Category Archives: Twelve Pole Creek

Whirlwind News 05.10.1927

30 Saturday Oct 2021

Posted by in Big Harts Creek, Logan, Twelve Pole Creek, Whirlwind

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An unnamed correspondent from Whirlwind on Big Harts Creek in Logan County, West Virginia, offered the following items, which the Logan Banner printed on May 10, 1927:

Mrs. Alla Mullins was the guest of Daniel McCloud Monday.

Daniel McCloud made a business trip to Twelve Pole Monday.

All the farmers are getting very busy in this vicinity.

Wilburn Mullins was calling on friends at Daniel McCloud’s Sunday.

Lucy McCloud visited her aunt Lora Martin Sunday.

Bernie Adams has just returned from a business trip to Logan.

Daniel McCloud is teaching a singing school at the Bulwark school house. All report a nice time.

Daily Acts: Florence and her straw hat; Lucy and her pink dress; Lenville carrying milk; Roy making whistles.

Whirlwind News 04.12.1927

01 Thursday Apr 2021

Posted by in Big Harts Creek, Harts, Logan, Spottswood, Twelve Pole Creek, Whirlwind

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An unnamed correspondent from Whirlwind on Big Harts Creek in Logan County, West Virginia, offered the following items, which the Logan Banner printed on April 12, 1927:

All the farmers are getting very busy in our vicinity, especially Wayne Adams.

Miss Unice Farley of Mud Fork was visiting her parents of Harts Tuesday.

May Robinson says she don’t know which one of the boys she loves best, Cole or Cary.

They are all taking a vote to find out which is the wisest man in town. Look out, Daniel, you’ll be the one.

Wonder why Jim Thompson didn’t want any pillow?

Wonder why Sid Mullins never visits Hoover any more?

Working is all the go among the farmers. Guess the men are getting plenty of chicken.

Daniel McCloud was calling on his best friends at Mollie Robinson’s on Sunday night.

Daniel and his sweet potatoes; Philip sowing oats; Edna going to the store; Ollie and his silk socks.

***

Sid Mullins and his oldest sister Miss Dixie Mullins went on a business trip to Logan Friday.

Charley Mullins was a visitor of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Adams Friday.

Tom Mullins went to see his mother on Twelvepole Thursday evening. She is very ill at this time.

Regional Place Names

20 Saturday Jun 2020

Posted by in Banco, Big Creek, Big Harts Creek, Big Sandy Valley, Boone County, Chapmanville, Crawley Creek, Gilbert, Giles County, Green Shoal, Guyandotte River, Harts, Logan, Matewan, Meador, Twelve Pole Creek, Wharncliffe

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The following list of regional place names of streams is derived from Surveyors Record Book A at the Logan County Clerk’s Office in Logan, WV. Each document generally lists three dates for the survey; I chose to identify the earliest (Treasury warrant date) and the latest date (survey completion date). The purpose of this list is to document the earliest usage and spelling of a place name in my region. Logan County was extremely large in the 1820s and has since been partitioned to create new counties, so many of these places are not located in Logan County today. This list will be updated periodically.

Beech, a branch of Tug Fork (24 May 1825, 12 October 1825, p. 64)

Ben (26 July 1826, 13 October 1826, p. 89)

Bend of Guyandotte (30 April 1823, 3 March 1831, p. 129)

Big and Clear Fork of Guyandotte River (1 October 1818, 26 June 1826, p. 79)

Big Bottom Fork of Guyandotte (12 February 1823, 25 October 1827, p. 100)

Big Creek (11 December 1817, 25 October 1824, p. 34)

Big Fork of Guyandotte River (18 July 1825, 17 February 1826, p. 73)

Big Island [Logan] (16 February 1825, 17 January 1827, p. 94)

Bluff Mountain (1 October 1818, 21 February 1825, p. 37)

Bone Lick Bottom, New River (19 January 1824, 31 July 1830, p. 123)

Breckenridge’s forks of Cole River (31 January 1825, 27 February 1827, p. 100)

Buffalo (10 February 1825, 6 February 1827, p. 99)

Coal Branch of Guyandotte River (17 December 1824, 31 March 1825, p. 42)

Cow Creek of Island Creek (13 December 1823, 11 October 1826, p. 87-88)

Crawley (10 June 1824, 8 July 1825, p. 47)

