A BLOODY LEGEND.
SKETCH OF BIG AND LITTLE HARPE.
Readers of this article will recall the blood-curdling
stories told them of the Harpes, who, in the early settlement of Henderson
County, were the terror of the pioneer. Many person in this and adjoining
counties remember how, in their childhood, these stories awakened the
keenest sense of fear, and were the occasion of almost agonizing
sensations as they passed along the wilderness roads, ever on the lookout
to be accosted by these terrible men. Their deeds of daring and desperate
designs placed them at the head of all early desperadoes. Their history in
this portion of Kentucky has long ago and repeatedly found its way into
the histories of Kentucky and other States, in pamphlets and the
newspapers of the country, and at one time even dramatized for the
American stage. But it was so desperate and appalling to all rational
sensibilities that it was abandoned by the drama.
In giving a history of these desperately wicked men, I
shall be as brief as possible, knowing full well that only a faint idea
can be given in the brief space allotted. The Harpes, consisting of "Big"
Harpe and his two wives, came into Kentucky from East Tennessee in the
year 1798. They had lived in Tennessee, and at one time were confined in
the Knoxville jail on suspicion of crime, when they were innocent. Upon
being released they declared war against all mankind, and determined to
rob and murder until they themselves were killed. Their appearance was
wild and rude in the extreme. Big Harpe was above the ordinary stature,
bony and muscular, his clothes dirty and shabby, distinguishing him as a
man wholly unused to the courtesies of civilized life. his countenance was
so repulsive that every indication of villainy was plainly marked thereon.
He wore no covering on his head, so the natural protection of thick,
coarse hair, of a fiery red, uncombed and matted, gave evidence of the
rudest exposure. He was armed with a rifle, knife and tomahawk. He was a
veritable outlaw, destitute of every touch of human nature, and prepared,
at all points, for assault and defense.
Little Harpe was a smaller man, but, in other respects,
the counterpart of his co-worker in crime, and with him frequently engaged
in riotous drunkenness and debauchery. Their travel through the wilderness
roads of Kentucky was marked by human blood. They were captured and
confined in the jail at Danville, but soon after made their escape, and
started en route for the mouth of Green River, marking their path
by robberies and murders of the most horrible and brutal character. The
district they traveled was wild and thinly populated, and for this reason
their outrages went unpunished. They seems inspired with the deadliest
hatred against the whole human race, and such was their implacable
misanthropy that they were known to kill where there was no temptation to
rob. one of their victims was a little girl, found at some distance form
her home, whose tender age, and helplessness, would have been a protection
against any but incarnate fiends. Every human met by them prior to their
arrival at Green River became a victim to their implacable thirst for
blood. The Harpe women had preceded their husbands to Henderson County,
and had settled about six miles from the town, in the direction of
Madisonville, where they lived during the winter of 1798, '99, and passed
themselves as widows. Micajah, or Big Harpe, and Wiley, or Little Harpe,
pushed their way on into Henderson County, where they soon after rejoined
their wives, and started in the direction of Tennessee. They remained some
time in what is now known as Hopkins County. This county, at that time,
was a wilderness, with but a few scattered settlers. The Harpes rode good
horses, and at that time dressed well, in the clothes of their murdered
victims. They were all the time heavily armed, and the condition of the
country was their apology for such equipments. The following is a
condensed history of their devilish deeds done in Henderson County, as
narrated by Mr. John B. Ruby to Judge Underwood, many years ago:
While passing along the road, presumable en route
South, the Harpes stopped for dinner at the house of a settler named James
Tompkins, near Steuben's Lick, and while there passed themselves for
Methodist preachers, and one of them actually said grace at the table.
The conversation turned on the general character of the
country. One of them asked Mr. Tompkins if he hunted much, who replied
that he did when he had the ammunition, but for some time he had been
without powder and notwithstanding deer was so plenty, he never had any
venison to eat. Thereupon the Harpes, with affected generosity, made a
liberal division of their stock of powder with Mr. Tompkins. It will be
seen in the sequel, that by a most singular providence, Big Harpe was
mortally wounded by his own powder thus given to Mr. Tompkins.
After dinner they resumed their journey. The first
cabin passed was that of Moses Stigall, then occupied by his wife and
little child, Stigall being from home. This cabin was five miles from
Tompkins, The next settlement was Peter Ruby's, eleven miles from
Stigall's. John B. Ruby was at Peter Ruby's and saw the Harpes pass. They
camped for the night a few miles from Stigall's, who, it is claimed, owed
one of the Harpe women a dollar. Stigall met the party in the flats of
Deer Creek as he was going to Robinsin's Lick for salt and was told of the
owing dollar. He told the Harpe woman to call upon his wife in passing,
giving explicit directions where his wife could find the money. The women
went to Mrs. Stigalls and told her what her husband had said. She found
his purse, containing about $40.00 in silver, out of which she paid the
claimed dollar. The wives then told their husbands how much money Mrs.
