Three Forks of the Kentucky River Historical Association

Civil War in Owsley County

Story By Clifton York
Submitted by Jeffrey Sams

Even though Owsley County was formed only 19 years before the Civil War, it led all counties in the U.S. in the percentage of white population who enrolled in the Union Army. During the war between the states 13.64 per cent of the voters in the 1860 election volunteered for service. Only the state of Kansas furnished a larger percentage of volunteers according to population.

In the measurements of men who served both the Union and Confederate armies it was shown that soldiers from Kentucky and Tennessee were the largest and tallest men in the U.S. and in the world. In size they came up to the standard of the picked regiments of the armies of Europe and they could shoot straight.

Except for a handful who sided with the rebels, all who enlisted from Owsley County sympathized with the Union cause as did most of the citizens.

The census showed a drop in slaves from 136 in 1850 to 112 in 1860. This reduction may have been caused because Luther Brawner, largest slave owner and wealthiest man in the county, left for Texas before the war began.

People in general had little regard for the life of a negro. The story is told of an Owsley County man who later became Judge Brandenburg who was heard to remark “I’m going out and shoot me a nigger!” and did.

When Bill Abner was high sheriff of Owsley County during the mid 19th century he put the rope around the neck of a black man, hung supposedly for assault on a white woman, wife of a Dr. Hundley. Scuttlebutt was that a white man had committed the crime; but it was attributed to the negro who was hung. The man is said to be buried on the promontory behind the Glass Seale residence just North of Booneville on the Beattyville-Booneville Road.

A. B. Gilbert, state representative from Owsley County cast the deciding vote in the general assembly as to whether or not Kentucky would remain with the Union. A known Democrat, his friends had expected him to go with the South, but his vote in favor of freedom was a blow to their cause. Southern sympathizers tried repeatedly to waylay him during the war years, but in the words of Bill Eversole, “He always outsharped them!”

The Cawood family which was also Democratic and pro-slavery, had a family member murdered by Union sympathizers in revenge for a man who had been killed by the Confederates.

Men were conscripted (forced to join). On one occasion when rebel soldiers were spotted by John Gilbert and his brother, Jim, they ran into the woods. Jim eventually gave up and fell into a fence corner.

When the men in gray saw he was a cripple they told him they had no use for the likes of him. John succeeded in eluding the group by shooting at them, killing a soldier by the name of Robin Raney. The next day Gilbert paid a man $10.00 to bury the man he had killed.

Two families were divided. Elihu Reynolds, a son of Richard Reynolds, Jr., and Lt. Hiram Hogg of Co. A., 13th Ky. Mounted Infantry joined the Confederacy and fought against their kin.

The History of the Orphan Brigade which relates history of Confederate men of Kentucky, records a story of the time Reynolds and another recruit encountered five Federal soldiers in Breathitt County before the company left the state.

“His companions fled but Reynolds stood his ground and handled his gun with such determination the fed’s took flight after one was hit.”

Reynolds fought in every battle of his regiment. On one occasion, he alerted his companions in time to keep them from being captured. It was also recorded that Reynolds fought at Kenesaw and in the battle of Jonesboro where he carried a wounded comrade to safety although he was wounded himself.

Others from Owsley County listed in the Orphan Brigade-were Sgt Cornelius Frost, Co. K, 10th Mtd lnf.; William Pennington, Co. B, 5th lnf., who volunteered March 20, 1863; Joseph 0. Williams and William Zion, with the latter being killed in a skirmish at Dallas. Another soldier who had enlisted from the county was killed and two settled in the South. Reynolds and Lt. Hogg were the only two known to return to their homes.

In August of 1861, Elisha B. Treadway organized Co. A, 7th Inf. Reg. at Congleton Springs at the foot of Smallwood Hill. His father, William W., progenitor of the Treadway family, had come from Clark County in 1820 and married a daughter of Jacob and Eleanor Evans Bowman. The couple reared their family in a house built at Vincent (circa 1825). They are buried in a cemetery close by the house. Treadway became captain of the 7th Infantry with his unit joining Col. 1.

T. Garrard’s command. He advanced in rank and as major organized and commanded the Three Forks battalion of state troops “The Last Chance” from the fall of 1864 to July 17, 1865. Col. Garrard later became famous as Union Brigadier General Theophilus Toulmin Garrard.

“A” Company of the 7th was composed of men living on the edge of what is now Lee County. “B” Company was mostly Clay County men and those along the river toward Manchester. “C” Company in­cluded volunteers from the southern part of Jackson with McKee men serving as officers. “D” Company was represented by Sturgeon and Green Hall men and those from northern Jackson County.

In addition to Capt. Treadway, Booneville officers with the unit were Maj. I. N. Cardwelt; 1st Lt. Geo. N. Daniel; 1st Lt. Henderson Eversole and 2nd Lt. Thomas J. Greer.

Others from the county serving as officers were 1st Lt. John Amis; Capt. Thomas Amis, 2nd Lt. Wiley Amis; 1st Li. James Eversole; Capt. William B. Eversole; Lt. Col. Andrew Herd; Capt. Sylvester lsaacs; 2nd Lt. Nimrod Mcintosh; lst Lt. William A. Smith and 2nd Lt. Robert A. Thomas; ail of the 14th Cavalry; Ass’t Surgeon William H. Glass; Lt. Col. Alfred C. Wilson; and Capt. John C. Wilson of the 47th Ky. inf.; and Capt. Landon C. Minter and 2nd Lt. Thomas Murrell of the 8th lnf.

Capt Minter died February 15, 1863, before Companies “G” and H” were consolidated. It is believed Capt. Minter’s sword is in the Robert Clark Masonic Lodge in Clay County.

Records show that Jesse H. Cole of Co. A. purchased a dress coat for $7.21; pare pants $3.55; drawers .95:2 shirts $2.92; 2 pr socks .64; 1 pr boots $2.87; 1 pr pants $2.90; 2 pr drawers $2.00; 1 pr socks .32; 2 pr socks .64. Evidently he did a lot of walking because he seemed to need more socks than any other item of clothing.

One of the largest contingents ever to come through Booneville was the 1,000 men under the command of Confederate Col. Shelby Gibson. Of these, 500 camped near Booneville on the former Arch Wilson farm, with the remainder proceeding to the river bottom eight miles upriver at Wolfe Creek near the mouth of Deaton Branch.

That night one of the local folks counted 144 fires made to prepare food for the hungry men. Every dry scrap of wood they could find, including fence rails, was burned to keep the numerous fires going.

Although they camped only one night, the home of a Union sympathizer was set afire by the troops at Wolfe Creek. The incident almost caused a battle between the two encampments simply because the lady of the house happened to be a sister of the Colonel’s. Gibson said there would have been a battle there and then, had he been present. He was so upset that he threatened to have the men under his direct command fire on the 500 at the upriver camp.

This may have been the same contingent of Confederate soldiers who reportedly spiked a cannon and rolled it into the river near the Sag during a hasty retreat. Union men were gaining on them and the wagon hauling the cannon broke down. The team hitched to it had also tired and was unable to pull the piece of heavy equipment any further. Because the men were afraid the gun might be turned on them if it were captured, they spiked it and rolled it into the river.

One fall after corn was gathered it was rumored rebels were in the area. Men ran in every direction, particularly towards the woods and fields. Tiptoeing through a cornfield, Oak Baker of Buffalo, kept hearing footsteps following him through the dried corn. When the rattle of dry fodder got too close for comfort, Baker threw up his hands shouting, I surrender! I surrender!” only to discover he had surrendered to a calf wandering around in the dusk.