Crawleys Creek (16 February 1825, 17 January 1827, p. 95)

Crooked Creek (16 February 1825, 1 April 1825, p. 43-44)

Defeats Branch on Little Huffs Creek (7 October 1830, 27 July 1831, p. 131)

Double Camp Branch of Clear Fork (1 June 1821, 29 December 1825, p. 69)

Drew’s Creek, one of the forks of Peech Tree, a branch of Marsh Fork of Cole River (22 July 1826, 15 October 1828, p. 109)

Elk, a branch of Guyandotte (14 January 1830, 22 November 1830, p. 127)

Elk, a branch of Pigeon (16 February 1825, 18 August 1825, p. 51)

Elkhorn Branch of Tug Fork (30 April 1825, 12 November 1826, p. 93)

Elkhorn River (30 April 1825, 1 November 1825, p. 65)

Flat Top Mountain (22 November 1824, 14 February 1826, p. 72)

Gilbert (14 January 1830, 26 August 1830, p. 121)

Grapevine, a small branch called Grapevine (8 July 1825, 14 October 1825, p. 63)

Green Shoal Creek (15 March 1826, 10 October 1826, p. 86-87)

Harts Creek (17 February 1824, 10 October 1826, p. 87)

Hewetts Creek, a branch of Spruce Fork of Coal River (20 May 1813, 11 April 1825, p. 44)

Horse Creek (10 February 1825, 22 July 1826, p. 92)

Horsepen Creek, a fork of Gilbert (14 January 1830, 26 August 1830, p. 121)

Huff Creek (11 December 1822, 11 March 1825, p. 40)

Huffs Creek (18 July 1825, 14 March 1828, p. 104-105)

Indian Creek (22 July 1826, 8 February 1827, p. 99)

Ingrams Branch, New River (6 October 1829, 4 December 1829, p. 117)

Island of Guyandotte [Logan] (17 December 1824, 18 January 1827, p. 96)

Island tract [Logan] (4 May 1826, 12 May 1830, p. 120)

Jacks Branch of Clear Fork (6 January 1824, 16 December 1825, p. 66)

Laurel Fork of Guyandotte River (17 February 1824, 27 August 1830, p. 122)

Left Fork of Island Creek (4 February 1817, 28 October 1824, p. 35)

Left Hand Fork of Ben, waters of Tug Fork (13 December 1823, 11 October 1826, p. 88)

Laurel Creek and Crooked Run, New River (10 May 1825, 25 August 1825, p. 56)

Laurel Fork of Pigeon Creek (17 December 1824, 10 October 1826, p. 85)

Laurel Fork of Twelve Pole (3 November 1813, 19 March 1825, p. 40)

Lick Branch (24 May 1825, 10 October 1826, p. 85)

Little Huff’s Creek (4 May 1826, 27 May 1829, p. 116)

Loop of New River (20 February 1821, 26 February 1825, p. 90)

Main Right Hand Fork of Big Creek (24 May 1825, 8 September 1825, p. 54)

Marsh Fork of Cole River (17 February 1823, 9 March 1825, p. 39)

Marshes of Cole River (30 April 1825, 3 February 1830, p. 118)

Mate, a branch of the Tug Fork of Sandy (8 July 1825, 11 October 1825, p. 62)

Mazzel, Little Huffs Creek (12 February 1825, 18 September 1829, p. 116)

Mill Creek, a branch of Guyandotte (18 July 1825, 28 January 1831, p. 128)

Mill Creek of Island Creek (10 January 1823, 29 October 1824, p. 36)

Millers Branch of Tug Fork (4 May 1826, 16 September 1826, p. 81)

North Branch of Big Creek (18 July 1825, 7 September 1825, p. 52-53)

North Fork of Big Creek (4 April 1825, 9 September 1825, p. 54)

Old Island survey [Logan] (22 July 1826, 17 January 1827, p. 95)

Peach Tree, a small branch called the Peach Tree (24 May 1824, 7 October 1825, p. 60)

Pete Huff’s Creek (18 July 1825, 27 August 1830, p. 125)

Peter Huffs Creek (13 December 1823, 12 November 1825, p. 66)

Pigeon Creek (16 February 1825, 15 October 1825, p. 63)

Pine Creek of Island Creek (4 February 1817, 27 October 1824, p. 35)

