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| Roaring River - Russell Cemetery Haddock Cemetery Focus on Eagle Rock MILO RUSSELL'S CAVE - By: Darla Ball Marbut |
Trouble came to the Russell family during the Civil War in the form of an outlaw group that was called bushwhackers. It is thought that the Union Army encouraged these men, as there were Southern sympathizers who lived in the area. Milo's son Sidney was in the Confederate Army that made Milo and Nicey a target for the bushwhackers. When there were reports of the bushwhackers being in the area, Milo would hide in the cave that was just above where the house was located. Later some people called that cave the Bowman Cave. They would take food and water to Milo by calf - back. The Russell family knew that the bushwhackers wouldn't know to follow calf hoof prints. So, Nicey and probably the girls, too, rode calves at least part of the way up to the cave to deliver Milo's meals. These men who hid out during the day, would slip home in the darkness of the night and check everything out and make sure their families were safe. |
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From the book, "Our Easleys", by Darla (Ball) Gaede Marbut, page 185.
"During the Civil War there were outlaws called bushwhackers who roamed the country side looting and robbing. When the
bushwhackers came they would murder or beat the old men who were left home during the Civil War. Milo was often ill and being over
50 was considered old. He would hide in a cave on the steep hillside across the river from their home. Nicey, Milo's wife
would ride a tame calf to the cave to take him food as the bushwhackers would follow horse tracks. Mary, his daughter, said
Milo did not hide there all the time, just when there were rumors of bushwhackers being in the vicinity."
In the fall of 2002, cousins, Jim and Margie Ball, my husband, Gary Marbut and I climbed the hillside to the cave. There is a huge overhang of cliff in front of the entrance to the cave. You can't see the entrance until you are directly in front it. Through the years the cave entrance has filled with dirt and rocks that have fallen. In order to get in the cave room, you have to crawl being careful not to hit your head on the ceiling. The naturalist at the Roaring River State Park said they call it the Cave of the Winds. I called it "Grandpa Russell's Cave". |
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Unice "Nicey" Haddock Russell was the daughter of Zachariah and Chloe Albritton Haddock. Milo, Nicey and Chloe are buried near where their home was on what is now the
Roaring River State Park. [From the files of Darla Marbut]
From the photo and data files of Darla Marbut The top photo was take on a winter day so the ledge that runs around the top of the mountain can be seen. The darker area on the right side is the overhanging cliff with the cave entrance. The picture is taken in front of the Horse Stables on the left side of Highway F leaving the Roaring River State Park going toward Eagle Rock, MO. We were told by the then Naturalist at the Park, he would take a party of 3 or more through the cave, however, he has retired. So the new Park Naturalist should be contacted to get information in order to tour the cave or to see if it is even allowed now. There were wild cat tracks in the dirt under the overhang. I have personally seen a wild cat run across the road not too far from the cave. |
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