Hall-Fulton County GaArchives News.....MOONSHINERS AND REVENUE MEN AT WAR. December 18 1884 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: William G. Prather WGPrather@sbcglobal.net October 5, 2004, 11:10 am "THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION" ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 18, 1884, VOL. XVIL, Page 7, Columns 3 & 4 A MIDNIGHT BATTLE ---------- MOONSHINERS AND REVENUE MEN AT WAR. ------------------------ A Fusillade that Lasted Several Hours and Finally Wound Up With a Pitched Battle in Which Two Men Were Killed Oughtright --- The Most Thrilling Event on Record. ------------------------ Night before last about twelve o'clock a wild and broken section of Hall county, on the Testatee river, and known as the Bark creek settlement, was the scene of the most thrilling battle that has occurred in Georgia since Lee surrendered. For a skirmish in times of peace it stands unexcelled in interest, and the results were as fatal as the recital must be exciting. For nearly twenty-four hours the excitement lasted, and two men dead and several wounded was the summing up when the tragedy was over. The Bark Creek settlement is about twelve miles northwest of Gainesville. Once a barroom was there and one or two stores, but the barroom exists no longer. The law ground for the district is Bark Camp, and there the temple of justice rears its humble walls. One of the most noted citizens of this settlement was Anderson Grant, a giant in size and strength, and desperate and fearless in whatever he chose to do. Grant owned an illicit distillery, which was hidden away in one of the gulches of the Bark Camp district. In the locality lived a young man, named Prater, a cousin of Alf Prater, the "MOUNTAIN WONDER" PEDESTRIAN, who, in last June, ran six hours in a walking match here without stopping. Alf Prater is a revenue scout. His cousin led him through the bypaths of Bark Camp country, and pointed out the illicit distillery of Anderson Grant. It was arranged that there should be a raid on the distillery. The matter was placed in the hands of the officials here, and as a result, on Tuesday morning about ten o'clock the following party left Gainesville, heading for Bark Camp: Deputy Marshal J. B. Gaston, Special Revenue Agent Lofland, Deputy Collector M. Van Estes, Minor Estes, (son of M. Van Estes.) Alf Prater, the guide. The party had a wagon drawn by two mules and a buggy drawn by a white horse owned by Deputy Marshal Gaston. INTO THE VALLEY OF DEATH. It appears that as they rode out of Gainesville they rode toward the Valley of Death, for Prater, the informer, had set a trap for the entire party. About one o'clock the party of officers reached the neighborhood of the distillery and turned from the little mountain road into the woods a few feet where the teams were left in charge of Minor Estes, a boy of seventeen but a powerful fellow for his years. The distillery was about a mile away through the woods and the officers had nearly reached it when they heard a rapid firing of pistols and guns in the direction of the wagon. Deputy Collector Van Estes became very much alarmed and exclaimed: "They have murdered my son!" The party ran hurriedly back to the wagons and found young Estes had disappeared, and Deputy Marshall Gaston's horse had been cut out of the harness and was gone. The breast yoke and the belly band were cut in-two and the lines had been cut so as to leave enough to be used in riding horse back. Guns were being fired in several directions and the officers became alarmed for their own safety. HORNS BEGAN TO BLOW And the noises usual when the moonshiners get alarmed were heard. One of the mules was hurriedly unhitched from the wagon and Alf Prater, the guide, mounted the animal and dashed off down the road with the intention of inquiring at one of the farm houses if the boy had been seen. He had not gone more than two hundred and fifty yards when he was fired upon from ambush. Prater was not hit but the mule was wounded in several places and fell under him. Prater dashed back to camp and reported the facts and in a short time his mule limped into camp and attested the truth of what he had said. A full load of shot was in the animal's head and neck. A carbine that had been left with young Estes, was noticed to be gone. The raiders then hitched up, tied the buggy on behind the wagon and moved off and proceeded to Bark camp, where they were re-enforced by several citizens, armed with guns. It was about night when they reached the camp. Prater was put on a mule and sent to Gainesville for help. In the meantime the firing of guns and the general uproar continued. The raiders went into camp in a pine thicket and put out sentinels. The watch was kept up until NEAR MIDNIGHT when Prater returned with the following re-enforcing party; James Findley, Jesse Davis and John Martin. Deputy Marshall Gaston had, in the meantime, gone to the residence of Jap Carter, near by, and summoned him to aid the officers. It appears that when the moonshiners attacked the wagons they were headed by Anderson Grant, the owner of the distillery. Grant took possession of the horse, as the officers learned, and all the afternoon and into the night rode him hard getting up moonshiners of the country. The had been run nearly to death, as was reported by parties who saw him. After help arrived a consultation was held as to the best thing to do. It was decided to let a party remain at the camp and another squad go out and make an effort to capture the stolen property, namely, the horse and the rifle. Just before midnight the party was DIVIDED AS FOLLOWS: To remain in the camp and take care of the teams: Revenue Agent Lofland, Deputy Collector Estes, Thomas Robinson, Thomas Robinson's son, and A man whose name is unknown. The party that went out to battle with the moonshiners was then as follows: Deputy Marshal Gaston, James A. Findley, Jesse S. Davis, Jasper Carter, Alf Prater, the guide, John Martin. When Prater was shot at he saw the white horse in the possession of the man who had shot at him. Clearly, it was a desperate undertaking to make a midnight attack upon the moonshiners. GOING INTO THE FIGHT. All the men were armed as they started down the road in the direction in which the moonshiners were known to be. The party had gone along the little road about half a mile when they came upon a body of the moonshiners. It was decided to wait until the moonshiners came up and then arrest them. The moonshiners were firing pistols, cursing and swearing, and by the flashes of the pistols the white horse could be seen. After a few moments there was a sudden volley of pistol shots fired in concert, and the horse was heard to go crashing through the woods. The moonshiners had literally riddled him with bullets. The officers went forward at once the to make arrests, if possible. The moonshiners had gone a quarter of a mile down the road, but in a short while they were overtaken by the raiders. The light was dark and at the place where the contending parties met and confronted each other there was A HIGH BLUFF on one side of the road and a field on the other. The moonshiners withheld their fire until the officers were within a few feet of them when the flames suddenly belched forth from several guns right into the faces of the officers. A bullet went through Alf Prater's hat, but no one was hit by the discharge. The battle then was hand to hand. Martin was...... (submitter's note: bottom of page and this column were cut off when photographed, remainder of article continued in next column) The pistols were almost against the bodies of the men. Anderson Grant, the ring leader, was shot dead. Prater, the informer, had deceived his cousin, Alf Prater, the guide, and was in the party of moonshiners. He was shot dead. The fight was terrific for several minutes, but at last ended with the Gaston party the victors. The bodies of the dead men were left in the woods and the officers struck out for town, arriving at Gainesville at daybreak. MINOR ESTES' STORY Minor Estes was found to have reached Gainesville. He stated that soon after he was left with the wagon the moonshiners came upon him and gave him a terrible beating, cut the horse out and took possession of him. Young Estes says they then were preparing to hang him with a buggy line when he broke away and ran two miles without stopping. He then came upon a wagon and was carried safely into Gainesville. The young man is a nephew of Judge Estes of Gainesville. WHAT WILL FOLLOW. It is not known yet what will follow. If the raiding party is arrested the trial will occur in the United States court, and if the moonshiners who were connected with the affair can be found out they will probably be tried on a charge of conspiracy. Deputy Marshall Gaston and Revenue Agent Lofland were in the city yesterday. They deeply regret the killing. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/hall/newspapers/nw1565moonshin.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 9.9 Kb