perty is missing in that country, and there is any suspicion that those two

THE WESTERN LAND PIRATE. 25
young men arc concemed with it, all is given up as lost, and it is considered
time and money spent in vain to follow them.
Stra-nger. These two young men must be men of the first order of talents
and acquirements, or they could never sustain themselves among people, and
a community where there arc such strong prejudices against them. And
that elder brother whom you speak of niuist be endowed with some superna
tural power, or an extraordinary capacity and practical experience; for the
erasing prejudices of a stubborn n:iture are considered to be the hardest
change to effect in the human mind. I would warrant them to be devoted
friends and noble spirits in the sphere they move, and this old preacher you
speak of is no more, even if he is what he pretends to be, and that you know
we can doubt as we please, or rather as it best suits our convenience. He
was their enemy, and treated them as such when they had nol been hostile
to him, and they are his enemies now, for cause; — and if ihey are what my
imagination has mode them, he will have cause to repent in sackcloth and
ashes for his sins. But, sir, to my doctrine ; let the hardest fend off. They
are enemies, and let them lock horns. What age is tbat wondrous man you
speak of?
Murel. He is about thirty I suppose, and his brother just grown up ; and
as smart a fellow as the elder brother, but not half the experience. I will
tell you of one of his routes on a speculation a few months past, and you can
judge for yourself whether he is possessed of talents or not. There was a
negro man by the name of Sam, that had been sold out of tho neighborhood
of those two young men lo a man by the name of Eason, near Florence, Al
abama. The elder brother was passing that way on one of his scouts, and
happening to see Sam, inquired of him how he liked his new liomo and mas
ter? "He is hell !" said Sam. "Well," said he, "Sam, you know me,
and you know how to leave the rascal ; run away and get back into your old
range, and all things are safe." It was not long until Sam was at his house.
He harbored him until Eason advertized him as a runaway, and offered a
reward for him ; that was what he wanted to see. He procured a co])y of
the advertisement, and put it and the negro into the hands of his brother and
a fellow by the name of Forsyth, and told them to push and make hay
while the sun shines. They were gone about seven weeks, snu his brother
returned with fourteen hundred dollars in cash, seven hundred dollars worth
of ready made clothing, and a draft on Thomas Hudnul, of Madison county,
state of Mississippi, for seven hundred dollars, which is as good as gold dust ;
though he has lo sue for the draft, but thc recovery is sure — for they can ne
ver get the negro, and without him they can never prove that he was Eason's
negro, and will recover the amount of the draft in spite of hell. Hudnul be
came suspicious that they got the negro egain, and wrote on to the house
which the draft was drawn on, to protest it They did not act in that matter
as the elder brother, or the old fox would have done ; though f >r young hands
they made a fine drag. They did not go immediately on and draw the cash,
as one of them should have done; but delayed, trying to make more sales,
and delayed too long before the draft was presented. That is twenty-eight
hundred dollars he sold Eason's negro for, and now has the negro m Texas,
in the hands of a friend : — they did not make the disfiosition of Sam they
generally do with negroes on such occasions ; — he is too d  d fine a fellow:
and I think they will make more money on him when things gel a little stilL
Sam is keen and artful, and he is up to any thing that was ever wrapped i»
that much negro hide. If Eason had got on his track and caught hira he
could have done nothing with him.
Stranger, I cannot see how he would have evaded the law ia such instance*

"¦iG HISTORY OF JOHN A. MUREL,
Murel. It is a plain case, sir, when the law is examined by a man wh«
understands the criminal law. In the first place, the negro was run away.
and had escaped firom Eason's possession; and in the second place, Eason
•lad offered a reward for his negro to any man who would catch him. 1 his
advertisement amounts to the same, in virtue, as a power of attorney lo take
his property, and act for hirn lo a certain extent: so you see that the adver
tisement is a commission to take property into possession ; now if the holder
of the property chooses to make a breach of the trust which the ad^ertisement
confides in him, and insteatl of carrying the negro to the owner, he converts
him to his own use — this is not stealing, and the owner can only have redress
in a civil action for the amount of his property ; — and as for a civil action
they care nothing for that, for Ihey will not keep property. Their funds are
de|)osited in a bank that belongs to their clan. This is the way his ingenuity
perplexes them. He has sifted the criminal laws until they are no more in
his hands than an old almanac, and dreads them no more. But what is it
that he cannot do with as many friends as he has, who are willing to be sub
ject to him and his views in all things : there lies his power, his great talent
in governing his clan. He is univcrs-dlly beloved by his followers.
Stranger. Such a man as that, placed in a situation to make a display of
his talents, would soon render the name and remembrance of an Alexander,
or a Jackson, little and inconsiderable, when compared with him : he is great
from the force of his own menial powers, and they are great, from their
station in the world; in which fortune, more than powers, have placed
thcin. Here the young stranger, for the first time, discovered that his encomiums
on the character of this marvellous elder brother had reached the modesty of
Murel ; or produced any other effect on him, more than to stimulate his na
tural vanity, which is very great, and much like his passions, ungovernable ;
but when thc young stranger had eclipsed so brilliant characters with him,
he could not acquiesce in the sentiment without a modest blush, and falter in
the voice, which detected his feelings. He seemed to fall into a reverie of
thought, and there was a silence between the two mysterious friends for sev
eral minutes, which had not been the case for some time before. The young
stranger had discovered that his vanity was his accessible point, and he wish
ed to learn its bounds, when he made the comparison of Alexander and
Jackson. It began to grow late in the evening, and the sun shone dimly as it was
sinking below the western horizon, and reflected a licautifully dim light from
the sleet which shielded the lofty young timber of Poplar creek bottom ; as
they entered the lottom. Murel remarked, this is a beautifjl scene, and will
conduct us through the bottom, and then there is no more bad road from there
to my old friends. As they passed on through the tall young poplars that
had grown up in an old hurricane of past years, the muigled rays of light
and darkness that \eilrd all n-dture, and envelojied the young stranger, and
his mysterious friend, were highly calculated to produce superstitious notions;
and in those mysterious days which brought such strange events to pas:i.
The .\oung stranger began to feel as though he was on enchanted ground,
and directed by some superior power in his movements. His mind was filkd
with these strange phantoms ; and all the old superstitious stories that he
had heard or read in his whole life, api^eareJ lo crowd them.si-Kcs on his
mind, while passing this bottom, 'i'he old Parson's negroes began tn occupy
his thoughts; and stimuUited with the hope of finding the house of .Murel's old
friend, and more stimulated with the hope of capturing one of thc basest of
villains, he h%d rode all day in the cold without e\er thinking of warniino-,

THE WESTERN LAND PIRATE. 29
They h d passtd I't.c bott'vjn a few hundred yards when they came to an old
I >g which was blir.i!jig by the road side, and Murel proposed to stop and
warm.. When the young stranger attempted to v\alk to the lire he found
himself too numb to walk without sup|JOrting himself against his beast ; but
the fire revi\ed him very much. .As Murel dropped on his haunches bi-fore
Ine fire, he observ ed :
Twelve miles to my old friend's; and you, rny young friend, are very cold
indeed — I fear you are fio.sted ! you cannot stand it like mc — I ha\esull'ered
enough to kill a horse. Wc will warm until the qutcn of the night blesses
us with her silver beams, which will light us to a more hospitable lodging
Did you cier travel much by moonlight?
.'itrunger. Not much, sir.
Muret. Then you have nol the same love for her silver beams as an old
veteran in mysteries. I would suppose that you are loo young to be of much
experience in the practical part, though you are well skilled in the theory ;
but you vvill find many dilficulties to surmount in the execution of plans
which you have never thought of; you will learn to suP.'er privations of al!
kinds lo the greatest extent. These privations and diflicullies, when sur
mounted, are what constitutes the glory of an old veteran and prominent
actor. Murel and the young stranger had enjoyed the warmth of the fire at the
old log for near a half hour in conversation, and exchanging ideas and senti
ments on the justification of acts of villany, and the prospects of a course of
tliat kind. When the moon began to make the slcct glisten on thc sur
rounding trees, they mounted their horses and started. It was like a new
ecene lo the young stranger, and }>roduced a damp on his feelings which he
had never before felt, to reflect that he was alone with one of the most
desperate men in the world, who cared for neither God nor devil, and knew
no law but his rapacious will. These reflections had set his whole imagina
tion to work, and he began lo reflect and think of the danger tlirrc would be
in going with Murel to where thc negroes were; for they would know him,
and ^lurel and his friend would murder him before he could get any assist
ance. He had an elegant pistol, and he concluded to trust himself in the
hands of Providence, and try to fight his way through. To have broke off
then, under so favourable prospects of victory, would have been cowardly
and unworthy when compared with the management of thc day. The jus
tice of his cause braced his nerves, and before he had rode far he was re
covered from all bad feeling, and in a high chat with his apparently unknown
companion. The young stranger was determined nol to ride before, so as to give Murel
tli^ opportunity of shooting him when he could not know it, for he could
have no confidence in the smiles of so depraved a creature as Murel : — so he
rude j-jst behind him.
.Murel. Come, sir, ride up, the night is cold and we have far to go, and
wc had as well pass the lime as lively as possible; come up, and I will tell
you another feat of this elder brother whom I was telHng you of.
Stranger. Yes, sir, with all my heart, if ills as good as the last.
.Murel. Ho is a d  d likely fellow, tall and well proportioned, and
dresses rather in the methodist order ; and when he is off on his scouts direct
ing his men how to proceed (for he never carries off property himself, he
always has men for that purpose), he frequently makes appointments and
pre.iches. He is well versed in the Scriptures, and preaches some splendid
sermons. He has frequently preached at a place, and before he commenced,
pointed out some fine horse for his friend to steal ; and while he was preach
o

so HISTORY OF JOHN A. MUREL.
mg and praying K»' ihem, his friend would save the horse for him. He
alwyvs gives his residence some other course than the correct direction. Jn
or.i Ol those jaunts he called at the house of one Nobs, a Methodist, on Elk
river, in Middle Tennessee. Nobs had heard him jireach a year before that
in the neighborhood, and was much taken with him as a preacher. He had
gi\cn his residence in south Alabama, and had spoken a great deal of Ins
negroes and farm; and of the perplexity be had in getting an oveisi-cr that
would do his duty, and not abuse his slaves, and all such stuff as this, and
brother Nobs drank it all down ; supper came on, and he got them all around
thc table on their feet ; he raised his hands in the most solemn manner, as
though he was just going lo open the %viiulows of heaven, and select Its
richest blessings for brother Nobs, his wife and latest posterity. He was
lengthy in his supplications at ihe table ; but when he came to use the books,
and go to duty, he was eloquent ; thc same service was rendered the next
morning. When about to start, he wanted to pay brother Nobs; but brother Nobs
was ahnost hurl lo think that he would suppose that he would charge him.
" Well, brother Nobs, will you be so good as/to give me change for a twenty
dollar bill? I am out of change, and I dislike lo offer a bill of that size to be
changed where I stay all night, for the world will say he is a preacher and
does not like lo pay for staying all night at a tavern; sec, he has presented a
twenty dollar bill to be changed. This is the way of the world, and I hope
God, in his mercies, will enable me to live in such a manner as never to dis
honor the cause of the gospel, or degrade the ministry."
Brother Nobs, anxious to render the preacher, and as he though a very
rich man, a favor, answered him — " Yes, brother, with pleasure." He ran
to his wife and got the keys, took out his purse, and counted out seventeen
dollars and fifty cents, when his change gave out Brother Nobs was in a
peck of misery. " Slay a little, 1 will run over lo brother Parker's and bor
row the balance." " Do, if you please, and I will stay with sister Nobs until
you rctuni." Brother Nobs was not long gone when he returned with as
much pride of being able to accommodate his preacher as an East India mer
chant would show at the arrival of a rich cargo of goods. The preacher's
bill is changed, and all is right.
Preacher. Well, brother Nobs, you have a fine young jack ; did you raise
him ?
Brother J^'oha. He was foaled mine, and I have raised him.
Preacher. Will you trade him, brother Nobs?
Jlrother J\'oha. I have raised him for that purpose ; but I cannot get tho
worth of him in this country ; I have never been offered more than one hun
dred and fifty dollars for him, and he is \%'orlh two hundred and fifty.
Preacher. Yes, brother Nobs, he is cheap at that price; and if I had
the money with ine I would rid you of any further trouble with him, at that
price. Jiruthcr JVobs. Well, brother, you can lake him. Y'ou say that yon will
he at our camp-meeting. Bring the money then ; that is as soon as I will
need it.
Preacher. Well, brother Nobs, I will take him ; I need him very much ,
I wont him for my own marcs; I am a domestic fellow; I raise my own
mules for my farm.
The trade being completed, the preacher got ready to start : all the family
gathered round him to receive his parting blessing.
Preacher. Brother Nob.s, may the Lord bless you and save you in hca-
ren ; farewell. Sister Nobs, may the grace of our Lord and Saviour, Jesm

THE WESTERN L.\ND PIRATE. 31
Christ, rest and remain upon you ; farewell. May the Lord bless your little
children ; farewell, my dear babies.
The preacher was soon gone from brother Nobs; but not to south jVla-
bama, but to Ihevvestcm district of Tennessee, That day and night put the
preacher a long ways off, ?.s slow as his jack travelled ; though he wos an
uncommonly fine travelling jack. Thc preacher sold his jack for four hun
dred doUai-s, and passed a twenty dollar counterfeit bill on brother Nobs.
Poor brother Nobs can never hear of his rich young preacher since; but 1
have no deubt he is on a voyage of soul-saving, and will visit brother Nolis
when he irtums.
Strangh: It would be a source of the highest pleasure to me to see and
become acquainted with this wondrous man ; my fancy has made him a
princely fellow. Perhaps I have been too extravagant in my conceptions;
but I know he must be a great man, and possessed of unrivalled mental
powers. Murel. That is his character, sir.
Stranger. I do not wonder at his being a terror lo his enemies, neither
am I astonished that he should be beloved by his clan. Such a. leader should
be beloved and adored by his party; for talents and capacity should be
honored wherever it is found. I must confess, that what 1 have heard of
this man, alone, of itself, has excited my admiration ; but perhaps it is be
cause we are congenial spirits. Sir, if I live in hell I will fight for the devil.
JMurel. Well, sir, we are within three miles of my old friend's; ride up
and w-c will soon be theie. Will you go as far down as Randolph ? your
horse may have got down in that region.
Stranger. It is likely that I will, sir; and if I was not rather scarce of
change, I would continue my journey over into Arkansaw, as cold as it is,
as long as I am this near to it. I have heard much of that country, and I
think the land and people would suit m}- designs and inclination very
much. The land east of the Mississippi river is nearly all entered, and is
very dear.
Here the young stranger was fishing for Murel's designs and intentions,
as he wished to leam whether Murel intended to go any further than to his
old friend's or not; and he wished lo leave the impression on the mind of
Murel that he was scarce of money, as he had a considerable amount with
him. He calculated that if the negroes were not at Murel's old friend's, that
Murel would continue his journey ; but this was a matter which he had lo
iearn without a direct question, as being too inquisitive would be very dan
gerous with so shrewd a fellow. He thought the best plan was to seem as
though ho seemed not to seem ; and the stranger was anxious to know whe
ther the time was at hand for him to fight or not,
Murel. I would be very glad if you would go over into Arkansaw with
me. I am going over, and I will let you have money if you get out ; and I
will show you the country as long as you wish to stay. I have thousands
of fiiends over there: it will not cost us a cent if we stay six months; and,
by God, I will carry you where you can bring away a d  d sight better
horse than the one you are hunting. — D— — n the horse, let him go lo hell :
I will learn you a few tricks if you will go with me. A man with as keen
an eye as you should never spend his time hunting afler a d  d hor.sc.
Stranger. Sir, I am much obliged to you for your compliment, and much
more obliged to you for the kind proposition which you have made; I will
determine to-morrow whether I will go or not ; but I think I vvill go. I hav«
no doubt but I should learn many things under so able a teacher as I expect
you are ; and I should be happy to accompany you.

^2. HISTORY OF JOHN A. MUREL,
Murel. Here is my old friend's— I am glad to see his cabin o.nce iriOTc
Come, alight, every thing is still— we will go into the house.
The midnight visiters knocked for admittance. 'I'he old man was not
gone to bed ; but all was still as death : — they entered the house, and wer«
received very friendly; bnt thc young stranger's eyes flew round to catch a
glimp:^e of the good old Parson's negroes ; but he was disappointed, for they
were not there. The young stranger being very much fatigued, he got a
bed, so soon as he was warm, af;d went to rest; and left Wurcl and his old
friend conversing. The young strang.»r's mind could not rest in his marvel
lous situation, for he did not know but the negroes were in some other build
ing on the place'; but at leiigth he dropped into an unsound slumber. Thus
rnded the you-ng. stranger's first day's pilgrimage wi^h the great western land
pirate. Tl".i! yciang strar>ger was out of bed very early the next morning, and ai
aoon as he could see, he was looking for the old Parson's negroes; but he
could see nothing of them. Murel rose -very early, and had thc horses caught
and saddled, ready for a start by daylight. I'he young stranger was very
particular in inquiring after a stray horse, of Murel's old friend, while in the
presence of Murel. They mounted their horses and proceeded towards Wes
ley, a village in Haywood county. Slate of Tennessee, six miles from their
late landlord's. .\fSer they started and rode a short distance, Jlurel remarked
to ihe young stranger :
.Murel, Well, my young friend, I believe I have not besn so inquisitive
aa to learn your name as yet, we have been so engaged in other conver
sation. Stranger. No, sir, we have been quite engaged since our short acquaint
ance; I seldom ever have a name, though you can call me Adam Hues at
present. The young stranger did not give his real name, as he was fearful that
his i>ame would remind M^rsl of him, should he have ever noticed him ir.
company at any place of public gathering; — this he did not know, and he
Shought the bsst plan was So be cautious; but this deception subjected him to
many difficulties afterwards, as he had to pass some of his acquaintances on
llie way.
Mtirel. Well, Mr. Hues, vshat say you of the trip to the Arkansaw this
morning ?
JIucs. I have not yet fairly determined on that matter ; though I think I
will go.
Murel. Go, yes, d — n it you must go, and I will make a man of you.
Unes. That is what I want, sir.
Murel. There arc some of the handsomest girU over there you ever saw.
( am in town when I am there.
lines. Nothing to object to, sir; I am quite partial to handsome ladies.
¦.Murel. Ohl v\cB, go with me to Arkansaw, and d — n me, if I do not put
you right iu tovyn, and they are as plump as ever came over, sir.
Hues. I think I will go, sir; I will determine down about Wesley, which
your old friend says is five or six miles.'
Murel. D  d if we cannot strike a breeze worth telling, over there.
Jfnes. I do not donbt it, sir.
Murel. 1 will tell you a story about another feat of this elder brotjier. His
younger brother was living in Tipton county, below here, and he was down
to sec him — and while he was in the neighbourhood, he decoyed off a nenro
man from his master, and appointed a place where to meet him, but instead
of going himself, he sent a friend. His fi-icnd conveyed him to thc Mississippi

THE WESTERN LAND PIRATE.

