rumor had it that the harpes had left the neighborhood of russellville, going south, and were probably making their way to west tennessee. in the meantime, however, two small families had wandered into henderson county, kentucky, and were living in a rented cabin on a small farm on canoe creek, some eight miles south of red banks or henderson. about twenty miles southwest of this point, near the headwaters of highland creek, were robertson’s lick and, west of it, highland lick. a few miles east of these, near the present town of sebree, was knob lick.
the highland lick road and a few trails led to these salt licks, and, because of these roads and the salt wells with their “salt works,” many pioneers considered the section a very desirable one in which to live. settlers were constantly coming for a bushel or two of salt and then returning home. the coming and going of people therefore attracted less attention along the highland lick road and its by-paths than in most other sections. and since only a few months before about fifteen outlaws had been killed in henderson county, and all the others had been driven out [124] there was little likelihood of undesirable persons appearing on the scene. principally for this reason, the two small families of recent arrivals on canoe creek attracted no particular attention, and least of all were they suspected of being notorious criminals. a good description of the harpes was in wide circulation, and through general
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hopkins they became especially well known in the lower green river country. the return of the harpes seemed as improbable as a second bolt of lightning in the same spot.
john slover lived about a mile from the cabin rented by the new arrivals, but had seen them only once or twice and then from a distance. slover’s career as an indian fighter in eastern kentucky was well known to his friends and acquaintances and was often the subject of discussion at fireside talks. in fact, his escape from indian captivity was so singular and romantic that john a. mcclung devoted a whole chapter to it when, in 1832, he published his sketches of western adventure.
one day slover was hunting near robertson’s lick, writes draper in his “sketch of the harpes,” and, after killing a bear in the woods, returned to a path leading homeward. while leisurely riding along he heard the snap of a gun that failed to fire. quickly turning in the direction of the sound he recognized his two new neighbors, well armed and wilder looking than indians in battle. comprehending the great danger of an encounter with two fierce men apparently prepared for murder, the experienced indian fighter put spurs to his horse and escaped. slover reported this experience to some of his friends and ventured the opinion that the two men were the harpes. none doubted that an unsuccessful attempt had been made to shoot him but, on the other hand, none agreed with him that the harpes had returned and were loitering around the licks.
a day or two later a man named trowbridge left robertson’s lick to carry some salt to a farm on the ohio near the mouth of highland creek. trowbridge never returned, and his disappearance remained a mystery until a few months later when one of the harpe
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women made known the facts. trowbridge was killed by the harpes about eight miles above the mouth of highland creek and his body sunk in the stream.
when general hopkins received a report of slover’s narrow escape, although doubting the presence of the harpes, he detailed a number of men to watch the place on canoe creek. while loitering around their cabin the harpes evidently not only wore clothes different from those in which they were seen by slover, but also managed to change their general appearance to such an extent that slover, inspecting them from a distance, did not recognize the two men as the same who had attempted to shoot him. the women were nowhere seen by the spies, for, as learned later, they were waiting for the harpes to meet them at some designated place and time. the guards, after watching the house about a week without results, quietly returned to their homes, not realizing that the two suspected men were aware of their movements.
the next day the harpes started toward the hiding place of their women and children. they traveled south about fifteen miles to the home of james tompkins on deer creek, not far from what was then known as steuben’s lick, near which place, according to one tradition, general steuben of revolutionary fame was wounded, some fifteen years before, by an indian. they rode good horses. both were fairly well dressed and, upon meeting tompkins, represented themselves as methodist preachers. their equipment aroused no suspicion, for the country was almost an unbroken wilderness and preachers as well as most other pioneers, were often seen traveling well armed. tompkins invited them to supper, and big harpe, to ward off suspicion, said a long grace at table. in the course of their
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conversation one of the harpes asked their host about his supply of venison. tompkins, convinced that he was dealing with men from whom he had nothing to fear, admitted to shooting no deer lately for the simple reason that his powder was exhausted and had been for some time. big harpe, with affected generosity, poured a teacupful from his powder horn and presented it to tompkins. that same powder, as we shall see, later performed a most singular service. [28] bidding their host a farewell, ministerial in its pretense, the two desperadoes, pretending to have an engagement some miles south, took the trail in that direction.
that same evening, however, they made their appearance on the farm of squire silas mcbee, one-half mile northwest of tompkins’ place. squire mcbee was a justice of the peace and had been active in fighting outlaws. the murderers were, therefore, very much disposed to butcher him. it was early in the evening and the moon was shining brightly when they approached his house. the squire kept a half dozen dogs for bear and deer hunting and, hearing an uproar among them, the mcbees went to the door to investigate the cause. they saw the pack fiercely attacking two men, but, suspecting that the intruders might be of an unwelcome character, made no effort to restrain the hounds. after a fierce fight with the dogs, the harpes withdrew.