Pond Fork of Cole River (8 March 1826, 13 November 1828, p. 112-113)

Rock Creek (22 July 1826, 11 August 1828, p. 106)

Rock House Fork of Middle Fork of Island Creek (17 February 1824, 5 October 1825, p. 59)

Rock House Fork of Pigeon (6 February 1825, 22 March 1825, p. 41)

Rum Creek (23 November 1824, 17 July 1828, p. 105)

Sand Lick Fork of Cole River (14 May 1826, 31 January 1827, p. 97)

Shannon branches, Tug Fork (6 December 1828, 2 September 1830, p. 125-126)

Skin Fork of Cole River (12 February 1825, 29 October 1828, p. 111)

Spruce Fork of Coal River (16 February 1825, 22 April 1825, p. 45)

Tonies Fork of Big Cole and Horse Creek (10 February 1825, 22 July 1826, p. 92)

Trace Fork of Big Creek (16 February 1825, 8 September 1825, p. 52)

Tug Fork of Sandy River (10 March 1825, 24 March 1825, p. 42)

Turtle Creek, a branch of Little Coal River (13 December 1824, 12 April 1825, p. 45)

West Fork of Cole River (12 February 1825, 10 November 1828, p. 111-112)

Wolf Pen Creek, branch of New River (10 May 1825, 25 August 1825, p. 56)

Wolf Pen Creek at mouth of Rattlesnake Branch (10 February 1825, 11 January 1826, p. 71)

Recollections of Tom Brown about Timbering on Big Sandy River (1979)

19 Thursday Sep 2019

Posted by in Big Sandy Valley, Timber, Twelve Pole Creek

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The following interview excerpt of Tom Brown (born c.1909) was conducted at Fort Gay in Wayne County, WV, on December 15, 1979.

***

It was probably hard to get around back then, to go to church.

Well the only way you could get around through this country was up and down creeks or on horseback or wagon. And roads were in the creek most of the way. And where they cut timber and logs they had tram roads built back in the heads of the hollows and they had tracks–they built their track out of 2″ X 4″s–and they hauled these logs or ties from the mills back to the heads of the hollows back to the railroads. And they logged out of the mountains and they ran lots of rafts down Tug River. I’ve see high as four to five. They started the rafts running in the spring. They run them out of Mingo County and generally a lot of them was set out in Naugatuck.

That’s how they got them, they used rafts and boats?

Yes, they used rafts. Logs. They’d put these logs together… Sometimes a raft would be maybe 200 or 300 feet long.

200 or 300 feet long?

Almost as wide as the river. The man would stay on that and they’d pull the men to, I guess, Kenova and the Ohio River down here. And they would log them through the winter. The spring waters came and they started down the rivers with the rafts. The river banks were all cut clean.

That’s what I was going to ask you about. They had to be cut clean, didn’t they?

Yes, they was all cut clean. But the rafts… Well they ran logs down Twelve Pole Creek to… Back then people used to put their logs in the creek when it would raise and run them plumb out down Twelve Pole to Kenova. Heads of these creeks… And sometimes I can remember Bragg Creek and Horse Creek… They was a sawmill. There was locks in at Saltpeter and they pushed just like water to Bragg Creek. I’d say along 1916-1917. And almost the travel was boats. It went down on a little showboat. It used to come up an old paddle wheel boat.

That was in about 1917?

About 1917, ’18, ’19, along that.

Could you get a ride on that showboat if you wanted to?

No, they just pulled in and parked and had a show every night, like the picture show, the movie picture show had.

How long did that showboat go up and down the river? How many years did that last?

Well, I don’t know. It would just come up every once in a while maybe, and just stopped at certain places maybe. Places you know at that time… That was about as far as it could get up. And then things was brought up on pushboat. They loaded ties and stuff like that. I remember them loading them on the boat at the river at the mouth of Horse Creek. It was about as far as boats could come up the river.

Henry Adkins Deed to Elizabeth Adkins et al (1870)

27 Tuesday Aug 2019

Posted by in Atenville, Fourteen, Guyandotte River, Little Harts Creek, Twelve Pole Creek

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Henry Adkins to Elizabeth Adkins 2

Deed Book 59, page 269, Lincoln County Clerk’s Office, Hamlin, WV. Henry Adkins (c.1811-c.1873) was the son of Isaac and Elizabeth (Adkins) Adkins.

