An Unpublished Letter on the Tennessee Massacre: A Thrilling Narrative

Vol. IL NOVEMBER, 1898. No. 1.

AN UNPUBLISHED LETTER ON THE TEN- NESSEE MASSACRE.

A THRILLING NARRATIVE.

BY WILLIS E. ROBISON, PRESIDENT OP THE WAYNE STAKE OF ZION.

[Prefatory Note.— On the 10th of August, 1884, Elders John H. Gibbs and Wm. S. Berry, together with two Condor brothers, were murdered at the Condor farm. Cane Creek, Tennessee, just as they were beginning Sabbath morning services. They were killed by a mob of armed men, some, if not all, of whom were masked. The number of men in the mob has been variously estimated at from fifteen to thirty. The leader of the mob was killed by one of the Condor brothers after the Elders were shot. Mrs. Condor, the mother of the two boys, was savagely wounded after the others were killed. A few days after the killing, and after the visit to the scene of the massacre related by President Robison, Elder B. H. Roberts went to the perilous place, exhumed the bodies with his own hands and took them to Nashville, where they were placed in the care of

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Elder Robison. He brought them to their homes, where the last sad rites were performed in their honor, amid general mourning throughout all Zion. Editors.']

Salt Lake City, Utah^ March 12th, 1895. Elder B. H. Roberts, Dear Brother: —In accordance with a promise made by me at your request, I will write for your benefit a brief account of the part I took in the State of Tennessee at the time of the massacre of Elders John H. Gibbs and William S. Berry, and also some few items connected with the journey home with their bodies, after you had secured them. The length of time that has elapsed since then, and the entire absence of notes of reference at my disposal, will make my account perhaps a little faulty as to minor details, and perhaps as to exact dates as well. Should you find in the latter errors that are apparent, please make the proper corrections. And in these few words of preface permit me to say that I am thankful that I was considered worthy of being entrusted with the responsibility of bringing the bodies of my martyred brethren home to Zion; and in my life's history there is no page of which I feel more proud, than the one which records the faithful performance of that trust. And in the great beyond where I hope to meet them, I trust this act may be another cementing bond between us, for I believe they will not be unappreciative of anything that tended to bring their mangled remains home and restore them to their families, and that the lustre emitted from their Martyr's crown, may shed a few glimmering beams across my pathway. Yours in the Gospel, Willis E. Robison.

PRESIDENT ROBISON'S NARRATIVE.

Sunday, August 10th, 1884, is a date that will be ever memorable in my life. On that day Elder Willard H. Robinson of Salina, Utah, and myself held a meeting according to previous appointment at the house of Brother George W. Seals, on Cedar Creek, in Dickson County, Tennessee. At that meeting, and during the whole day a spirit of sadness prevailed that I never before \dtnessed in my labors, and on account of which our meeting, so far as the preaching was concerned, was a failure. After the dispersion of the people I went out into the peach orchard and sat down under a tree where I could be alone, not caring to talk to anyone, and

A THRILLING NARRATIVE. 3

my companion felt much the same as I did. While sitting there Sister Seals came out and hunted me up, and with tears streaming down her cheeks, asked me what they had done that I was offended at them; said she and her husband knew something had transpired that had wounded my feelings, and desired to know what it was, that they could make reparation. I could with difficulty make her

believe otherwise than that such was the case. I make mention of

this to show the spirit of sadness that was prevalent at that time. I had not seen Elders Gibbs, Jones, Berry, and Thompson for some time, and according to appointment made by mail they were to meet Elder Robinson and myself at McEwen on the next Tuesday,, and get their mail, which had been accumulating for some weeks,, and then we were to spend a day together on Blue Creek, close by„ where we had many friends. On the 11th Brother Robinson and I walked over to Blue Creek, where we waited for the other Elders, stopping at J. L. Choats'. I think we waited there all day Tuesday, and then the brethren

not having arrived, we concluded something had detained them. We felt that we could wait no longer, as we had been opening up a new field, and felt we should return to it again. So we bade Mr. Cheats' family good-by, and leaving a message for the Elders, when they should come, started for our field of labor. Thinking that something regarding their delay might be learned at the post office, we went by McEwen to inquire, when we got to town, where we were somewhat acquainted. We then heard first of the sad event —of the murder of some, or of the Elders we had been waiting all,