foiled in their attempt at squire mcbee’s, they proceeded about four miles northwest and late that night reached the house of moses stegall—about five miles east of what later became the town of dixon. stegall (also spelled steigal, and various other ways) was absent, but his wife and their only child, a boy of four months, were at home and had, only a few hours before,
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admitted major william love, a surveyor, who had come to see stegall on business. mrs. stegall, expressing an opinion that her husband would return that night, invited him to remain. he climbed to the loft above on a ladder on the outside of the house and was in bed when the new arrivals entered the cabin. [57] stegall at one time lived in knox county, tennessee, [21] and evidently was acquainted with the harpes, for mrs. stegall knew them but had received instructions from the harpes never to address them by their real names in the presence of a third person. [12e] major love came down and met the two men, little suspecting who they were. in the conversation that followed the murderers themselves inquired about the harpes and, among other things, stated that, according to rumor, the two outlaws were then prowling around in the neighborhood. [27]
mrs. stegall, having only the one spare bed in the loft, was obliged to assign it to the three men. after major love had fallen asleep one of the harpes took an axe which he always carried in his belt and, with a single blow, dashed out the brains of the sleeping man. the two villains then went down to mrs. stegall’s room. she, knowing nothing to the contrary, presumed major love was still asleep. while reprimanding her for assigning them a bed with a man whose snoring kept them awake, they proceeded to murder her and her baby. after gathering some bedding and clothing, among which was major love’s hat, and leaving the three bodies in the house, they set it afire. [27] it was soon a smoking ruin.11
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such, briefly, is the account of the killing of mrs. stegall as given by all writers who describe this tragedy and as still told in western kentucky by those who are familiar with local traditions. breazeale, however, published some details which are very characteristic of the inhumanity of the harpes, but which are not woven into any of the other versions. they are probably omitted more for the reason that the accounts are sufficiently gruesome without them than because of the possibility that such brutality might be questioned.
this version has it that on the morning the two harpes burnt stegall’s house, they arose and asked mrs. stegall to prepare breakfast for them. she consented to do so, explaining that since her child was not well and she had no one to nurse it the meal would necessarily be somewhat long in preparation. the men then suggested that she place the baby in the cradle and let them rock it. this she did. “after mrs. stegall had prepared their breakfast and the ruthless and savage murderers had partaken of her hospitality, she went to the cradle to see if the child was asleep, expressing some astonishment (as micajah harpe acknowledged when he was afterward taken) that her child should remain quiet for so great a length of time.... she beheld her tender, harmless, and helpless infant lying breathless, with its throat cut from ear to ear.... but the relentless monsters stayed not their bloody hands for the tears and heart-broken wailings of a bereaved mother. they instantly dispatched her, with the same instrument (a butcher knife) with which they
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had cut the throat of the child; then set fire to the house and fled.” [21]
before leaving the stegall farm they stole major love’s horse and one belonging to stegall. they concealed themselves along the road that ran between stegall’s and mcbee’s, reasoning that if the squire saw the light of the burning house, he would hasten there in the morning over this road and thus easily become their victim. while lying in wait for mcbee, the outlaws halted two men named hudgens and gilmore, who were returning from robertson’s lick with packs of salt. the harpes accused them of murdering the stegall family and burning the house. the charge was denied, but when the two prisoners were told they must appear before squire mcbee to prove their innocence, they willingly submitted to arrest. while marching them along, big harpe purposely dropped behind and shot gilmore through the head, killing him instantly. hudgens, seeing this, ran away, hoping to escape, but was overtaken by little harpe, who snatched from him his gun and with it beat out his brains. [12l]
the murderers then resumed their hiding place, watching for the approach of the expected mcbee. in the meantime, john pyles and four other men from christian county, returning from robertson’s lick, found the stegall house a smouldering ruin, with not a human being in sight. surroundings indicating that the disaster was still unknown in the neighborhood, they proceeded to mcbee to notify him of their discovery. they were unmolested by the harpes, who doubtless felt confident that the men would later return over the same road with mcbee and thus give them the hoped for chance to shoot the justice of the peace from ambush.
