HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
BY H.B. CROWLEY in 1906
9th INSTALLMENT
The Horne family was among the early settlers of Greene county, and it has played an important and a conspicuous part in development of the best interest of the county. This family settled near Gainesville, and it has remained principally in that section of the county, from it's first location there until the present time. The Horne's have always been contended to serve their day and generation in the ranks of the producing class, and they have contributed as much to the material and industrail growth of the county as any people who have been in the county the same length of time. They have lived or a branch of the family in the Beech Grove neighborhood, and are still an excellent people. Jim Horne it will be remembered made the race for Circuit Clerk the past spring, and came very close to being the winner of the race, even against a number of the most popular and experienced men in the county. The people of Greene county will hear something more from this young man.
Judge Jonas Askers came to the county from Missouri and had been a county and probate judge in his native state. He was from the same county in Missouri that the Jackson's were natives of, our Izar, James R. Richard, and Frank Jackson, Judge Askers was a justice of the peace in Union township for many years, and also probate judge of the county, and filled all these positions acceptibly. He was a widower when he came to the county, but married a daughter of Arnold Thomas, who was a widow. The judge died near Camp Ground some years ago.
EXPLOITS OF NATH. BOWLIN AND HIS BAND
9th INSTALLMENTCapt. Nathaniel Bowlin is among the noted characters of Greene county and was in some respects the most unique character the county has ever produced. He was a Missourian and made up a company in southeast Missouri and northeast Arkansas, and took an active, but singular parts in the war between the states. His command was southern in sympathy and service but was never commissioned or connected with any regular Confederate army.
Capt. Bowlin and his men conducted a warfare of their own in their own way and made report to no superior authority. They operated in southeast Missouri and the northeast corner of the state, and they were a holy terror to the Federal forces in this section of the country. They operated after the order of the famous Partisan Leaders in the Carolinas during thr Revolutionary war, and would hastily organize his forces, strike the enemy a stunning, and an unexpected blow, dodge off and disappear before they realized what had happened. Often he would have 300 men, and again he would have only 25 men. His fighting strength was always about 500, but when the Federal army got after him, he would seldom have a score of men and of course would make a masterly retreat, or vanish from sight all together. As soon as the pursuit was abandoned he would sound his bugle call and hundreds of good soldiers would be in line ready for action. He and his men were a puzzle to the union authorities, and his movements were so mysterious and his performances so extraordinary that his command was regarded with awe and half believed to be a phantom army. The celebrated Sam Hilterbrand was one of his lieutenants, and was entirely devoid of the sense of fear. The same may be said of every man in the command, for if a man had the least concern for his personal safety, he would soon desert the company. From the very nature of the case, Bowlin's command seldom took prisoners, and if he captures any they were paroled as speedily as possible. When the war ended, Capt. Bowlin came to Greene county and settled on what is now known as Bowlin's Island on the St. Francis, where the town of Bertig now is. The old homestead now belong to R. L. Alexander , of Paragould. Capt. Bowlin lived , died and was buried on the place. In the early days he had a ferry across the St. Francis River at the place, called Bowlin's Ferry, and was the second ferry on the river from Old Town, or what is now Lake City, to Chalk Bluff, the other being called Brown's Ferry, and was just east of Greenway and was known to everyone in the early days of the county.