Henry Adkins to Elizabeth Adkins 3

Deed Book 59, page 270, Lincoln County Clerk’s Office, Hamlin, WV.

Queens Ridge News 11.30.1923

25 Sunday Aug 2019

Posted by in Little Harts Creek, Queens Ridge, Twelve Pole Creek

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A correspondent named “Lonesome Girl” from the Queens Ridge area of Wayne County, West Virginia, offered the following news, which the Logan Banner printed on November 30, 1923:

I thought I would send in some of our Wayne county news to help make part interesting.

Miss Flora Maynard is visiting friends on Mud Fork.

Mr. Roma Maynard has been visiting his grandfather on Twelve Pole.

Mrs. Linza Perry and her daughter Erie Perry was visiting Roma Maynard and his grandmother on Sunday.

Tracie Toppins has been visiting his grandmother on Milam Creek.

Queens Ridge 03.23.1923

15 Wednesday May 2019

Posted by in Hamlin, Little Harts Creek, Queens Ridge, Twelve Pole Creek

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A correspondent named “Black Eyes” from Queen’s Ridge at Lincoln-Wayne counties, West Virginia, offered the following items, which the Logan Banner printed on March 23, 1923:

The Trough Fork school will close on the 23rd day of this month. Everybody come.

Woodrow Workman has returned home from a two weeks vacation on Francis Creek.

Jim Ramey celebrated his sixtieth birthday last Thursday.

Miss Minnie Workman was the guest of May Caines Monday.

Miss Eva Workman was visiting the post office Friday.

W.H. Mann is attending court this week at Hamlin.

NOTE: Geographically, Queens Ridge is located entirely in Wayne County but the post office area included a section of Lincoln (and Logan) County for a certain number of years.

Queens Ridge News (1923)

08 Wednesday May 2019

Posted by in Little Harts Creek, Queens Ridge, Twelve Pole Creek

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A correspondent named “Slim Jim” from Queen’s Ridge at Lincoln-Wayne County, West Virginia, offered the following items, which the Logan Banner printed on February 23, 1923:

Mr. H.H. Mann left here for Huff Creek Sunday.

Mr. Vernie Toney was calling on Miss Matilda Mann Sunday.

Mr. Arnold Workman was the guest of Mr. W.H. Mann Sunday.

Mr. Monroe Workman was calling on Miss Sallie Mann Sunday.

Mr. Fern Pack and Miss Rosa Mann were married Saturday evening.

Mr. Ora Mann was calling on Misses Gracie and Sallie Mann Sunday.

Mr. Ira Moore was calling on Miss Carrie Browning Sunday.

Mr. G.D. Vance left Sunday evening to work for Mr. Seagraves this week.

Mr. Wadie Gartin was calling on Miss Hazel Neal Sunday.

NOTE: Geographically, Queens Ridge is located entirely in Wayne County but the post office area included a section of Lincoln (and Logan) County for a certain number of years.

Queens Ridge News 02.02.1923

29 Monday Apr 2019

Posted by in Little Harts Creek, Queens Ridge, Twelve Pole Creek, Wyoming County

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A correspondent named “A Sunbeam” from Queen’s Ridge at Lincoln-Wayne County, West Virginia, offered the following items, which the Logan Banner printed on February 2, 1923:

The Mans school is progressing nicely.

Fern Pack was calling on Rosa Mans Sunday.

Little Tom Mans had bad luck Saturday night. He and his __ seemed to have a falling out.

Eva Workman is all smiles this week. Says that she had a letter from Mr. Moore.

Cheer up girls and don’t be down-hearted because of so many weddings. You won’t have so many to select from.

Minnie and Eva Workman were calling on Ora Manns Saturday and Sunday. They took a horseback ride and reported a nice time.

Gradie Mans has just returned from a week’s vacation with friends at Rocky.

Albert Carter and Emery Bryant were seen on our streets today horseback riding.

W.H. Mans left for Huff Creek Sunday evening.

Woodrow Workman is raising a coon dog. He states that he is an awful good dog to tree possums.

Miles Browning has a broken leg. We are sorry to hear of his accident and hope that he will soon be well.

Minnie Workman goes to school every day.

Victoria Maynard and her sister Ocie Spry were visiting their mother Sunday.

Nancy Shepherd is very ill this week with a sore finger.