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mcbee knew nothing of the fire until john pyles reported it. he immediately rode to the home of william grissom (or grisson) who lived about a mile north of stegall’s. it so happened that he took a short trail instead of the main road and thus providentially escaped the harpes. he and grissom, armed and well mounted, accompanied by grissom’s family, rode to the stegall home. they not only found the house burned to the ground, as described by john pyles, but also discovered in the ashes the half-burned remains of mrs. stegall and major love. they then proceeded to mcbee’s house, fortunately taking the same short cut over which the squire had ridden in the morning. they had scarcely dismounted when moses stegall rode up. then, for the first time, stegall heard of what had happened to his family since he left home. the necessity of organizing a pursuing party had already been agreed upon and stegall was sent to robertson’s lick for volunteers. [12m]
that same afternoon or night the harpes and their women and two children, with all their goods and horses, began their flight. the next morning stegall returned with john leiper, matthew christian, and neville lindsey. these four, with silas mcbee, william grissom, and james tompkins, constituted a party of seven daring backwoodsmen, who were prepared to pursue and capture the harpes, regardless of what danger and hardship the effort might involve.
then began the chase after the harpes—a chase made so cold and dramatic by its results, that for more than a century every minute detail of it has been sought by historians and by all who are curious about those full moments when life and death look each other in the eye with the event hanging on the balance of an instant.
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various have been the accounts printed, nearly all agreeing in the main features but differing in those small details, the rendering of which seems to excite as it satisfies the curiosity of the mind. the most accurate account of this chase of death was published in september, 1842, in the western literary and historical magazine. it was prepared by the distinguished historical collector and author, lyman c. draper, who rendered invaluable service to western annals by gathering and preserving more data pertaining to the early history of the middle west than any other man of his generation. his “sketch of the harpes” was written, as he is careful to explain, after a long conversation with squire silas mcbee himself. after its publication the narrative was submitted for correction to squire mcbee, who made but four almost immaterial changes, all of which are noted in the account to follow.
it is well at the outset to point out that silas mcbee was a man of education and wide experience, more competent than any of the others engaged in this whirlwind chase to observe and give an account of all that occurred. he was born in 1765, fought as a youth at king’s mountain, as he had in other revolutionary battles and indian wars. he was a brave soldier, an enthusiastic hunter, and an ideal pioneer of public spirit and character. in alabama he served as a member of its first legislature. after living in western kentucky, where for many years he did much for the general good, he removed to mississippi and died there in 1845 at the age of eighty. [41] one of his daughters was the wife of governor t. m. tucker, of mississippi, and another the wife of united states senator thomas h. williams, of the same state.
here is the mcbee narrative of that famous chase:
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“mounted, and equipped, and provisioned for a few days, the little troop started about noon on their expedition against the harpes, leaving their women and a faithful old negro servant with a few guns, to defend the temporarily fortified domicil at mcbee’s. the trail of the harpes was soon struck south of the road leading to the lick; and after pursuing it a few miles, a spot was reached where the outlaws had evidently dispersed a large drove of buffaloes, with the design, doubtless, of so tramping down and tangling the wild grass and shrubbery as to render it difficult, if not impossible, to discover their course of flight. the pursuing party understood the stratagem, and though a little puzzled at first, they soon regained the trail, which, however, forked off at a little distance—the party dividing, followed each for a mile or two when the elliptical forks again united. after this they had no difficulty in keeping the path. at nightfall they halted and camped on the bottom of the western shore of pond river, a considerable tributary of green river. their simple repast despatched, and horses secured, they retired to rest—the earth their bed, a wallet their pillow, and their only covering the broad canopy of heaven. that night they slept with an eye half open, but nothing occurred, save a smart dash of rain, to require particular notice.
“early the following morning the pursuit was resumed, fording pond river with ease, and riding on rapidly till an hour after sun up, when a couple of dead dogs were found in the trail, recognized as having belonged to the unfortunate hutchins and gillmore whom the harpes had so wantonly murdered. from the fact that the bodies were not swollen in such hot august weather, it was inferred that the dogs had not
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long been killed, and that the fugitives could not be far ahead. they had probably killed the dogs to prevent their barking, and thus the better to enable them to make good their escape. it was now proposed by squire mcbee, in order to advance with the least noise, that four of the most expert footmen should dismount and push on as rapidly as due regard to caution would permit, leaving the horses for the remaining three to lead along more leisurely, yet keeping within hailing distance in case of need. leiper, steigal, christian, and lindsay, accordingly went ahead on foot, while mcbee, grissom, and tompkins followed with the horses in charge. the pursuit continued in this manner for a mile or so, when, not finding the outlaws, the footmen again mounted their horses, and all went on together. but a short time elapsed before squire mcbee discovered the ruffians on a distant hill-side, a strip of low land intervening—both on foot with guns in hand, big harpe having a horse by his side, and both holding a parley with a person on horseback [corrected by draper to afoot] whom they had apparently just met. mcbee exclaimed ‘there they are,’ pointing towards them, and at the same time putting spurs to his horse dashed over the low ground and made for the spot. big harpe instantly mounted and darted off in one direction, and little harpe on foot in another, while the other individual rode [corrected by draper to ran] rapidly towards mcbee, and when within sixty or eighty yards suddenly dismounted [draper eliminated ‘dismounted’] and betook himself to a tree. seeing this bellicose demonstration on the part of an armed man, mcbee in the excitement of the moment, drew up his gun, loaded with two balls, and ‘blazed away’ at that part of the body exposed to view, both
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bullets taking effect, one passing through the right thigh, and the other the right arm. at this moment steigal recognised the wounded man as a settler living up pond river some two or three miles; and perceiving some of the rest of the party in the act of levelling their pieces, steigal exclaimed ‘don’t shoot, it’s george smith!’ the unfortunate man, who knew squire mcbee, now calling him by name apologised for his singular conduct by saying, that he was nearly bereft of his senses, expecting every moment that the harpes would kill him, and when he treed he had not recovered from his fright and was totally unfitted to perceive the folly and madness of the act. little harpe, he said, had met him with his gun in one hand, and a kettle in the other, going after water; and made enquiries about the settlements, speaking in an elevated tone, evidently that his brother might hear from the camp, not more than eighty rods distant, and come to his aid—such at least was the effect, intentional or not, for big harpe rode up and dismounted, and had been there but a few moments when mcbee and his party unexpectedly made their appearance. smith desired squire mcbee to assist him home, which with pleasure he consented to do after the harpes were secured. he redeemed his promise, and in time smith recovered both from his fright and his wounds [corrected by draper to read: ‘smith hobbled home by himself and in due time etc.’].
