Civil War Incident
Submitted by Kay Mason <KLMPIANO@aol.com on Apr 21, 2000

Once again Janice......

This story was told to my grandfather by Mrs. Lewis Lyon after grandfather
was an adult (he was born in 1872).  He is referring here to the Little Fork
of the Sandy River - I understand some of that area is now Grayson Lake -
don't know for sure as I've never been to Kentucky - I've only checked it
with maps my grandfather drew and the Atlas.

Pages 64 & 65:

    "In the Little Fork country where I grew up many of the men I knew were
Veterans of the Civil War on one side or the other.  Some families, like
Mother's, had members on both sides.  Usually not much was said about it but
numerous incidents showing that the partisan spirit was still alive came to
my notice in various ways.

    The Little Fork was not the scene of military action of much importance
except to the local community.  It was used in a small way as a sort of
hunting ground for partisans of both sides of the struggle.  Groups of men
calling themselves 'Home Guards' or some other name, pretending more or less
to be looking after the interests of the United States and its citizens or of
the Confederate States and its adherents, as the case may have been,
marched here and there stealing and looting from the friends of the opposite
party.  Those trying to be neutral were robbed by both groups.  This was the
situation existing in that section of Kentucky particularly during the latter
part of the War.

    Mrs. LEWIS LYON (Aunt POLLY), wife of the man who owned the ground on
which the Lyon or Union School stood, related to me the story of one partisan
raid and its tragic results.  As I remember it a party of Union men (so
called) came from Cain's Creek in Lawrence County to capture such Confederate
sympathizers as they could find, looking specialy for JOHN BARKER, (whose
wife was FANNY FIELDS [BARKER], PRESTON FIELDS, FANNY [FIELDS] BARKER's and
HIRAM FIELDS' brother; and AZZLE LYON, brother of LEWIS LYON.  The raiding
party included JAMES ROSS, BALL, SHELTON, BOGGS HUFF and maybe one or two
others.

    JAMES ROSS' wife was SALLY LYON [ROSS], sister to LEWIS, JESSE and AZZLE
LYON.  There was personal enmity between JAMES ROSS and AZZLE LYON which may
have been a moving cause in bringing about this foray.  As I recall it AZZLE
LYON  and PRESTON FIELDS were home on leave from the Confederate service at
the time.  Sympathizers for both sides acted as spies giving information on
matters of interest and specially on men home from either army.

    The raiders began at the home of JOHN BARKER who lived on Wallow Hole
creek, so named from the many bear wallows in its clayey bed in the early
days, a tributary of the Little Fork, at deep dusk.  He was at home but
luckily for him they had 'confiscated' (stolen) a yoke of oxen along the way,
and the sound of the yoke ring, as they approached, gave the alarm and he
fled to the wilows along the nearby creek and excaped.

    Unfortunately AZZLE LYON and PRESTON FIELDS were not so lucky - both
being captured at home.  The prisoners were marched several miles and late at
night were lodged in the second story of a farm house with [JAMES] ROSS as
guard.  It was said that [JAMES] ROSS had marched behind AZZLE LYON and
punched his ears almost off with his bayonet along the way.  No doubt that
[AZZLE] LYON and [PRESTON] FIELDS were to have been shot or imprisoned - or
both.

    PRESTON FIELDS' wife was MINERVA GREEN [FIELDS], daughter of WILLIAM and
SALLY HUTCHINSON GREEN, and was well called 'NERVA' - for she had nerve for
the occasion.  As soon as the party left with her husband she saddled a horse
and rode several miles to a Capt. MARCUM and helped him round up a few men
who searched and found the raiders and their prisoners, surrounded and
captured them before daylight without firing a shot.  JAMES ROSS tried to
break out through the rood - without success.  They were disarmed and placed
under guard of their former prisoners.

    Capt. MARCUM had breakfast prepared for his men and the prisoners and
when they (the prisoners) sat down at the table he said, 'Eat hearty, men,
for this will be the last meal you will ever eat.'  It was said that [JAMES]
ROSS pushed back from the table and ate nothing.  The prisoners' bodies were
later found by their friends along a lonely road, over the line in Lawrence
County, and buried - and that ended that raid.  I had one of their graves
pointed out to me - near the road I used to travel going to SHINE GAMBILL's
grist mill."

I hope this is some value to you.
Kay Mason

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