Pat Napier died last Friday with pneumonia and was buried on Saturday.

Frank and Otto Manis are working on Huffs Creek.

Good luck to the Banner.

NOTE: Geographically, Queens Ridge is located entirely in Wayne County but the post office area included a section of Lincoln (and Logan) County for a certain number of years.

Whirlwind News 03.09.1923

24 Wednesday Apr 2019

Posted by in Big Harts Creek, Twelve Pole Creek

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A correspondent named “Pedru” from Whirlwind on Big Harts Creek in Logan County, West Virginia, offered the following items, which the Logan Banner printed on March 9, 1923:

Thompson Workman has moved back from Mud Fork where he has been living for the past year to his old home on Harts Creek.

Frank and Grover Adams made a business trip to Cherry Tree the latter part of the week.

Evert Workman of Cherry Tree was a business visitor to Whirlwind recently.

Mr. Rush Adams was visiting friends near the mouth of Hoover Sunday.

The singing school on Trace is progressing nicely. Everybody seems to enjoy the teaching of their singing master.

Mr. Charles Mullins of Hoover accompanied Miss Lucy Carter home from singing school Sunday.

Mr. Charles Rineer of Twelve Pole was a business visitor to Whirlwind the latter part of the week.

Mr. Bill Mullins of Buck Fork has moved to Cherry Tree. We miss Bill very much.

Miss Sadie Carter of Hoover is visiting her sister on Twelve Pole.

Some daily happenings—M.J.M. enquiring about Rush; Rosa going to the post office; Isom carrying the mail; Van going to Whirlwind.

Henry Workman Deed to James Browning (1854)

14 Sunday Apr 2019

Posted by in Twelve Pole Creek

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Henry Workman to James Browning Deed 1

Deed Book C, page __, Logan County Clerk’s Office, Logan, WV.

Henry Workman to James Browning Deed 2

Deed Book C, page ___, Logan County Clerk’s Office, Logan, WV.

Whirlwind News 02.16.1923

12 Friday Apr 2019

Posted by in Big Harts Creek, Shively, Spottswood, Twelve Pole Creek, Whirlwind

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A correspondent named “Bluebird” from Whirlwind at Harts Creek in Logan County, West Virginia, offered the following items, which the Logan Banner printed on February 16, 1923:

Quite a number of people are on the sick list in this vicinity at this time.

Grover Adams has been busily engaged in the hunting business this winter.

Sol Adams of Mount Gay has been visiting relatives on Hoover recently.

Wonder if James Robert has ever let Pusher Blair ride his grey anymore?

The singing school on Trace is progressing nicely.

Victoria and Joe Kirk were out horseback riding Sunday.

Mr. and Mrs. John H. Mullins have been visiting relatives on Hart.

Mr. Samuel Vance of Twelve Pole was a business visitor to this community recently.

Mr. Pete Dalton was calling on Mrs. Mollie Robinson recently.

Harve Smith and John Fillinger have been having some fine sport fox hunting this winter.

Everybody has been wondering what has become of Ichabod Crane.

Van Mullins of this place is at Cherry Tree on the sick list. We hope that he will soon recover and return home.

Bud Richards is going into the mercantile business near the mouth of Smoke House.

Ratio. Don’t be afraid. The bull dog won’t hurt you.

James Browning Deed to Josiah Browning (1856)

20 Saturday Oct 2018

Posted by in Twelve Pole Creek

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James Browning to Josiah Browning Deed 1

Deed Book C, page 482, Logan County Clerk’s Office, Logan, WV.

James Browning to Josiah Browning Deed 2

Deed Book C, page 483, Logan County Clerk’s Office, Logan, WV.

Interview with Nellie Thompson of Wayne, WV (1996)

05 Saturday Jul 2014

Posted by in Culture of Honor, Harts, Lincoln County Feud, Twelve Pole Creek, Wayne

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A few weeks later, Brandon called Nellie Thompson in Wayne, West Virginia. Nellie reportedly had the picture of Milt Haley and Green McCoy.

“I don’t know if I have anything like that or not,” Nellie said, “but I do have an old letter from Green McCoy.”

What?

Almost hyperventilating, he asked her to read it over the telephone.

Nellie fetched it from somewhere in the house, said it was dated May 19, 1889, then read it to him and said he was welcome to see it.