33

met, where there was a skiff to receive Ihem ; his friend condui-ted the boy tn
Natchez in the skiff, and lodged him in the care of a second friend.
He took a passage on a steamboat for Natchej:, after he h.-ul lurked behind
until he could learn all their movements; after he reached Natchez, he took
his negro and went on another steaTubirat, dressed like a lonl, and had as
much the appearance of a gentleman, as any man abo;ird the boat. He had
taken a passage to New Orleans: but d  n it, misfortunes will happen ev
ery once in a while. There was a d  d fellow aboard the boat who knew
Uim well ; and this d  d rascal went to the captain and told him that ihe
negro which this fellow had was stolen; and that thc follow was a notorious
negro thief — and that he had better take the black boy into custody and cany
fcim back, and that he would be very apt to find his owner's advertisements as
ke went back up the country. Thc captain, a d  d old villain, in hopes of
getting a reward, and the services of the negro for some time, concluded to do
so. 'Phe negro was not sufl'ered to sec his master, but he had been drilled to
his business before. So the fellow waited until thc boat reached New Or
leans ; and while the boat was landing, he made hisesc;ipe on to the guards
of another boat. He went in search of his friends in that part of thc country,
who were plenty, and made all of his anangements, and sent a friend to
learn when the captain would leave the port ; so he goes lo the mayor ef the
city, and gets a process against the body of the captain for unlawfulKy .de
taining his property from his possession. The guard took him just as he was
preparing to start his boat, and he and the negro were both taken before the
mayor. He cl^arge(^the captain with having detained his property from his
possession by violence and force of arms; and produced a bill of sale for the
negro, purporting to have been given in Tipton county, state of Tennessee,
and brought in a witness (one of his fiiend-s) who swore that he was present
when the negro was purcha.sed, and saw him delivered to the plaintiff The
mayor asked the cs^tain tlie cause of his det.aining the negro from hi.=!
master. Captain. Why, why, — I, I was told that this man was a negro thief, sir.
Mayor. Have you any evidence ?
Captain. Why, — I don't know where thc man is who told nae. He i*
gone, sir.
Mayor. What were you going to do with .this negro I
Captain. Why — I, I was going to keep him, sir.
Mayor. Keep him?
Captain. Yes, sir, I'd keep him safe.
Mayor. Yes, sir, I will keep you safe a while.
The negro was delivered to the plaintifli; and the captain nicked with a
heavy fine and imprisoned : and his d  d pretty friend, vvho knew so much,
soon had a nurse that attended to his case day and night, until he found his
way to thc bottom of the Mississippi river, and hie guts made into fish bait.
This was thc way he fixed these two d  d villains foir their smartness in
matters that did not concern them. He waited until tlie captain was just
ready lo start; and by his never coming about, the captain thought he had
made his escape, and thst he was proud to get a chance to run ; so he had
no chance to make any defence, and New Orleans is a minute place.
He sold tiis negro in New Orleans for eight hundred dollars ; and in a few
nights he stole him again, and got a friend to conduct Idm up the country
to a friend's house in one of tho upper parishes. Here he became a metho-
ciist prcocher, and preached liiie hell for a neighborhood of Methodists. He
had got two d  d fine geldings near New Orleans, and his friend rode one
t.i;d kis negro the other; and while he was preaching and prayi.ng for thi;

S-1 HISTORY OF JOHN A. MUREL,
Methodists, tie lold them that he had been down to the lower country to seE
his slaves, that he had become rather conscientious on the subject of slave
ry, but the boy he had with him appeared to be so much opposed to being
sold, that be had roncliided to carry him back home again ; but the negro
was up to this, and he begin to pretend to love one of Hiccombataii s negro
v.-onicn, and be began to beg ni-jssa Hiccombatan to buy him. Brother Hic-
conibat.in [uirth.'ised his pieacher's negro, and the preacher starti?d home lo
Ki'iilucks. an assumed residence- Brother Hiccombatan gave him seven
bundled dollars for his boy. He had a friend to convey the boy across tho
Mis-sissippi river, near the mouth of Arkansaw river, where he was to meet
hiia at the house of another friend. Brother Hiccomb-atan is greatly dis-
tn-s-it-d ; his boy is gone, who was sold for loving his negio -woman ; and his
preacher gone with his money. He stove about in every direction like a
i.i;id bull ; but all was in vain, bis negro was gone. The preacher was
prompt to attend at the house of liis appointed friend, v.'here he met his
companion with tho negro. He sold him the third time on .-\ikansaw river
for five hundred doUars; and then stole him and delivered him into the
hands of his friend, who conducted him to a swaisp, and veiled the tragic
scene and got the last gleanings and sacred pledge of secrecy, as a game of
that hind will not do unless it ends in a mystery to all but the frateniitj-.
He sold that negro for two thousand dollars, and then put hirn for ever out
of the reach of all pursuers ; and they can never graze him unless they can
find the negro; and that they cannot do, for his carcass has fed many a tor
toisc and catfish bpiore this time, and the frogs have sung this many a long
day to tlie silent repose of his skeleton ; and his remembrance recorded in
the book of mysteries. Thus ended the history of thc Tipton boy and bro
ther Hiccombatan's Parson, who vanished like a spirit, to the land of
mystic). Jlut:^. Wonderful and strange man ; who can tell t'ne worth of such a
r.oble leader? he is great and wise in all things.
Murel. That is his c'naractcr, sir. Well, sir, we are within half a mile
of Wesley, and we shall have a warm 'when we get there.
Hues. Yes, sir, we need it very much, and wc will have some good brandy
and si-''m?thing to cat at the tavern.
Murel. We will get the brandy, but I have lots of provision in my port
manteau. Here Hues began to plan how to pass through ^^'esley without beiog de
tected by Murel, for he had three acii'jaintances in that [ihce, -whom he
knew would speak to him at any distance they should see him ; aud that
would divulge his proper name:- — and ajipear suspicious to Murel, for Murel
believed him in a country where he knew no person ; and in all probability
one of them woald begin to inquire about his friends in Madison co.uity, who
lived within five miles of Murel's house, which would haM' upset the \\holj
matter in one moment, for it would have explained all things to the ready
and quick understanding of .Murel. He laid his plans as fi)l!i'''.vs. He con
cluded to u.sf Ills assumed character of horse-hnnter in thi.s ditliculiy, and
endea\ur to see them whL'e 'oy himself, [from Mursl], if possible; and ap
prize sho.3i ol- his business and plans ; so when they canio in sight of the vil
lage-'. Hues bonded iVTurel a dask and told him tbat, as be was acqnaintcil in
tli^ place, be must get the liquor; and that he would stop at some store, and
vv^rite a few advertisements for his horse — as he had concluded to go to Ar
kansaw with him — and that the horse might be heard of by tho iij3.ie Ihitj
returned. Uaes. Is that sign the tavern, sir t'

THE WK.^iTERN LAND PIRATE. 35.
Stfurel. Yes, sir. that is the Wesley inu. We r,ui warm there, ani
expect you can do your writing there. I will see the fire the first thi::g 1
do. Do your writing quick, and come to the tavern.
This suited Hues veiy well, for two of his acquaintanres were at the taverr
and he stopped opposite thc first store hiiu.-,e tlu-y came to, aud while Muret
was at the tavern Hues went to thc grocery to .src his other friend who kept
the only liciuor in the place ; but his frieml was nut at home : — in he appre
hended no fears from him unless he should meet hitn rotiiing in as they
were leaving the place. Hues fell back behind some palings and watched
the door of the tivern, unlil he saw Murel l.a\e the tavern and go to
the grocery for liquor. He then walked on to the tavern, and took (Jol.
Bailus into a back room, and appri-/.ed him of his di signs. The colonel
passed him as a stranger while in the presence of .Murel; though while
in the back room the colonel loaned Hues an elegant pistol to defi-nd
himself against any violent attack from .Murel and his clan, providi-d he
should come up with the Parson's negroes. .Muret came in with his li
quor and gave his friend Huts a dnirn, and insisted on their starling.
Hues was prepared to be off, and they mounted their horses and directed
their course for R-.indolph. 'I'hey had rode a mile from Wesley, when
Murel observed to Hues, — " Come, Hues, wc will ride out from the road
and eat some cold victuals ; and tike a little more of thc God bless us."
Murel turned from the road and Hues fullowed after him; after Hues had
gone after him fifty yards in the woods, he askid Murel why he was go
ing so far from the road. Murel replied, that the d  d old Methodist,
whom he had been telling him of, knowing hiin to be a particular friend
of those two young men, he should nol be surpri.sed if young Henning
was to follow him ; — and if he did, that he would much rather have Hen
ning before than behind him; if he was d  d tool enough to try it ; —
as he would know better how to manage him. Murel continued on about
one hundred yards, and stojipcd by thc side of a log, and hitched his
horse, and then opened his provisions and spread them on the log; and
set the flask by them : and invited Hues to help himself to what he could
find on thc rough table before him. They both tuok another good horn
from the flask and commenced hiding bread and bacon ham.
.^turel. Well, Hues, I will be d  d, if I can't put you in belter busi
ness than trading with the Indians.
Hues. I have no doubt of that, sir.
.Murel. Did you ever hear of those devils, Murels, op in Madison county
111 this slate?
Hues. I am an entire stranger to thern, sir.
.Murel. I am that elder brother whom 1 have been telling you of.
Hues. Is it possible I have the pleasure of standing before the illustri
ous personage of whom I have heard so many noble feats, and whoso
dexterity and skill in performance are unrivalled by any the world has ever
produced before him: is it a dream or is it reality? I scarce can believe
tliat it is a man in real life who stands before me! My iniaginatiori
Would fancy, and make you the genius of some master spirit of ancient
ilavs, who is sent as a guide to protect and defend me before alt vvhich
may ojipnse. Sir, under the protection of so able a guide and preceptor
I li;i\e nothing lo fear ; but look back to thc hour of our meeting, as the
tjrtunate era when my importance and victories were to commence,
.M'/ref. Sir, I pledge you my head that I will give you all the instruc
tion w hich my long experience will enable me to give you ; and I flatter
myself that I shall never be ashamed of the progress of so very intelligent

36 HISTORY OF JOHN A. MUREL,
ft p'..r... Sir, I am the leader of a noble band of valiant and lordly baft
nils, i rtill give you our plans and strength hereafter, and will introduce
you among my fellows, and give you ail their names and residence be
fore wc part; but we must not be parted longer than you can arrange
joui business; and I will make you a splendid fellow, and put you on
thc high road to ftirlnne.
You shall be admitted into the grand councils of our clan ; for T con
sider you a young man of splendid abilities. Sir, these are my feelings
and sentiments towards you.
Hues and his experienced preceptor had no sooner finished the repast
al the old log, than they mounted their horses and set out on their jour
ney for .-Arkansaw. Murel now informed his friend Hues that they would
leave the public road and travel a by-way which he was well acquainted
with ; and by that means, if the old Parson should have any person fol
lowing after him, they would lose his track ; as he was going lo where
he had sent the Parson's negroes by a friend, and that he was very anx
ious to get there, as the time was past by several days that he was lo
have met them; but owing to the suspicions of the old Parson, he had
delayed lime; and that his frie;id would not understand tbe matter, and
become alarmed ; and he insisted on traveling all the ensuing night.
Murel now^ commences to tell how he had managed to prevent young
Henning from following him, and repeated over the letter which he had
sent him from Denmark, desiring Henning to accompany him to Randolph.
Murel raised his hand and swore that he could take young Henning with
him and sell every negro he had, and that he might stand by his side all
the lime and know nothing about it when he was done and .received his
money ; and said that he had never intendeil to disturb his close neighbors,
until they commenced their sharp shooting at him : — " But now, d — n them,
they may look out for breakers ; for 1 have commenced my operations on
them, and when I quit them, they will not be quite so consequential as they
now are. Their long prayers and methodist coats will not save them from
my sworn vengeance ; neither will they bring back their negroes when they
Dnce get into my clutches."
Hues sanctioned all that Murel had said, and contended that he was justi
fiable in all the injury which he could do them. Hues studied to represent
himself as congenial to Alurel's disposition as he possibly could, in every
thing that was advanced by him. -
The conversation turned on their future prospects of gain, and the profi
ciency of Murel in the execution of his plans; and Murel, to satisfy his
young pupil that he was not misrepresenting his powers in villany, propcised
to Hues that he would decoy the first negro that they met on ihe way, and
make him agree to leave his master and go witli him. Hues, anxious to see
by what means he was so successful in his attempts, desired him lo do s-i
'I'hey had not traveled more than six miles from the place where they had
stopped to eat, when they saw an old negro al a crib by the road side, pre
paring to go to mill with a sack of corn ; his master had moved his build
ing near half a mile from the road, and had left his crib standing at the old
situation. Tho old negro was alone, and Murel thus accosted him :
.Murel. A\'cll, old man, you must have a d  d hard master, or he would
not send you lo mill this cold day.
.Vcgra. Yes, maser, all ov um hard in dis country.
Murel. Why do you stay with the d  d villain, then, when he ticatj
you like a d  d dog ?
Vegro. I can't help um, maser.

nip,,

1 I 'I ''^i' '¦ \K J~=r'^" i'' ¦ i"^— ?'^S^

^»''

THE WESl'ERN LAND PIRATE. ^9
A'urel. W'ou! 1 y;.-u help it if you could ? •
J\'ei-'u. O! yes, maser, dat I would.
Murel. What is your name, old nun?
J^'eg-ro. My name ? — Clitto, maser.
.Murel. AV'ell, Clitto, would you like to be free and have plenty of mo
ney lo buy land and horses and every thing you want !
Clitto. O I yes, maser, dat Clitto do so Wiuit um.
.Miircl. If I will steal you, and c.irry you off, and sell you fonr or five
times, and give you half of the money, and then leave you in a free state,
will you go ?
Clitto. O ! yes, maser, Clitto go quick.
Murel. Well, Clitto, don't you want a dram ? (taking out his ffask of
liquor .and offering to Clitto.)
Clitto. Thankcy, master, arter you.
Murel. 0 ! no, Chtto, afler you. (Clitto drinks, and llioii Muret after
him.) .Vnrel. Well, Clitto, have you no boys that you would Uke to see free ?
Clitto. O ! yes, maser.
Murel. Now, Clitto, if you was to hear a pistol fired at the heai of the
lane some night, do you think you will be sure to come to me, and bring
three or four boys with you ?
Clitto. 0 I yes, maser, Clitto come dis night.
jilurel. I am in a hurry now, Clitto, and cannot carry you off at this
time ; but you have the boys ready, and you shall not be with your d  d
old task master much longer, to be cuffed about like a dog. I am a great
friend to black people. I have carried off a great many, and they are doing
well — -all got homes of their own, and inaking property — you look out, and
when you hear the pistol fire, come with the boys and I will have horses
ready to push you. Good bye, Clitto, until I see you again-
Thus ended the dialognc between Murel and Clitto. Hues enjoyed the
scene very much, and was much astonished at the success of Murel, in his
persuasions and base address in villany.
Hues applauded the splendid success of his preceptor, and expressed the
greatest astonishment al seeing him victorious in so short a lime : to which
Murel replied, that " Fifteen minutes are all I want to decoy the best of ne
groes from the best of masters."
Murel and Hues had exchanged ideas and sentiments on many m.attera;
but Murel had yet lo open the splendor of his schemes lo his young com
panion ; and he appeared lo have an itching lo see wb.at ellcct it would
have. After they had spent the greater part of tbe second day, Mnrel com
menced the grand disclosure of his plans, purpose and desigiLs, as tbllows :
Murel. Hues, I will tell you a secret that belongs to my clan, which ia
of more importance than stealing negroes, a shorter way to an overgrown
fortune, and it is not far ahead. The movements of my clan have been as
brisk as I could have expected in that matter ; things are moving on smooth
and easy. But this is a matter that is known only by a fi-w of our le-,.-i!ing
characters. 'J'he clan is not of the same grit; there are two classes. 'J'he
first keep all their designs and the extent of their plans to themselves. For
this reason, all who would be willing to join us are not cajmhle of managing
our designs ; and there would be danger of their making disclosures which
would lead to the destruction of our designs before ihey are perllctod. This
class is what we call the grand council.
The second class are those which vve trust with nothing, only that which
they are immediately concerned with. We have them lo do what 've are

40 HISTORY OF JOHN A. MUREL,
cot willing to do ourselves. They always stand between us and danger.
For a few dollars wc can get them to run a negro or a fine horse t'^ some
place where we can go and take possession of it without any dange' •, and
tiiere is no danger in this fellow then ; for he has become the oflendei', and
of course he is bounil to secrecy. 'J'his class is what we term strikers. VA e
have about four hundred of tho grand council, and near six hundred and filly
strikers. 'J'his is our strength, as near as I can guess. I will give you a
list of their names, as I promised you, before we part
'J'he grand object that we have in contemplation is, to excite a rebellion
among the negroes throughout the slaveholding states. Our plan is to man
age so as to have it commence every where at thc same hour. \\'e have
set on the 25th December, 183-5, for the tirne to commence our operations
We design having our companies so stationed over the country, in the vicin
ity of the banks and large cities, that when the negroes commence their car
nage and slaughter, we will have detachments to fire the towns and rob the
banks while all is confusion and dismay, 'J'he rebellion taking place every
where al the same time, every part of the countiy will be engaged in its own
defence, and one part of the country can afford no relief lo another until
many places will be entirely overrun by the negroes, and our pockets re
plenished from the banks, and the desks of rich merchants' houses. It is true
that in many places in the slave stales the negro population is not strong,
and would be easily overpowered ; but back ihem with a few resolute lead
ers from our clan, and they will murder thousands, and huddle the remain
der into large bodies of .stationary defence, for their own preservu'.ion ; and
then, in many other places the black population is much the stronge-- and
under a leader, would overrun the country licfore any steps could be taken
lo suppress them, if it is managed by a proper leader-.
Hues. I cannot see how the m-atter is let to the negroes wiihout endan
gering the scheme by a disclosure ; as all the negroes are not disposed to see
their owners murdered.
.Murel. 'J^hal is very easily done ; we work on the proper materials ; we
do not go lo every neirro we sue, and tell him that the negroes intend to rebel
on the night of the 2.5lh December, 183.5. We find thc most vicious and
wicked disposed ones on large farms, and poison their minds by telling them
how they are mistreat d, and that ihey are entitled to their freedom as much
as their masters, and that all the wealth of the countrv- is tho proceeds of the
black people's labor ; we remind llicm of the pomp and splendor of their
masters, and then refer them to their own degraded situation, and tell them
that it is power and tyranny which rivets their chains of bondage, and net
because they are an inferior race of people. We tell them that all Europe
has abandoned slavery, and that the West Indies are all free ; and that they
got their fieedom hy rel>ellitig a few times and slaughtering the whites; and
convince ihem, that if they will follow the example of the West India ne
groes, they will obtain their liberty, and become as much respected as if ihcy
were white; and that they can marry while women when they are all put on
a level. In addition to this, get them to believe that most of [woplc are in
favor of their being free, and that the free stales in the Uniteil Stales \\ould
not interfere with tlie negroes if they were to butcher evciy white man in llie
slavo.-holding stales.
When we are convinced that we have found a blood-thirsty devil, we
fiwear him to secresv, and disclose to him the secret; and cnnvince him that
every other state and section of country where there are anv negroes, intend
»o rebel and sby all the whites they can, on the night of the 2,5lh Decem
ber. I83.'5 ; and assure him that there are thousands of while men cfa'Tcd

THE WESTERN LAND PIR.\TE. 4]
il. trying to fire them, who will die by their sides in battle. We have a long
terenioiix for the oath, which in adiniiiistered in the presence of a terrific
picturi', painted for that purpose, representing the inon.ster who is to de-al
with him, should he prove unfaithful in thc eiigagi'ineiils he has entered into.
This picluie is highly calculated to make a negro true to his trii.st, for they
are dispim-d to be superstitious at best Alter we s\\c-.ir him, we tht-n iri-
ftruct him how to proceed ; which is as follows ; — he is to convince his fel
low-slaves of the great injustice of tlieir being held in bondage, and learn the
feelings of all he can on thc subject of a nbcllion, by telling ihem how- suc
cessful the West India negroes have been in gaining their freedom by fre
quent robelliony.
'I'hc plan is lo have the feelings of the negroes harrowed uji against tho
whites, and their minds alive to the idea of being free; and let none but
such as we can trust know the inlemion a id time of the rebellion until the
night it is to commence, when our black cmis^aiies aie lo have gatherings of
their fellow-slaves, and invite all in their reach lo attend, with the piomise of
plenty lo drink, which will always call negroes together. Our eniLssaries
will be furnished with money to procure spirits, to give them a few drams,
when our emissaries will open their secret as follows : " F<-llow-slaves, this is
the night that we are lo obtain our liberty. All the negroes in .\merica re
bel this night and murder the whites. We have been long subject lo the
whips of our tyrants; and many of our backs wear the scars; but the lime
lias arrived when we can be revenged.
" There are many good white men who are helping us to gain our liberty.
All of you that refuse to fight will be put to death ; so come on, my brave
fellows, we will be fiee or die." We will have our men, whom we' intend
for leaders, ready to head those companies and encourage the negroes, should
they appear backward. Thus, you see, that they will all be forced to engage,
under the belief that the negroes have rebelled every where else, as in their
own neighborhood, and by those means e\ery gathering or assemblage of ne
groes will be pushed forward even contrary to their inclination. Tho.se stri
kers will be of great use at the pinch of the game, as many of them v/ill do to
head companies ; and there will be no danger in ibein, when they are to go
immediately lo work, and have the prospect of wealth before them ; there are
many of them who will fight like Turks.
Our black emissaries have the promise of a share in the spoils wc may
gain, and we promise to comluct them to Texas sbould we be defeated, where
they will be free : but wc never talk of being defeated. We alvvays talk of
victory and wealth to them. There is no danger of any man, if you can ev
er gel him once implicated, or engaged in a matter. That is the way we
employ our strikers in all things : we have Ihem implicated before we trust
them from our sight
This may seem too bold to you. Hues ; but that ia what I glory in. All
the crimes t have ever committed have been of^lhe most daring; and I have
been successful in my attempts, as yet; and I am confident that I will be
victorious in this matter, as lo the robberies whicli I have in contemplation ;
and I will have the pleasure and honor of seeing and knowing that my man
agement has glutted the earth with more human gore, and destroyed more
properly than any other robber who has ever lived in America, or the known
world. I look on the American people as .aiy common enemy. They have
disgraced me, and Ihey can do no more; my life ia nothing to me, and it
Bhall be spent as their devoted enemy. — My clan is strong, brave and expe
rienced, and is rapidly increasing in strength every day. I should not be sur
prised if we were to be two thousand strong by the 25th of December, 1$3&;