Stigall seemd to have, and this led to the perpetration during the
following night of the last dreadful act of barbarity in the long list of
horrible tragedies of which the Harpers were guilty.
Mrs. Stigall was a young woman with only one child. A
man by the name of Love was staying that night at the house. The two
Harpes left their camp, and went to the house of Stigall, got the money,
murdered his wife and child and Mr. Love, then set fire to the house of
Stigall and burnt up the murdered bodies and all that was in the house.
Two men named Hudgens and Gillmore, were returning from the lick with
their packs of salt and camped for the night not far from Stigall's. About
daylight the Harpes went to their camp and arrested them under pretense
that they had committed robbery, murder and arson at the house of Stigall.
They shot Gillmore, who died on the spot. Hudgens broke and ran, but was
overtaken by the Harpes and put to death. These things were stated by the
women after Big Harpe's death.
News of these murders spread through the scattered
population with rapidity. Stigall returned to find no wife to welcome him,
no home to receive him. Distracted with grief and rage he turned his
horse's head from the smouldering ruins and repaired to the house of
Captain John Leeper, who was one of the most powerful men of his day, and
as fearless as powerful. Alarm and excitement pervaded every heart, men
assembled at the call of Stigall and Leeper to consult and to act. The
conclusion was universal that these crimes were the deeds of the Harpes.
Large rewards for their heads, dead or alive, had been publicly offered,
and the pioneers of the wilderness were determined upon their capture. A
company was formed, consisting of John Leeper, James Tompkins, Silas Magby,
Neville Lindsey, Matthew Christian, Robert Robertson and the infuriated
Moses Stigall. If there were any others, their names have been forgotten.
These men, armed with rifles, got on the trail of the Harpes and overtook
them at their camp upon the waters of Pond River.
About a quarter of a mile from camp, the pursuing party
saw Little Harpe and a man named Smith, who had been hunting horses in the
range, conversing near a branch of water. Little Harpe charged Smith with
being a horse thief, and blew in his charger, (a small instrument with
which the hunter measures his powder in loading his gun). The shrill
sound, their usual signal for danger, soon brought Big Harpe arrived at
the branch in opposite directions, at nearly the same time. Big Harpe came
mounted on a fine gray mare, the property of the murdered Love, which he
had appropriated. The pursuers, not doubting the guilt of those whom they
had overtaken, without warning fired upon them, badly wounding Smith, but
not hitting either of the Harpes. Big Harpe was in the act of shooting
Smith as those in front among the pursuers fired. He had already cocked
his gun and told Smith he must die. But surprised by the volley and by the
rushing up of the persons, he reserved his fire, whirled Love's mare
around and galloped off to his camp. Little Harpe ran off on foot to a
thicket and was not seen afterwards.
On reaching Smith, the pursuers were detained listening
to his explanation. He was regarded as an accomplice of the Harpes, but
soon demonstrated his innocence and his life was spared. The pursuers
hastened towards the camp and saw Big Harpe hastily saddling the horses
and preparing to take the women off with him. Seeing their rapid approach,
he mounted Love's mare, armed with rifle and pistols, and darted off,
leaving the women and children to provide for themselves. They were made
prisoners, and Magby, a large, fat man, unfitted for the chase, and one
other were left to guard them. Love's mare was large and strong and
carried the two-hundred weight of her rider, Big Harpe, with much ease,
and he seemed to call on her to expend all her strength in his behalf.
Tompkins, rather a small man, rode a thorough-bred, full-blooded bay mare
of the best Virginia stock, and led in the pursuit. He had chased thieves
before, and the only account he gave of one of them was "that he would
never steal another horse." Nance, his mare, exhibited both speed
and bottom in this race of life or death. The other horses were nothing
like equal to Nance or to the Love mare, or their riders being large men,
Big Harpe might entertain hopes of escape.
In the first two or three miles, he kept far ahead, no
one trailing in sight except Tompkins. There was no difficulty in
following through the rich, mellow soil of the wilderness, the tracks made
by the horses of Harpe and Tompkins. Leeper was second in the chase and
the others followed as rapidly as possible. As the race progressed, Big
Harpe drove into a think forest of large trees upon a creek bottom. Here
he was overhauled by Tompkins. Each reined up his foaming steed and
stopped. Neither attempted to fire. Tompkins told Harpe that escape was
impossible and he had better surrender. "Never!" was the quick reply. At
that moment Leeper was in sight. Harpe again dashed off at full speed,
while Tompkins tarried for Leeper. As soon as he came up he said, "Why
didn't you shoot?" Tompkins replied that his mare was so fiery he could
not make a safe shot upon her and he would not fire unless he was sure of
execution. Leeper had fired upon the Harpes and Smith at the branch, and
finding that his ramrod could not be withdrawn in consequence of its
having got wet, told Tompkins he could not reload, that his horse was fast
failing, and that Harpe would escape unless "Nance" could catch him.