The next day, she called Brandon back and said, “I think I’ve found that picture you were looking for. It’s a little tin picture with two men in it.”

Oh god.

A few days later, Brandon drove to see Nellie about the picture and letter. Before dropping in on her, he spent a little time at the local library where he located a story about Spicie McCoy.

“As I promised last week, today we will explore the life of a lady who claimed to have a cure for diphtheria,” the story, printed in the Wayne County News (1994), began. “Spicie (Adkins) McCoy Fry was so short that if you stretched out your arm she could have walked under it. Anyone who lived in the East Lynn area knew who Spicie Fry was because she had probably been in almost every church around to sing at a revival meeting, something she loved to do. Spicie was well educated. She saw that her children went to school. Once out of grade school, Spicie’s sons took advantage of correspondence courses in music, art, and any other subject they could get thru the mail order catalog. Spicie’s son Monroe Taylor Fry was a self-taught musician.”

After a short time, Brandon drove to Nellie’s home, where she produced a small tin picture of two men sitting together. One of the men was obviously Green McCoy based on the picture we had already seen of him. The other fellow, then, was Milt.

As Brandon stared at the tintype, Nellie handed him Green’s letter. It was penned in a surprisingly nice handwriting, addressed to his brother Harrison, and was apparently never mailed. At the time of his writing, it was spring and McCoy had just moved back to Harts — probably after a short stay with his family or in-laws in Wayne County. He may’ve been there with his older brother, John, who’d married a girl almost half his age from Wayne County earlier in February.

Dear Brother. after a long delay of time I take this opertunity of droping you a few lines to let you know that I am well hoping when these lines reaches you they may find you all the same. Harrison you must excuse me for not writing sooner. the cause of me not writing is this[:] the post master here is very careless. they let people brake open the letters and read them so I will write this time to let you know where I am and where Lynza is. I have moved back to the west fork of Harts Creek and Lynza is married and living in wayne co yet on beach fork. everybody is done planting corn very near in this country. every thing looks lively in this part. tell Father and mother that I[‘m] coming out this fall after crops are laid by if I live and Lynza will come with me. tell all howdy for me. you may look for us boath. if death nor sickness don’t tak[e] place we will come. Harrison I would rather you would not write anymore this summer. people brakes open the letters and reads them so I will not write a long letter. Brumfield and me lives in 2 miles of each other and has had no more trubble but every body says that he will kill me if I don’t kill him. I look to have trouble with him so I will close this time.

On the back of the letter was written the following: “My wife sends her best respects to you all and says she would like to see you all. my boy is beginning to walk. he is a spoiled boy to[o].”

Clutching carefully onto the tintype and letter, Brandon asked Nellie what she’d heard about Milt and Green’s death. She didn’t really know much, but her brother Goble Richardson said he’d always heard that pack-peddlers who boarded with Paris Brumfield never left his home alive. These men were supposedly killed, tied to rocks, and thrown to the bottom of the Guyan River where the fish ate their rotting corpses. Soon after the “disappearance” of these pack-peddlers, Paris would be seen riding the man’s horse, while his children would be playing with his merchandise.

When Brandon arrived home he studied over Green McCoy’s letter — all the cursive strokes, the occasional misspellings, trying to extract something from it beyond what it plainly read.

Strangely, the letter didn’t reveal to which Brumfield — Al or Paris — Green referred when he wrote, “every body says that he will kill me if I don’t kill him.” It seems likely, though, based on what Daisy Ross had said, that Green referenced Paris.

Still, it was Al Brumfield who was ambushed only three months later.

What started their trouble?

And who was the careless postmaster who allowed people to “brake open the letters and read them?”

At the time of the Haley-McCoy trouble, Harts had two post offices: Harts and Warren. The postmaster at Harts — where McCoy likely received his mail — was Ross Fowler, son to the Bill Fowler who was eventually driven away from Harts by the Brumfields. Ross, though, was close with the Brumfields and even ferried the 1889 posse across the river to Green Shoal with Milt and Green as prisoners (according to Bob Dingess) in October of 1889. A little later, he worked in Al Brumfield’s store. The postmaster at Warren was Andrew D. Robinson, a former justice of the peace and brother-in-law to Ben Adams and Sallie Dingess. Robinson seems to have been a man of good credit who stayed neutral in the trouble.