“after they broke and ran, the outlaws were instantly out of sight. a little search enabled the pursuers to discover the camp, which proved to be a natural room perhaps fifteen feet square, under a shelving rock projecting from the cliff of a ridge facing the south, with a large rock directly in front, leaving but a narrow
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entrance—affording altogether a very secluded and safe retreat, susceptible of easy defence. the pursuing party were rather cautious in approaching the camp, but little harpe’s woman alone remained. when questioned about the harpes, she frankly said that big harpe had just been there, mounted each of his women on a good horse, and darted off in great haste. she was asked to point out the direction they had taken, which she readily did—the men, however, in their hurry, overlooked the trail and returned to the camp. squire mcbee, thinking she had purposely deceived them to gain time for big harpe and his women, raised his gun and threatened to kill her instantly if she did not give the correct information; upon which she went and pointed it out precisely as she had described it. after perhaps half an hour’s delay in finding the camp and parleying with the woman, the pursuers again proceeded with all possible haste, bent on the destruction of big harpe, and fully determined that nothing should divert them from their purpose.
“squire mcbee was left to bring on the prisoner, whom he mounted on one of the outlaw’s horses, and, though thus encumbered, he kept nearly up with the party. when about two miles from the camp, big harpe was again discovered on a ridge a short distance ahead, and some of the party halloed to him to stop, upon which he abandoned his women to their fate, and dashed on alone—leiper, in the meantime, making an ineffectual shot at the fugitive. tompkins and lindsey were left in charge of the two captured women, while leiper, christian, grisson, and steigal renewed the chase with increased animation. leiper not being able to draw his ramrod, owing to its swollen condition from the rain of the preceding night, had exchanged guns
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with tompkins. the fleeing outlaw was closely pressed, christian, steigal, and grisson each giving him a shot in the pursuit—christian’s alone taking effect, wounding him in the leg. harpe, discovering that leiper was considerably in advance of the others, and supposing his gun empty, concluded to take advantage, as he thought, of the circumstance, and get a fair shot at his dangerous adversary. he accordingly stopped his horse, and while renewing his priming, leiper took unerring aim, and fired—and the same powder which the outlaws had a few days previously given tompkins, now sped the ball that mortally wounded big harpe. though badly shot through the spine of his back, the wounded ruffian, determined to sell his life as dearly as possible, levelled his gun at leiper; but even that deserted him in his hour of need—it snapped! and he threw it away in disgust. as leiper and christian were rapidly advancing upon him, steigal and grisson having lagged far behind, harpe drew a large tomahawk and brandished it furiously to keep off his pursuers, at the same time urging on his jaded horse as well as he could. leiper and christian kept close at hand, repeatedly calling upon him to surrender, when he would again brandish his tomahawk in savage defiance. he finally agreed to surrender himself if they would stop their horses; accordingly they all reined up, leiper and christian dismounted and made some demonstrations towards loading; perceiving which, harpe suddenly dashed off. leiper’s horse, which had been standing by his side, though not held by him, now took fright and darted off after harpe’s horse. seeing the accident, christian instantly mounted his steed and quickly overtook the runaway horse, returned him to leiper, and both without loading renewed the pursuit. they easily
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followed the trail through a small canebrake of thick growth, and just as the fugitive was emerging from it they overhauled him, not more than half a mile distant from where he had taken french leave. his horse was walking quite leisurely, and harpe’s wonted daring and bravery seemed to have forsaken him; and, faint from the loss of blood, he had either lost his tomahawk or thrown it away. they rode up and pulled him from his horse without resistance.