The writer witnessed the duel of fatal shooting affray between Bowlin and Morris M. Wright, at Gainesville. All parties to the unfortunate affair were in the clerk's office at the time of the killing of Wright. The writer was attorney for Wright in an attachment case Dr. Wyse had against him and we wele in the clerk's office preparing an affidavit for a change of venue from before Esq. Gentry, of Union township, to the court of Esq. E.W. Browning, of Clark township. Judges Mack and Riddick were attorneys for Dr. Wyse. While we were thus engaged with Morris Wright by my side, Capt. Bowlin came into the office, spoke to all of us except Wright and passed on to where the clerk, D. B. Warren, was at his desk. As Bowlin passed where we were sitting, the writer heard Wright's pistol cock inside his pocket, but he made no move towards drawing it. Bowlin went over to where the clerk was writing, spoke to him for an instant, and then left the office by another door. We were then over the store of J.R. and R. Jackson and the post office was also held in the Jackson building on the ground floor. After we had completed the business in hand. Wright went down stairs, and pretty soon the shooting began. I hastened below and when on the stairway I saw Wright run around the house and stop under the open stairway just below me and soon fell. He soon arose and started towards his house, which was on the corner of the street south of us. Bowlin followed Wright and shot at him until he had reached his front gate.There was a lady or two in the yard and one of them had a shotgun in her hands. The sight of this or the presence of the ladies caused Bowlin to cease shooting and retreat towards his horse. Bowlin took the middle of the road so as to keep Wright's friends at a distance, and proceeded some distances up the street, when Wright got possession of the shotgun and to begin to fire after Bowlin. One or more of the shot struck him, and several of the are still buried in the fence and buildings in the neighborhood of the tragedy. Capt. Bowlin reached his horse and went to his homw on the St. Francis crossing over into Missouri to spend the night. Morris Wright was taken into his house and died the following morning from the effects of the shots he recieved in battle. The writer was the first person outside of his family to reach him after shot and announced that he was killed. The first shot from Bowlin's pistol had broken Wright's arm and he was unable to draw his own gun from his pocket. The writer helped to remove the pistol from Wright's pocket after he was placed on the bed to die, ans summoned physicians to his side, and Drs. Camp and Wall attended upon the dying man. Wright had been sheriff of the county for six years and while acting as such he had attempted to arrest Bowlin's brother Jesse, Jack Holmes and some other boys, who were accused of breaking into the house of Howard Freeman. The sheriff and a possee of citizens surrounded a house in whhich the boys were concealed, and in the fight that ensued in the effort to arrest the young men, Jesse Bowlin was killed, and Bowlin was told that his brother had fallen, Sheriff Wright walked up to where he lay and fired several bullets into his prostrate body. This last act of the sheriff was never forgiven by Capt. Bowlin and bad blood had always existed between the two men. The brave and even desperate character of both men being well known, their friends were not surprised when the fatal duel occurred.
Sometime, prior to the tragedy above related and while Wright was sheriff of the county, he and Capt. H. W. Glasscock went to Little Rock to settle with the auditor anduring to turn oveer the revenue collected during the fiscal year. They had to go to Forrest City then take the Little Rock and Memphis train into Little Rock. On their way back they stopped over night at the house of old man Harris, about two miles out from Wittsburg, he keeping a sort of wayside inn, or country tavern. While there and before they had retired for the night, some one called for them. Captain Glasscock went to the door, and discovered three or four men on horseback in the road in front of the house. One of them leveled their gun on the Captian, and was pulling the trigger when a companion commanded him to hold on, as that was Captian Glasscock. Wright was about such a sized man as Henry Glasscock, both being heavy built, and of the same height. The captain recognized the voice of Holmes and knew him by his size and form, he being a small fellow, but as brave as a lion. After the mysterious callers had discovered their mistake, they apologized to Glasscock and disappeared. The sheriff and his companion got their supper and rode on into Wittsburg, and put up at a hotel about ten o'clock at night. They were late at breakfaast next morning and this fact probably saved the life of the sheriff if not of his fellow-travelers also. After all of the other guests had sat down to the breakfast table, and before Glasscock and Wright were ready for breakfast, Holmes entered the room from a rear door with a double-barreled shot gun in his hands, and cooly surveyed the guests, from the back of the room, and walked out after he had been assured that his men were not there. Wright and Glasscock ordered their horses and hurriedly left for their homes. Captain Glasscock often said that he never again wanted to accompany the sheriff on another trip.
Morris Wright was a fearless and even a reckless man, and while he was sheriff he was a holy terror on evilness. His deputies killed Newt Higging, the father of John, Scott and Joe Higging, three as good citizens as ever lived in the county.