for. The papers contained the account of the meeting at Brother Condor's, the attack of the mob and the [killing of the Mormon preachers; but the accounts were very conflicting. One statement was that all were dead, another assumed the fact that only one or two were killed, and the others were hid in the woods, but desperately wounded. In fact no two rumors seemed to agree, to give us any definite information, but it was very patent there was something in the report. Our depression of spirits the Sunday previous, the failure of the Elders to appear at the time agreed upon, and above all the fact that we knew they intended holding meeting on Cane Creek at the time the killing was alleged to have occurred, gave an air of credibility to the whole affair. I will not attempt to d^-

scribe how I felt under the circumstances; language is insujfficient. Suffice it to say I had labored with those brethren and formed attachments such as Mormon missionaries alone can form. And with one of them (Elder Thompson) I had left home, and together we had labored with no feeling except that of perfect harmony ever existing between us; and now to think of some of them lying dead, shot down like dogs, and some of them lying fatally wounded in the woods, with no one to minister to their dying wants, or give them a cheering word, was more than I could stand. Then a hope presented itself, that after all the rumor might be an exaggerated one, and matters might not be so bad as represented. The only way I knew of to relieve myself of the suspense was to go and see for myself. Believing I could do better by going alone I went back to Mr. Choats with my companion, and left him there, and notwithstanding the protests of my friends, started for Cane Creek. I

wore an old shirt and some jeans pants and a pair of heavy boots to give me the appearance of a laborer. That day I walked to a station, the name of which I have forgotten, (Gillem) but it was where the little narrow gauge railroad ran down to Centerville. I stayed at a hotel there that night, partly to pick up some information and partly because I could ride part way down on a train in the morning. I claimed to be going down to Wayne County to get a job of cotton picking. The next morning I rode to Centerville on the train. here digress and state that I had heard very I will

much about the murder by this time; everybody was talking about it, and it was justifiable in their opinion, as the Elders were repre-

sented as being a low-down lot of scoundrels and blacklegs; and I learned that the people residing there were determined to stamp Mormonism out of their midst. I want to state that I had fully weighed all these things, and the chances of being able to make the journey in safety, and of course relied on a power superior to man, to guide my actions. After leaving Centerville and walking a few miles, I did something that I have often wondered at, and to this day whether I did right or wrong is not clear to my mind. Knowing that the citizens of the country were acquainted with the fact that we wore our garments as underclothing, and fearing if I fell into the hands of a mob and my body was searched for evi-

dence of my identification my garments might give me away, I

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took them off, rolled them up in a neat package and climbing a bushy tree, concealed them among the branches. My course now lay along an old unused railroad track leading from Centerville to Buffalo. This track had been torn up during the v/ar, and had never been repaired. It ran through a wild, heavily

timbered country with no habitations visible for some miles. While passing along through this part my eye caught sight of two men partially concealed just ahead of me.Had there been any doubt in my mind as to their having seen me I would probably have made a detour, and gone around them. But, like a flash it came to me, that they were there to intercept any Elders that might be going to Cane Creek; and knowing that I was in for it, I walked boldly forward. As I came up they met me with the usual "Hello, thar, stranger ! " to which I answered, "Hello yourselves ! " They asked me to sit down with them on the track, as they wanted to talk to me. With this I complied, and they then began to ply me with questions, as to my business, where I was from, and where I was going, and the reason I was traveling afoot. I answered their questions by stating was going down towards Wayne County I

in search of a job of cotton picking, that I was somewhat acquainted there, etc. And in reply to their questions as to whom I knew there, I them the Praters, the Rileys, the Jobs, New- told burns and some others, taking care to select the names of such as from a previous acquaintance I knew were hostile to the Mormons. As was customary among laborers there in warm weather I had thrown my shirt open in the front, which fact they were not slow to notice, as my breast was exposed; and one of them remarked that I wasn't tanned up very badly. I said my health had been poor and I had not done much out-door work of late. They still seemed suspicious and offered me some tobacco to chew. I acccepted it, and having been formerly a user of the weed before going on my mission, it did not make me sick. The men now suggested that as they were out hunting they might as well walk along a little way with me; and so we started out slowly, talking as we went. Just ahead of us was a high trestle work, that we had to walk over. They asked me if walking over trestles made me dizzy. One of them i

