"The Wolf River Gang"
The Wolf River Gang, was a seperate contingent of Beatty's guerrilla's, and is
remembered for the ghastly murder of Jim Raines at his barn in northern
Fentress County.
They backed Raines up against the barn wall, cut his throat from ear to ear,
then proceeded to slash and mutilate his body. After leaving
the bloody scene, they moved on to Old Man Bobby Richardson's place on Holbert
Creek. Blind, ninety-two, and the father of three Confederate soldiers,
Richardson was shot in the front yard along with his dog. They draped the dog
over Richardson's body before riding away....
Some wartime guerrilla bands did not disband at all or were quick to regroup
when they saw the "need" of their services.
The Wolf River Gang, for example, consisting of Sherwood Pile, James Pile,
Press Hugg, John Overton, a Morgan, and perhaps others, continued out in
northern Fentress County after the war.
They so terrorized the countryside for three years that in June of 1868,
Tennessee Governor William G. Brownlow commissioned Clabe Beatty of Fentress
County to organize a company to capture the Wolf River Gang.
Source:~ Don't Go Up Kettle Creek ~
Verbal Legacy of the Upper Cumberland,
by William L. Montell,
1983
Special thanks to Allen Sullivant,
Sam Davis Camp # 1293,
SCV