Garrard County, Kentucky - Chapter 9, 1854

Chapter 9

The 6hort Armistice and policy of the Hills - Hills violate the treaty - Sam's parley with two of the Hills - Hills attempt to shoot the Doctor - Old John Hill's death - Dr. llill assumes command of the Hill party - Dr. Evans accidentally shoots his own hand - Rus Hill attacks the Doctor and Sain - The Doctor's challenge refused by Dr. Hill - Sellars and the Hills - Dr. Evans crosses the river to see a patient - Hills waylay the ferry - The ferryman runs away - The Doctor could not recross the river - Esquire Bruner sends a guard with the Doctor.

Tiie scenes of thi3 chapter transpired while the people believed the two parties to be under a truce, according to the stipulations agreed upon soon after the Doctor's return and trial.

After the treaty, everything seemed to be quiet for a considerable length of time. The Hills had many .good reasons for desiring this armistice. As public sentiment was now so much against them, they sought every means to regain the lost good will, and for this reason made pretense that they wished to put an end to hostilities entirely and forever. But the Doctor could better fathom the depths of their dark designs. lie knew that their object was to gaiu public favor and get a better chance to accomplish their darling wish - to take his life. They loud promises to the public, yet violated the stipulations without remorse of conscience upon every occasion. Of these agreements and the small public favor gained by readily entering into them, they made an ample curtain behind which to begin again their sly and underhand work. They even frequently Went in gangs, with loaded rifles as in former days, "and when any of the opposite party were seen, made unmistakable show of hostilities. They caught the Doctor in town several times, and started toward him with their pistols half drawn, but when he threw his piercing eye upon them, their weak courage failed, they turned and walked ofl* in some other direction. ,

The Hill And Evans Feud

The Doctor chanced to be in town one day, and Jesse Baker called on him to go a short distance into the country to gee his sick wife. Several of the Hills were in town also, and had mounted their horses -to return home, but they saw' Baker on the corner waiting for the Doctor, and asked :

.''Well then, we shall not gol' yet !" at the same time dismounting and taking a stand on the corner where they knew the Doctor would have to pass. .

" You must not go this way, Doctor, for if you do the Hills will kill you. There is a crowd of them on the next corner, and they will shoot at you as you pass. Please don't go that way - go around the square and avoid them."

" Well, I am not afraid of them ; if they shoot, I can return a more destructive fire ; but they will not shoot so long as I have an eye on them." - ~

Thus saying, he put his horse into a brisk trot, and passed them without a fire. They made several belligerent signs, and had their pistols more than half drawn ; but they could not withstand the Doctor's glance. It is a curious fact that none of the Hills could shoot at the Doctor while they could see his eye. Conscience is a powerful element in human nature - -it - stays in public the hand that would strike in secret.

. A few days after this incident, Sam was on the creek alone, driving a herd of cattle. He saw two men not far distant down the road, apparently adjusting their pistols for a shooting exploit. As he drew nearer, he found one of them to be Ilus . Hill. When he came within pistol ghot, they made signs of shooting, but he instantly dismounted, stood behind his horse . and spoke to them :

" Take your hands out of your pockets, or go to shooting ! " (They took their hands out of their pockets.) " Rus, who is that you have with you - I see lie is to do all the shooting ? " " It is Wesley Beaumont," replied Hill. But Sam soon saw his faco, which proved him to be Isaiah Hill.

The Armistice

" Well, G - d d - n you, get out of the road yourself, then." " I will, if you will keep your hands out of your pockets till I get to that log pointing to a log about thirty yards from the roadside.

They passed on without shooting, and Sam resumed the driving of his Cattle. Thus it may be seen the Ilills did not observe the treaty - according to which, they would have given half the road, and avoided any show of hostilities.

Subsequent to the above adventure, the Doctor met four of the party in a road. Night was just spreading her dusky mantle over the earth, as if to conceal the dark deeds of pending perfidy from mortal eye. The first whom he discovered was Henry Sagracy, on his horse a few feet from the road, raising his rifle to shoot. The Doctor knowing it to be too far to shoot with a pistol, and too close to run from a rifle, jerked his pistol from the holster, and rushed his horse directly toward him. When Sagracy saw that the Doctor could shoot first, he dropped his rifle and concealed his head and shoulders behind the horse's neck. Knowing that Hill would not shoot, the Doctor saved his load, thinking he might need it to pepper some of the others. He dashed on bv them with his pistol halt pulled off - they tucked their heads and turned their backs to the Doctor. The road was so narrow that his knee grazed them as he passed. Perhaps the reader has not discovered the ingenious reason of the Ilills for turning their backs. When there was any prospect of being shot, they would invariably turn their backs toward the danger ; for had they been shot in 'that relative position, they could have had a pretext to swear before a court that they were retreating and had no hostile design against the opposite party - thus securing the favor of the law. And this would have given them an apparently plausible pretext to spread reports that the Evans party -had broken the treaty instead of themselves, and thus secure more of public favor. But the Doctor had sagacity enough to interpret their untold motives. lie did not desire to kill them anyhow, for he knew that the majority of them were poor, .ignorant-hirelings - hired by men who apparently had little to do with the feud. These incidents serve to show the character of the many similar occurrences that frequently happened till the Doctor accidently got his hand shot. But notwithstanding their bold threats and cowardly attempts, the Doctor gave his Sons orders strictly to observe the treaty and their bonds to keep the peace, and not to shoot if there was any possible way of avoiding it. These orders were implicitly obeyed during the .seeming armistice. To make amends for past losses, the Doctor continued the practice of his profession, and kept the boys busy on the farm.