After the excitement, incident to the tragedy had somewhat passed over, Capt. Bowlin returned to the county, gave himself up, stood his trial and was acquitted. It was shown at the trial that Wright had time and again threatened Bowlin's life, and as the deceased bore, the name of being a dangerous character, and was at outs with several prominent men of the county at the time of his death, the verdict of the jury met with the approval of the people generally.
Directly after the war while Judge Mack was holding court at Gainesville, Bowlin came into the court-room and the Judge ordered the officer in charge of the court to search the captain, while suspecting that he had a gun concealed on his person. Capt. White, who was the sheriff, made a careful examination of the clothes of the suspect, who held his arms straight up over his head while the search was being made, and the officer found no weapon on the accused. Capt. Bowlin afterward said that he had on two large army navies at the time, the search was made, but he had them strapped close under his arms at the time, and when he held his arms up the pistols were above where the officer searched and were not discovered. At another time two young men came down from Illinois and hired Capt. Bowlin and in setting up there was some differences between them, and the two young fellows brow-beat and stormed considerably over the matter. Bowlin reasoned with the men and assured them that he had never been accused of unfairness in his dealings with laboring men, and that he would rather give them something than take from them. But the two young bucks would not be reasoned with, and stormed and swaggered for sometime. When they quited down, Bowlin flashed his pistol in their faces and played the storming act himself for sometime. He told the men to open their mouths again and he would snuff their lights out in less than it took to tell it. He gave the boys a minute to get off the premises and warned them on penalty of their lives never again to set foot on his soil. It is needless to say that the young gentlemen skedaddled for Missouri and were never seen in these parts again.
Among the experiences he had during the war, that he had related to the writer, he recalls the following: Once while riding along a lane up in the Missouri by himself, he saw a federal scout coming towards him and to his astonishment he discovered the lane was full of blue-coats. He was on a fine horse, and turning it crossways in the road, he put spurs to it and made the animal leap the fence with him. He was about two hundred yards from the yankies, and the field was wide and clear of obstructions. He stated that not less than two hundred shots were fired at him, but none touched him or his horse. At another time a company of Federal Cavalry was in camp at Chalk Bluff in this county, when he and three other men entered their camp at the mid-night hour, and located the tent of the officers, slipped into it with hand-spikes in their hands, and beat out the brains of six of the men, secured them a fine horse apiece and made their escape, giving as his reason for not shooting the officers that a gun shot would have aroused the command, and resulted in their capture.
Captain Bowlin was in civil life, a very quite and unassuming man, and was one of the most devoted man to his family the writer ever saw. He was a clever and obliging neighbor, and had a host of friends where ever he was known. It is said to his credit as commanding officer that he never allowed his men to pilage or plunder the communities they passed through and that towards women and children, both in war and during times of quite, he was always kind and respectful.
Zacheus Phelps came to the county sometime in the fifties, and was a man of considerable means when he settled in Greene County. For a number of years he owned and controlled the principle store in Gainesville. He had a large family of boys and girls, Mrs. Tom P. Cole of this city being the youngest daughter. The oldest son was John Phelps, and the writer served in the confederae army with him, also with him at the capital during the early parts of the war. James Phelps was a Captain in Col. Reeve's regiment in the confederate army, and at the close of the war he became president of the first bank organized at Walnut Ridge. He and his two brothers, Abe and Bud, ran the largest mercantile established in Walnut Ridge and also carried on a large business at Gainesville.
While at Gainesville, John Phelps and his father madean engagement to run a foot race with old man Forestor, who was then forty five or fifty years old, but was regarded as the swiftest runner in the whole country.