42 HISTORY OF JOHN A. MUREL,
and in addition lo this, I hat 3 tho, advantage of any other leader of a banditti
that has ever preceded mc, for there is at least one half of my grand council
who are men of high standing ; and many of them in honorable and lucrative
offices. Should any thing leak out by chance, these men would crush it at
once, by ridiculing the idea and the fears of the people. They would soon
make it a humbug, cock, tail and ball story t and all things accounted for to
the satisfaction of the community, in short order. These fellows make strong
pillars in our mystic mansion. Hues, how do you suppose that I understood
your disposition so quick, and drew you out on the subject of speculation, so
that I could get your sentiments in so short a time, after we got in com
pany ?
JIues. That is what I do not understand, and I can only account for
it as I would many other of your unrivalled performances, by attributing it
toyour great knowledge and experience of the world and of mankind.
Murel. I had not been in company with you more than two hours, before
I knew you as well as if I had made you ; and could have trusted my life in
your hands ; for d  d if I could not see hell dance in your eyes. K little
practice is all you want, and you can look into the very heart and thoughts
of a man.
'J'ho art of learning men is nothing when you once see how it is man
aged. You must commence in this way. Begin to tell of some act of vUla-
iiy, and notice the answers and countenance of the man as you go on with
your story; and if you discover him lo lean a little, you advance a liltlc; but
if he recedes, you withdraw, and commence some other subject; and if you
have carried the matter a little too far before you have learned him, by being
too anxious, make a jest of il, and pass it off in that way.
Hnes. I cannot see how you will provide the negroes with arms to fight
with. Mnrel. We have a considerable amount of money in the hands of our
treasurers, for the purpose of purchasing arms and ammunition, to fit out
the companies that arc to attack the cities and banks, and we will manage
to get possession of the difl'erent arsenals, and supply ourselves from every
source that may offer. We can get from every house we enter, more or less
supplies of this kind, until we will be well supplied. — The negroes that scour
the country settlements will not want many arms until they can get them from
the houses they destroy, as an axe, a club, or knife, wjll do lo murder a fam
ily af a late hour in the night, when all arc sleeping. 'J'here will be but Uttle
defence made the first niglrt by the country people, as all will be confusion
and alarm for the first day or two, unlil the whites can embody.
'I'hc weather was so very cold that Hues began to insist on slopping until
day, as they had rode until a late hour in thc night, and Hues felt like freezing ;
but Murel never complained the first lime of being cold. They stopped at
a good looking house, and so soon as they were warm, they were lit to ihcir
lodgings ; — the place never will be forgotten by Hues. It was a large open
room, and the bcdiick was stuffed with corn shucks, which made as much
noise when they got on it as riding a new saddle. The covering consisted
of a thin coverlid, and a cotton counterpane. — Mnrel lay and cursed the land
lord a.l night, and Hues lay and shivered as if he had a hard ague until
morning. Next morning Murel inquired for the bill. — There were twelve
pence each, for lodging. "What!" says Murel, "a 'leven-penny-bit for
riding such a colt as we rode last night — he has nol been curried since the
day he was foaled, d  d high for lodging on the shuck pen. Here is the
mon.y, sir. Come, Hues, we will be traveling, I am not fund of roughness,
although il is winter."

THE WESTERN LAND PIRATE. 45
Muicl and Hues wore on the road before sunrise the next morning, not
withstanding the disagreeable night they had spent at their late landlord's.
-Murel expressed great anxiety to reach Arkansaw that night, before he slept.
Murel having disclosed his plans lo his young friend, and, as he thought,
.•aplivalod his tieling and fancy with the prospect of inexhauslilile wealth,
and viewing him as already entered into a participation of his bloody de-
iigns. propo.sed to give him a short history of his life, commencing at ten
years old.
.M-.-r,./. I was born in Middle Tennessee. My parents had not much
[ir.iperty ; but they were intelligent people : and my father was an honest
man I expect, and tried to raise me honest; but I think none tho better of
him fur that. .My mother was of the pure grit; she learnt me and all her
chiliia-n to steal so soon as we could walk, and would hide for us whenever
she ciuild. .-^t ten years old I was not a bad hand. The first good haul
I inailo was from a pedlar who lodged at my father's house one night I had
several trunk keys, and in the night I unlocked one of his trunks and took
a bolt of linen and several other things, and then locked the trunk. The
pedlar went off before he discovered the trick. I thought that was not a bad
figure I had made. About this time there was some pains taken with my
education. At the age of sixteen I played a trick on a merchant in that
country. I walked into his store one day, and he spoke to me very politely,
and called me hy the name of a young man who had a rich father, and invi
ted me to trade with him. I thanked him, and requested him to put down
a bolt of superfine cloth ; I took a suit and had it charged to the rich
man's son.
I began lo look after larger spoils, and run several fine horses. By the
time I was twenty, I began lo acquire considerable character as a villain, and
I concluded to go off and do my speculation where I was not known, and
go on a larger scale ; so I began to see the value of having friends in this
business. I made several associates; I had been acquainted with some old
hands for a long time, who had given nie the names of some royal fellows
between Nashville and Tuscaloosa, and between Nashville and Savannah,
in the state of Georgia, and many other places. I^Iysclf and a fellow by the
n.imc of Crensliawr gathered four good horses, and started for Georgia. We
got in company with a young South Carolinian just before we got to Cum
berland mountain, and Crenshaw soon knew all about his business. He had
been to 'i'cnncssce to buy a drove of hogs, but when he got there pork was
dearer than he had calculated, and he declined purchasing. We concluded
he was a prize. Crenshaw winked at me, I understood his idea. Crenshaw
had traveled the road before, but I never had ; — we had traveled several miles
on thc mountain, when he passed near a great precipice; just before we
pass.^d it Crenshaw asked me for my whip, which had a pound of lead in
ihc butt ; I handed it lo him, and he rode up by the side of the South Car
olinian, and gave him a blow on the side of the head and tumbled him from
his horse ; we lit from our horses and fingered his pockets ; we got twelve
hundred and sixty-two dollars. Crenshaw said he knew of a place lo hide
hiin. and he gathered him under the arms and I by his feet and conveyed
him to a deep crevice in the brow of the precipice, and tumbled him into it,
he went out of sight; we then tumbled in his saddle, and took his horse
with lis. which v»as worth two hundred dollars. We turned our course for
South .'\labama, and sold our horses for a good price. We frolicked for a
week more, and were the highest larks you ever saw. We commenced
•parting and gambling, and lost every d— —d cent of our money.
^\'c were forced to resort to our profession for a second raise. We stole
1

46 HISTORY OF JOHN A. MUREL,
a negro man and pushed for Mississippi. Wo had proniiscd him that we
would conduct him to a free state, if he would let us sell him one time, aa
wc went on the w.iy ; we agreed to give him part of the nioney. 'VVc sold
him fi>r six hundred dollars; but when we went to start the ncgio seemed
to be very uneasy, and appeared to donbt our coming back for him, as wo
had promised. We lay in a creek bottom, not far from the place where we
had sold the negro, all the next day, and after dark we went to the china tree
in the lane, where wc were to meet Tom ; he had been waiting for some
time. He mounted his horse, and v.e pushed with him a second tiiiiC. We
rode twenty miles that night to the house of a friendly speculator. I had
seen him in Tennessee, and had give'.i him several lifts. He gave nic his
place of residence, so I might find iiim when I was passing. He is quite
rich, and one of thc best kind of fellows. Our horses were fed with what
they would eat, and two of them were foundered the next morning. We
were detained a few days, and during that tir.ie our friend went to a little
village in the neighborhood and saw the negro adverti.=ed, and a description
of the two men of whom he had been puvehused, and giving his suspicions
of thc men. It was rather squally tiines, but any port in a storm ; v.c took
the negro that night on thc bank of a creek which runs by the farm of our
friend, and Crenshaw shot him through the head. We took out his entrails
and sunk hirn in the creek: our friend furnished us with one fine horse, and
we left him our foundered horses. We made our way through the Choctaw
and Chickasaw nations, and then to Williamson county, in this state. We
had made a d  d fine trip, if wc had taken care of all we made.
I had become a considerable libertine, and when I retumed home I spent
a few months rioting in all the luxuries of forbidden pleasures with the girls
of my acquaintance.
My stock of cash was soon gone, and I was put to my shifts for more. I
commenced with horses, and run several from the adjoining counties : I had
got associated with ayoung man who had become a circuit preacher among
the inethodists, and a sharper he was, he was as slick on thc tongue as goose
grease. I took m}' first Ir^s.sons in divinity from this young preacher. He
was highly respected bv all that knew hiin, and well calcukitcd to please;
he fir.st put me in the notion of preaching to aid nie in my speculations.
I got into difficulties about a mare that I had taken, and was imprisoned
for near three years. 1 shifted it fiom co-art lo conrt, but at last I was found
guilty and whipped. During my confinement Ire-ad thc scriptures, and be
came a good judge of scripture. I had not neglected the criminal laws for
many years before tliat time. When they turned me loose I was prepared
for any thing ; I wanted to kill all but my o-.vn grit, and one of them I will
die by his side before I will desert hiin.
My next speculation was in the Choctaw nation. Myself and brother stole
two line horses, and made our way into the Choctaw nation. We got in
with an old negro man and his wife und three sons to go off with us r> Tex
as, and promi.sed them that if they wtmld work for us one year after we got
there, we would let them go free ; and told them many fine stories. We
got into the Mississipjii swamp, and was -badly bothered to reach the bank
of the river. We had turned our horses loose at the edge of the sw,imii, and
let them go to hell. Afler wc reached the bank of the river wc were in a
bad condition, as we hal no craft to convey ns down the river, and our pro
vision gave out, and our only means for a support was kifing vonncnts and
eating them. Eventually we found an Indian trail through the bottom, and
followed it to a bayou that made into the river, and we had tlie pleasure of

THE WESTERN LAND PIRATE. 47
finding a large canno locked to the bank ; wc broke it loose and row ed it into
'.he main river, and were soon descending the river for New Orleans.
'J'lii- old negro man bccauic suspicious that wc were going to sell tucm,
and be.-. line quite contrary. Wc savv it would not do to have him with us;
fo vve landed one day by the side of an island, and I reipicsted him to go
with me around the point of the island lo hunt a good place to catch .some
fish ; al't.r wc were obscured from our company I shot him through the head,
mill then ripped open his liclly and tumbled him into the river ! I returned
lo my company and lold ihciii that the old negro had fallen into the river,
and tlr.it he never came up after ho went under. \Ve landed fifty miles above
New t)iK-.ins, and went into the country and sold our negroes to a French-
ni.m li.rninclccn hundred dollars.
Wl- went from where wc sold the negroes lo New Orleans, and dressed
oursciv f s like young lords. I mixed with the loose characters at the swamp
every night. One night as I was returning to thc tavern where I boarded, I
was stoppeil by two armed men, who demanded my money. I handed them
my pocket-book, and observed that I was -very happy to meet with them, as
w e were all of the same profession. One of ihcm observed, " d  d if I
ever rob a brother chip. We have had our eyes on you, and the man that
has generally come with you, for several nights : we savv so much rigging and
gliiu-ring jewelry that we concluded you must be .some wealthy dandy, with
siii-plns of cash, and had determined lo rid you of the trouble of some of it;
but if you are a robber, here is your pocket-book, and you must go with us
to-night, and we will give you an introduction lo several fine fellows of the
block ; but stop, do you understand this motion ?" I answered it, and thank
ed them for their kindness, and turned with them. Wc went to old mother
Sui'gick's, and had a real frolic with her girls. That night was the cora-
inenccinent of my greatness, in what the world calls villany. The two fel
lows who robbed me were named Haines and Phelps; they m.ade mc known
to all Ihc speculators that visited New Orleans ; and gave nic the name of ev
ery fellow who would speculate that lived on the Mississippi river, and many
of lis tributary streams from New Orleans up to all the large western cities.
I had licconie acquainted with a Kentuckian who boarded at the same
tavern I did, .ind I suspected he had a large sum of money ; I felt an incli
nation to count it for him before I left the city ; so I made my notions
known to Phelps and my other new comrades, and concerted our plan. I
was to gel him off to the si-jamp with me on a spree, and when we were
returning to our lodgings, my friends were lo meet us and rob us both. I had
got very intimate with the Kentuckian, and he thought me one of the best
fellows in the world. He was very fond of wine, and I had him well filmed
with good wine before I made the proposition for a frolic. When I invited
hiin to walk with me he readily accepted the invitation. We cut a few
shines with the girls, and started to the tavern. We wcre met by a band cf
rob'oers, and robbed of all our money. The Kentuckian w,as so mad that
he cursed the whole city, and wished that it would all be deluged in a
flood of water so soon as he left the place. I went to my fiiends the
next innrning, and got my share of the spoil money and my pjcket-hook
that I bud been robbed of Wc got seven hundred andfivedollarsfro.nl
the bold Kentnckian, which was divided among thirteen of us.
I ciiiiiinenccd traveling and making all thc acquaintances among thc
speculators that I could. I went from New Orieans to Cincinnati, and
from thcio I visited Lexington in Kentucky. I found a speculator about
fonr miles from Newport, who furnished me with a fine horse the se
cond night after I arivcd at his house. I went from Lexington lo Rich-

48 HISTORY OP JOHN A. MUREL.-
mond in Virginia, and from there I visited Charieston in the state of
South Carolina, and from thence to Milledgevillc, by the way of Savan
nah and Augusta, in thc slate of Georgia. I made my way from Mil
ledgevillc lo Williamson county, tbe old stamping ground. In all the
route I only robbed eleven men ; but preached some d  d fine sermon:.
and scattered some counterfeit United States' paper among iny brethren.
The day passed off, and Murel was not through the history of his life;-
though he was hindered in the latter part of the day by finding his road,
or ratlier trail, in the Mississippi bottom inqiassable from high waters.
He was compelled to go higher up the river for a crossing place. He
made several efforts lo get on, but could not succeed. I'hey concluded
to stop at a house on the river unlil they had the light of another day.
The landlord where they stayed was named John Charnpeon, a charac
ter who deserves the confidence of his country for his conduct in this mat
ter, Murel soon began lo feel of Mr. Champeon on thc subject of spec
ulation, as he chooses to call it, by telling tho wonderful deeds of those two
young men of Madison county. Hete Hues had the pleasure of rehear
ing nearly the same stories which had constituted the introduction between
him and Murel; but Mr. Champeors was not so well prepared to receive
ihem as Hues was. The conversation between Murel and Mr. Champe
on, that night, enabled Hues to judge of the character of Mr. Champeon,
as he needed a man on that occasion in whose hands he could trust the
care of his life ; and he found the very character he wanted in Mr. Cham
peon, Murel and Mr. Champeon continued tlieir con-versation until late
bed time on the subject of speculation. Murel made a great many in
quiries about his clan, who lived along on llie river; and wanted to know
of Mr, Champeon how the Loyds, Barneys, and many others, stood as
honorable men, representing himself as an entire stranger to them and
the country they lived in, and said that his business over among them,
was to collect some money which was owing to him.
After Murel and Hues were retired to their bed chamber, Murel want
ed to know of Hues how he liked the way he had managed their land
lord ; to which inquiry Hues replied that none could have managed him
better. Murel then informed Hues that they would be compelled lo leave
their horses with Mr. Champeon, and work their way through the swamp
on foot until they could get a skiff lo convey them . to his friends on the
other side of the river ; and said that they would be dependent on Jlr.
Champeon, and that he could see Mr. Champeon was hell on the spec
ulators ; and for that reason he had pretended to know nothing about the
people on the other side of thc river, as an acquaintance with them would
he good grounds for him to suspect them for going after no good. Mu
rel changed his name to Merel, and gave his residence in Williamson
county, instead of Madison county, and assumed the character of a negro
trader while conversing with Mr. Champeon.
The next morning, after breakfast at Mr. Champeon's, Murel and Hues
stalled down the bank of the river on foot, to find some person who had
a skiff to hire. After they had gone "three hundred yards or more. Hues
told Murel that ho had left his gloves at the house, and that it was so
cold that he would be compelled lo have them ; — so he requested Murel
to wait for him until he went after them. Murel seated himself on a
log, and Huea went bock to the house. Hues had left his gloves on pur
pose that he might have an excuse to return lo thc house without the
company of Murel. Hues wished to have a private conversation with Mr.
Champeon, and he knew it would not do to let Murel see hirti conve?

THE WESTERN LAND PIR.VPE. 49
sing privately with any person, as it might excite his suspicion, and got
himself into thc worst of difficulties, after he would lie surrounded by Mu
rel's friends, in the wild morass wlirre they 'were trying to go. — Hues
ainirised Mr. (>li;iinpcon of his business, ami of his adventure, in as few
words as possible ; and gave his ideas concprning getting a knowledge
where the Parson's negroes were, and tlien getting a giuird and going and
lakiir.^ them and the thieves, if he could get ofl' from Murel, after being
coiivi-vcd to the negroes, or so near thcni, that he <;ould find the pkice
slli-r be had got a guard to assist him. Hues wished to leam where ilia
i;i-_'ro.-ii vviN'c, without seeing them, or rather being seen by thcni, as they
vvould know him and make his true name known to Murel and his friends;
and ho considered -such a developnieiit would l>e very dangerous in so un-
Iru'iully a jil.ice. Mr. Champeon assured Hues, that he should have all
the ;i~:.;staiu-e which was in his power to give; and told him that he
would collect fifty men, if he could make any discoveries where the ne
groes were. ."Mr. Champeon cautioned Hues of the great danger he was
iroing 10 encounter in his adventure; and gave him an elegant pocket-
pistol. Hnes then had three good pistols to defend himself, provided he
slitmld Ih? carricil lo the Parson's negroes and discovered before -he could
pot oil'; his plan was to take the advantage and get the first shot, should
be be discovered as u spy, and in that way make his three pistols sup
ply the place of men, should he have an unequal number to contend
with ; wliic-h he was compelled to look for. When Hues was disclosing
his adventure to Mr. Champeon, he evidently showed that he was alarm-
id; and he has sinc-e declared, that he felt more the effects of fear, in
ill. It niatter, than ho ever had in all his Ufe before. It was the idea of
jiliiciiig his life in the hands of a man wiiom he had never seen -until the
night before, that caused his fears; for he well knew, that if he was not
an honest man, or had the least friendship for villany, he woiUd apprise
ihi- frieiuls cf .Murel of the character he had in company, and give them
,1 ch.incc to devise any means for the destruction of both life and char-
r.cti-r, as none of his friends knew the course he was pursuing with Mu-
lel ; but lines was not mistaken in the notions he had formed of Mr.
Champeon. Hues gave Mr. Champeon his real name, and requested him:
not to let .Murel's hor.se go, if he sent for him, until he first knew that
tiu-rc was no accident happened to him from Murel and his clan ; and
Ilius fiirlhcr instructed Mr. Champeon, that if Murel returned for his
luir.-e, and he was not with him, to take Murel immediately, as that would
III- evidence sutlicient that he was munlered or detained by the clan. Mr.
Chaiiipcoii promised to attend to all of his requests. Hues was not wil
ling fir .Murel to escape justice any longer. He had heard him recount
the bl.ick deeds of his life, until his blood frequently chilled, «nd his heart
sickened to hear his horrid deeds and purposes related. He -was devo
tedly disposed to hazard his own life to the greatest dangers to accom-
pll.-.h the cni>ture of so obdurate a villain, whose Crtily study and pur
pose of life, was the destruction of the human family and their property.
lliii-s retiiriied to Morel, where he was seated on the log at the bank
ef the river, and they proceeded on their journey : -after considerable toil
and diffc-idty, they succeeded in crossing the slues, and reached the house
of a .\lr. Irvin. three miles below Mr. Champeon's, but thc skiff which
Mr. Irvin li.id been using was sent home, three miles below Mr. Irvin's.
und there was a lake between them; so they were compelled to stop for
thc want of a crirft They concluded -to wait a day or two, and see if
t trading boat would pass, that would convey them down the river to