said it made him dizzy, but it didn't affect Joe; and suggested that Joe go ahead and I should follow him while the other fellow brought

up the rear. I thought it was perhaps a plan to push me off, and claim it to have been an accidental fall on my part, as in all probability such a fall would have killed me instantly; but to have shown any fear or suspicion of them at that time would have been fatal to the character I was assuming, therefore I agreed to the proposition, and we started out in the order named with a full determi-

nation on my part that if I went over one of them should accompany me. After walking some distance we stopped and held another parley in which they came out and frankly told me that I

could go no further; that if I was not a Mormon Elder myself, people would take me for such, traveling afoot as I was, and I would be killed as the others had been; that the whole country was ablaze with excitement, that the killing of Gibbs and Berry was a justifiable act, as they had been seducing all the women they had baptized, etc., and the Mormons must be rooted out. If I chose I might go back but I could not proceed. I laughed at what they said and told them if I was liable to be killed for a Mormon preacher I would stay with them a few days until the present excitement was

allayed, or perhaps I might get a job of work in their neighborhood as I was not particular if I secured employment of some kind. After some further talking they said I might proceed but to go by the way of Hoenwall instead of Cane Creek. I thanked them for the suggestion and we separated, I to resume my journey, and they to resume their watch for some Mormon Elder (B. H. Roberts, I presume) who would be bold enough to try to reach his friends on Cane Creek. When I reached Buffalo River I was at a loss just which way to go, as the road was not at all familiar, I having traveled it but

once before, and that in the winter when there were no leaves on the trees; and I dared not make enquiries, for be it remembered that I had been warned to goby the way of Hoenwall,and should some party be still watching to see if I followed the suggestion, and find that I did not intend to do so, I might not be allowed to proceed. But I knew enough of the country to know that I was not more than four or five miles from Cane Creek, and so turned aside in the

woods to wait until darkness came to hide me, as 1 did not dare to go farther in daylight. When night had come I started out again and selecting what seemed to me to be the best route or trail, I

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proceeded very cautiously, and at about eleven o'clock came to a little creek that seemed somewhat familiar to me on account of its peculiar looks. It was named Cane Slippery, and flowed into Creek as remember about two miles below Brother Condor's I

house. I followed this creek down until it came to the larger creek (Cane) and then I knew where I was. I can assure you I felt much better than when rambling through the woods uncertain as to whether I would come to the proper place or not. I now proceeded quietly up the creek until I came to the house of Brother Talley, and thought it would be a good idea to wake him up, and get him to go to Brother Condor's with me, or at least to give me some information of the true condition of affairs so I might know just how to proceed. So I knocked at the door and his dogs barked around me, (as only southern dogs can bark) and made noise enough to have wakened any one, but I could get no reply to my knocking. I told them who I was, what I wanted of them, and asked that I might be allowed to come in and at least talk with them, but all to no avail. I could get nothing from them although

I could hear them at times whispering among themselves. Not daring to remain in argument too long for fear of being overheard by some one else, I finally left just as wise as when I came, with this conviction firmly settled in my mind, that they dared not come to the door for fear of being killed. I learned afterwards that this was the case; they thought it was the mob trying to test their loyalty to the Elders, and felt if they opened the door to let in a supposed Mormon Elder they would all be killed. From Brother Talley's I went on up the creek to the Condor homestead, my experience having convinced me that it would be a useless waste of time to try to wake any one else to go with me. Arriving at the house, I saw a glimmer of light underneath the door and heard an indistinct murmur of voices inside. You may remember a large stump just outside the gate. I got behind this to be protected from stray shots from the house should I again be mistaken for a mobocrat by some unseen watcher inside, who might be rendered desperate by what had been suffered by the family. I then threw a handful of gravel against the door to attract atten-

tion, when immediately all became quiet inside. I now went to the door and told them who I was and asked to be admitted. A wom-