Many thought Forestor was to old to put up a race with young Phelps, but when they met for the race the old gentleman began turning handsprings and summersaults, and all the betting was on the old man, except the father and brothers of the young man, JOhn Phelps, a great crowd assembled to witness the foot-race, and men bet everything they had on the outcome of the race. Men out their negroes, horses, cattle, mules, money and several bet the coats on their backs that the old man Forestore would distance the young man. William Lindely bet a good negro woman, this being in the days of slavery, and a good negro was the most valuable piece of personal property than in the country.
Well, the race came off and Phelps beat his aged competitor, and the Phelps went home several thousand dollars better off than before the racecourse in the morning.Foot-racing was popular then, no one thinking it the least bit harmful or improper for the strictest member of the church, to attend and bet on a race. It was all looked upon as a joke, and even when stripped of their property as a result of betting on a race, they took it good humoredly, and enjoyed the matter as a great joke.
Public sentiment has undergone a great change in this respect within the memory of the writer. Zacheus Phelps died at Walnut Ridge several years ago and left many friends who sincerely admired him.
John Phelps and Henry Glasscock, were boys together at Gainesville, and when they were about grown, they were well matched physically; and just to exercise their muscles and to entertain their friends, they would almost daily go out into the streets and fight by the hour. Neither was ever able to gain the better, and they always drew off dissatisfied with the combat.
They would maul each other black and blue and just as soon as the bruises quit hurting they would repair to the middle of the street and renew the slugging mill. They both said in after years that if they had put in the time and licks on study or legitimate employment that they soent mauling each other, they could have been rich or president.
W.R. Spencer, commonly called Rile, was born and reared over in the cache bottom. He could neither read or write, but he was a bright fellow and made money by his wits. At the present time his manner of making a livelihood would becalled gambling. He followed horse racing and shooting matches as an occupation and was never known to fail in a contest. He would win by fair means or foul, and some of his tricks showed a knowledge worthy of a better business. He once engaged in a shooting match with Morris Wright, for a stake of $250 and of course was the winner.
Sportsmen finally ruled him out of all contests, and he prided himself that they had despaired of ever beating in a match, when this was a fact, but grounded on the further fact that he would not comply with any rules that were fair and honest. Spencer left the county and went up in Missouri, where he remained for sometime. After the was he passed down through the county, going on south to the cotton country. He was well fixed having a great drove of hogs, some horses and a famous racer, called "Flowry Fast" which he had disguised as a common work nag. He had cut the hair off her sides where the harness usually rubs, turned her loose with the drove of hogs and had even allowed her main and tail to become full of burrs. At Jonesboro he found a man who wanted to talk horse racing and being bated along by Spencer, proposed to match a local racer against the sorry looking plug that the Missourian had running out with his hogs. The match was soon agreed upon for $100 and Spencer had his trained rider along with him driving hogs. Just to add interest to the race, Spencer proposed to make the stakes $250, which was eagerly agreed to, he claimed at the time that he pawned the hogs he had to Tom Culberhouse just south of Jonesboro, and a great crowd witnessed the race, as such events were almost the sole means of amusement in those days. The local sports at Jonesboro thought they were stacking a game on the Missouri dog driver, and invited a growd to se them scoop the tenderfoot. Well, the eventful day arrived and Rile was on hand with his little pided mare or "Flowry Fast" with al the burrs combed out and a trained jockey on her back. Both parties thought they were stacking a game on the other and indeed were, but the man never lived who could approach Rile Spenceer on a game of that kind. The game came off, and the pided mare with the rubbed places on her sided led the race from the start and could easily have gone around the race course twice to the local horse's once. The writer is informed that Rile died in Missouri several years ago of hydrophobia, caused by the bite of a mad dog.
William Lindely came to the county in a very early day, perhaps in the thirties, and settled on a farm about four miles east of Gainesville. He was a considerable stock raiser, and a successful business man. The land he settled on is now owned by Capt. John McHaney. Lindely sold the place before the war and bought the Boyd farm on the Black river, a short distance west of Delaplaine. He made this place his home until his death, and Dr. Thos. H. Wuse then purchased the farm. It is a very valuable homestead and was at the time Lindely came in possession of it.
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