50 HISTORY OF JOHN A. MUREL,
where thc skifl' was. Murel and Hues were prevented from conversing vt-/-^
much at .Mr. Irvin's, as he had no private room. They reuiaincd at .Mr. Ir
viii's until the next evening, when a small trading boat landed, on which
tiny got a pa.ssagc down the river tu where the skill' was. During llie time
thcv were al Mr. Irvin's, .Murel was feeling Mr. Irviii on the subject of spec
ulation in the same w.\y as he did Mr. Chanipc-on, and represintcd himself
a^ a negro trader. He was so smooth on the tongue that .Mr. Irvin believed
every word he said; and even proposed to purch'ose three negro men from
-Mr. .Mirel, as he called himself. Mr. Merel was lo deliver Mr. Irvin three
likely negro men in three weeks at six hundred dollars each. Mr. Cham-
pt-oii had recomnieudcd Mr. Irviii lo Hues as a man whom he might depend
on ill any inatt«r whatever; and after all their bargain was m-ade, as far as it
could be made until the delivery of the negroes. Hues made a chance to have
a private conversation with Mr. Irvin, -and .acquainted him with his adven
ture, and solicited his assistance, provided he should need it, which was rea
dily promised by Mr. Irvin.
Hues h-ad a blank book in his pocket, which he would tear into small pie
ces, on which he kept a journal of Murel's confessions, plans, designs, and
life, as he related it himself. Ho lore the paper into small pieces not larger
tlian a dollar. This he did to avoid suspicion on Ihe part of Murel ; as if he
had seen Hues writing in a book he would have suspected him for making
a record, which would have been very apt to have produced very bad conse
quences on the part of Hues and his adventure. Hues would frequently
write proper names and plases on his boot legs, finger nails, sad'Ile skirts and
portmanteau, with a needle, as he would be riding and listening to Muisl's
horrid account of himself. This he did to aid his meinory when he came to
commit it to paper. When he would fill both sides of one of his scraps of
paper, ho numbered it and stowed it away in the crown of his cap. He
wrote his journal in stenography. While Murel and Hues were at the house
of JMr. Irvin, Hues had an opportunity of walking out and arranging his me
morandums in such order as could be understood. In this cautious manner
Hues succeeded in retaining a correct journal of all that occurred, while ori
the disjgreeable and dangerous travels with John A. Murel, the great west
ern land pirate.
Murel and Hues landed at the house of a Mr. Hargus, where they got the
promise of a skiff the next morning; bnt the next morning brought with it
a snowstorm, which detained them all the day, and until the next morning;
making in all better tlnin three days they were detained in Irdveling si.^
miles. Murel became very impatienl, and would swear tliat the devil had
quit cutting his cards for hiin, and that tb.c damned old preacher's negroes
had cost him more trouble and perplexity of muid, than any he had over sto
len in his life. M'heii .Murel and Hues would be walking on the bank of tho
river, Mur«l vvould frequently wonder where young Henning was, and say,
that he would give five hundred dollars to find him over in Arkansaw hunt
ing him; and would toll how he would have him tortured by liis cl-juv
He told Hues that He-nning had been so othcious and had lot his Soim-je run
so much about him and his brother, that he was not satisfied with stealing
his negroes alone, but that he had got one of his clan to head a company ol
friends that intended to go lo young Henning's house some night, and t.iks
him out of hi- bed and give him two hundred and fifty l.i^hes; and as he
knew that they would suspect him for it, he intended to stay at a tavern in
Jackson on thc night it would take place. He said that tlic man on whom
ho had pitched for a leader of the company wa^j named Eli Chandler, j

THE WESTERN L.-\ND PlR.Vl'E. 51
<econd Cmsar. Hues would scarcely be able lo contain hiniself when he
i JUld hear Murel telling how he would heal his young friend,
Murel and Hues wcie ready for a start froni Mr, Hargus's the second
morning after breakfast, having been detained one day and night longer in
consequence of the snow storm. They landed on the Arkansaw side, and
then Murel led the way through the swamp fur the council house. 'I'hey
had traveled three hours in the bottom, part of tbe way on fijot and part in
Ekiil's, and had passed several small huts in tbe cane brakes on the way which
were occupied by men and sometimes negroes. V\'hcn .Murel pointed to a
large cotton tree, which stood in towering height and stupendous size, over
all the other timber around it and said to Hues, " Do you see yon lofty cot
ton wood that rises so majestically over all the other timber ?" Hues replied
that he did. — " Well," said Murel, '• that iree stands in the garden of Eden,
and we only have a quarter of a mile to go, and then we will tie on the hap
py spot where many a noble plot has been concerted." Hues had been
expecting to come 10 the hut where the Parson's negroes were secreted in
this wild morass, and had mufiled his face in his handkerchief as if his face
was cold, but il was to prevent the negroes from knowing him, provided he
should come on them. I'hey arrived at the council house, and found eleven
of the clan vvho had come in for a supply of counteifeit money, and to learn
how each other were managing the conceins of the clan, and whether any
brothers were imprisoned, and ncc*led the assistance of the clan to relieve
them ; and hovv many proselytes each member had made ready fiir admit
tance. Hues felt a considerable damp come over him as he entered the hor
rid hovel at the back of Murel. The clan was very anxious lo know tho
reason why Murel had nol attended at the council house at the lime he had
promised his striker to meet him. 'i'o which -Mnrel replied, that he was too
strongly suspected for the very thing he had done, to start at thc appointed
time, and then that he was detained by high water. 'J'hoy informed hiin
that his negroes had arrived, and that they were badly frost bit, and that
they had become uneasy about him, and thought it best to push them and
make sales as soon as possible. Compliments and questions being over be
tween Murel and his clan, Murel called the attention of the house, and then
took Hues by Ihe hand, and presented him to the company with the follow
ing remarks:
" Here, my brave counsellors, this is a counsellor of my own making, and
I am not ashamed of the workmanship. Let Mr. Hues be examined by
whom he may."
'J'hey all shook hands with Hues, and then gave him the two degrees in
signs, which belong to the two classes. He first received the sign of the
striker, and then of the grand counsellor. The signs are a particuhr pres
sure and flirt of the hand. Hues was practised by them until he could give
and receive the signs as well as any of them.
Hues was then requested to give them his opinion concerning theirnegro
war, and what he conceived to be their faith. 'J'he following is an extract
from the address which was delivered them by Hues, while in the counsel
bouse.

52 HISTORY OF JOHN A. MUREL,

-4)1 Extract from Adam Hues'i Speech in Mystic Council.
Genllerneri of the Mystic Conspiracy : — My age and inexperience must
plead my excuse before this worthy and experienced congregation. I am
much better qualified to acquiesce in the measures and sentiments of others,
than to advance principles of my own on this important occasion. It has
been so recent thai I was honored with the secrets of this august conspiracy
that I can advance nothing original, as all my ideas have been received from
our honorable dictator, and I should deem it presumption in me to otter luiy
amendments to the present deep and well arranged plans ar.d purposes of his
majesty. My own opinion is, that your plans are entirely practicable, under
thc guidance of our experienced leader.
As to what I consider lo be the faith and principles of this noble and
lordly band is easily related, and I expect it is correct : os my sentiments
are modelled by his majesty, and I consider myself nothing more than a
creature of his ibimation in this noble conspiracy. I consider that the mem
bers of this conspiracy are absolved from every other power or obligation to
cither God or man ; we found ourselves placed in the world, surrounded
with every thing needful for our comfort and enjoyment ; and shall we stand
supinely by and see others enjoy and make no provision for ourselves, be
cause an established religion and moral custom, which we neither believe
nor respect, forbids us from choosing the mode of providing ? We consider
all that are under the control of our power as our right; and more, we con
sider man, earth and beast, as all subject to the enterprise of our power.
'Turn your atteution to the animal world; do we not see the beast of the
field, the fowls of the air, and the fish in the sea, all in their turns fall
ing a •victim to each other; and last of all, turn your attention to roan, and
do we nol see him falling a victim to his fellow-man ? Yes, sirs, if there is
any God, these are his laws ; but, my noble sirs, we acknowledge no reli
gious or moral instructions apart from the fraternity. Yes, my worthy sirs,
wc will live the lords of our own wills, rioting in all the luxuries which the
spoils of our enemies and opposers will afford.
Wc ate told by history, that Rome lost her libeity by the conspiracy of
three Romans on an island in the river Panalius ; and why not the conspi
racy of four hundred Americans in this morass of the Mississippi river glean
the southern and western banks, destroy their cities, 'and slaughter their
enemies? have we no Cassius lo scatter the firebrands of rebellion, no
Lepidus to open his coffers of gold, and no Augustus to lead us to bat
tle ? Such a conclusion would go to impeach the abilities of our gallant
chieftain. Murel having some business to arrange with some of his clan who were
not at the counsel house, left the company, and he and Hues went to th»
house of G. Barney that evening. Murel made an arrangement with his
friends concerning the negroes he was to bring to Mr. Irvin. Murel was to
bring the negroes and get his eighteen hundred dollars, and the next night
his I'riends were to go over tlie river in a skiff to a certain point, where the
negroes were to be placed ready for the skifl' to convey them from the unfor
tunate purchaser to some other market, tQ repeat the fraud. Hues having
discovered that the Parson's negroes were sent oft", and that there were no
furtner discoveries to be made by his remaining among the robbers wilhoul
inquiring to what market they were sent, and that he deemed imprudent in
the horrid place, as a very small matter might lead to suspicion, and Hue»

THE WESTERN LAND PIRATE. 53
ti»d many papers with him which would have condomnod him before a conrt
of pirates and murderers; so Hues began to jihiii to get an excuse lo relurii
to .Mr. Irvin's and wait for .Alnrcl until he was tliioiigh with the ".iiisincsn
of the fiatcrnity. Hues made choice of his excuse to uri;o bi fore .M iirel, and
pro|ioscd his wishes to him, but .Murol was o[ijiosod lo his going until he
went himself, and urged many reasons in cpposiiion to bis wishes. The
pxciiso th.it Hues made fir wishing lo return to .Mr. Irvin's, was to get ac
quainted with a lady who lived at .Mr. Irvin's honse, vvhich hi- urged as the
iost ol rca.-ons, and the more he thought on the inait.-r iho moie lie was ile-
.crioMicd to go, for he could see no cau.si- why he sliould continue lo ha-/.ard
•jis life lo so many dangers, when neither his old fiiend nor bis country won-
10 be boncfittcd by so doing. Murel urged that he wanted to .sec him h-ave
tonic sport with the Arkansaw girls before he ri-tiiriicd. and that tliere wcre
.several matters befiire the council which he wislicd to hear his ojiinion on,
'i'o these wishes of Murel, Hues replied, that as to tbe girls he could dispense
with them for the present, under existing circumstances ; and as to his ojiin-
1011 in council he hoped to be excu.scd for the present, as he was not piepa-
rcd to give any ideas of his own, and assured Murel that he had the utmost
confidence in bis opinion on any matter whicli might be agitalod before the
house, and preferred it to his own. Murel's vanity being flattered by the en
comiums passed on his opinions, consented to the arrangements rnade by
Hues, and saw him safe across tbe river before they patted.
Hnes returned lo Mr. Irvin's and Murel to the business of his profession.
Hues loll quite relieved to find himself once more among honest peuj.ie. after
passing through thc hands of so many cut-throats, in a morass whii h has as-
sociatid with it all that the fancy can select from the whole school of horrois;
and I vvould say, from the description given by Hues, an emblem of that
awtul place allotted to rebellious and wicked spirits, in the world of misery
and its fiendish courts.
Hues concerted a plan with Mr. Irvin, to have a guard at his bouse al the
lime Murel was to bring him the negroes, to secure Murel and the negroes
he niiirht bring with hiin; and in that way capture the mighty man of the
we.-t, as he did not know that his confessions would be sufilcient evidence
against hirn ; and Hues was well aware, that if the evidence depended en
tirely on himself, that it would be the greatest inducement for so extensive a
luiiulitti to unite and exert all their power for his dcslructiun, as they would
know that the fate of their favorite designs and daring leader would depend
on their .success in that matter : for Ibis reason alone Hues was anxious th-at
he should be taken in the act of delivering tho negroes which he had prom
ised lo deliver lo Mr. Irvin in three weeks; but the marvelous manner in
which Hues became Master of Murel's secrets and plans, was another in-
duceinent with him, that other evidence should be had before Mure! was ar
rested, as that would remove the burthen of evidence from himself
'J'he next evening, after Hues had returned to Mr. Irvin's, Murel came,
and after he and .Mr, Irviii had talked over their trade about the negroes, and
fixed on the time when they were to be delivered, Murol and Hues returned
to Mr. Champeon's that evening, where they had left their horses, after be
ing gone six days Hues had no opportunity to have any private conversa
tion with Mr. Champeon concerning his adventure, but got an opportunity
to hand him the pistol which had been given lo him by Mr. Champeon
botbre he entered the morass. Murel and Hues left Mr. Champeon's
the next morning after breakfast, and directed their course for Madison
county. Murel began lo talk of the bad luck whieh he was having with the Par>

04 HISTURV OF JOHN A. MUPtKL,
Fuu's lU'grons, and Hueti for the flt:>t time ventured to ask him :i direct ques
tiuii. after trying ni;iny indirect questimis and failing M get the infurnintion
which he wanted. He then asked Murel to what ni.nket his friends liad -senl
liis lu-^nu'.s whieh he had tuk4'n frmn the methodist preaeher. 'J'o which
Aiurel replied, *'They have sent my two and three other fellows and seven
hnr--es diuvn tiie river, in one of those small trading hnats, and they intend
to gt) through the Choctaw pass, if ihoy can, to the Yazoo market ; and they
hi'\e t"ii thousand dollars in counteifeit money, which 1 expect is to up.-;et
the V. hohi matter, I am not jileased with the arrangen.eut. The fellows
whom they \\a\e sent are only etrikerd, and that in too juucli Id put in tlieir
hands at oni^ time. D  d if 1 am not fearful they will think ihcmseUe^
made men, when they sell, and leave us behind in ihi"' lurch; though
j..uyd says that there is no danger in them; and ho told them to sell and
misle."* Murel and Hues being once more to themselves on the road, Murel recom
menced thc history of his life as follows : —
•.Mitral. After I returned home from the first grand circuit I made among
the speculators I remained at home a very short lime, as I could not rest
when my mind was not actively cnga;i-ed mi some speculation. I had coni-
menccd the foundation of lliis mystic clan in that tour, and suggested the
plan of e.vciting a rebellion among the negroes as the sure road to an inex
haustible fortune to all who would engage in the expedition. ['J'he first mys
tic .sign which is used by tliis clan, was in use before I was born, and the
second had its origin from myself, l*hclps, Haines, Cooper, Dorris, Bolton,
Harri.^, Doddridge, Celly, Morris, Walter, Depont, and one of my brothers,
on tliC second night after my acquaintance v\ith them in New Orleans. We
needed a higher order to carry on our designs, and we adopted our sign, and
called it ihc sign of the grand council of the mystic clan, and practised our
selves to give and receive the new sign to a fraction belbre we parted'; and
in addition to the impro\emcnt, we invented and formed a mode of corres
ponding by means of ten characters, mixed witn other matters, \,'hich has
been \ery convenient on many occasions, and especially when any of us get
into diliiculties.] I was encouraged in my new undertaking, ard my heart
began to boat high with the hope of being able, one day, td visit the
pomp of southern and western people in my vengeance; and o, f^'^ing their
cities and towns one common scene of devastation, smoked Wi)\r ssid frag-
meiits. I decoyed a negr") man from Iii^ master, in Middle Tennes^jeo, aud sent
him to Mills* i^oint by a young man, and I waited to see the rao^'cments of
the owner.
He thought his negro had run olf. So I started to take posses'.ion of my
prize. I got another friend at Mill's Point to take my negro in i" skitf and
onvev him to the mouth of Ked river, and I took a passage in a steamboat.
[ then went through the country hy land, and sold my negro for nine hun
dred dollars, and the second night after I sold him I stole hin\ again, and my
friend run him to tlie Irish hay on in 'J'exas; I followed un after Jim. and I
sold my ne>:ro in 'J'exas fo.' five hundred dollars. I then concluded to visit
youth America, nnd sec if there was no opening in that country for p ^y-"^'^-
laf-ion : and J had concluded that I could get some strong friendrf >. that
country to aid mc in my designs relative to a negro rebellion ; Y i* ni nil
* Thc word inisle, as used above, the reader mu>t judge of ihr, p. ended
nieiiiiiiig ; as Hues was not inquisitive enough to inquire of Murci what he
meaiU by thut expression.

THE V, ESTERK I.AKD PIRATE. 57
[;T0pie in the world, the Spaniards arc the most treacherous and coivardly;
1 never want Ihem concerned in any matti-r wilh nie ; I had rather take tlie
negroes in this country to fight than a Spaniard. I s-topped in a village and
passed as a doctor, and commenced pracli-ing medicine ; 1 could ajie th*
doctor first rate, having read Evvel, and several other works on priniitive-
niedicine. I became a great favorite of an old Catholic ; he adopted nie aa
Ins son in thc fiiitb, and introduced me lo all the best families as ayoung
djctor from North America. I had been with the old Catholic but a very
sh- rt time before I was a great Roniim Catholic, and bowed to tlie cross, and
f tl- nded regularly lo all the ceremonies of that persua.sion ; and to tell vou
th? lact. Hues, all ibal the Catholic requires or needs lo be universally' re-
:eived, is lo be correctly represented; bat you know I care nothing for reli
gion ; 1 had been with the old Catholic aliout three month.s. and was getting
a heavy practice, when an opportunity offered for me to rob the old Catho
lic's Secretary of nine hundred and sixty dollars in gold, and could liave got
as much more in silver, if I could have carried it. I was soon on the road
for hoine again ; I stopped three weeks in New Orleans as I came en home,
and had some high fun with old mother Surgick's girls,
I collected all my friends aboul New Orleans at one of onr friend's houses
in that place, and we sal in council three days before we got all our plans to
our notion; we then determined to undertake the lebellion at every hazard,
and make as many friends as we could for that pur|/Ose. Every n»an's busi
ness being assigned him, I started to Natchez on foot, having sold my horse
tn New Orleans, with the intention of stealing another after I started : I walk
ed four days, and no Ofipoitunity oHered for me to get a horse. Thc fifth
day, about twelve, I had become tired, and stopped at a CKek to get some
Water and rest a little. 'While I was sitting on a log, looking dt>wn the road
the way I had come, a man came in sight riding on a good looking^ horse.
The very moment I saw him I was determined to have hia horse, if he wag
in the garb of a traveler. He rode up, and I saw from his eijuip-age that he
was a traveler. I arose from my seat, and drew an elegant riiie pistol on
him and ordered him to dismount. He did so, and I took his horse by the
bridle and pointed down the creek, and ordered him lo walk before me. We
went a few hundred yards and slopped. I hitched his horse, and then made
him undress himself, all to his shirt and drawers, and ordered him to turn
his back lo me. He said, "if you are determined to kill me, let me have
lime to pray before I die." I told him I had no lime to hear him pray.
He turned round and dropped on his knees, and I shot him through the back
of the head. I ripped open his belly and took out his entrails, and sunk, him
in the creek, I then searched his pockets, and found four hundred dollars
and thirty-seven cents, and a number of papers that I did not take lime
to examine. I sunk the pocket-book and papeis, and hia hat, in the
creek. His boots were brand new, and fit me genteelly; and I put ihem
on and sunk my old shoes in the creek, to atone for them. I rolled up
his clothes and put them into his portmanteau, as they were brand new cloth
of the best quality. 1 mounted as fine a horse as ever I straddled, and di
rected my course for Natchez in much better style than I bad been for the
last five days.
I reached Natchez and spent two days wilh my friends at that place, and
the girls under the hill, together. I then left Natchez for the Choctaw na
tion, with the intention of giving some of them a chance for their property.
As I was riding along between Benton and Rankin, planning for my designs,
I was overtaken by a tall and good looking young man, riding on an elegant
boise, which was splendidly rigged off-, and the young gentleman's apparel