In the fall of 1851, old John Hill, the general of the Hill party, died. Humor says that the old man charged his son, Dr. Hill, with the crime of poisoning him, or, of giving him medicine to hasten his death, in order to come into the inheritance of his property -sooner. On this account he was dismissed from the practice in his father's family, and sent home with liis wife, late one night. When Dr. Hill went home to Lancaster, he told Judge Letcher what had happened, and -that lie was accused of poisoning his father. The Judge tried to console him by telling him that the old man was certainly deranged, or he could have no such opinion. Hill replied that he was not deranged, nor was that the only time he had been accused of the crime. Drs. Pierce and Hutson were then called to treat- old John's case. Under their treatment lie decidedly improved. But Dr. Hill returned soon and told the two doctors that he thought he ought to have the right of attending to his own father. Though Dr. Pierce was by no means friendly

After the death of John Hill, Dr. Hill assumed the command of the forces ; though he kept himself in the background and denied having any participation in the feud. But actions speak louder than words. He spent nearly the whole of his time with the party and in the immediate neighborhood of Dr. Evans's residence.

him jump and strike the hammer of the pistol against the horn of the saddle, causing the cap to ignite arid explode the powder. He happened to seize the muzzle of the pistol in his hand ; the ball entered the palm and coursed down the arm, between the ' two bones, about seven inches. Since the bail was very large, it shockingly mutilated his hand, so much so that the attending physician said it would have to be amputated. Though it was perfectly dead, lie said it should not be taken off - that he would not take the whole of Garrard county for it. It gave him intense pain, and confined him a considerable length of time. -

As soon as his hand got well enough he went to see a patient, having to pass by Isaiah Hill's house. He saw a squad of Hills watching hiui very closely, and anticipated a difiicultv on his -return. He had taken Sam along with him, to open the gates, and, if .needs be, to do the shooting. As they wrere passing through a gate, about twilight, on their way homeward, the Doctor, having gone through, heard a pistol fire, but thought that Sara had by accident fired one while shutting the gate. He soon heard another, and saw Sam's horse dash up the road. He then looked back and found Rus Hill immediately behind him. He threw the glove off his well hand, snatched his pis to/ from the holster, threw the bridle over the horse's head, and sprang to the ground, behind his horse. As soon as the Doctor touched the ground, Hill leveled his pistol and fired, but missed.

The Iiill And Evans Feud

"I can whip a hundred and ninety-nine Evanses - lam beeswax and raivsum (rosin) ; by G - d - I can whip all h - 11 1 " And when Sam's horse ran away with him he cried - a Come back ! Come back ! G - d d - n it, come back ! - I didn't think you were so easily scared off! "

, Sam dashed up to Iiill and fired - Ilili returned the fire. -Sam's horse then reared up, wheeled and ran off again. - While Sara was gone, the Doctor leveled his large pistol at Hill. Hill tumbled off his horse and got behind a log, about fifty feet distant, and kept up the fire. When Sam returned, the Doctor gaid to him :

Sam handed his father the bridle, took the pistols and started .toward Hill. But the Doctor, seeing to what danger Sam was exposed, told him to -

Sam would not shoot the horse, but marched directly toward Hill, under a heavy and steady fire. When he got about half way, Sam pulled trigger, but snapped - he pulled away again and took a clump of hair and skin from the top of HiU's head. The Doctor then told Sam to return and get another pistol. As they were exchanging empty for loaded pistols, Hill fired at them, then wheeled and ran off leading Ills horse. Sam gave chase, but Iliil soon sprang upon his horse and galloped off. There was no damage done on either side, save the minus portion of Dili's head ; though Sam was in imminent danger wheii he walked out unprotected before Hill.

, A few days after this incident, Dr. Evans went to Lancaster .and told the Hill party, or rather, their friends, that he wanted to settle the difficulty; that he was willing to meet their best marie? man anywhere and let the event? of the battle-field decide the controversy; that if lie came off victorious the Hill party would leave the country, if his antagonist, he and party would leave, lie also left word with them that he thought Dr. Hill was the proper person to take up the challenge, since they were considered the geneials of the two parties, and that he certainly would not be such a poor, pitiful coward as to be afraid to meet a one-handed man. But the wished-for combat did pot transpire, for Dr. Hill was notoriously afraid to stand before such a deadly fire as came from any of the Evans family. Had this challenge been accepted and Dr. Hill killed, it would not have terminated the tragedy, for the Hill party would not have observed the agreement ; but the passion of revenge would have Stirred their hearts to darker deeds.

