Tennessee Terrorist, known to locals as Knoxville Nate, was a family man and farmer, who rode at night and eventually reaped the whirlwind of Knoxville Revenge. Eastern Tennessee was racked by violence resulting from the division created by the Civil War. Supporters, both North and South, exacted retribution on family, friends and neighbors if their political views were not eye to eye. Most of the depredations were carried out by Confederate sympathizers, who intimidated, plundered, beat and murdered their neighbors who had a Pro-Union inclination. Most of these raiders were local farmers, who rode and attacked at night, in order not to be recognized by their victims.
Nate was raised North of Knoxville and grew up laboring on his family’s farm. Hard working and reliable, Nate, was church going and could always be counted on by neighbors to lend a helping hand. His father and mother were natives of the hill country and so were all their kin, their families came from Kentucky in the late 1790’s. Nate fell in love with his childhood sweetheart, cuter than a speckled pup, who lived about a mile down the creek. They soon married and within a couple of years, were the proud parents of a strapping son and a girl, who was the image of her mother.
The winds of a political divide swept the Eastern Tennessee region and many of the families and their neighbors ended up at different ends of the civil strife. Nate’s family favored the Confederate cause and the men and boys enlisted in the Army of the Rebellion. Nate decided to join a local partisan militia, that would ensure and enforce the Confederate philosophy on the residents of the Knoxville area. This militia would work their farms during the day and masquerade as Tennessee Terrorists by night. The boys of the rebel militia didn’t warn any of their perceived enemies. The men folk would be dragged from the home, beaten, shot or hung, the house and farm ransacked and occasionally burned to the ground.
On one of these rides, Nate and the boys, rode up and pounded on the door of a neighbor and demanded that the man come outside. The resident farmer confronted the raiders and as soon as he opened his mouth in protest, was cut down by a blast of buckshot, tied to a tree and set on fire. His wife ran out grief-stricken and one of the riders tossed a torch through the front door. Screams, smoke and flames filled the darkness and as Nate and his raiders rode away, he heard the hysterical wife, scream his name and swear her revenge.
Early one morning, several days later, a posse of deputized law, surrounded Nate’s farm-house and arrested him without incident. The young family man proclaimed his innocence of any crime and adamantly demanded to know his charges. The spokesman of the posse, looked at Nate with contempt and stated, “Three counts of Capital Murder, you scoundrel, not only did you boys kill the father, but you burned the house down on the twin infants in the back bedroom.”
Nate was hauled to Knoxville and held for trial. The citizens were up in arms and rumors of a lynching were rampant. Alcohol fueled, the residents were contemplating a severe dose of Knoxville Revenge. Soon an unruly mob formed, stormed the jail and dragged Nate to a nearby bridge, tied a rope to a truss and looped a noose around the young family man’s neck. The Tennessee Terrorist was asked if he had any last words or prayer, Nate closed his eyes and remorse, for his heinous acts, welled up inside him. He suddenly heard his wife screaming, that the war was over, his children were calling to their father and his Knoxville neighbors and friends were loosening the noose, releasing him. His fall was short, the rope reached the end of the tether and snapped Nate’s neck.
Knoxville’s Revenge and the Tennessee Terrorist had reached the end of their rope.
Bummer
Knoxville was not a good town in which to be a Confederate raider. He was lucky to live as long as he did.
Louis,
Nate probably wasn’t the sharpest pencil in the box, however most successful raiders that lived and prospered entered Southern Politics or Law Enforcement. Go figure.
Thanks for the read.
Bummer
And then there’s the post-Civil War career of raider Jesse James. I think he achieved some notoriety too.
Louis,
Jesse James was notorious, books and films, an example and product of the border nightmare. Some of the lesser known raiders may have been more ruthless, it’s difficult sometimes to seperate fact from fiction, so much spin from different quarters. See you tomorrow.
Bummer
The Tennessee Terrorist and his ilk ran rampant in the South. I can’t remember how many stories I’ve read like this, including some with our family name. One day, I looked up the Lusk history on Signal Mountain and found out the husband left the war (deserter) and returned home. One night their cabin was burned to the ground in the winter time. They had ten children at the time.
This makes me sick because the ones creating this havoc like Knoxville Nate weren’t serving in our bloodiest war. Nate wasn’t at Chickamauga, Shiloh, Stone’s River, Battles of Chattanooga or any of the other battles taking place right in his home state or north Georgia. He was working a farm -what a privileged life.
Another sad story, which relates to the Great Smoky Mountains blog, is Mr. Russell Gregory’s grave in Cades Cove. He was an Irish man, who settled on Gregory Bald with his family. The Rebels (his son was involved with them) looted their home and murdered him. His grave reads “Murdered by North Carolina Rebs”.
The Home Guard or local militia were nothing but thugs. If they had served in the war, they would know violence never solves problems, it only increases them.
Sandy,
Nate’s story was typical of Confederate raiders in many of the border states. There are so many tales surrounding the glory of these terrorists, movies and some documentaries. Their truth is quite the opposite, they used the Civil War to rob, rape, plunder, intimidate and murder. These thugs and criminals continued their depredations well after the war. Some of the continued terrorist acts were apparent in the south into the late 1970’s. Don’t be fooled these folks are still out there, they just try and be more stealthy than ever. Thanks for the read and comment.
Bummer
Thanks for the reply, Bummer. Have you heard of a man who shot 17 of the sheriff’s posse in Hamilton County Tn after the war? He escaped into Arkansas and became legendary. I heard the story years ago, but wish I could remember who it was. I think the sheriff and posse were part of these Confederate raiders. There was a big bounty for the man who shot and killed them. Can’t remember the details, wonder if you know of it.
Sandy;
It could be Champ Ferguson. He holds the official record for most confirmed kills and murders. I’ll look into it and let you know. The Union hung Champ!
Bummer