WOLFE COUNTY CIVIL WAR TALES

The War Between the States has long since passed into the realm of history, legend, and folk tale. The last participant as a soldier in this sanguinary, internecine conflict has departed to Valhalla, the hall of Odin reserved for fightingmen. Millions of words have been written telling the story, but despite the passage of more than a century new information keeps cropping up and the complete tale still remains untold.

A case in point is this little vignette dug up by Dr. Raymond Cable, and expatriated Lee countian who left his native turf some years ago to become professor of Biological Sciences at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. In doing research on his family tree, Dr. Cable uncovered the information that one of his ancestors, Joseph E. Cable, along with Lycurgus Kincaid, George Miller, Marion McDonaldShackelford, and Absolum Hobbs and their families fled this part of the country to avoid being killed by guerilla bands that roamed the country during the dark days of this tragic rebellion.

The pseudo soldiers were little more than thieves and murderers and all during the war they harassed this area. When among Unionists, these bands professed to favor the Union. When among Confederate sympathizers, they claimed to be for the South. They preyed, however, indiscriminately. Whosoever was weak, defenseless, or unprotected was for them fair game.

According to Dr. Cable's information, Joseph Cable had been the commanding officer of a Home Guard company organized locally to protect citizens of a wide neighborhood made up of what was then Wolfe and Breathitt counties as well as sick and wounded soldiers making their way home after being released from the Union Army. Commander Cable and his men had soundly thrashed some of the guerillas but finally the situation, evidently becoming worse, decided to emigrate to safer territory in Indiana where they had heard that men with large families willing to work were in great demand to produce food and supplies for the U.S. Army.

In order to facilitate their trip, the men mentioned above secretly constructed two large houseboats on the North Fork River probably, since they all lived near or on this little stream, at the south of Upper Devil's Creek.

As the account furnished by Dr. Cable goes, it was in the late winter of 1862 that after moving their families and provisions to the river in sleds, these five men embarked and floated down stream without mishap until they reached the vicinity of what is now Clay's Ferry in Fayette County. When they reached this point on the river a skirmish between a detachment from Gen. Morgan's Cavalry and a Federal force of 250 men retreating from Richmond to Lexington was taking place. The Federal forces had crossed the river and fearing that the Confederates would capture and use the boats to ferry across the stream, the Union officer confiscated and destroyed them.

After the boats had been impounded and demolished, Cable, acting as spokesman for the group, requested that if any counterattack was to be mounted or the fight moved across the river, their families could move out of the battle area. The request being granted, all of Cable's men then volunteered to fight should an attack be made by the Confederates.

The account continues that this offer was "gratefully accepted " as these hardy men with their long rifles were crack shots and carried with them long home-made hunting knives sharp enough to shave with. "

Luckily, perhaps, for the emigrants there was no battle except for an artillery duel across the river. The next day the Union officer after giving a receipt and "making bond" (which incidentally was never honored) for the confiscated boat, furnished the group with government wagons and an armed escort to Lexington. From there they traveled by railroad until they found safety and employment in the farming area around Bloomington, Indiana.

After the War ended, Kincaid, Hobbs, Miller, and Shackelford returned to their homes in Kentucky where in the meantime on Feb. 20, 1864, Shackelford's father, Santford father, a "strong Union man," had been slain by guerillas in the doorway of his home on Upper Devil's Creek. Cable went from Indiana to Bucklin, Missouri, and as far as is known lived out the rest of his life there.

Yes, as this article indicates, the story of the Civil War still flows on--flows on in thin streams of remembrance; in memories often surcharged with deep-seated animosities as the opinions of the participants became the convictions of their descendants. The hatreds that were engendered more than a century ago still linger like unseemly ghosts.

It is said that some of the bloody fueds that wracked Eastern Kentucky and some of the other sections of the state soon after the surrender at Appomattox were spawned by actions of the lawless guerillas. Upon returning home after the war ended and finding that their unprotected families had been robbed, ravished, and otherwise mistreated by guerillas, these ex-soldiers hit the vendetta trail. It is firmly believed that if the cold ashes of this great conflict were subjected to a chemical analysis, it would still, after more than a hundred years, show traces of venom.

During the Civil war crisis some men volunteered their service, and others were forced into battle. Kentucky, as a border state, was rampaged by guerrilla bands from both sides who were in search of food, plunder and much needed manpower. As the war progressed the demand for new recruits increased. Able-bodied men came into short supply, so young boys were excepted and sometimes forced into service.

Most men that chose to avoid service were not cowards, but chose to stay home to take care of their families. The children needed fed, so the crops required tending and harvesting. Family matters had precedence over politics. The typical farmer in eastern Kentucky did not own slaves and considered the war as none of his business. These hapless farmers proved to be prime targets for forced recruitment by invading guerrilla bands.