The next occurrence happened between the Hills and Sellars. Sellars had been unfriendly with the Hills some ten or fifteen years, during which time they had many skirmishes and fights. Sellars was also an enemy to Dr. Evans, but as the war -had assumed a -general form, it was dangerous for him to stay ad home; hence, for his own personal safety, he chose to enlist under the banner of his mildest and most honorable enemy. The Doctor was thus placed in an unpleasant, position - to have .an enemy in camp, one in whom he knew not how to trust.

During one evening, Sellars saw some eight or ten of the .Hills pass by his house. After dark, when he supposed they were all at home, he started down the creek to attend to some business. He had not gone more than half a mile when several men, with their hands armed with rocks, stepped out from behind a large tree, and said : -

Sellars in an instant leaped to the ground, and took shelter behind his horse. But he soon gathered up some rocks and got his horse out of the way. As he did this, one of the Hills struck him a severe blow on the arm with a rock. Sellars had the next throw - he knocked Fred Hill down, and, as he was falling, struck some of the others in the face with rocks. At that, instant he heard the sound of horses' hoofs coming up the road, and supposed it to be the approach of more of the Hills. He \Vas not deceived, for, soon, nearly the whole party arrived.

The Hill And Evans Feed

lie ran to the fence, jumped over, and escaped under the cover of darkness. This is Sellars version of the affair. The Hills then reported over the country that the Doctor and his sons had waylay ed them and beat up Fred Hill ; and talked of instituting a prosecution upon that ground, but found that the innocence of the accused could be proven. Sellars sent them word that he did the work for Fred Hill. But they accused a man by the name of Murphy, then Sellars and Chrismon, and swore eternal vengeance against the latter two. ' They then scoured the country to find a victim to atone for the lost blood of Fred - - frequently searching the houses of Sellars and Chrismon.

While the Hills were thus prowling about the country, useelcing whom they might devour Esquire Bruner, of Jessamine county, called the Doctor to see a patient. The Doctor at first refused to go - making apologies and telling him the state of affairs, and directing him where to find another physician. But the 'Squire would not hearken to these excuses, and replied : -

" Never mind that. I can furnish you with a guard of one hundred men, well armed, whose valor is as unflinching as the most tried veterans that ever trod the bloody hills of Kentucky. Your wife need not be alarmed for your safety - I will pledge myself to her for your safe return."

The Doctor finally went, and took Sam with him. They remained about three da-s, and set out for home in the evening - the 'Squire accompanying them. At the Doctor's urgent request to take the shot-gun along, the 'Squire laughed an 4 said there would be no use for it. They arrived at the river, but the ferryman was absent. The ferryman had seen the Hills congregating, and knowing the whereabouts of the Doctor, suspected what was to follow, and ran away to avoid setting them over. This was very clever and generous in the ferryman, for if he had set them across, he would have landed them in a crowd of Hills, for they were lying thick in ambush on the opposite shore ; and there would have remained little hope for the Doctor with his short arms in opposition to such an unequal foe with their long guns. They stood on the river bank some time and called the ferryman, but to no avail. Sam went down to the ferryman's house to see if he could be found there, but, as was afterward learned, he had left, through fear of the Hills, for they had threatened to kill him if he did not set the Doctor across. . .

The Doctor laid down on the bank to rest, and soon saw that it would not be expedient for them to cross. He saw several groups lying in concealment, and watched them change their locality as cautiously as a flock of quails would before a fowler. 'Squire Bruner saw another group, but, not suspecting anything, thought it was some of the ferryman's friends coming to set them across. Only a few minutes had elapsed when the Doctor heard a rifle fire, and a ball whiz by his head. This opened the 'Squire's eyes to the reality of the case, and he wanted to get aw'ay without delay. In order to deceive the Hills, they wrent down the river, as if aiming to cross at the lower ferry, till they came to a secluded path that led back to the 'Squire's. They returned to Bruner's as quickly as possible, for they feared the Hills would cross the river and give chase. As the Hills were running down to the other ferry, several people saw them and asked where they were going. They replied : -

When they got there, they hid themselves in the bushes, and awaited the expected arrival of the buck. ,.It is believed that they stationed half of their forces at one ferry and half at the other, and remained there the entire time of the Doctor's absence. Bruner, not being used to the wiles of the Hills, found himself dreadfully puzzled how to secure the Doctor's return home.

" I have you here now, and I have pledged myself to your wife for your safe return. You know more about the maneuvers of the Hill party than I do, so choose your way home and I ain at your service. I will furnish you with a3 many men and rifles as I promised, and more if needed." since you have left it to me, X wish to start in' the morning about two o'clock. I want only two men, of the right sort , with the right Sort, of rifles.- We will go lower down and cross on the bridge, for they cannot hide there, and if they meet us on the bridge, we can whip them."