“just at this moment squire mcbee came up with his prisoner in charge; and steigal and grisson soon after joined the party. the dying outlaw, as he lay stretched upon the ground, begged for water, and leiper took a shoe from one of harpe’s feet, and with it procured some for him near by. mcbee now told him that he was already dying, but they should hasten his death; time, however, would be given him for prayer and preparation for another world—to which he made no reply, and appeared quite unconcerned. when asked if he had not money concealed, he replied that he had secreted a pair of saddle bags full in the woods on an eastern branch of pond river, some twenty miles from its mouth. from his description of the branch, and their knowledge of the country, they concluded that there was no such water-course, and gave little or no heed to his story; but a report, however, has gained some currency—for the truth of which we cannot vouch, that a considerable sum of specie has been found, within a few years, near the head waters of pond river.
“steigal, after reminding harpe how unfeelingly he had murdered his wife and only child, drew a knife, and exhibiting it to him, said in plain terms that he intended to cut his head off with that! ‘i am,’ said the dying outlaw faintly, ‘but a young man, but young as i
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am i feel the death-damp already upon my brow; and before i die i could wish that old baldwin might be brought here, as he is the man who instigated me to the commission of all my crimes.’ this baldwin, a very suspicious character, lived at green tree grove, in the then adjoining county of livingstone, now called caldwell; and though subsequently tried, he was acquitted, nothing positive being proven against him. when they had somewhat recovered from the fatigue of the chase, after perhaps an hour’s delay—during which harpe lay on the ground upon his right side, unable from weakness to raise himself, and rapidly ebbing his life away—steigal stepped forward and pointed the muzzle of his gun at the head of the expiring outlaw, who conscious of the intention, and desirous at least of procrastinating it dodged his head to and fro with an agility unexpected to the beholders, manifesting pretty plainly a strong disrelish ‘to shuffle off this mortal coil.’ perceiving this, steigal observed, ‘very well, i believe i will not upon reflection shoot him in the head, for i want to preserve that as a trophy;’ and thereupon shot him in the left side—and harpe almost instantly expired without a struggle or a groan. steigal, with the knife he had so menacingly exhibited to harpe, now cut off the outlaw’s head. squire mcbee had with him a wallet in which he had brought his provisions and provender—in one end of this, steigal placed the severed head, and some articles of corresponding weight in the other, and then slung it behind him across his horse, and all commenced their return. thus died big harpe, long the terror of the west, and his decapitated body was left in the wilds of muhlenberg county, as unsepulchred as his merited death was unwept and unmourned.
“after the party left the scene of decapitation they
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re-joined tompkins and lindsay, who had been left in charge of the two women of big harpe, and they all proceeded to the camp of the outlaws, which they gave a careful examination. nothing of any value was discovered, save a dollar and a half in small change pieces. ten horses in all were recovered and restored to their several owners. that noble animal which big harpe rode, and which had belonged to major love, was conveyed to his widow, but did not long survive that terrible ride.
“the head was conveyed to the cross-roads within half a mile of robertson’s lick, and there placed in the forks of a tree, where for many years it remained a revolting object of horror. to this day the place where that bloody trophy was deposited is known as harpe’s head, and the public road which passes by it from the deer creek settlement to the ‘lick,’ is still called harpe’s head road. in subsequent years a superstitious old lady of the neighborhood, some member of whose family was afflicted with fits, having been told that the human skull pulverized, would effect a certain cure, thus appropriated that of the memorable outlaw of the west.”
lexington, sept. 10.
the two murderers by the name of harps, who killed mr. langford last winter in the wilderness, and were arrested and broke the danville goal, killed a family on pond river, by the name of staple on the 22d day of august, and burnt the house; a party of men pursued and overtook them and their women; the harps parted. micajah harp, took two of the women off with him; the men pursued him, and in riding about 10 or 12 miles, caught him, having previously shot him. he confessed the killing of mr. stump on big barren; he also confessed of their killing 17 or 18 besides; they killed two men near robertson’s lick, the day before they burnt staple’s house. they had with them eight horses and a considerable quantity of plunder, seven pair of saddle bags, &c. they cut off his head. the women were taken to the red banks. the above took place on pond river in the county of muhlenburg.
facsimile of news item regarding capture of micajah harpe
dated lexington, kentucky, september 10, 1799, and published in the carolina gazette, charleston, s. c., october 24, 1799
thus ended the career of “one of the most brutal monsters of the human race.” and little harpe, having escaped the pursuers, resumed elsewhere, as we shall see later, his life of outlawry. the capture of big harpe is briefly described by breazeale, collins, hall, and a few other historians, but none goes into details as does draper in the sketch quoted. each of these writers, however, presents some circumstance not mentioned by the others. some writers say big harpe made a confession before he was killed; others are absolutely silent on that feature, neither affirming nor
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denying it. local tradition, the current newspapers, and breazeale are among those who state that big harpe made a confession. it is more than probable that he did. the kentucky gazette of september 5, 1799, prints a statement to the effect that he confessed to killing about twenty people. colonel g. w. sevier, about 1840, recalled the number as about thirty-one. [12g] the number of their victims noted in this sketch up to the death of big harpe is twenty-eight, exclusive of the triswords of whom there were probably about ten.