an's voice then replied and told me to go away, that I had caused enough suffering already there to satisfy the fiends of the infernal regions. That the jElders had been killed, the two sons of the family as well, and the [aged mother now lay wounded seriously and might die at any time, and she begged me to go away and leave them alone. But I had come too far to be out-argued this time, and boldly told them that I would not do it; I was not a mobocrat, but what I claimed to be, and insisted on giving details of my visit to them in the previous winter to substantiate what I said. By this time Brother Condor, who had been asleep up stairs, had been awakened, and came down and began to talk to me, recognized my voice and let me in. On entering all were glad to see me for a minute and then fear came over them. Brother Condor said the roads were all guarded and the mob would know I had come in and would soon be there, and I would be killed and perhaps some of them as well. In fact I never saw people so badly frightened as they were, and also the kind neighbors who were sitting up with Sister Condor. But I told them there was no danger; that I had been very careful, and in coming down Slippery Creek (which Brother Condor said was guarded) not even a dog had barked at me. I wanted to know just how matters stood, who was killed and

who was wounded, and all connected with it. Then they told me, the first facts I had received. That Elders Gibbs and Berry and the two boys were all killed and had been buried; that Elders Jones and Thompson were unharmed and safe among friends; that my visit could do no good and they were anxious for my safety and wanted me to go as soon as I would. I had had nothing to eat since early in the morning and it was now one o'clock in the night; so they prepared me something to eat, and a lunch to take with me, and after staying just one hour at their house, I left. I will

not give the details of the killing of the Elders as told me there, as you are fully acquainted with them. But I will say that when I fully understood that all was done that had been done, the dead buried, the others unharmed and in a place of safety, I felt to leave the enemies' country as soon as possible. I will say for Brother Condor, although he felt very bad, yet his faith in the Gospel was not weakened by what he had passed through; he acknowledged the hand of the Lord in his bereavement. His wife.

A THRILLING NARRATIVE. 9

who was propped up in bed smoking a cob pipe, did not seem so resigned as he did; but I could overlook that in her, suffering as shejwas both in body and spirit. Brother Condor insisted that in going away I should follow no road or path for fear of being captured by the mob. The moon was just rising above the tree tops when I bade them all good-by at the house. Brother Condor went a short distance with me to the edge of the timber, and then in parting told me to keep my face in the direction of the moon, and in about four miles I would come to |the Buffalo River somewhere near the old railroad bridge, and as I knew the track was on my left, I need not get lost.

I need not tell you of my journey in the night through that four miles of woods, with neither road nor path to guide me ; of the briers and brambles I came in contact with ; the fallen trees to clamber over; the thickets to penetrate; and last but not least, the dew that soaked through my clothes and wet [me to the skin, and made my boots, which were new and unbroken, draw my feet up till I could hardly walk. Suffice it to say that just as day was dawning I came to the river, close to the bridge. Hunters were out hunting game with their hounds. I could hear the dogs baying in all directions, and the road to the bridge ran through a lane for about a mile, with farm houses close on either side. I did not know just what to do ; to go ahead would mean, perhaps, discovery by some one not [friendly, and my appearance, to say the least, would excite suspicion; and to remain concealed for a whole day and wait till night did not suit me, because I knew Elder Robinson and my friends on Blue Creek would be full of anxiety for my safety. While hesitating just what course to pursue, one of those heavy river fogs suddenly settled down on the scene before me and seemed almost to have come on purpose for my benefit. I hastily pulled off my wet boots, and with one in either hand I struck the railroad ties in my stocking feet like a professional tie counter, only I went on the double quick. I could hear the people talking while doing their chores, sometimes but a few rods from me, but I passed through the lane and across the bridge unchallenged and unobserved; and worn out, I plunged into the woods on the other side to rest for a short time. I will say that the fog only lasted long enough for me to get into the woods, and then rose,