.53 HISTORV OF .lOHX A. MfREL,
was of the richest that could be had, and hi.s watch chain and other jcwidlery
were of thc richest and best. I was anxious to know if he intended to tra
vel through Ihe Choctaw nation, and soon managed lo learn. He said ha
luid been lo the lower countrv with a drove of negrncs, and was returning
home to Kenlucky. We rode on and soon became intimate for slrcnger.-i,
and a.;rced lo be company through thc Indian nation. We were two d- — u
lino looking men, and to hear us talk wc were very rich. 1 felt of him on
the snbject of speculation, but, d — n it, hovv he cursed the speculators, and
p-.iid Itiut he was in a bad condition to fall into tbe hands of such d  d vit-
l.iin.-. as he had the cash with him that twenty negroes had sold for; and
that he was very happy that be had happened to get in company with me
tlirou-_;h the nation. I concluded he was n noble prize, and longed to be
count. ng his cash. .\t length v.e came into one of those long stretches in
the n.ition. where there was no house for twenty miles, on the third day after
we had been in company with each other. The country was high, hilly and
broken, and no water; just about the place where I intended to comiL my
companion's cash, I became very thirsty, and insisted on turning down a
dec[i hollow, or dale, that headed near the road, Ut hunt some water, ^\'e
had followed down the dale lijf near four hundred yards, when I drew my
pistol and shot him through. He fell dead. I commenced hunting for his
ca»h, and opened his large pocket-book, that was stuffed very full ; and when
I began to open it I thought il a treasure indeed : but, oh ! the contents of
that book ; it was richly tilled with the copies of love songs, the forms of love
letter.--, and some of his own composition, but no cash. I began to cut oil'
his clothing vvith my knife, and examine them for money, I found four dol-
l.irs and a half in change in his pockets, and no more. And is this the
amount for which twenty negroes sold I thought I. I recollected his watch and
jevvelli-iy, and I gathered them ; his chain was rich and good, but it was
swun^; to an old brass watch. He was a puff for true, and I thought that
all such (1  d fools ought to die as soon as possible. I took his horse, and
svva[ipt.d him to an Indian native for four ponies, and sold them on the way
home. 1 reached home, and sjient a few weeks among the girls of my ac-
ijuniiUancp, in all the enjoyments that money could aflbrd.
My next trip was through Georgia, South Caiohna, rx'oith Carohna, A'i"--
giiii.i and Maryland, and then back to South Carolina, -jud from there round
by Florida and Alabama. I began to conduct the progress of -my operations
and e,-tal)iish my emissaries over the country in every direction. After 1
had turned for home from Alabama, I was passing by vvhere one of my
friend.-i lived, in company with three of my associates, who were going home
with nil- ; wc stopped to see how our friend was doing; while we were sit
ting ill the portico, there was a large drove of sheep came up to his blocks.
He went out and examined thcni, and found them to be the flock of an old
Rjlitl>t. who lived about six miles up the road from his house; and they had
bi'i-ii none from their owner for three months, and he could he.ir notliinij; ol
th'.'io. i'lic old Baptist had .accused my friend of having his sheep drove off
to rn.iikct. .lud alniMcd him for sleiiliiig sheep very much. My friend ac-
quaiiit.'d me vvilh all the circumstances, and I concluded to play n trick on
tile old jo. key fir hi^ suspicions ; so we gathered up oil the Hock and drove
Iticm Oil Inforo us, and got to the old Haptist's just after dark ; so wc called
the o'd man nut lo the gate, and wanted to lodge with hiin all night, but ha
rcfusi'Ll to liikc us in, and urged as a reason, that his old vvomaii vvas sick,
and eould not accommodate us as he vvould wish. Td these o'.ijcctions I told
him that we vvould wait on our-elvcs — that I had tlirei^ active young men
with nie, vvho .'ould do all that vvas wanting to be done. I told him that I

THE WESTERN LAND PIRATE. 5?)
nid moved down below in the spring of the year, when my .sheep wcr-;- seal-
lered, and I concluded to Iciive them until fall; and lli.it I had l»cn i:!) to
my old place after them, and was going home ; and i-om]ilainril of t.i- bard
drive 1 had made that d.iy, a-i an excuse to stop with ilii- old lianli^t. I
then told him tint 1 had a "fine wether that 1 wi.-.[icd to kill, as he was very
unruly, and hard tn drive, and what we did not use that nii^lit he wa-i wil-
come lo. The old man showed us a lot to pen o'or sli.-cp, ami the corn i-rib
and stables, and told us that as we could wait on omM-Ue-, thut wc were wel
come lo stay. We soon fed our hoiscs and had the niuttim die.-i-i-d. and a
large pot full cooking. The old man told us vvbore to find mi.il. milk an.l
butier; and while my associ-ates were cooking the sheep, I wa^ coiivc r-iiiu
wilh the old Baptist on religion ; I told him I vvas a Baptist pn-ai-lu r. AMien
news came that the sheep was done, I went into the kitchen, and we had
a real least of mutton, at the expense of the old Baptist.
Atier supper wc went in vvhere the old lady vvas Iv iiig sii-k. The oh! man.
got his bihlu and hymn book, and invited nie to go to duty. I ii-^-.-il the
books and then ]irayed like hell for the recovery of the old lady. Thc
next morning vve were up before day-light, and had thc sheep ail on the
road. We drove them about one mile, and .scattciid tlieni in thc woods,
and left them. Wc left thr head of the wether that vvas killed lyinc in
the lot, vvhere thc old v.-..\n could see that it was in his own mark. 1 aiiivcd
home after a trip of six months.
I have been going ever since from one place to another, directiii':^ and man
aging ; but 1 have others now as good as myself to inauaL'e. This fellow
Phelpes, that I was tolling you of before, is a noble fellow amom; the necnot*:
he wants them all free, and he knows hovv lo excite tlieiii as well us any per
son ; but he vvill not do for a rol.licr, as ho cannot kill a man uiiles.i he has re
ceived an injury from him first ; he is now in jail at Vieks'nirg. and 1 fear v.'ill
hang. I went to see him not long since, hut lie is .-=0 sliiclly watc-hed that ni>-
ihing can be done. Ho has been in the habit of sto['.piiiL; men on tho high
way and robbing them, and letting them go on ; but that will never d.i for a
robber : after I rob a man l-e vvill never give evidence against mo ; and there
is but one safe plan in the business, and that is to kill — if I could not alford
lo kill a man I would — I have often told Phelpes that he woiilJ be
caught before he knew il. I could raise men enoutrh to go and tear down the
jail, and take Phelpes by force, but that would endanger all of our plans. I have
frequently had money enough to settle myself, rich, but I hjve spent it as
free as water in carrying on my designs. The last tive years of my life have
been spent in the same way that I have been telling you, Hues ; I have
been from home the best part of the time; and I have let but f'cvv chances
escape mc when I could rob that I did not do it. It would take a work yet,
Hues, to tell over all my scrapes of that kind. 'Vou must come rind stay a!
my house the week before I start with those negroes to Inin, and 1 vvill
have time to tell you over all my ups and downs for tho last five years. 1
want you lo go that trip wilh me. You can arrange your business in
the nation in two weeks, and get to my house in Madison county. Yon
will make more that trip than all your concerns are w-orth in tlie na
tion, so you had better give away what you have there than be cnntincd
to it.
N'ighl having come on, Murel and Hues began to look out fir a hou^e
of entertainment; so .Murel left off telling the horrid deeds of his past
life. They came to a house a while after night, where they slopped iintil
morning. The next morning Murel and .Hues proceeded on their journev ; tut llie

CO HISTORY OF JOHN A. MUREL.
time was now drawing lu-ar when Murel was to lose his young as.soel-JtC, aa
they only had ten miles lo ride together, when they would reach Wesley,
where they vvere to part. Hnes was U» go on to the nation, as Murel thought,
to arrange bi.4 alTair.s to join liiiii again, and .Murel was to go on borne to
procure the negroes whieh lu^ had promised lo deliver to Mr. Irvin. and have
tlicni ready by thc lime Hues was to be at his house in Madison county.
'i'he following is the list conversation of those two mystic friends, which was
enjoyed on the last ten miles.
.Murt-l. Well, Hues, vve part to-day, and I am not half done talking ; but
I will quit telling what I have done, and tell what I am going to do. I have
about forty negroes now engaged, that arc waiting for ine to run tin-in, and
the best of it is, they are nearly all the property of iny enemies. I have a
great many friends who have got in to be ovcreeers ; they are a strong sup
port to my plans. I have a friend by the name of Nolin, my brother-in-law's
brother, vvho is overseeing in Al-abania for a man who is frorn home. Nolin
has decoyed six Kkely negro men for me. I am to go within about ten miles
with a two horse carryall, and stop at an appointed place. Nolin is to raise
a sham charge against the negroes, and they are to run off and come to my
wagon. I will put them into the wagon, and fasten the curtains all around,
and then throw fodder over them ; aiid have a striker to drive them lo the
Mississippi swamp for mc, where there will be no danger. I will ride a few
miles behind, but never seem lo notice the wagon. Nolin is lo be driving
the woods for the negroes, and reporting that he had seen them every day or
two, until 1 have time lo gel clear out of the country with them. I have eight
more engaged in Alabama, al one Eason's, the fellow whom I was speaking
ol' before. The remainder of the forty I get in my own county. You recol
lect the boat I showed you in the bayou, on the other side of the river? thai
boat I intend lo fill with negroes for my own benefit.
Hues. 'I'licrc is a fellow by the name of Bundels, or Buns, or some such
a name, a negro Ir.ider, who lives in some part of Tennessee, who I think
is as hard a hand to cheat as any man I have ever seen in all my travels ; and
if all the Tenncsseans are as sharp as he is I do not want 'to deal with ma
ny of them.
.Murel. O ! I know who you arc thinking of; his name is Byrn ; he
does pass down through your country sometimes, and a hell of a fellow
he is ; ho can cheat you lo death, and make you think all the time he is
putting you on the road to a fortune ; but d  n him, I handled the cash
that one of his negroes sold for. He suspected me for running his negro,
and ofl'ered me the chance of him for three hundred dollars; but I thought
it was a d  d poor business lo give three hundred dollars for a thing I al
ready had. Byrn is a hard hand, and I had as soon fall into the hands of
the devil as his.
Hues spoke in this uncertain manner of the name of Mr. Byrn, lo leave
the impression on the mind of Murel that he had just barely seen Mr.
Byrn, and had only a faint conception of his name, without any acquain-
latice, and j'et so descriptive as lo make hiin understand whom he meant
by his remarks. Hues knew that Mr. Byrn had lost a negro, and ho
wished lo know whether Murel had stolen him or not ; and he took thc
above ingenious plan to get Murel on the subject without exciting his sus
picion. .'^Curcl. I can tell you another trick we have. Hues, to get horses. Our
friends examine the stray books regularly, and whenever there is a stray
horse of any value found on them, he goes and gets a description of the
Jvorse, and then writes for two of his friends, if none do pass who are stran

THE WESTERN L.\ND PIRATE. Cl
gers in tne country he lives in. He gives his fiiends a minute description
of the horse, and one will go and claim, and the other |iiovc the prjperty
_[ was in Arkansaw this fall, and Ihcie was a man who fontiil a horse stand
ing in the edge of the Mississippi river, which bad hy some means 2i,t nif
of some boat, and swam to shore, but could not ),'f-t upon the hank; he
dug the bank and gut out the horse. Om- of mv friends lu-aid of il, and
went and examined the horse, so that he coi.ld tell me all his fle:.h marks.
1 went and asked him if he had found a lior.-,v of siieh a deseription, ili-
Bcribing the horse in every pailicular. He s.iid he liail. I looked at llu-
horse and claimed him. I gave the fellow live dollars for his trouble, himI
took the horse home, and have him yet. I h.ivc swam ihe ?.lissi.ssippi Iw iec
on that horse.
Hues. AVe are not far from Wesley, where vve will part, and you have not
given nie a list of the names of our friends as yd.
JIfurel. Oh! yes, yes. Have you any paper with you 1 you must have
that before we part.
Hues took out the remainder of his blank book and pencil, which had nol
been used for a private record ; when the following names were given and
recorded as the friends and members of Murel's clan.

Catalogue of .Murel'ii Mystic Clan.
Tennessee. — Two Murels, S. Spiers, S. Weathers, two Byrdsongs, D.
Crenshaw, Col. Jarot, M. Dickson, two Nolins, N. Cliism, Capt. Rufiin, K.
Dickson, Jas. Hosskins, L. Anderson, P. Johnson. J. Nuckels, L. B.itemen,
J. 1'aylor, E. Chandler, four .Maroncys, two Liltlcpacres, J. Hardin, Esq.
Wilbern, Y, Pearson, G. Wiers, live Lathoins, A. Smith, six Hucses, W.
Crenshaw, J. Goaldin, R. Tims, D. A hart, two Buslicys, L. l^lorc, J. Eas,
W. Plovvel, B. Sims, Z. Gorin, three Boallons, G. Sparkes, S. Larit, R. Pa-
rew, K. Deron.
Mississippi. — G. Parker, S. Williams. R. Horton. C. Hapes, \V. Presley,
G. Corkle, B. Johnson, D. Rooker, L. Cooper, C. Barton, five Willcys, J.
Hess, two Wilsons, Capt. Morris, G. Tucker, three Glens, two Hailins, — .
Bioodvvorth, J. Durham, K. p''orrow, S. Cook, G. fJoodman, - — . Slautton, — .
Claniii, C. Hickman, W. Thomas, Wm. Nawls, U. Marlovv, OapU Medford,
three Hunters, two Gilberts, A. Brown, four Yarbcrs.
Jlrkansa-m. — S. Puckcl, W. Ray, J. Simmons, L. Good, B. Nort-m, J.
Smith, P. Billing, A. Hooper, C. Jimerson, .six Serrils, three Bunches, four
Dartes, two Barneys, G. Aker, four Tuckers, two Lovds, three Shurlocks,
three Joneses, L. Marlin, S. Coulter, H. Petit, W. Henderson, two Nowlins,
three Hortons.
Kentucky. — Three Forrows, four Wards, two Forsythcs, D. Clayton, R.
Williamson, H. Haley, H. Potter, D. Mugit, two Pattersons, S. Goin, Q.
Drantley, L. Potts, four Reeses, two Carters.
Missouri. — Four Whiles, two Herins, six Milers, G. Poap, R. Coward, D
Corkle, E. Boalin, W. Aker, two Carlins, S. Falcon, H. Warrin, two .Moase-
ways, three Johnsons, Col. S. W. Foreman.
.ilabama. — H. Write, J. Homes, E. Nolin, three Parniers, two Glascocks,
*i. Haminons, R. Cunagen, H. Chance, D. Bell'er, W. Hickel, P. Miles, O

62 HISTORY OF JOHN A. MUREL.
.^More, n. Corhoon, S. Baley, four Sorils, three Marlins, M. Hancock, Capt.
Boin, Esq. Malonc, G. Sheridon.
Georgia. — H. Moris, D. Haiis, two Raniseys, four Cullins, W. Johnson
S. Gambol, two Crenshavvs, four Peakes, two Hcliils, D. Coalmon, four
Reves, si.x Rosses, Capt. Ashley, Denson, Esq. two Lonits.
South Carolina. — Three Foarts, four Williamses. O. Ruisset, S. Pinkney,
six Woods, H. Black, G. Holler, three Franklins, G. Gravit, B. Henry, W.
Simpson, E. Owen, two Hookers, three Piles, W. King, N. Parsons, F. Wa
ters, M. Ware, two Robersons.
.'\'(irth Carolina. — A. Fentress, two Micklejohns, D. Harilson, M- Coop-
wood, R. Huiston, four Solomons, J. Plackncy, S. Stogdon, three Perrys, four
Gilfcrds, W. Pariners, three Hacks, J. Secel, D.Barnet. S. Bulkes, M. John
son, B. Kclit, V. Miles, J. Harris, L. Smith, K. Farmer.
Virginia. — R. Garrison, A. Beloach, J. Kerkmon, three Merits, W. Games,
E. Hawks, P. Hume, F. Henderson, J. Ferincs, G. Ucron, S. Walker, foui
Mathises, L. Wiseman, S. Washqrn, E. Cockburn, W. Milbern.
Maryland. — W. Gwins, H. Brown, F. Smith, G. Dolherd, L. Strawn,
three Morgens, D. Hays, four Hobesses, H. M'Gleton, S. M' Write, J. Wil-
kit, two Fishers, M. Hains, C. Paron, G. M'Walters, A. Culhbut, W. I.ec-
mon, S. Winston, D. Kcad, M. O'Conel, T. Goodin.
Florida. — E. Carmeter, W. Hargaret, S. Whipel, A. Sterling, B. Staft'ord,
L. M'Guint, G. Flu.sh, 0. 'Winkle, two M'Gilits, E. Foskew, J. iieark, j'.
Preston, three Baggets.
Louisiana.— C. Depont, J. Bnvley, A. Rhone, T. M'Nut, H. Pclton, W.
Bryant, four Hunts, two Baleys, S. Roberson, J. Sims, G. Murry, R. Miller,
C. Henderson, two Deris, J. Johnson, A. Pelkin. D. Willis, P. Read, S.
-M'Carty, W. Moss, D. Cotton, T. Parker, L. Duncan, M. Bluren, S. .Aluret,
G. Pase, T. Ray.
7'ra-nsie?iters, ivho travel from place to place. — Two Hains, S. Coper,
G. Boalton, R. Haris, P. Doddridge, H. Helley, C. Moris, three Rinens, L.
Tailor, two Joneses, H. Sparkes, three Levils, G. Hunter, G. Tucker, S. Sker-
lock, Soril Phelpes.
When the above catalogue was finished, Murel observed, " There is not
a paper lo make a proper list, but when you come up to my ho-ose vve will
have time to make a complete one; and this will do until then, as you will
not travel any unlil you go with me a few trips and learn the routes; and
there is not near all the names on this list; but there is no more paper lo
write on. Hues, I want you to be wilh me at New Orleans, on the night
that the negroes commence their ravages. I intend to head tbe coiniiany
that attack that city myself I feel an ambition to demolish the ciiy vvhich
was defended from the ravages of the British army by thc great Genera!
Jackson." Murel and Hues arrived at Wesley, where they were to part. Hues prom
ised Murel that he would be to see him by three weeks, or sooner. 'I'hey
look their leave of each other and parted.
So soon as Murel was out of sight. Hues turned round and came back to
Wesley, and remained there unlil Mu.'cl had time to be several iiulc-s ahead.
Hues then took anothei o'ltc for Madison county, and made it so as to travel

THE WESTERN LAIVD PIRATE. 63
fiie last ten miles after night, to he might pass without the knowledge of
iiny, only such as he was willing should see hiin. Hues arrived at Mr. Hen
Ring's after midnight, and acquainted his old friend with his adventure, and
Murel's confcsrions concerning his negroes. Mr. Hemiing collected soma
of the best citizens of the county, to assist in arresting Murol, u man who
bad become a pest and terror lo the country.
The next night after Hnes arrived at Mr. Henning's Ui" guard was pre
pared, and ihey went out after Marel with us much interest lis if lliey wcre
going lo rid tlie country of a thousand hostile savages. Hues was one o{ the
guard, and he requested all the guard lo still call him by his assuniod name.
After Murel vva-s arrested, the officer asked him who went vvith liim to Arkan
saw. Murel replied, " A young man by the name of Hnes." The officer
then asked him if he had ever seen the young man before h-e went to Arkan
saw ? Murel replied, that he bad never seen the yomig man before he saw
him at the bridge at Estanaula, where he got in his company. The officer
Uien called Hues out from the company into the presence of Murel. When
Hues presented himself before him, Murel for the first lime, as often as he
had been ajrestcd, lost his spirits and fortitude. He appeared as though
he would faint, and they gave him water several times Ivefore he ruccn
vered. It was the thought of having told so niaoy of the black deeds of Iiis JLfe,
"and exposed his clan .to a man whom he then saw was his enemy, and one
of the armed guard to conduct him to justice, that gripexi the soul of Murel.
He saw himself captured and out-gencralcd by the 3-outh whom he, but one
moment before, thoug'nl lost in thc splendor of his horrid crimes and won by
the glittering trappings .of infamous gain. These were thc Lhoughts wliich
wrung the flinty heart of Murel, and imide his soul sicken at tlie prospect be
fore hiin.
Hues was anxious that Murel should not be arrested, until he carried the
negroes lo Hr, Irvin, and take him in that act ; but the cilLzens were deter
mined lo secure him vvliile they -could Uy their hands on him. As llie guard
were taking Murel to the committing court, he iuqaired of one of tlie guard
who this man Hues was, and whether be hid many acquaintances in the
country or not. The guard being anxious. to hear .Murel's ideas, .lold him
that Hues was a stranger. " W*I1," said Murel, " he had better have remain
ed a stranger : I have friends : I had much rather be in my condition than
Ln his."
The guard arrived at Jackson with Murel, and he was taken into a tavern,
and guarded until a court could be formed. While they were in the tavern,
many persons came in to see Murel and Hues; and Hues being willing that
Murel should then be undeceived in his name, met his friends as they came
in, who called him by tbe name of Stewart, his real name. Murel now saw
that he had baen deceived in the name as well .as llie character of Jlr. Stew
art, and he saw .that itr. Stewart was universally known by all who entered
the room. His spirits, which had a little jcvived at the idea of his man Huea
being a stranger, now began to sink into a double dejection. Murel, though
s. mystic chief, was caught in a mystery he could not unfold.
Murel was committed to f rison in February, 1S:!4, and his trial ws* Ut be
in the July fbllowiog.