the report that big harpe had been captured and beheaded and that little harpe had escaped spread rapidly throughout kentucky and tennessee, and was soon verified by the state press. among the newspapers beyond the boundaries of these two states that announced this news was the carolina gazette, of charleston, which, in its issue of october 24, 1799, published a paragraph on the subject, dated lexington, kentucky, september 10, which is here reproduced in facsimile.
history and local tradition have it that big harpe was killed in muhlenberg county, two miles west of unity baptist church [110] near what has since been known as harpe’s hill. an oak tree four feet in diameter, which until 1910 stood about a hundred yards from pond river on the old slab road leading from harpe’s hill to “free henry” ford, was always pointed out as the tree under which big harpe was beheaded and his headless corpse lay until it was devoured by wild animals. on the south slope of harpe’s hill, about a mile and a half east of pond river and a few steps off the road leading to “free henry” ford, is a large isolated rock known as harpe’s “house.” it
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was at this so-called “rock house” that the harpes were camping when overtaken by the pursuers. [109]
after big harpe had been disposed of and the women held as prisoners, the pursuers began their victorious march to robertson’s lick, a distance of some thirty-five miles, there to display the head and to warn little harpe and all other outlaws what to expect should they attempt any depredations. draper, as we have already seen, states that before the men started on their return, stegall placed the severed head in one end of a wallet and some articles of corresponding weight in the other end and then swung it across his horse. the same historian, in one of his note books, wrote: “big harpe’s wife was made to carry the head by the hair some distance; while slinging it along she kept muttering, ‘damn the head!’” [12g] another account is that the men, knowing they would be obliged to camp out for the night and require more food than still remained, took some roasting ears from a field along the route and having no other means of carrying them, put them unhusked into the bag with big harpe’s head. later, when the corn was taken out and prepared for supper, one of the men refused to eat “because it had been put into the bag with harpe’s head.” [21]
the head was carried to the neighborhood where the two harpes had committed their last crime. authors vary somewhat in the details of just how this gruesome object was displayed as a warning to outlaws, but all agree that it was put up by the side of the highway (about three miles north of what later became the town of dixon) near the forks of the road running south from henderson, one branch of which extended to marion and eddyville and the other to madisonville and russellville, kentucky. the old road became
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known as harpe’s head road, and its successor, the henderson and madisonville pike, still bears that name.12
the captors had traveled about thirty-five miles before they reached the spot decided upon as the most fitting place to display the head. continuing their journey
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some twenty miles further they arrived in henderson and there placed the three women in “the little log dungeon, then located on the river bank near the present bridge”—the railroad bridge erected in 1885. [124] about a week later they were taken to the court house for trial. the minute book of the court of quarter sessions briefly shows, on pages 4 and 5, what disposition was made of them by that court, an exact copy of which is here given as extracted from the records in the curious courthouse jargon of that day:
“at a court of quarter sessions called and held for the county of henderson on wednesday the 4th day of september, 1799, for the examination of susanna harpe, sally harpe, and betsey roberts, committed to the jail of this county for being parties in the murder of mary stegall, james stegall an infant, and william love at the house of moses stegall in this county and in burning his house and robbing and stealing the horses, goods and effects of the said moses stegall on the night of the 20th day of august last.
“present samuel hopkins and abraham landers esquires.
“the said prisoners were set to the bar in custody of the sheriff of this county and being charged with the felony aforesaid denied the fact sundry witnesses were thereupon sworn and examined and the said prisoners heard in their defence by their att’e on consideration whereof it is the opinion of the court that the said prisoners are guilty of the facts charged against them and that they ought to be tried for the same before the judges of the district court holden at logan courthouse on the first day of their next october court, and it is therefore ordered that the said prisoners be remanded
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to the jail from whence they came there to remain until removed by due course of law.
“john leiper, nevil lindsey, matthew christian, and isham sellers severally acknowledged themselves indebted to his excellency james garrard esquire, governor of this commonwealth in the sum of fifty pounds each to be levied on their lands and tenements goods and chattels respectively and to our said governor and his successors rendered in case they fail to appear as witnesses, on behalf of the commonwealth before the judges of the district court holden at logan courthouse on the first day of their next october term, and then and there give evidence against susannah harpe, sally harpe, and betsey roberts charged with felony.