The area where the Lewellyn Bush family lived in Wolfe County was under constant attack by the roving guerrillas. Local boys constantly shifted their focus from the plow blade to the danger that might be lurking behind. Any report of moving horses sent the men and boys scrambling to the concealment of the loft or woods. Corncribs, barns and homes were ransacked, robbed and burned. The soldiers would help themselves to the farmer's crops, food, tobacco and worse. Many stories have been told of the narrow escapes of Wolfe County residents, and just as many told of captures and killings.

One day two sons of Lewellyn Bush were caught off guard by approaching soldiers. William L. and James P. Bush were both boys on the edge of manhood. They were captured and forced to leave with their captors. With the threat of being shot if there was an escape attempt, the boys knew their captors meant business. While traveling along a ridge near the Virginia border, William and James decided to risk an escape. William jumped off his horse to one side of the ridge as James jumped to the other side. While dodging a volley of bullets, the boys made their getaway. Their daring flight had left them separated, and each wondered if the other had made it away with their life. After long, worrisome journeys, the boys met at the Bush cabin and were overjoyed to find each other alive.

Billy Booth and wife, Elizabeth "Betty" Shoemaker, had established themselves well on Lower Devil's Creek. Billy was Moderator in the Baptist church, owned and operated a grist mill and was a community leader. They were probably like most folks as they struggled to survive through the war torn years.

One day the normal activities on the Booth land were interrupted by an onslaught of soldiers. Fearing the worst, Billy quickly made flight to the loft at the first sound of horses. Betty greeted the soldiers with a kind smile that barely suppressed the fear that she must have felt inside. The leader of the group stepped forward and stated that he and his men were hungry and requested that she fix them some grub. Betty immediately rounded up what food she could and managed to fix the men a good meal, despite the worry that her husband might be discovered in the loft above at any moment. While eating, one of the soldiers mentioned taking one of the Booth's horses. The leader spoke up and forbade doing such an atrocity since Betty had been so kind to them. As the men left the Booth farm, their honor must have given way for the want of an after dinner smoke or chew, because they stopped by the barn and took all of Billy Booth's tobacco.

Patterson Ponder and his two sisters lived near the mouth of Sinking Branch hollow, where it intersects the Graining Block Fork of Red River. The house was nestled in the safety of a forested hollow surrounded by sandstone cliffs. Seclusion of their home was strengthened by the lack of wagon roads or railroads in the area. It was here that William L. Bush and some of his brothers would hide throughout the raging Civil War. Other local men hid here, and the camp was dubbed the Rebel Camp. The name implies that the harassing guerrillas of the area represented the Union cause and were probably state supported Home Guards.

John Bush searched in his heart for the right choice during a wrong time. Being the oldest son, his mother and siblings needed his assistance on the farm since their father, Lewellyn Bush, had been killed in 1859. The cries of his principles also tugged at his soul. His selection of a path was not an easy task. On 12 September 1862, he enlisted as a private in Company A of the 2nd Battalion Kentucky Mounted Rifles, Confederate States Army. Three years was the length of the enlistment.

According to family tradition, John came home on furlough. His mother, Martha Bush, wanted to kill a hog, and John went to the hog pen near the house to pick the best one. While pondering a choice of swine, a band of soldiers took him by surprise. Either these soldiers were told of John's southern service and were going to harass him or they were coming to capture him. John saw them coming and started running away. The soldiers closed in fast with their pistols blazing.

While running as from the devil himself, John eluded his pursuers. He made his refuge in the Torrent Falls hollow. While hiding in the dense growth of the hollow, he watched his pursuers search for him and recognized one of the men. It is likely that these men were part of a Home Guard unit from Owsley County perpetrating a raid on persons of Wolfe County. Fearing the return of the soldiers, he changed location and chose to hide under a cliff which was nestled in the protection of a deep, dark hollow about one and a half miles from his home. To this hideout, his family would cautiously bring food. This place is known to this day as the John Bush hollow.

Though John managed to dodge the bullets, the frantic flight had severely damaged his body. The overexertion had inflicted him with what was referred to as the heaves. For the remainder of his days, he lived with occurrences of epileptic seizures. Military records indicate that John was captured on 18 October 1862. This indicates that he might have actually been captured by the soldiers, but it is probable that he was previously captured, escaped and the soldiers came looking for him. John was one of the many that fell victim to this bloody time in Kentucky's history.

My great aunt, Mary Elizabeth Booth Centers, passed away recently at the golden age of ninety-nine years old. She often told me tales involving her family and friends when they lived on Lower Devil's Creek many years ago. Several of the stories she told took place during the dark days of the Civil War. The following brief but tragic story is one that she told.

One day a Yankee soldier happened at the home of John Sparks and his family. The weary, ragged man complained of hunger and requested that Sparks' wife fix him some wholecakes. Being goodhearted people, the Sparks family obliged. Before Mrs. Sparks had time to finish the meager meal, a group of guerillas, Confederate soldiers or Confederate symphathizers rode up and easily captured the Yankee. The group called the man a "blue belly" because of his Union affiliation and expressed their intent to do him physical harm. John Sparks begged for the soldiers life to no avail. The men took their captive to a nearby fence post, bound him to it and shot him.