Franklin County TN Archives History .....How The Battle Ditch Got Its Name September 16, 2015
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Donald Hill hilldonl@bellsouth.net September 16, 2015, 6:21 pm

HOW THE BATTLE DITCH GOT ITS NAME
The Battle Ditch, located in the northern part of Franklin County, Tennessee, 
starts in a low area at about 35.2931ºN -85.9772ºW, passes under Wilders Chapel 
Road at about 35.2997ºN -85.9685ºW, and empties into Elk River at about 
35.3096ºN -85.9969Wº. Water flows in the ditch only in wet weather.
For many years, Everett Hill lived beside the Battle Ditch at Wilder’s Chapel 
Road. According to Everett, near this ditch, ‘Will’ Wilcox and ‘Skewball’ 
Bohanan engaged in a fight that lasted all day. They would fight a while, rest 
a while, and then fight some more. Apparently, there was no winner. Still, 
because of this ‘battle,’ the Battle Ditch acquired this name.
The following articles apparently relate to the ‘battle.’ 
Article # 1: Appeared in a January, 1931 issue of the Winchester Chronicle.
AGED FARMER ROBBED; SLAIN 
Will Wilcox Found With Neck Broken. Negroes Held.
	Will Wilcox, age 62, a farmer living above Decherd in the Ninth 
district, Monday night was murdered and robbed, and his body left lying in the 
street south of the Winchester cemetery where it was found early Tuesday 
morning.
	Three negroes are being held in connection with his death following a 
confession made by Lillie (sic) May Bohanan her husband C. L. “Skewball” 
Bohanan killed the old man and that her uncle Frank Dardis had assisted in 
dragging the body from her home to the point where it was found.
	According to Lillie May’s statement her husband struck Mr. Wilcox under 
the chin with a pair of brass knucks and that he died instantly. The killing 
happened, she said, early in the night, but said that the body was not removed 
until nearly morning, a short time before it was found lying near the Castile 
store. The old man was drinking, she said, when he came to the house about 10 
o’clock.
	Following the finding of the body early Tuesday morning Esquire Hop 
Taylor began an inquest. And (sic) autopsy revealed that Mr. Wilcox’s neck was 
broken, and that there were two severe bruises on his head, one under the chin 
and one over his left eye.
	After examining witnesses including the wife of “Skewball,” the jury 
adjourned until Saturday.
	“Skewball,” his wife and Frank Dardis were ordered held, and “Skewball” 
was taken before Judge Leslie Darr who fined him $50 and sentenced him to sixty 
days in jail on a charge of carrying a pistol in an old case which had been 
pending for months.
	“Skewball” was acquitted in circuit court of a charge of murder several 
months ago, following the killing in his home of Jim Wiseman, another negro. He 
pleaded self defense, testifying that Wiseman attacked him when he remonstrated 
with him for abusing his wife. At the time when he was indicted for murder he 
also was indicted on a pistol carrying charge which had not been disposed of.
	When the body of Wilcox was found Tuesday morning his purse was 
missing. According to witnesses Wilcox had between $20 and $30 in his purse 
late Monday afternoon, the last time he was seen on the streets of Winchester.
	Witnesses went before the grand jury Wednesday, and indictments 
against “Skewball” and possibly others for murder are expected.

Article # 2: date and source unknown
CHARGE NEGRO WITH MURDER
Three Removed to another Jail for Safe Keeping 
CL Bohanon a negro alias "Skewball" Friday was indicted on a charge of murder 
in connection with the death of Will Wilcox an aged farmer whose battered body 
was found lying south of the cemetery in Winchester early on the morning on 
January 6. The case was placed on the trial docket in circuit court, and on 
motion of his attorney was continued until the next court term. Immediately 
after the hearing Sheriff Rose removed "Skewball," his wife Annie May Bohanon, 
and her uncle Frank Dardis, from the Franklin county jail for their protection 
against possible mob violence. "Skewball" was indicted on statements given by 
his wife which indicated that the aged man was killed in the Bohanan home early 
Monday night when the white man called to purchase whiskey. According to the 
woman’s statement Wilcox was killed when her husband struck him under the chin 
with brass knucks and broke his kneck. He remained in the Bohanan home from 
early Monday night until just before daylight when the body was dragged a 
distance of 65 yards out the street.
(end of clipping)