“(signed) sam hopkins.”13
a search recently made for details regarding this examining or preliminary trial resulted in the finding of a bundle of papers labeled “1799,” in which were discovered four depositions pertaining to the arrest of the harpe women. they were made september 4, by the four men who on that day were put under bond to appear at the trial in russellville, to which place the case was ordered for trial. these old documents substantiate the statements made by squire mcbee to lyman c. draper who wove them, with other details, into his account of the capture of the harpes. the depositions show that moses stegall arrived at robertson’s
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lick on august 22, 1799, to procure volunteers to join in the chase.
matthew christian in his testimony recites that immediately after stegall came to robertson’s lick with the news of the murder he started for stegall’s farm and became fully convinced that the report with all its terrible details was true. he then proceeded to grissom’s house, which had been designated as a rallying point, preparatory to going to squire mcbee’s the following morning. although it was not known that grissom’s family had left home and gone to mcbee’s to remain during the proposed pursuit, the men, nevertheless, met at this designated place “where they tarried all night.” christian “found a paper fas’d to the door of wm. grayson’s [grissom’s] house, signed by silas magby and directed to moses stegall in the following words: ‘come to my house without delay,’ and a jacket hanging up at the said door supposed by the company to belong to major william love. that he from there went to silas magby’s in company with john leiper, nevil lindsey, and moses stegall, that on their way to magby’s he heard a gun go off which he supposed was fired by one of the prisoners who had committed the felony.” this note was apparently a forgery and shows that the harpes had planned to kill stegall; and since it is more than likely that the outlaws had already started on their flight, this attempt to waylay stegall indicates that the harpes must have been associated with some accomplice living in the neighborhood, with whom they prearranged this move.
isom sellers’ statement shows that on august 16, four days before the stegall fire, the three harpe women stopped at john leiper’s house and inquired the way to moses stegall’s and that sellers “being indebted
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to susannah harpe one dollar gave her an order upon moses stegall for the said sum which this deponent saith that moses stegall has informed him he has paid agreeable to the aforesaid order.” there is nothing to indicate the specific purpose of this statement; however, it is further evidence that stegall was acquainted with the harpes and he may have served as a spy or messenger for them.
nevil lindsey’s deposition gives a detail not mentioned in any printed sketch or oral tradition: “three case-knives were stuck into the body of mrs. stegal, one of them was buried in so deep that the fire which consumed the house would not burn the handle.”
john leiper asserts that when they “had rode about forty-five miles they came up with sally harpe standing on the ground and ... to show them the way they had gone went with them for that purpose, that after riding about a mile and a half they came up with susanna harpe, betsey roberts, and micajah harpe, they rode by the two women and followed micajah harpe for about four miles, when this deponent overtook and killed him.”
christian’s deposition states that big harpe, before he died, “asked for water and that john leiper went to pond river and brought him some in a shoe.” the depositions of both leiper and christian end in practically the same words: “that the said micajah harpe a little while before he expired told this deponent that susannah was his wife and that he wished she could come up and wished her to do better in the future and that the whole of them would do better in the future, escrowed as he was, and that he would acquaint her with one thing that was hid.”
two days after their examining or preliminary trial,
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the three women and two infants were sent, by order of judge samuel hopkins, to russellville, logan county, there to appear before the judges of the district court, which court at that time embraced henderson county. there is no history or tradition as to how the three women were conducted to “logan courthouse.” they probably were taken on horseback. the minutes of the next term of the court of quarter sessions held in henderson contain a few items that throw some light on the expense of holding and then transferring the prisoners, the total being $281.78.
these entries indicate that the prisoners were accompanied by the sheriff and five guards and that the county attorney and county clerk took part in the second trial. the prisoners and their guard left henderson september 6, and after traveling the ninety-five miles, the women were turned over to the sheriff to await their trial, september 28.14
major william stewart was sheriff of logan county at the time. he more than once had chased the harpes for many a mile, only to discover that he was going in the wrong direction and to become irritated by his failure. he was, notwithstanding his eccentricities, a just man and one on whom a person in need might depend, and the three women, realizing this, must have
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felt encouraged, not only by the prospect of receiving justice, but also of having mercy shown them. draper, in his notes on information supplied by george herndon, a revolutionary soldier, who long lived in logan county, writes: “the women were, of course, in his charge, and lodged in the old log jail, becoming dirty and lousy, major stewart, feeling for their miserable situation, agreed to let them enjoy the liberty, provided they promised not to attempt to escape and thus make him liable, for he did the act on his individual responsibility. they were rejoiced at the offer and he went around the little town and collected some necessary articles of clothing for them, had them and their children cleaned up, placed them in the courthouse and got a couple of spinning wheels and set them to spinning.” [12f]
smith says the murders committed by the harpes in this section of kentucky were too fresh in the minds of the people living in and near russellville and the suspicion that the women had been accomplices in their crimes was too strong to fail to arouse a hatred for the three women. when threats were made to tear down the log jail and lynch the prisoners, the sheriff secretly conveyed them into the country, where they remained until brought back for trial.