Tompkins replied, "that she could run over Harpe's Mare on any part of the
ground." Leeper said, "Let's exchange horses and give me your gun and shot
pouch and I'll bring hin down if I can overtake him." They dismounted and
exchanged horses and arms and Leeper dashed forward after Big Harpe. The
noble mare proved her ability to "run over him upon any part of the
ground."
Leeper crossed the creek and after passing through the
thick, tall trees in the bottom, came in sight of the fleeing Harpe as he
reached higher ground with its prairie grass and scattered trees. The gray
mare (not) the better horse, Nance gradually gained upon her. When Leeper
got up within thirty yards, Harpe warned him "to stand off or he would
kill him." Leeper replied, "One of us has to die, and the hardest fend
off."
As the woods became more open and interposed fewer
obstructions, Leeper though he had a good chance. Suddenly putting "Nance"
to her full speed, he rushed up within ten steps of Harpe, threw his leg
over the mane, and the bridle over Nance's head and jumpred to the ground,
took aim and fired. Harpe reined up, turned, presented his gun, and it
snapped--all without dismounting. Leeper afterwards said: "If Harpe's gun
had not snapped, the ball would not have passed within twenty yards of me,
so badly was it aimed." Harpe then threw the gun down, wheeled the gray
mare and pushed on his course. From these circumstances Leeper knew he had
hit him. He caught and remounted Nance and soon overtook Harpe, who told
him to keep off of he would shoot him with a pistol. In a few seconds
Harpe ceased to urge the gray mare forward and put both his hands to the
pommel of the saddle to hold on. Leeper rushed alongside and threw him to
the ground. Two balls had entered near the back bone and came out near the
breast bone. Harpe begged that he might be taken to justice and not be put
to instant death. Leeper told him that his request was useless; that his
wound was fatal and he must soon die.
He then asked for a drink of water. Leeper walked away
to a branch close by, and, taking off one of his shoes, filled it with
water and started on his return to the wounded outlaw. At this time James
Tompkins, Stigall, and others, dashed up, and, without ceremony, Stigall
dismounted, drew his knife, and severed Big Harpe's head from the body;
and thus perished the most brutal of all brutal monsters. A tall young
tree, growing by the side of the trail, or road, was selected, and trimmed
of its lateral branches to the top, and then pointed. On this point the
hear was fastened, the skull and jaw bones remaining there for many years,
after all else had mingled with the dust. Near by stood a large tree in
which was plainly cut the initials of the dead outlaw, "U.H.," which were
plainly visible up to a few years since. The place where this tree grew is
in the present County of Webster, at the intersection of the Henderson and
Morganfield and Madisonville roads.
It will be remembered that the three Harpe women were
left at the camp, prisoners, in charge of two of the Leeper party.
Immediately after the killing of Big Harpe the women, with their children
(each woman had a young child), were brought to the town of Henderson and
confined in the little log dungeon, then located on the river bank, near
the present bridge.
On the fourth day of September, 1799, a Court of
Quarter Sessions was called for the examination of Susanna and Sally Harpe
and Betsey Roberts, committed as parties to the murder of Mrs. Stigall,
James Stigall, an infant, and William Love, a school teacher, on the
twentieth day of August. The trial was held by Justices Samuel Hopkins and
Abram Landers. They were found guilty and remanded to jail. Subsequently
the women were taken, under order of the Court, by Andrew Rowan, Sheriff,
and Amos Kuykendall, John Standley, Green Massey, Nevil Lindsay and Gibson
Harden, to Russellville, Ky., there to await the action of the Grand Jury.
They were tried at Russellville and cleared.
Nothing is known of the after life of Big Harpe's two
wives, but the wife of Little Harpe, who was represented as being a young
woman of great beauty, married a highly respectable man in Tennessee, and
raised a large family of children, all esteemed for sobriety, honesty and
industry. The name of the gentleman has ever been withheld, because a
silly world might take occasion to reflect upon the children, in
consequence of the mother's connection with the Harpes. Little Harpe
escaped to Mississippi and was there hung for his devilment.
Moses Stigall, whose wife was killed by the Harpes,
turned out to be himself a bad man. In less than one year after the murder
of his wife and child he was married to Ellen Vane, and a short time after
was himself killed for aiding Joshua Fleehart in running away with a Miss
Maddox. Peak Fletcher and a brother of the young woman pursued the
runaways and overtook them in the Territory of Illinois. They were found
at night in a log cabin, which was cautiously and silently approached, and
at a given signal Fletcher and Maddox fired through the chinks of the
cabin and killed both Fleehart and Stigall. Miss Maddox was sitting at the
time in the lap of her lover, with an arm around his neck.
On December 16th, 1799, by an Act of the Legislature of
Kentucky, the reward of $300, offered by the Governor for the capture of
the Harpes, was allowed to John Leeper, and thus ends the brief history of
two of the boldest and most noted freebooters who have ever cursed
America.
History of Henderson County, Kentucky
by Edmund L. Starling
p. 523-29
published in 1887
public domain material