(54 HISTORY OF JOHN A. MUREL,

The efforts of Jolm .1. .Murel and his friends, fir the destruction of ihi>
life and character of Mr. Virgil. S, Ste-ujart.
After Murel was secure, Mr. Stewart and one of Mr. Henning's sons took
a trip through the Vazoo country, in search of Mr. Henning's negroes, aa
Murel had said that they would go lo that market if they could get through.
the Choctaw pass or bayou. Mr. Ste-.varl was in hopes of intercepting the
boat on thc river, before Ib.o robbers left it wilh the negroes ; but on inquir
ing, they found tb.a.t boats covild not go through the bayou at that lime; so
they hf.d gone to some other market. Mr. Stewart was very desirous that the
negroes should be found, as all tbe evidence depeudcd on himself; and h&
neglected his own business, which demanded lu^ presence, lo go in search of
the negroes.
Mr. Stewart had been trading among tlie Indians anil r.ew settlers of the
Choctaw Purchase-, for about nine months, and intended to settle himself in
that country, and had given his name lo some of his friends as a candidate
for county clerk l>efore he left there to visit his friends in 'Tennessee. The
election came on while Mr. Stewai't was engaged in trying to find the ne
groes which Murel had stolen from Ken.oing. He passed through the Choc-
tivv Purchase while making his search for the negroes, and his friends want
ed him to stop and attend to the election ; as it was a nevv country, and but
few persons acquainted with each other, candidates were required to mis
with the people for an acquaintance ; but .Mr. Ktewart told his friends, that
if he vvas to neglect the business he was then on, to electioneer, he would not
deserve an office, or the confidence of the community.
After an unsuccessful search, Mr. Stewart ret-ained to Tennessee. Mu-
sel's fiiends were exerting themselves, to screen their prince from the peni
lentiary ; -Lind by this lime Ihey were all acqiiainied with the fait that Murel
had given a list of their names to .Mr. Stewart, and many of thcni had stood
fair in society, and they wcre desperately pestered. In .'-hoit terms, all tho
land and boon of mystics were in trouble ; a spy had visited their camps, and
had hrelie their golden bow-1 and carried off captive their cb.ief : so there waa
weeping among the professors of villany. There wcre but two alternatives :
they i.idst either destroy the char-.'icter of Mr. Stewart or 'he would destroy
them. Mr. Stewart's life ¦would save tlieir chief from the pcniicnti-.iry ; but
liiat vvould not restore the lost character of those w-ho:n he had disclosed on ;
ill would only fix their guilt, scaled with his blood, unless they could disgraca
him wilh dishonor, which would discredit his word.
''They soon had several charges and preferments afloat against Mr. Sle\7-
art ; bat they all soon disproved themselves, or vvere confuted by him.
Mr. Stewart returned to the Choctaw Purchase, lo prepare some biiil.l-
ings, to .settle himself in business. Mr. Stewart had left several ttiiiiks of
property with a man by the name of Vc.ss, to take care of while he was <_'oiie
to Tennessee i bat he remained in Tennessse ratlier longer than he expieted,
and there bcuig several rumors in the country that men were s<'en [m.<.-:ii,',
thr'.vugh she country inquiring for Mr. Sscvvai'S, bt-ariiig arms, and r..;lier sua-
piciiO'iiii characters, Vcss and his wife began to be in hopes tlial Mr. .'si,.\.. .oj
WJ.S aetj.dly murdered, as he had no relations in that countiy. rial h.iil
'¦-.-ft several hundred dollars worth of property in their care, whiili Ihey
intended to hold by fraud, and began lo speak of ftdmiiiisterinL; on Mr.
Stewart's estate, and said, that they hehl a. coQ3ider'.ible 'ii.-coijnt agahis.!
him.

THE WESTERN LAND PIPvATH.

65

They had become so certain of his death, that they began to pick his lock»,
lo examine the contents, which they considered as already won; and among
thc rest they examined a purse of silver that they found in one of tho chests
they opened ; they found it containing fifty dollars, but left it with cn'y forty-
one, nine sticking fast to their lingers.
When Mr. Stewart came home, A'ess airJ his wife vv-cr' dcsjrerately con
fused. 'They calcvdated that Mr. Stewart would hear of their saying that
they held an account against him, which they knew vvas false; and they
knew that Mr. .Stewart vvould miss his silver out of his the.st. When Mr.
Stewart began to unlock his chests, Vess and his wife looked very wild and
confused ; and when he missed his money, he asked them if they had opened
his chest ? 1'lioy both denized opening his chest ; but said that Mr. Clanton
had opened it. Mr. Stevva.'t knew that Mr. Clanton's keys would unlock
his locks, and that .Mr. Clanton was in the habit of opening his chests and
trunks, whenever he wanted any thing that was in them, as they were very
intimate, and lived nearly as one family ; but Mr. Stewart did not believe
that Mr, Clanton had taken his money. Mr. Stewart concluded to s:jy no
thing about his money, as it would hurt the feelings of Mr. Clanlon, as he
was in the habit of ojiening his locks; and Mr. Stewart was deteraiined ta
<juit boarding wilh "Vcss so soon as he could get another house.
Several weeks had passed oft", and Mr. Stewart had still got no other place
to board. When one evening he staid out until after supper was over, so
they put snpper by for him until he came in ; after he had taken one cup of
cott'ee he was taken violently sick, and commenced vomiting. Mr. Stewart
was then suspicious that ho had drank a dose of poison. Mr. Stewart rode
out the next day U look at a tract of land, and in the evening, as he was re
turning home, he was overtaken by a man who had a holster of pistols befor-
him. Mr. Stewart was naturally on his guard a'gainst all strangers; and bis
friends had cautioned him very much lo be on his watcli, and to g.> armed,
as they calculated, from the threat which had liccn made, that thc friends of
Murel would endeavor lo kill Mr. Stewart, to dispense with his cvidene-3
against Murel; but Mr. Stewart was not armed on that evening, which wks
a very uncommon thing with him when he rode out. The man who hud
overtaken him inquired if he was acquainted in the country about Troy, and
began to make several inquiries about the [leoplo of that country, and among
others he inquired for a family of the Glens, who Mr. Stewart knew to be
of Murel's clan. Mr. Stewart began to suspect him, and put himself on his
guard. The stranger asked Mr. Stewart if he was acquainted with a mrai in
that country by the name of ^V. A. Stewart. When the foUowuig dialogue
ensued, ^ .
.Mr. Steicart. Yes, sir, just as -well as I would wish to be with all such
fellows. Stranger. What, do you not like him, sirT
Mr. Steviavt. I have seen people I like as wcU.
Stranger. Have you any particular objection to this fellow Stewart T
Mr. Stewart. O! ves, many.
Stranger. If you have no objection to telling your objections to this Stew-
iirt I should like to hear them, as I dislike him very much myself.
Mr. Ste-aart. O ! he is too smart. Interferes wilh things that do not
concern him. He had no right to lake the advantage he did of a man by tlie
same of Murel. ., j,. . -s, a,.
Stranger. Do you understand this \ [giving his hand a flirt. Mr. btcw-
srt answered the sign with a flirt of his hand.] O lyes, you are up to it. I
Bin glad to see you, sir: what is your nanie J [shaking hands.]

6-5 HISTORY OF JOHN A. MUHEL,
Jttr. Ste-.i-art. I have several names ; but whenever I wished to be ^crr
smart, or successful in speculation and trade, I go by the name of Tom
Goodin. I discover that you are master of mystic signs — what is j ou?
name, .sir 1
.'Stranger. My name is George Aker, sir, and am on a niissioi-i from our
council, to slop the wind of that d— — d Stewart. Gan you give mc any
assistance in that matter 1
Goodin. O I yes, sir, I am the Tery man to assist you in that matter. I
divl not know that there had been a meeting on the subject ; and so soon as
I heard of the misfi>rtune, and heard where Stewart lived, I wag soon in lii»
neighborhood- wcitiivg for a good opjiortiniity. I have been very cautious
and still.- I have managed to get acquaintance with Stewart, and have
had ?ome tolerable good chances, but have been wailing for a heller. Hs
tivi-iilM me a very clever fellow, and I baTe been waiti.ig to get hiin oft" by
ov.Tsclves. .iker. We collected and consulted on what plan to pursue lo destroy that
d  d rascal, and restore the character of those vvhom he has disclosed on.
We have got him in a d  d close box. He is living with )ms enemies,
and the friends of some of the men whom he has disclosed on. We will
give him hell before we quit him ; our plan is lo get Murel out of prison, and
let him go off until court, and after he has gone frorn prison, get a charge
against Stewart that will desti-oy his character before the world, and when
court comes' on, Murel will appear for trial, which vtill convince the world
that he is innocent of the charge; and should Stewart even appear, iif
person will ever believe him, for we will prove him lo be one of tht
d  dest rascals that lives. Murel will be acquitted, and the characlei
of those who have been disclosed en will be restored ; but we never in
tend for Stewart to live until court ; we will kill him and disgrace hira
loo. We have it all fixed — the fellow with whom hs lives, is a good
friend to some cf our clan, and we have agreed to- give him one thou
sand dollars to raise a charge against Stewart; and he is a big fish — any
thing he says will be l>elicved ; you know we have some big hugs among us,
I am told that be is-a confidential friend of Stewart's, and that they have
frequently done business for each other. You know that it will be an easy
matter for him lo make a plausible .accusation ; but he will not agree to
make the charge against Stewart, until after he is killed, as they have always
been very friendly, and he wants no investigation by the young tartar. We
sent one fellow before, who engaged with an old man and his wife to poison
him for one hundred dollars ; but they have not done it for some cause, and
we are tired of waiting on them, so they made up two hundred dollars for me,
and senl me to- despatch the d  ^1 traitor ; and if I can gst no chance at
him this time, before I leave the Purchase, we intend to bring men from A?
kansaw with an accusation against him for passing counterfeit money tc
them ; and in this way get the d — — d traitor into our power, and when wo
get him into tl» Missiijsippi morass we will give him hell ; we will give him
something to do besides acting llie spy. We will speechify him next lime ,
bus I am told tbat Stewart has man-aged to get a company to lake up strair
gers who came into the neighborhood after his scalp.
Goodin. Yes, but his company will not be in our way, for I know oil
his customs, where he walks, and where he sleeps, just as well as he
does ; and I am not the le.ast suspected by any person ; so you know that 1
can fix him.
Aker. O ! yes, I count him mine now ; and I will give you one hundred
90 help me to get his scalp. I have no doubl, but the company that went on

THE WESTERN LAND PIRATE. 67
to get out Murel, has got him out more than n week ago. Wtere do jou
live. Goodin 1
Gooilin. I am a little like a stray dog, sir, I have neither home nor ma-stcr,
and St. IV longest where the best speculations are lo be had ; though I stay
mostly in thc nei-ghborhood of Commerce at the present, and sometimes work
lo prevent being suspected. I play off occasionally. 'I'he people think me
a gootl sort of a fellow, only a little wild. I have still been looking out for
every chance tbat might oftcr, for this tllow Slevvait j I have a choice
scatter gun, and one fine pistol, which I keep for the purpose of saving
liis scalp ; I want it very much. — Have jou ever been in lliis country
b.rfore 7
.iker. O ! yes, frequently, though I have not been much seen. I gener
ally come into the neighborhood of an evening, and leave it the next morn
ing before daylight, which you know is the usual mode of visiting among
the mystics. I had a chance lo have seen that d  d curse some lime back,
at an election at Troy, but there was another fellow who had undertaken to
dsspatch him then, so I let the opportunity pass wiihout improving it. I
have never heard the Glens speak of jou in this country ; did you not know
that they were speculators 1
Goodin. O ! yes ; I never go among thetn. — ^You know that it is necessary
to have some respectable fellows; and you know that it would not do for me
to be among them, as they are suspected, if I wish to play the deep game ;
and lo be more certain of victory, I have never made myself known lo any of
the Glens, or any of the speculators of this country. If you examine the
list you will find my name. I have been looking out for Stewart. W"^c have
as much right to play tricks as they have ; but dislike to run too great a risk
for his scalp ; I would like to have a good chance; and you know there is
getting away to be thought of.
Aker. Do you think you can kill Stewart to-night, and meet me to-morrow
at Glen's, lo let me hear the news 7 you are acquainted in the settlement,
and are not suspected ; but I am a stranger, and I had rather not be seen by
any but my friends, as this company might catch me.
Goodin, I will meet you in the morning, on the path which leads from
Glen's to Commerce, at a pile of house logs. Glen can tell you how to go ;
but you must not let any person come wilh you in the morning, or say any
thing to Glen, or any person else about what is going on. We arc enough
to know it, as it will be a very daring act. I ^vill act for the best.
.ikcr. I will be at the place soon in the morning. Here is one hundred
dollars. That is not all you will get, if yoa are successful in stopping that
d  d villain's wind. You say you have a good scatter gun. If you can
get no other chance, shoot him as he sits by the fire ; you can get off wiihout
lieing seen, and we will make our escape to Arkansaw together. We can
do nothing until he is killed, as we can get no clew to his character until
then. Goodin. That will be a daring project; but I enter into it with a deter
mined mind, and I am of the opinion diatyonhad better not go to Glen's to
night ; but go with me to a respectable house of my acquaintance, where we
will go to bed, and in the night I wilt get my gun and go to where Stewart.
boards, and do what I can for him and retum to bed before day ; and I have
a frienil whom I wish to go with us to Arkansaw. We can then leave his-
house the next morning, and I and my friend can leave the neighborhood
wiihout being suspected for the crime.
Aker. I have some particular business with Glen, relative to some instruc
tions, and they must be left with him, as he vrill have the best opportunity of

68 HISTORY OF JOHN A. MUREL,
forwarding matters. You go to your acquaintance's and do as you hate oa.il
but I had rather not be seen hy any but my friends, as a stranger would bo
Buspecled much sooner than yon. I will go to Glen's, but I will not mention
your name lo a living soul, as you are playing the same sort of a game on
him that he played on us. Wc will keep it all lo ourselves, unlil ail is over,
and that d  d villain is finished, as you have never made yourself known
to the other speculators of this country. Your plan is a good one, and the
best of it is lo have him beat in his own way. .
[.4ker and Goodin having arrived al the place of separation, Aker remark
ed ; — " V\'cll, Goodin, I wish you great success. We meet in the morning
at thc appointed place." 'They parted, apparently under fellow feeling and
sentiments.] Mr. Stewart began to reflect on the dangerous condition he was in ; he
saw himself surrounded by enemies who were plotting against his life. He
vvas then satisfied that he had drank a dose of poison the night before, and
had just parted with a murderous villain who was jr. a^ent to destroy his
life. He reflected on the prospect before him, in deep melancholy, ana
thought of the devoted friendship which he had borne lo Clanton and his in
terest, and then reflected on the fell treatme.it he was receiving with the
deepest regret. He returned home ; but instead of going to his boarding
house for his supper, he walked over to a Mi. Sanders's, an old gentleman of
an amiable disposition, wilh whom he spent many of his spare hours; after
he had taken supper with Mr. Sanders, he -went lo his boarding licuse; Mrs.
Vess set supper for him, but he refused to take any, telling her that he had
supped ; she insisted very much on his drinking a cup of coffee, but he refu
sed. Ho walked out and got under a cart bed, which was leaning against
the house, where he could watch the manosuvres and listen to the conversa
tion of Vess and his wife. 'I'he coffee which was intended for him to drink,
was carried to the door and thrown out ; when be saw that, his blood began
to boil with revenge.
Mr. Stewart was on the road the next morning by sunrise, with his gun, lo
meet his intended murderer; he reached the appointed pile of logs, but no
Aker appeared. Mr. Stewart waited for Aker until ten o'clock, but he never
appcired. Mr. Stewart concluded that Aker had, by some means, learned his
mistake from his fiiends and disappeared.
Mr. Stewart had never left any thing from which a coriclusion could be
drawn, as lo the manner he intended to treat the infamous villain who had
engaged him lo destroy his own life, more than that he went to the appointed
place of meeting well armed. Mr. Stewart certainly saved his life by Ihe in
genious deception he practised on that rapacious assassin, for had he told his
real name, be would have been shot in on instant ; for he had no arms to
make any defence, while .\keT was well armed; and there is no doubt but a
sense of his perilous situation sharpened his wits and prompted him to resort
lo the ingenious stratagem he practised, when, if he had been armed, he
would have pursued a difl'erent course ; but the kind protection of Providence
was guarding the safety of Mr. Stewart, and let man learn from thc history
of this transaction the protection of Heaven.
Mr. Stewart returned home in -trouble and disquietude; he had commen
ced building lo settle himself, and was anxious to commence business, but be
saw that it would not do for him lo settle at that place, where he was sur-
rounrlcd with enemies.
He concluded to finish the house which he had commenced, and then leave
the country until after tbe trial of John A. Murel, so as lo evade the opera
tions of his enemies. He was troubled that Mr. Matthew Clanlon would bfl

THE WESTERN LAND PHl.VrE. 69
bliTvl to do him an injury, or that be would lake sides with suih infair.uu*
villains. He studied on it for several days, and sonielinies he vvould reproach
himst-lf fir hrlieviiig that Clanton would be hired for so base a pui'pose ; and
then h- would recollect that Clanton would never j'-in the comp.any, which
was fornu-d to keep those suspicious characters out of the neighborhood,
which vvas very iniportant lo his safely. Mr. Stewart intended to nievve bis
boarding to Air. Sanders's as soon as he could. He never would cat at Vpss'f
any more, only when all were eating together; and he Irietl Ihem .several
nights, when supper vvould be prepared lor just himself, the cotlie was al
ways thrown out after he walked out of the house.
A few days had passed ofl' very dull withMr. Stewail,Khpn one morning
he received a letter from a friend in 'Tennessee, which informed him of John
A. Murel's escape from prison. 'Phis intelligence revived all that had pass
ed with him and George .\keT, and seemed to be a warning to leave tlic dan
gerous place which he then occupied.
Before Mr. Stewart had left the Purchase, to visit his friends in Tennes
see, at the lime he was soUcited lo follow John A. Murel, he had taken the
care of Matthew Clanton's business for about six weeks, until Clanton could
go into Tennessee after his family ; as Clinton had no clerk, and wanted to
go after his family, Mr. Stewart consented to attend to his business uniil he
retprned, although his own business suliered for the want of his atlention du
ring the time. Clanton and Mr. Stewart had been very friendly from their first
acquaintance, and they had been acquainted with each other in Tennessee,
before they moved into the Purchase; and Mr. Stewart is one of those kind
of young men who will neglect his own business to befriend or oblige a friend.
He is entirely devoted in matters of friend^hip. Clanton's business was a
rough concern, with but little regularity in the way it was managed; it con
sisted of remnants and old goods, and such things as could be sold to the In
dians- and new settlers of that country. He had a day-booh in which he set
down the running accounts of those whom he credited, and a ledger in whicli
they were posted, and a drawer in the writing de.sk, in whieh he jut all the
cash that was received for goods, or any thing which was sold, but no cash
book, and when an article was sold for cash the inonev was deposited in the
drawer, and no further notice was taken of it. Mr. Stewart raised but one
nevv account on Clanlon 's books while he attended lo his business, and that
was against himself, for a man by thc name of Smith : that is, the goods
were for Smith ; but Mr. Stewart a.ssumed the payment of thc debt, as he was
ovving Smith ori a running account for corn. 'The two accounts were open,
and whenever Smith wanted an article from the store it was charged, and
when Mr. Stewart wanted com he got it from Smith. Mr. Stewart could
have paid Smith the money for his corn just as easilj' as he could pay Clan
ton for his goods ; but he bartered with Smith to throw the money into tbe
hrmds of Clanton, whom he believed to be his friend. So when Mr. Stewart
»vantcd any thing from the store for himself, he paid the money into the
drawer, as lie hail one running account on the books for Smith. During the
six weeks, .Mr. Slew art had got five or six dollars worth of articles for him
self, and took in more than ninety dollars from others, for spirits and difl["erent
articles. This amount was thrown into the drawer in one common pile, as
il was received by littles ; but when a regular customer paid liis account on
ihe book, the receipt of the amount vvas entered under the account.
Clanton returned home and received his business from the hands of Mr.
Stewart, and was highly pleased vvith the way Mr. Stewart had managed hia
business during Ids absence. Mr. Stewart settled the account he had raised
for Smith w itb Clanton, and paid over all the money which he had collf cted.