Article # 3: date and source unknown
No Verdict in murder trial 
C.L alias Skewball, Bohanan Winchester negro charged with the murder of JC 
Wilcox, aged 9th district farmer, was ordered held without bail Saturday when 
the jury before which he was tried Friday in circuit court failed to agree on a 
verdict. The body of Mr. Wilcox was found near Bohanan's residence about 
daylight on the morning of the first Tuesday in January. Prints in the soft 
earth and snow showed, the body had been dragged from Bohanan's back door. An 
autopsy revealed the neck was broken, bruise under chin. Evidence presented 
show that Wilcox was seen near the Bohanan home late, and he had $25-50 in a 
tobacco sack in his pocket. When the body was found the pockets contained 
neither money nor sack. Bohanan testified that Wilcox came to his home shortly 
after dark asking for whisky. He denied letting him have it, and insisted he 
was drunk. He said it was a cold night, and disliking to turn a man out in the 
cold he permitted the aged man to remain in his kitchen, When he and his wife 
retired for the night they left Wilcox seated on an icebox, later in the night 
he was awaken by an insurance collector and having finished the business with 
him, he went to the kitchen to see about Wilcox. He found him dead lying across 
the top of the icebox and the wall, and in trying to free himself had broken 
his neck. Being a negro he feared for his life if it became known that a white 
man had killed himself in his home and for that reason he dragged the body away 
and failed to report the death to officers. (end of clipping)

Article # 3: date and source unknown
Hung Jury in Wilcox Murder Case, in Circuit Court
The case of the state of Tennessee against CL Bohanna (sic), colored, which 
came up for trial in Circuit Court in Winchester last week resulted in a hung 
jury. Bohanna, a negro living near the depot in Winchester, was charged with 
murder of JC Wilcox, farmer living above Decherd, whose body was found near the 
Bohanna home, early on the morning of January 6. The only evidence in the case 
outside of Bohanna in his own defense was circumstantial.
(end of clipping)

Article # 4: date and source unknown
NEGRO FACES 20 TEAR TERM
CL Bohanan Convicted of Killing Aged White Farmer
CL Bohanan alias "Skewball," a negro, late Wednesday night was convicted of 
killing JC Wilcox, an aged white farmer of the 9th district, and was sentenced 
from ten to twenty years in prison. "Skewball" went on trial before Judge 
Leslie Darr in circuit court Wednesday morning. The taking of evidence was 
concluded late in the afternoon, and arguments of attorneys and the charge of 
the judge were made at the night session. The jury just before midnight, after 
being out twenty-five minutes returned a verdict on murder in the 2nd degree. 
The body of the aged farmer was found lying on the ground near the negro's home 
early on the morning of the fist Tuesday in January. His neck was broken and 
there was a bad bruise on his chin. A sum of money estimated $25-50 which 
Wilcox was known to have was missing. A distinctly marked trail was found from 
the body to Bohanan's door. The negro admitted that the white man had died in 
his home, but denied that he had killed him. Wilcox had come to buy whiskey but 
had not sold him any. Mr. Wilcox he said was drinking and went to sleep lying 
on an icebox. Later in the night having been awaken by another caller, he went 
to the kitchen to see about Mr. Wilcox and found him dead. His position he said 
indicated that he had caught his head between the icebox and wall, and in 
trying to intricate (sic) himself had broken his neck.
(end of clipping)

	James Campbell (Will) Wilcox (1868-Jan 5, 1931) was the son of James 
Monroe Wilcox and Mary Jane Warren. He had been married to Kate Partin (Feb 12, 
1874-April 25, 1912) and to Eliza (Laid) Coker (1877-1962) and was, at the 
time, married to Tennessee (Tennie) Hall (1879-?). He is buried, along with his 
first wife, in the Baker Cemetery near Elk River in Franklin County, Tennessee. 
He was known for drinking and fighting.
	C.L. ‘Skewball’ Bohanan (1/6/1894-6/28/1932) was born in Franklin 
County and died in prison in Johnson City, Tennessee. He served in World War I, 
owned guns, and sold whiskey. He married Anna Mae Chiltress on 1/8/1927 in 
Franklin County. Anna Mae was apparently listed as Lillie Mae in the first 
article. Although Skewball was sent to prison with a 20-year sentence, he died 
shortly afterwards from tuberculosis, as indicated in his death certificate. 
After the altercation described above, ‘Skewball,’ his wife, and Frank Dardis 
were removed from the Franklin County jail for their protection, apparently 
because of a possible threat of lynching.
	Although Wilcox lived near the Battle Ditch, it is not clear, at the 
time of the fight, what ‘Skewball’ was doing in this area, which is about 10 
miles from his home in Winchester. Perhaps he was there to sell whiskey; 
perhaps he was working in the fields with Wilcox.
	A question is: What was Wilcox doing at the home of a black man in 
Winchester late in the evening? According to the report, he was already drunk. 
He could have been there to purchase more whiskey or to continue the fight. If 
he wanted a fight, he found it.
	Additional information (as yet undocumented) provided by Everett is 
that, to prepare his defense, Skewball consulted a young lawyer living in 
Winchester. When asked if he had any money, Skewball replied that he had $500, 
received for his service in World War I. The lawyer replied, for that amount, 
he would guarantee that Skewball would not be convicted of murder. He might, 
however, be convicted of failure to dispose of a dead body properly. This 
promise held true, at least for the first trial, which ended in a hung jury. 
For the second trial, however, Skewball, apparently without money and possibly 
without effective legal defense, was convicted.


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