this statement probably is not true. it may have originated from the fact that stegall and some of his friends rode to russellville for the purpose of killing the women should they be acquitted. discovering stegall’s motive, stewart put the harpe women back in jail, pretending “it would never do to turn such characters loose upon society,” but the next night he hid them in a cave about five miles from town and thus shielded
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them from the revenge-seeking stegall who, a few days later, returned home. [28]
an examination of the minute book of the old district court preserved in russellville, shows that on monday, october 28, 1799, a grand jury having been empaneled, “made the following presentment: commonwealth against susanna harpe, sally harpe, and betsey roberts, a true bill.” a district court was presided over by a judge and two associate judges, and judges samuel mcdowell and john allen being absent, the women, rather than delay the trial, agreed to be tried before the one who was present, namely, judge james g. hunter. judge felix grundy appeared in behalf of the women, and no one, except the prosecuting officer, against them. each prisoner was tried by a different jury, the three trials taking place on october 29th and 30th. “susanna harpe, late of the county of henderson and parish of kentucky, spinster, who stands indicted of felony was led to the bar in the custody of the public jailor and pleads not guilty to the indictment, and for her trial hath put herself upon god and her country and the attorney general in behalf of the commonwealth, likewise whereupon came a jury, to-wit: [twelve men are named] who being tried ... and having heard the evidence, upon their oaths do say that the susanna harpe is not guilty of the murder aforesaid.”
then followed the trials of “betsey roberts, spinster,” and “sally harpe, spinster,” both of whom were found “not guilty of the murder aforesaid.” no depositions or other records of the proceedings of these three trials can now be found among the various old documents still preserved in the logan county court house.
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the women were liberated and the act seems to have met the approval of the public.
major stewart, in his capacity as sheriff, had many opportunities to talk to his prisoners. some of the incidents in their lives could not have failed to touch the heart of any man, especially when heard from the lips of the women themselves. forty years after the harpe women had been captured, an interview with him on the subject was arranged to procure facts for publication. from this interview we quote:
“major stewart said the women seemed grateful to him, and related with apparent candor the story of their lives and their connection with the harpes. they told him that their husbands had once been put in jail in knoxville, tennessee, upon suspicion of crime, when they were innocent; when released, they declared war against all mankind, and determined to murder and rob until they were killed. they said they might have escaped after the murder and robbery at stegall’s, but for the detention at the branch where smith was shot. big harpe, expecting to be pursued, proposed that the three children be killed, that the others might flee without that encumbrance. his two wives and brother consented after some discussion, but the wife of little harpe took her child off to the branch where she had seen a projecting, shelving rock, under which she placed it, and lay down at its outer side, determined to remain and die with her child. as her husband came to the branch to let her know they had concluded to put the children to death, he saw smith, the horse hunter, approaching. he moved toward him, and sounded the shrill whistle on his ‘charger’—the understood signal of impending danger. big harpe almost in a moment made his appearance at the branch mounted on love’s
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mare, when the firing commenced. smith was shot down and the harpes fled. big harpe did not go directly to the camp, but circled around it, fearing the pursuers might already have taken it. these sudden and unexpected events saved the lives of the children by allowing no time for their execution. little harpe’s wife and child hastily returned to the camp, when the firing took place a little distance below the shelving rock, and were made prisoners with the wives and children of big harpe.” [28]
the same delay that resulted in the capture and death of big harpe brought about a great change in the lives of the harpe women. but major stewart, in the interview given forty years after the women had been in his charge, evidently was somewhat mistaken in some of the details and in the identity of some of the characters he recalled. there never were more than three harpe children and all of them were born in the danville jail. we have seen how the child of little harpe’s wife was killed a few weeks before the women were arrested and taken to henderson; it is later shown what became of big harpe’s children, both of whom were with their mothers in the russellville jail. it is quite likely that when big harpe realized the pursuers were close at hand, he proposed that the children be killed and that then little harpe’s wife took the two infants and “determined to remain and die” with them. a few weeks before, she had seen her own child cruelly murdered by big harpe, and probably had, ever since, awaited a chance to escape from the violence and villainy of the lives led by the harpes. she doubtless concluded it would be far better for her and the two infants to fall into the hands of the pursuers than to kill the infants, even though the killing of them would relieve the five
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harpes of an encumbrance which they considered sufficient to interfere with their escape. at any rate, the desire of little harpe’s wife to free herself, combined with her effort to save the two infants, exercising itself as it did at this critical moment, delayed the attempt to escape and resulted in the capture and killing of big harpe.15
