Aunt Annie’s Saddle
From: John Stegall <jstegall@hotmai.com - Monday, January 24, 2000  

Anna Carter, a sister to the Carter brothers killed at Concord during the Civil War, 
married John Brown and lived a bit farther up Brown Ridge than did the Carters.  After 
the death of her husband, "Aunt Annie", as she was affectionately known to her 
neighbors, made her home with her famous son, Dr. Wales Brown.
"Aunt Annie" had a prized sidesaddle that she kept hanging on the wall of the 
front porch.  On more than one occasion, a man, who lived farther up Brown Ridge in the 
direction of Rowan County, had tried to buy the saddle, but "Aunt Annie" refused to part 
with her prized possession.
Now, to put the story in proper perspective, we must understand that the Barnett 
family lived just a short distance up the ridge from the Browns, and were related through 
the Carter family. Some of the elder Barnetts were highly superstitious, and scared to 
death of "hants".  
On one particular summer night, and just before good dark, "Aunt Annie" had 
called it a day and had gone to bed, dressed, of course, in her long, white nightgown.  She 
was still awake when she heard a noise on the front porch, and fearing that someone 
might be stealing her saddle, she immediately arose and went outside to see someone 
with the saddle over his shoulders and heading up Brown Ridge in a run.  "Aunt Annie" 
took off after him as fast as she could run.  Within a few minutes, one of the Barnett men 
staggered into the Brown home, pale as death, just about scared to death, gasping for 
breath, and speechless.  The Brown family kept inquiring of him what might his trouble 
be, and it was only after several minutes that he began to speak:  "I just met the devil!  He 
had two horns sticking up out of his head (sidesaddles had two horns).  He was running 
up the ridge as fast as he could go, and right behind him was an angel dressed in white, 
chasing him."
It should be made clear that the man "swiping" "Aunt Annie's" saddle was not one 
of the Barnett men, but a member of another family that lived up near the Rowan County 
line.  But, perhaps, it was one of the Barnetts that suffered the most serious consequence 
of the entire theft.  
Oh yes!  "Aunt Annie" got her saddle back.   

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