and the morning came on as beautiful as bright sun shine could make it. I had now walked steadily for nearly twenty-four hours, and thought to get a little sleep before resuming my journey; but anxiety was too great on my mind. I could not close my eyes; my thoughts kept wandering from my present situation to the Elders in the field, and what effect the murdering of them would have among the people, and I thought of their families at home, and kindred subjects connected therewith, until I gave up all idea of sleep and concluded to go on. I now made the discovery that my feet were swollen so badly that I could not get my boots on, pull hard as I could, so I took my knife and split them open in front and succeeded in getting them on in that way. Resuming my journey, I had not gone far when in turning a curve in the road I was suddenly brought to a stand-still by three men stepping out of the woods in [my path, and I realized that I was again hailed as a suspicious character. Although these men were, neither of them, the ones whom I had met the previous day, they were fully posted in relation to the interview that occurred at that time and boldly charged me with either being a Mormon or a spy, and asked my reasons for 'returning so quickly, instead of proceeding further south as I claimed was my intention the day

before. I replied that I was unfortunate enough to be compelled to travel on foot because I had no money to travel otherwise ; that I found the people very much excited over the event that had lately occurred on Cane Creek, and a fear of being mistaken for a Mormon, who I understood always went on foot, had caused me to hesitate on the risks to be run; and further that walking had used me up; that my feet were so badly swollen that I could scarcely travel and had been obliged to cut my boots to accommodate them (which fact showed for itself) ; and that I had concluded to go back home and let cotton picking ?go for the present.. Now, whether my experience of the day before had enabled me to get up a better line of defense to justify my proceedings, or whether these men were less suspicious than the others, I do not know. But I succeeded with less difficulty 'than upon the other occasion in

maintaining the character I had assumed. Finally with many admonitions of caution lest I be taken for a Mormon, they allowed me to proceed. My walk from there to Centerville was uneventful.

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I crippled along until I reached Centerville, then took the little nar-

row gauge back to Gillem. At Gillem I would have to wait for about four hours for the regular express to come along to take me on to McEwen, and as I had but three dollars in money and I knew my companions had none, I thought I would walk a few miles and stop with a friend, and then walk through the next day and save my money to buy some new boots. But after going a mile or two a feeling came over me not to proceed but to go back and take the train and go on to McEwen that night. The more I thought of it the more convinced I was that such would be the proper course to pursue, and I acted accordingly. I went back to Gillem

and waited for the train and arrived at McEwen about eleven o'clock at night. It was still four miles to Mr. Choats where I had left Elder Robinson, but I walked out there in about an hour, waked

Tip the; family, and found him gone. You may remember that you wrote me a letter from Nashville, asking us to come there as soon as we could and meet you at Gilchrist's Hotel. I had been gone longer than I anticipated, and Elder Robinson and Mr, Choats'' family had come to the conclusion that I had met with the fate of the other Elders, and he. Elder Robinson, had gone on that night to Billy Hooper's with the intention of proceeding immediately to Nashville in the morning, having guessed from the writing and postmark the letter was from you and opened it. I

now could see the reason why I was impressed to go back to Gillem and wait for the train; if I had not done so all the next day I would have been traveling west towards McEwen, and he would

have been traveling east towards Nashville. As it was, Mr. Choats mounted a boy on a horse and had him go to Hooper's and stop him until I came along. I will say nothing concerning our walk to Nashville, over one hundred miles, which we made in two and a half days, although if time permitted there might be several items of interest connected with it. But suffice it to say, that at the end of that time two travelers, one of them at least, tired, weary, and foot-sore, might have been seen walking along the pike that passes by the penitentiary and leads into the city of Nashville. I had been at the Gilchrist hotel and was somewhat acquainted in the city and had no difficulty in finding the place where you requested me to meet you. But when the clerk re-

ferred to the hotel register he announced that you had been there some three or four days ago, but had gone and he knew not whither. Of course this news was quite a disappointment to us and left us in a quandary how to proceed. But remembering there was a branch of the Church at Baird's Mills, in Wilson County, we concluded to go there for the present as we had no money to wait at the hotel. Elder Robinson was for going on that night by train, as we had enough money between us to pay our fare there, but I felt otherwise. I said I was worn out with the journeying of the

last few days, and that we would stay in town that night and have a good rest and then start the next morning and walk the distance, so we bought a big melon for our dinner, having had none as yet, and then to loiter away the balance of the day went down to the depot. We asked at what time the train left for Wilson County, (Baird's Mills) and were told that it would be about six in the evening, and if we wished we might remain in the waiting room until