70 HISTORY OF JOHN A. MUREL,
and what ho had received for goods sold. Clanton was so well pleased with
the way that Mr. Stewart had attended lo his business during bis absence,
that he complimented him with a lot, in a little place which he lind laid off
for a town, but he had not been olTered a large bribe at that time to traduce
the character of Mr. Stewart, or perhaps vve would have heard a dillerent sto
ry from Mr. Clanton as lo the honor of Mr. Stewart. 'J'hough at that time
Mr. Stewart had not interfered with the proceedings of villains ; he then had
no legion of devils lo plot his destruction ; no mystic lords had then been
exposed by Mr. Stewart, whose fate depended on his destruction. Clanton
then had no inducements to act dishonest, and he could then believe Mr.
Stewari an honorable young man.
Mr. Stewart having acquitted himself of Clanton's business, he left the
Purchase for Tennessee in January, 1834, on private business, where he was
solicited by his friend, Mr. Henning, to follow John A. Murel, and try lo re
gain his negroes which had been stolen from his possession.
Mr. Stewart quit Clanton's business in January, 1834, and the May fol
lowing Clanton took exceptions to the way Mr. Stewart had managed his
business, by charging him with dishonor, and said that he had not paid for
the goods which he had got for himself from the store while he attended to
his business. This accusation was made by Clanton about one month after
Mr. Stewart had returned home from Tennessee, and the second day after he
hid heard that John A. Murel had made his escape from prison. 'The only
reason that Clanton could advance for his accusation against Stewart was,
that he had not made an account of the articles which he had got for himself,
instead of paying for them; — recollect that Mr. Stewart had one running ac
count on the books for Smith, and he did not wish to have a complexed
account; for that reason he paid for the articles which he got for himself.
Mr. Stewari is not acquainted wilh the rules and customs of clerks, neither
did he consider himself Clanton's clerk ; he considered himself his agent, and
attended to all his business as an agent. Mr. Stewart could see no difference
in paying for an article, and using it himself, and selling it to another man;
and there is no difference with an honest man. Clanton could, with equal
propriety, demand an account for every article which was sold for cash by
Mr. Stewart, which is contrary lo his mode of doing business ; for Clanton
used no cash book in his establishment. If Clanton was honest in his accu
sation against Mr. Stewart's honor, why this delay of five months before he
made his accnsation l-r-he had time to examine his business before he receiv
ed it from tlie hands of Mr. Stewart, and after Mr. Stewart was gone to Ten
nessee, Clanton opened his trunks and chests whenever he wanted any of his
tools, instruments, books, or any thing he had ; this was a liberty that Mr.
Stewart allowed him, and thought it nothing more than a mark of confiding
friendship, and we see Mr. Stewart losing nine dollars from his chest, and
saying nothing about it, because Clanton was in the habit of unlocking it:
this he did lo save the feelings of Clanton, because he believed Clanton to
be un honest man ; and he believed that Vess and his wife had taken his
i.noney from the chest, and would then put Clanlon under censure lo save
themselves. Clanton had every opportunity lo examine the articles which
Mr. Stewart had got from his store for four months, and if he believed that
Mr. Stewart had not paid for them, why would he wait until May before he
disclosed ill The reason why Clanlon delayed his accusation until so lal«*
a period, he had not been offijred a bribe of one thousand dollars to traduce
the character of Mr. Stewart until then ; and so soon as this was the case,
his imagination was very fertile in framuig accusations against the honor of
Mr. Stewart.

TilE WESTERN LAND PIRATE. 7J
>» hen C!.i,i:..ii made his accusation against Mr. Stewart, he affected to be
?ery s .i rv , and when he spoke of it he dissembled regret : this was his strat-
Bgeni lo give etlcct to his base accusation. Yes, he could have wept over
Mr. Stewart, and shed a flood of crocodile tears for a few nioie dollars. Mr.
Stewart vvas then convinced that Clanton vvas the man whom George .-\ker
had alluded to, for the niatter had then been fairly demonstrated by the charge
m.-ide. .Mr. Stewart returned Clanton ihe town lot which he had been com
plimented with by Clanton ; and told him he would not receive any ihing
troni the hands of a man who would charge him w ilh dishonor. Mr. Stew
art was advised by a friend (whose experience enabled him to discover the
base treatment he was receiving.) to settle his business in the Puvchasc, and
go ,-'ut of the influence and power of his enemies. Mr, Stewart, knowing
ihf.t his life was in danger so long as he remained where he was, concluded
to go to Lexington, Kentucky, and prepare the publication of John A. Murel's
confessions and plans against the community, together wilh their plans
against his life and character. The former he con.sidcred due to his country
and the latter due to himself and friends. He selected Lexington, because
he had private business al that place, and he considered tbat he would be as
secure from the operations of his enemies in that city as any other. In a few
days Mr. Stewart had his business so arranged that h3 could leave it ; and
when he vras prepared to start, he told Clanlon that whenever he was con
vinced that he had acted dishonorably towards him, lo publish il lo the world ;
but cautioned him of tlie bad consequences of being too premature in hij
conclusions and engagements. Mr. Stewart left the Purchase for Lexington,
Kentucky. He passed through his old neighborhood in 'Tennessee, and spent
a few days wilh his friends, and the community for whom he had risked so
much, and enthralled himself in so many dangers and diflicullies, and incur
red the never-dying haired of a host of spirits, who arc more wicked and re
vengeful than the Prince of Darkness; but Mr. Stewart looked on his labors
as lost, and himself injured, for Murel had escaped from prison, and left him
nothing for his dangerous adventures only the information which Murel had
given. Mr. .Stewart was no company for his friends, neither were there en
joyments in those objects around him with vvhich he was once delighted : — he
is one of those noble spirited youths who regards his honor and character as
being all that are worth living for, and the least infringement on either is cal
culated lo make him unhappy ; and he saw himself surrounded with a legion
of devils and slanderers, whose fate depended on his destruction : — their plan
bf operation he had learned from one of their clan, and that they were opera
ting, he could have no doubts; under such reflections as these, there waa
not'ning but the thunders of slander continually roaring in his ears ; — their
designs against his life had become a small niatter wilh him, when compared
with their designs for the destruction of his character.
In a short lime afler Mr. Stewart had left the Purchase, Clanton and his
agents had it circulated over the countiy that Mr. Stewart had stolen a quan
tity of goods from Clanton, and run away. Such reports were very mortify
ing to the feelings of Mr. Stewart ; and he started on to Lexington to prepare
the publication, vrhich he had designed for the public so soon as the trial of
John A. Murel was over ; but now that Murel had made hia escape from
prison before his trial, Mr. Stewart deemed it his duty lo lay before the world
all the confessions and plans of John A. Murel and his clan against the com
munity : — and here we are led lo pay a tribute of respect lo the nobleness of
heart, and magnanimous feelings of Mr. Stewart ; even to a man whont he
knew to be of the basest and most corrupt principles ; and agreeable to lh»
confessions of his ovrn tongue, his hands often dyed in the blood of his fellow

^2 HISTORY OF JOHN A. MUREL,
beings. Yet wc see Mr. Stewart withholding the horrid confessions, deir /is,
and life of Murel, as given by himself, from even his best friends ; and di-ulg-
ing nothing on Murel before his trial, only what was connected in someway
wilh the crime for which he was then prosecuted, that he might have a fair
trial before the legal representatives of his countrj-, for the crime which he
was then to answer for 'I'his Mr. Stewart did that the minds of the pcofdo
might not be prejudiced to unreasonableness against Murel, until after his
trial, that law and justice might be administered.
A short time after Mr. Stewart left his friends in Tennessee for Lexing
ton, John A. Murel was retaken in .Ailabania, as was supposed, directing the
operolions of his plans and as Mr. Stewart was the only evidence on the
part of the State, he was im.mediatcly followed by a young gentleman, to in
form him of the recapture of John A. Murel. Mr. Stewart returned to Mad
ison county, and waited until Murel's trial, which took jilacc in July, 183'k
-After Murel was retaken, his friends were the more industrious in trying lo
lr<aduce the character of .Mr. Stewart, as they were disappointed in their favor
ite plan of getting Mr. Stewart into their power, by the fiilse accusation of
his h-dving passed counterfeit money to them in Arkansaw. When Clanton
first made his accusation against Mr. Slcvvart, it was done to excite suspicion
in the minds of Mr. Stewart's friends in the Purchase, so as lo enable his ac
cusers from Arkansaw to carry him otFto Arkansaw, to answer to their accu
sations against him: where they intended to torture him to death. .Mr.
Stewaft has many warm friends in the Purchase, whose confidence it was
necessary lo shake before their designs could have been effected, and that was
their stratagem to accomplish il : — and we have other corresponding evidence
which agrees with the assertions of George Aker in that matter: which is
thc copy of a letter that was found in the possession of John A. Murel, hy
ihe sherifi' of Madison county, some short time after he was retaken.* This
letter directed certain individuals of his clan how to proceed with the accu
sation from Arkansaw against Mr. Stewart ; but when they wcre disappoint
ed in their fiendish purjioses, and Murel again in the iron grasp of the law,
before their bloody designs again.it Mr. Stewart could be accomplished, and
the time of trial drawing near, their hopes were all hung on the accusation
which Clanton had made against Mr. Stevvavt's honor: — and Clanton and
his agents began to discover, that all who were well acquainted with Mr.
Stewart looked on his accusation with contempt, so they saw the necessity
of supporting his charge with more substantial reasons, and enlarging it.
Mr. Stewart had beeu keeping house for several vears bcfo.o h.^ moved ta
the Choctaw Purchase, and when he started to move, h» nackcd up all his
china ware and table furniture in a chest, and carried it wilh him, as he ex-
jiected to need il at some future day. All these things C-anton accused Mr.
Stewart of gelling from his store, notwithstanding Ihey had been used for
several years. This he did lo make his charge of as much consequence as
possilile, by reporting that Mr. Stewart had fitted himself out for house-keep
ing from his store, and had not accounted for it on the books ; but as Provi
dence would have it, Mr. Stewart was among his old neighboi-s, who knew
that he had kept house, and some of them had assisted him in packing up
his furniture lo move, so the enlargement upon the accusation was equally
disrespected wilh the first. Mr. Stewart was very secluded after he returned
to Madison county, until after the trial of John A. Murel was over, as his
* This letter was read in court a-i evidence against Murel, and is filed in the
.lerk's cillice in Madison county. This copv of the letter vvas relaiaed by Murel
lo preserve unifonnily in their conduct, f have i>.o €«py of th« IftUm, or il
vvould have been given for publicatloc.

THE WESTERN LAND PIRAl'E. 73
mind w,!.- alive to all thc marvelons and stniiign circumstances whiih had
attended biiu in his adventure from the comnu-iiccnicnl. He vvas led lo be
lieve, that he was directed and pnvtccted by a bupcrior power, whose guard
ian proteetioii took up and unfolded every pi in which was laid for his do-
struetion. and defeated his enemies in all their designs against him. .Mr.
Stew.u't vvas never heard to express a harsh sentiment ag.\iiist Clanton, until
he heard the enlargement of his accH.satiim, as he was not fully satisfied on
that subject unlil then, as he did not know wh-jt nianageincnt had been cm-
pl.ived by Vess and his wife to cirect their di-signs with Clanton. for he
looked ou those two people as he would two fiends of hell, who were prepa
red to commit the most horrid crimes that the imagination is cipablc of con
ceiving ; although other circumstances wcre conclusive against Clanton, vet
Mr. Stewart vvas "loath to rcUnquish him, and whenever bespoke of Clanton,
it was vvith allowance, and vvould observe, that he had not only deserved
Clanton's confidence, but that he deserved his eternal respect: — hut when
Mr. Stewart heard that Clanton had included all his furnitnre, which he had
been using for several years, his resentment was as obvious as Clanton's
guilt was apparent, for that was a niatter in which Clanton could not be
misled, unless he wished to be. Mr. Slevvart is one of those young men vvho
is devoted in his friendship, generous in his sentiments, and true to bis
country, and where he has once felt a particular respect, his friendship is
almost implacable. Mr. Stewart vvas too well known for their base machi
nations to afi'ecl his testimony ; and too many had provcii the honor of Mr.
Stewai't to believe that it was worth no more tlian five dollars, or that he
would treat Clanton with injustice.
'The trial of John A. Murel came on, and tlie court bouse was crowdet! lo
overrtowing, with the deeply anxious spectators, who crovvdi.-d around lo hear
the mystic web of .Murel's daring feats of vill-any unraveled before thc jury-
that were lo decide this i.nportant ca.se, in which the conimunily were so
deeply interested. The witness, Mr. Virgil A. Stewart, vvas called — be ap
peared before the court and waiting congregation, and was sworn : — he tlien
commenced his evidence by giving a narrative of his adventures and develop
ing all the circumstances and occurrences which led to the introduction and
acquaintance with Murel and himself. Frequentiy giving the subject of their
conversation, and the language of the prisoner, as he exjircssed himself vvb.en
in the company of the witness, and all those feate of villany, denominated
and distinguished by the prisoner as tlie feats of this elder brother; together
with thc manner ia which the pr'isoner made hini-self known lo the witness,
as being this elder brother himself. He gave the occurrences and subjects
of conversation, as connected with the confessions of the prisoner, both before
and after he made himself known as the elder brother, and the wonderful
actor of those feats which he had related.
'The witness commenced his testimony in the alicrnoon, and was stopped
at dark, and the next morning resumed his place before the court, and fin
ished his evidence. He was many honrs engaged in making his disclosures,
and vvas then cross-examined by the prisoner's counsel, on the evidmce he
had given in on the preceding day. His answers vvere clear and satisfactoi-y
to all but the prisoner and his friends. The manner of Murel's detection,
having disclosed on his friends, they were afraid to appear in court, for fear
of being known, and dealt with as such ; this misfortune of .Murel's had dis
armed him ; for had it not been for that, he coald have proved any thing
thai he wauled hy his own clan ; but now that tlieir names were on a list
which was given to the witness, by Murel himself, they would not dare ta
venture into court to his assistance.

74 HISTORY OF JOHN A. MUREL.
Murel and his clan, failing to destroy the evidence of .Mi. Stewari, thev
endeavored to prove that he was interested in the conviction ot Mjrei. anJ
tnat I'arson Henning had hired him to detect John A. Murel , iiid coi a
man by the name of Reuben M'Vey, who was an enemy lo Mr. Stewart, to
come into court and swear, that Mr. Stewart had lold him the fact ; but he,
like all other liars, vvas caught in his own net, not Mr. Stewart ; his story
had so many contradictions in il, that it was no evidence. Mr. Stewart
was prepared to prove that M'Vey had sworn to a lie; but the prosecuting
counsel considered his evidence had proved itself lo be a lie. Bo far from
Mr. Stewari being hired to undergo the danger which he has done, in lliia
adventure, he would not even receive a present of a handsome suit of clothe*
which Parson Henning wished to purchase for him, as he had spent more
than a month in riding after his negroes. Parson Henning was anxious to
make Mr. Stewart a handsome present, as a token ol liis gratitude, for the
kindness of Mr. Stewart; but he would not accept it.
A species of malignant hatred. M'Vey ruins himself by trying to do Mr.
Stewart an injury. Mr. Stewart never considered M'Vey a man of honor,
and for that reason he would not associate with him, which was the
spleen. Mr. Stewart's evidence was supported bythe first class of gentlemen that
the country afforded.
John A. Murel was found guilty of negro stealing, and sentenced to the
penitentiary for ten years, at hard labor.
During tho pleadings, a Mr. Brown, one of Murel's lawyers, bore on the
feelings of Mr. Stewart in an unwarrantable and dishonorable manner, for
which Mr. Stewart was determined lo give him a Slunsberry reproof, so soon
as he could meet him on the street ; but he was prevented by his friends, who
were old men, and he felt himself bound to respect their advice and re
quest. 'Thus ended the trial and conviction of the great Western Land
Pirate, who has reduced villany lo a system, and steeled his heart against
all of the human family, except those who will consent to be as vile as
himself. Some time after the trial of John A. Murel, Mr. Stewart left MaJison
county for Lexington, Kentueky, wilh the intention of preparing thc publica
tion of thc Life, Confession, and Designs of Murel and his clan, against the
community, together with thoir base and horrid cfllirts, and designs, vvhich
had been made and employed against his life and character; which duty he
considered due to his country and himself; and which he was deterniint>d to
perforin, notwithstanding the dangerous consequences attending it were fairly
presented to him in all the most hideous forms of Conger and horror which
the imagination is capable of conceiving, by the private agents of the clan,
who came in the garb of friends lo Mr. Stewart. .Ml such stratagems as
tJiese have been employed with Mr. Stewart, lo deter him from publishing to
the world their black and horrid deeds, awful designs, and unnatural purposes.
Yet we see Mr. Stewart moving on with a firm nerve, to the perfoinianee cf
what he conceived to be his duty, undaunted by all the fictions of horror and
death vvhich they vvere capable of presenting lo his imaglnalio"n.
As Mr. Stewart was going on to Lexington, he turned off from the main
road, and went into Perry county, to see a gentleman who h,\d written to
biiii concerning purchasing a tract of land which Mr. Stewari owned in Mis
sissippi, as il was not much out of his way, and he had been advised by his
friends lo go a circuitous route, to evade any elTorts of his enemies llial might
b.e attempted, by following, or intercepting him on the way. Mr. Stewart
aliendfd lo his Imsiness ia Perry county, and then intended to cross Teaiies-

THE WESTERN LAND PIRATE. 77
»cc river above Pcrryville, and go by the way of Columbia and Nashville,
but llie delerrnincd perpetrators of crime and iniquity were too eager to glut
Ihcii never-dying vengeance, by imbruing their hands in the blood of Mr.
.Stewart, (and they calculated lo gain the possession of those bated diH:u-
inents, wliieh had caused them so much unhappiness and disquietude, with
their victory over Mr. Stewart, which would greatly enrich their conquest,
and double tho value of their prize, as il would not only destroy tbe repug
nant cause, hut il vvould erase the more dreaded and hated cHect, by prevent
ing a publication 10 which they fell such an aversion,) to sutler him to leave
the country wilhoul their knowledge, notwithstanding his precaution in not
Idling the lime be known to even his best friends, unlil he was prepared to
start. Mr. Stewart had got on one of those long stretches, where there were
no houses for several miles, on the road leading from J.ackson to Potion's
ferry on 'X'ennes.see river, in a broken, hilly country ; as be was descending
one of those hills, he was suddenly slopped by three armed men, who had
been concealed behind trees until he had arrived within a few rods of them.
The man on his right ordered him lo dismount from his horse; but Mr.
Stewart refused, notwithstanding the superior number and arms which he
saw around him, whose hostile vengeance weie depicted in every counten
ance, as they stood with the instruments of death grasped iu the Killing hanit,
and expected every moment lo feel the fatal messenger of death, with his
chilUng power, cooling the warm fluids of life which flowed in his heart. He
saw himself in the very jaws of death ; but the grim monster did not unman
the firm and resolute Stewart ; he was determined to sell his life as dear as
possible, and die defending the sacred gift, which he had received from his
Creator, or at least avoid the awful and cruel death of torture, which he
knew the fiends, who had him in their power, would gladly inflict, — and sport
around the hideous altar wilh gay derision, glorying in Ihe sacrifice they
were offering to their mystic Deity. Mr. Stewart was armed with nothing
but a small pistol, which he had not more than two hours before taken from
his porlmanleau and placed in his side pocket for convenience, and a good
strong dagger which he carried in his bosom. The assassin on his right,
who was within about two rods of Mr. Stewart, was armed with a large
fowling piece, and the man on his left was armed with a good looking rille,
and the monster who stood by a tree, which was nearest lo the road, placing
him nearly in front, but at some distance before, was armed wilh a horse
man's pistol — thus displayed, forming a triangle, into which Mr. Stewart had
entered. 'J'he assassin on his right appeared to be the commander, and after
he had ordered .Mr. Stewart lo dismount several times, and still advancing
until he was within eight or nine feet of him, he then halted, and asked Mr.
Stewart if he intended to dismount from his horse — to which inquiry he gave
a negative answer. The assassin commenced levelling his piece on him, but
Mr. Stewart being very expert in the use of a pistol, fired at the assassin's
face ; the ball struck him on the corner of his forehead ; he fell back appa
rently lifeless, and as he fell his gun fired, but the muzzle had dropped nearly
to the ground, and the contents struck the earth jusc after it passed under
the belly of Mr. Stewart's horse. The assassin who was posted on his left,
presented his rifle and fired, but wiihout effect. 'The assassin vvho was stationed
in front, with the horseman's pistol, seeing that Mr. Stewart had drawn no
other pistol, only the one which he had fired, concluded that Mr. Stewart vva.s
then unarmed, so he, to make a sure shot, advanced within a few feet of Mr.
Stewart, and leveled the pistol at his breast ; but just as he was bearing on
the trigger, Mr. Stewart threw his empty pistol, with all his power, at the
fece of the assassin, and struck him over one eye, and cross the nose— tho
5

78 HISTORY OF JOHN A. MUREL.
asartssin's pistol snapped, and fell from his hand. He spiirreti fonvan' A^t
liitrse, iiud made several strokes at thc assassin, hut he couM not pet v\.nT
enough to hiin for the full foree of his strokes to he received hy thc ussa.>isin:
wUtle he was eng^ag-ed in trying to kill this fellow with his diigger. tlic other
assasriin, who had the ritle, gave hitn two blows with his heavy rille — the Ia--t
blow was received on the back part of the neck, just, where the head and
neck joins, whi^-h came very near unjointing his neck, ihough it did nol
disengage him from his horse. He found that he was badly wounded, and
betook himself to flight ; and after he had gone thirty or forty yanls from the
scene of action, the horseman^s pistol was fired at him; one shot pds.std
shghtly through his left arm. Mr. Stewart had got aI>out throe miles from
wlicre he had received his wound, when he was compelled to dismount from
his horse from excruciaiing pain. He selected a thick wood, in a dale under
the brow of a steep hill, for a stopping place, as "te hoped that its friendly
protection would obscure him from the view of the merciless assassins ; as he
was then too far e.xhausted to contend any longer for his life. He remained
in this wood until next day, being unable lo leave it. He had frequent fil3
of delirium during the night, and the next morning he began to reflect oa
his unhappy condition, and perhaps not in possession of his proper mind
from his resolutions. He rellccted on the dangers which surrounded him,
Uiitil he came to the conclusion that it was his duty lo leave America. Hia
mind being fi\ed on its purpose of departure, he directed his course for Co
lumbus, in the state of Mississippi. His suffering vvas great; hut he still
traveled until he reached near ttie centre of the Chickasaw nation, where he
was compelled lo stop traveling for several days.. He lay at the hut of an
old Indian who treated hiin with great kitidness. He continued his journey
to Columl)Us so soon as he was able lo ride, where he intended to take water
for Mobile, at which city he intended to leave his documents and papers in
the hands of a friend, to prepare for the press; but he was disappointed in
getting a boat for Mobile. So he concluded to take water from some point
on the Mississippi river; but he was taken down before his journey was
completed, wilh a return of the inilammatory elfei'ts of the wound in h.s
head. And his traveling so long before he would give up, greally augme;;!-
cd the severe pain which he endured; hut he was compelled to yield the
giant resolutions of the mind lo the weakness of a wounded and fainting
body, that appeared to be relaxing its power for a dissolution ; his fits of deli
rium became al irming, and he l»egan to consider his recovery as very uncer
tain ; and made such arrangements as he wished, concerning himself and hie
fttiiiirs. By his request I engaged to perform his wishes and take charge of
alt his business and papers.
Mr. Stewart is recovering his health and mind, both of which have been
greatly injured.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
OF
VIRGIL A. STEWART.