that time. Now that is just what we did wish, for some place to lounge around and spend the day instead of going to a hotel where we would have to pay for lounging around. After awhile I left the waiting room and sauntered out for no apparent object or

purpose, and seeing a crowd gathered at some distance curiosity prompted me to see what was attracting them. After elbowing my way among them I found they were viewing two caskets, and heard the words ''Mormon Elders, killed on Cane Creek," and upon investigation found it to be really the bodies of Elders Gibbs and Berry, that had been buried at Cane Creek only a few days before. And then I knew you or.some one else was with them. I hastened back and found Elder Robinson and told him what I had discovered and we put ourselves on duty as sentinels to await developments. Nor had we long to wait until we saw Elder Thompson approaching, who seeingus at the same time, motioned us to follow him and then turned and left the depot. I need not dwell upon our meeting and the subsequent meeting of you and me in the waiting room, where you were waiting in disguise, nor to other events, including a visit with you to the newspaper offices to try to get the true condition of the affair before the public, and your final conclusion to send me home with the bodies of our brethren, instead of coming yourself as you had anticipated. All this you will remember,

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and I will not refer to them, and only say that that same night about twelve or one o'clock, if my memory serves me right I left Nashville on my homeward trip. Nothing of importance occurred until I arrived at Cairo, Illinois. There a drunken fellow came aboard the train who claimed to be a nephew of the preacher that headed the mob at Cane Creek,and who was killed by young Hudson or Condor at the time,and swore he would kill me,for you will know that on the train I was a noted character. "Some Mormon preachers had been killed down in Tennessee. They were said to be guilty of all the crimes imaginable, including seduction and adultery, which was part of their religion, and the people down there ^ood it as long as they could and then killed them as they ought to have done, etc., etc., and this fellow is now taking their dead bodies back to

Zion." These and other remarks of a similar kind greeted my ears every few minutes, so that everybody knew who I was. Consequently when the preacher's nephew came aboard he had no difficulty in finding me. But the officers prevented any hostile demonstration on his part further than cursing and swearing at me in particular and the whole Mormon Church in general. We had to cross the river and change cars at Cairo and the conductor would not allow the corpses again to be put aboard the cars, but they were set on the ground, and the people yelled, "Throw them in the river." I produced and pointed out the certificates of death, showed they had died from gun-shot wounds, and not from any contagious disease, and showed the tickets to Kansas Cityland demanded my rights, and defied them to proceed without me and the bodies of the Elders. Finally when they saw they could not bluff me and after wrangling for a few minutes with the train waiting to start, I was allowed to put them on the cars. At Kansas City you will remember you were to have a man meet and assist me, and gave

me his address. But I could find no such person. I bought tickets

for the Elders (dead men's tickets) and myself from here to Utah. We had to change depots, and I had a repetition of the Cairo scene. Notwithstanding the certificates of death and the exhibition of their tickets the trainmen would not allow me to put them on the cars, the conductor declaring he would quit his job first if the company wanted them taken. Here a compromise was worked up. I was

14 IMPROVEMENl ERA.

allowed to put them on the platform and lash them with ropes to prevent their shaking off. The night came onjwet and rainy and I felt that perhaps the ropes might, by getting wet, break, and so I took another turn at the baggage-master and succeeded in getting permission to put them inside at the next station. Thus matters went on until I arrived at Pueblo, Colorado, where I met the first kind word that I had received on the whole trip, from a big yardmaster, with a Cleveland badge on his breast. You will remember it was just previous to Cleveland's first election. I had to lay over in Pueblo for a few hours and also change

cars, and this riian insisted that I go in the office and rest?myself and he would wire Brother Morgan as to my whereabouts and also see the coffins were properly transferred, all of which he did as promised. I soon after fell in with Sheriff John Turner, of Provo,

and was also met the next day by the special car that came to meet the bodies, and I was once more among my friends.

PRAYER.

More things are wrought by prayer Than this world dreams of. Wherefore let thy voice Else like a fountain for me night and day, For what are men better than sheep or goats That nourish a blind life within the brain, If,knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer Both for themselves and those who call them friend? For so the whole round world is every way Bound by gold chains about the feet of God. Tennyson.