He was botn in Jackson county, in the State of Georgia, of respectablo
j»arentage, and was remarked for his steady habits while very young — a
young man who is governed by high and honorable motii-es — of liberal and
independent sentiments — honorable and correct in his dealings— grateful to
his friends, and has many peculiar traits of character. He is hated and
(Sreaded by all villains — respected and esteemed in every country where he
has lived by its best citizens.
The following declarations of sentiments arc given for the sat'isfaction of
those who arc disposed to inquire into his merits.
STATE OF GEdRGIA— Jacksos Consxr.
The undersigned, citizens of said state and county, do certify, that we have
been acquainl,ed with Mr. Virgil A. Stewart, formerly of this county, now
of Madison county, and State of Tennessee, for a number of years, (and some
of us from his infancy) and that he has always sujiiwrted a respectable and
honorable character ; and we take a pleasure in recommending him to the
confidence of the citizens of whatsoever country he may visit, assuring iheia
that we entertain no fears of his ever doing any act derogatory to his charac
ter as an .American citizen, or in the least calculated to forfeit the confidence
to which he is herein recommended. Given under our hands, the 15th of
February, A. D. 1833.
William E. Jones, LT,. D., Giles Mitchel, LL. D., George R. Grant, M.
D., David Wilt, Esq., Middleton Witt, LL. D., H. Hemphill, John Appleby,
Geo. F. Adams, James D. Smith, Lloyd W. Shackelford, E. C. Shackelford,
Augustus J. Urown, Esq., William Cowan, Esq., Green R. Duke, L. A. K.
Lowry, Wm. E. Davis, John Muckelhanon, John Carniichael, Wm. N.
Wood, Charles Bacon, John Lindsey, Samuel Watson, W. H. Jones, Wm.
Morgan, Jackson Bell, James Cunningham, M. D., A. C. Bacon, Lewis
Chandler, Wm. Niblock, G. M. Lester, John Park, Maj., Wm. Park, Sam
uel Barnet, Col., J. W. Glen, Esq., John Shackelford, James Nabers, James
Orr, George Shaw, Maj., Wm. D. Martin, Esq., Charles Witt.

GEORGIA— JiCKsosr Couktt.
I, Sylvanus Ripley, clerk of the superior and inferior courts of said county,
do hereby certify, that I am acquainted with Mr. Stewart, the person named
ja tJie above recommendation, and believe him to be of good moral charao

80 HISTOKY O-F JOHlSr A. MtTRELj-
ter, and also with the persons whose names are signed to the same, aa- p:?*
fessionally connected, who are entitled to the same.
Given under my band and aea! of office, the 27th day of February, Ji
D. 1833. SYLVANUS RIPLEY, Clerk, [l-s.}

GEORGLA—Jacksow C^tfuTT.
I, Edward Adamsi, one of the judges and chairman of the- inferisT court foJ
the county aforesaid, do hereby certify, that Sylvanus Ripley, who gave the
above certificate, is the clerk of said courts, and that his acts as such are en
titled to all due &ith and cjcdil; and I fartheJ certify, Sha? 1 am well ac
quainted wilh Mr. Virgil A. Stewart, and heartily accord with the sentiments
e.tprcssed by the above respectable citizens of this county.
Given under my hand amti aeal of office, the 27th day of February, A.
D. 1833. EDWARD ADAM&, J. I. C, [l. s,]

STATE OF TENNESSEE— MABI90-3 Cmm-j.
The undersigned, citizens of said stale and county, decertify that we have
been well acquainted wilh Mr. Virgil A, Stewart, ever since he emigrated
from the slate of Georgia to this county, and tbat hs has supported a charac
ter of firmness and unsullied honor.
Given under our hands thc 15th day of March, A. D. 1834.
John Henning, William Long, Byrd Hill, Thomas Lofiin, Williaua
Evens, Malhia* Boo», John Givins, R, H. Byrn»

Thc following is the decknration of sentiments expressed hy tbe citizens oJ
Madison county, and community, towards Virgtl A. Stewart, for his intrepid
ity in ferreting out the conduct, and capturing John A. Murel, the Greal
Western Land Pirate.
STATE OF TENNESSEE— MiDiaos Gou-iTy.
We, the undersigned citizens of said stale and county, feeUng senaibly lbs
ebligation which we are under to Mr. Virgil A. Stewart, for the many dangers
which he has encou.<itered with courage and intrepidity, in ferreting out the
Land Pirate, John A. Murel, and bringing him to justice, present the amoun-t
annexed to our names as a donation, and token of gratitude, for the impor
tant and dangerous services rendered by Mr. Stewart in capturing said Fi
liate ; believing, as we do, that he is entitled to it, for tbe loss of time and
expenses whieh were necessarily incurred by Mr. SlewaTt for the public good;
and we mean further, by this subscription and declaration of sentiments, to
manifest lo the world our approbation and applause for the course pnrsuei)
by Mr. Stewart, and not only appreciate his courage, bat discountenance the
odium which has- been attempted at his character, in pursu' /w, so disagreea
ble a course for the good of community ; — and we fur'Jier consider, that
he deserves to be protected and upheld by all society in .tu course he has
pursued. William Armour, Allen Deberry, A. Patton, B. V/. Bnr»Dw, M. Chal
mers, Labon Dodson, M. Deberry, M. Cartmel, Jacob Kill, William Taylor,
C. T. Harris, James Voss, Gabriel Anderson, John G.rrison, .D. I M'Don-
add, B. W. Perry, Samuel Givena, F. C. Edwards-, e„ H. Cbildeia, SamueJ

THE WESTERN LAND PIRATE. gi
El . ra, J. H. Rtwliiigs, Mills Durdin, Thomas Campbell, R. H. I>ake, Hazael
H.. .4 ett, H. R. Lacy, John Sanford, Zebulon Jackson, G. Slayton, Alfred
fl irp, S. Sypcrt, George Hicks, John Harrison, John Burrow, F. M'Ken-
eie, E. .M'lCnight, .4. Hulchens, G. Snider, John T. Porter, Philip Worlici,
Mathias Boon, Tbenias H. Shores, H. S. Ross.
I, Mathias Deberry, do hereby certify, that 1 am, and have been, sheriff of
tiio county aforesaid, for a n-jmber of years, and that I am {lersonally ao-
Quaiiiled wilh all the persons whose names appear to the aliovc declaration
of senliment-s, and take pleasure in testifying, lo all whom it may concern,
that they are of the rnosl honorable and respectable class of citizens of our
stale ; and that the al>ove declaration of sentiments towards Mr. Stewart has
been subscribed lo liy all of the like characters, who have had an opportunity
presented, as far as 1 have reason to believe 4 — and that tlic above subscrip
tion was unsolicited on the part of Mr. Stewart.
Given under my haud, at Jackson, the 29th day of September, A. D.
1S34. MATHIAS DEBERRY, Sheriff.

The following is the copy of a letter, written by Mr. Virgil A. Stewart, to
one of his friends, in which we are enabled to discover many traits of his
character and disposition. Mabisos Countt, Sept. 15, 1834.
Dear Sir: I received your kind letter of the iOlh. I am truly grateful
for the many t<okens of friendship which you have manifested towards me,
and your kind advice, which your age and experience would compel mo to
respect, e.-sclusive of the deep interest which, 1 ha\e every reason to believe,
you have long Iclt in -my w^^lfare and happiness. You manifested some
fears that I would endeavor to avenge myself on the person of Matthew
Clanton; but be assured, sir, that I have no sucli intentions; notwithstapd-
ing I consider he deserv^es my greatest abhorrence, yet I had much rather he
should livetoeiijoy the tortures of a reproaching conscience, and the rich in
famy for wkidi he bartered his jirinciples, than to stain my hands and char
acter with his Mood. Vengeance belongs -to our Cicator alone, under whose
guardian protection I look for ample support in that matter. I will unfold
his infamous conduct, and present things to the world as they are, and let an
enlightenetl world judge Itetween me and Malihevv Clanton. So long as I
was doubtful on the point of his being misled by others, I framed as many
excuses for him as I could, and ev-a-iined all my conduct, to see if it was
calculated in the least to excite suspicion. I was also cautious of speaking
<3erogatory of his character ; for so long as I could have had the least shadow
of belirf that Matthew Clanton was honest in his cb.-.rge against me, and
that any ii^prudent conduct in m*^ hsid been calculated to excite his suspi-
rion oi' my honor, I -would sooner iiave sou^ac refuge from the unjust reproach
ol the world, among the sav-ige haunt£ of the forest, where the track of civil
ized man has never yet been rn-jde, than lo have uttered onfi. »-ord that would
have been tbe least calculated to injnne his chaiacter. Yes, sir, I had rather
spend my days among the s.ivage haunts, where thc-re is no sound but that
of the beasts of prey and savage yells to be heard, with the peace of con-
ecience. than 10 enjoy all llie plaudits and honors of an admiring world, with
the bitter reflec-tion, that my enjoyment had cost the destruction of the hap
piness or character of one innocent fellow being. Be assured, sir, that I will
Bever resort to violence and rashness, unless il is provoked, and I could resort
to .such a course only while in the heat of passion, which I shall never ta-
wurage. I will endeavor to be govcrced by more Jaudable princinhii.

82 HISTORY OF JOHN A. MUREL,
I feel the Irucst pleasure in seeing and knowing lh.it my friends and the
community resent the dishononiWe Irealmenl I received from Mr. Brown
in his sophistical pleadings. .'\nd I would here remark, Ihal the assumed
privilege of abuse, calumny, and sarcasm on witnesses (when unsupported
in it by good evidence,) hy the geiitlemen of the bar, is calculated, in lbs
highest degree, to retard the operation of law and justice, — and if all men
were of my opinion on that subjeet, il would be reliiiqaished by them, only
when supported by unquestionable evidence.
I wish lo remind you of the unfair propositions, or rather sy!!oj,is3ns in the
syllabus of his pleading.
1st. He declared that I had acted with deception, and prsctised a false
hood on John A. Murel, in procuring his confidence, by representing my
self as a horse hunter, and a villain : and contended, that he who will act a
falsehood or practice a deception, will, or the next step is swear to it ; — and
therefore I deserved no credit — and should not be credited, or icspccted by a
human being, &c.
2nd. He represented me as a friend nf John A. Murel, and declared, that
a man who would betray thc confidence of his confiding friend was a villain,
and that I had betrayed the confidence of jny confiding friend ; therefore I
was a villain, &c.
To the above dishonorable and unfair mode of reasoning, (in a court
cf justice al least,) I thws reply lo Mr. Brown. When I went after John
A. Murel, I was not after a friend, but an enemy lo me, aad all hosest com-
inunity, whose outrages were instiflerahle, and whose systematical plans
evaded all attempts of the law lo bring him to justice. Thas lay the insultecl
dignity of our national institutions, which were erected and established fo?
the protection of our lives, liberty and property, trampled under the foot of
thai daring incendiary and his piratical legion, who ghiried in the carnage
they were making in our properly ; and the disquietude they produced in the
social bands of society; having for their end the destriictian of both th©
former and the latter. In my oppesition to this formidable banditti, I hon
estly considered that I was authorized to imiBate the- acts of oar great men
of the nation ; as the biography of great men are given as a pattern and
guide for the youth of the rising generations, and to which I am indebted fo?
the most of my little knowledge of men, and the physical world : — and whose
opinions and acts, we are bound to respect in pjoportioa .to the renown of the
actor. As to the deceptions I practised on Joha A. Murel, in obtaining his confi
dence and disclosures, I refer you lo the following in jtistificlion o'f my acts.
Recollect the deception practised by General Washington (al the lima
Major Andre, the British spy, w.is captured,) in trying to get Arnold, the
traitor, back into his possession ; and recollect Washington's reasanings om
that subject. Sii, Ihey will sustain me, and cover Mr. Brown with shame
and confusion. And again, I refe.i you to the deception cf Colonel Wash
ington, practised at Clermont. See his stratagem, in causing the garrison
to surrender, by a tleception he prsicfised on ihcm, in nioantmg the trunk of
a pine tree on wagon wheels, so as lo lescmble a field pr?ce, which caused
them lo surrender; and has ever been considered a gallant set of Colore?
Washington. But because I dissembled the character of a villain, for the
purpose of learning the conduct of many villains, and ridding comniunitT
of a craft that is destructive lo the peace and happiness of civil and hon
est society, Mr. Brown is not willing tbat I should cier wear anv othei
character, only the infamous one which I represented to John A. Murel ; ami
he professed to sec no virtuous motives in my conduct vvhich propelled m»

THE MEb'iERN LAND PIRATE. 83
Ui action. No, sir, as there was no large fee, or other selfi-h consideration
to iiitluoi.cc my actions, it was n niyslerions inatier vvilh him, because his
own natrow soul is too small lo render ihe same services — and lor that very
reason, all such men as Milton Brown have no ri^lit lo ei press llicir con
tracted views of me and my coidiict: — and if cjpre.<.'-id, enlitlcd to no credit.
I considei him, and all such men, nothing ii ore ihan ihc organ through
which llie venom of a detestable and piratical clan of villains were vinltd
towards nie, whose niachinalicns and calumny v^cre ignobly piled cii n v
character by Mr. Brown, like another igticniinii.us liiicling in iniquity.
Would Mr. Brown condemn the deceptions of cither of thc Mr. V\ ashin"-
trn's, as above irlaled : if he would nol, he must sustain me, for (he ir dccej -
tions as aliove related, and mine wilh John A. Mnrel, are synonMrous in
principle, both having the same object in view, and wruld le the fame it
the bar of moral rectitude ; only the acts of thc former arc the acts of illus-
tricts persons, and the latter Ihe acts of an obscure young man.
I entered into no oallis wilh Jihn A. Murel and his clan, niiiher have I
forfeited any promise. I complied wilh the only pre tnise which I made to
John A. Murel, which was lo visit him vvithin iliree weeks or sooner fioni
the time I parted wilh hiin at Wesley, which proniise I complied wilh, or
fulfilled in a few nights after we parted, for I visited him in company wilh
the guard on the night that he vvas arresled, »hi<h visit saves my promise.
Neither did I make any assi'ilioiis of diceplion (or which I ever expect lo
receive the dlsapprolation of my Crcatoi — yet Mr. Brown asserted that I
had lied to serve my country, and that the next step was to swear to a lie; —
and will he say that General W ashington lied lo serve bis countrv. anil thiil
the ne.xt step he would have sworn to a lie for the sake of getting the traitor
Arnold into his power, because he resorted lo a stratage ni, to restore justice
to his injured country- ! tir, there is nothing more detestable lo me than
a vain sceptic.
As to betraying the confidence of a friend, I consider that I have al least
as much honour as Milton Brown, and I hoiie inoie love lor my country, anil
(ess vanity for self-aggrandiaement. I feci the grcatc-l coiite-ni) I for Mr. Brown's
ralumny, and no man who cherishes correct prii.ciph s coi.kl have .-^ w anton-
W and so uncalled for, heaped abuses on the charactei of a man who had un
derwent the dangers and disagret,able trials which 1 v. as necessarily ccni
pelird 10 undergo, in capturing John A. Murel; — and what ma'hos his seep
ticism and abuse the more disgusting to good sense and feL-oliiig, it was un-
eupportrd wilh even the shadow of evidence. a\n\ nii;st have flowed from a
desire to please a train of villains, and a piiatical clan of rnbiicrs. topcllur
whh the hope of acquiring the character of a great criminal lavvjcr, wilhnut
the least regard for Inith, honor, jnst'ice or principle'. It is the duty of a
lawyer tosi'e that his client has b^eti legally dealt with, and th.at if he isi-nn-
vicled, that he is convicletl agrvc-o.ile to law ; but he has no right lo abufe
the character of a witness, when he has no proof lo sui-tain his abuse, n.crtly
because he is a witness. Sir, I do contend, that, it was n y duty to cai e Mr.
llrown, to teach him a lesson which he ought to learn ; although I was gov
erned in that by the advice of my best friends. My evidence was siijirorled

84 HISTORY OF JOHN A. MUREI>.
was to have some person following him, knowing him lo be a particular fi-rem}
of those two young men of Madison county ; and thai, if there was any per
son following him, he wonlil much rather have them before him than bchini)
him ; as he would know belter how to manage them. Therefore he wenl
into the woods to eat, so as nol to be seen by passengers who might pass
while we were caling; but mark the way that Mr. Brown tried lo turn thai
part of my evidence in his pleadings. He contended, that I said that Murel
lo!d me to go on, thai he had much rather have people who were following
him, before than behind him. By this liarefaced perversion of my evidence,
he tried to prove, that Murel knew tbat 1 was the man who was following
him ; and as sueh, would not have made so many disclosures lo me. Look
at his shallow scheme; how could Murel say to me, go on 1 when he was
before nie, and I following him : — and when Mr. Brown was corrected by the
Judge, he still contended obstinately that he was correct.
Sir, please lo indulge a few syllogisms of mine. — .A.ny attorney who will
wantonly lie, and misrepresent evidence, for tbe sake of getting the opportu
nity to abuse a witness, lo please a clan of villains, or heap calumny and
abase on a witness when he is unsupported in it by evidence, for the sake
of acquiring the character of a great criminal lawyer, is a base, corrupt, anel
dishonorable man ; and should not tie respected by a human being. Milton
Brown has done all of these things ; therefore he is a base, corrupt, and dis
honorable man, and should nol be respected by a human being on earth, <&c.
I am determined never to let any thing thai is said of me, by mean men,
render me the least unhappv. Ifi can escape violent hands, that is as much
as I can reasonably look for; placed in my disagreeable situation, I have every
reason lo believe, thai the honest part of the world are all my friends: and
1 have every evidence of their respect, which I shall for ever endeavor to
deserve. I expect to start for Lcxingle>n in a few days.
With great and sincere esteem,
I am your most obedient friend and servant,
VIRGIL A. STEWART.
The above is given, because it developes the views and sentiments of Mr.
Stewari, relative to his course of conduct with Mure! and his friends, much
bettei than we arc able to describe them.

Tire EffU

8

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Also, an accouuf of the Sources of the Rivers;
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