WE passed through the Plum Point region, turned Craighead's Point,and glided unchallenged by what was once the formidable Fort Pillow,memorable because of the massacre perpetrated there during the war.
Massacres are sprinkled with some frequency through the historiesof several Christian nations, but this is almost the only onethat can be found in American history; perhaps it is the only onewhich rises to a size correspondent to that huge and somber title.
We have the 'Boston Massacre,' where two or three people were killed;but we must bunch Anglo-Saxon history together to find the fellowto the Fort Pillow tragedy; and doubtless even then we must travelback to the days and the performances of Coeur de Lion, that fine'hero,' before we accomplish it.
More of the river's freaks. In times past, the channel usedto strike above Island 37, by Brandywine Bar, and down towardsIsland 39. Afterward, changed its course and went fromBrandywine down through Vogelman's chute in the Devil's Elbow,to Island 39--part of this course reversing the old order;the river running UP four or five miles, instead of down,and cutting off, throughout, some fifteen miles of distance.
This in 1876. All that region is now called Centennial Island.
There is a tradition that Island 37 was one of the principal abidingplaces of the once celebrated 'Murel's Gang.' This was a colossalcombination of robbers, horse-thieves, negro-stealers, and counterfeiters,engaged in business along the river some fifty or sixty years ago.
While our journey across the country towards St. Louis was inprogress we had had no end of Jesse James and his stirring history;for he had just been assassinated by an agent of the Governor of Missouri,and was in consequence occupying a good deal of space in the newspapers.
Cheap histories of him were for sale by train boys. According to these,he was the most marvelous creature of his kind that had ever existed.
It was a mistake. Murel was his equal in boldness; in pluck; in rapacity;in cruelty, brutality, heartlessness, treachery, and in general andcomprehensive vileness and shamelessness; and very much his superiorin some larger aspects. James was a retail rascal; Murel, wholesale.
James's modest genius dreamed of no loftier flight than the planningof raids upon cars, coaches, and country banks; Murel projectednegro insurrections and the capture of New Orleans; and furthermore,on occasion, this Murel could go into a pulpit and edify the congregation.
What are James and his half-dozen vulgar rascals compared with thisstately old-time criminal, with his sermons, his meditated insurrectionsand city-captures, and his majestic following of ten hundred men,sworn to do his evil will!
Here is a paragraph or two concerning this big operator,from a now forgotten book which was published half a century ago--He appears to have been a most dexterous as well as consummate villain.
When he traveled, his usual disguise was that of an itinerant preacher;and it is said that his discourses were very 'soul-moving'--interestingthe hearers so much that they forgot to look after their horses,which were carried away by his confederates while he was preaching.
But the stealing of horses in one State, and selling them in another,was but a small portion of their business; the most lucrativewas the enticing slaves to run away from their masters, that theymight sell them in another quarter. This was arranged as follows;they would tell a negro that if he would run away from his master,and allow them to sell him, he should receive a portion of the moneypaid for him, and that upon his return to them a second time they wouldsend him to a free State, where he would be safe. The poor wretchescomplied with this request, hoping to obtain money and freedom;they would be sold to another master, and run away again, to their employers;sometimes they would be sold in this manner three or four times,until they had realized three or four thousand dollars by them;but as, after this, there was fear of detection, the usual custom wasto get rid of the only witness that could be produced against them,which was the negro himself, by murdering him, and throwing his body intothe Mississippi. Even if it was established that they had stolen a negro,before he was murdered, they were always prepared to evade punishment;for they concealed the negro who had run away, until he was advertised,and a reward offered to any man who would catch him. An advertisementof this kind warrants the person to take the property, if found.
And then the negro becomes a property in trust, when, therefore,they sold the negro, it only became a breach of trust, not stealing;and for a breach of trust, the owner of the property can only have redressby a civil action, which was useless, as the damages were never paid.
It may be inquired, how it was that Murel escaped Lynch law undersuch circumstances This will be easily understood when it is statedthat he had MORE THAN A THOUSAND SWORN CONFEDERATES, all ready ata moment's notice to support any of the gang who might be in trouble.
The names of all the principal confederates of Murel were obtainedfrom himself, in a manner which I shall presently explain.
The gang was composed of two classes: the Heads or Council, as theywere called, who planned and concerted, but seldom acted; they amountedto about four hundred. The other class were the active agents,and were termed strikers, and amounted to about six hundred and fifty.
These were the tools in the hands of the others; they ran all the risk,and received but a small portion of the money; they were in the powerof the leaders of the gang, who would sacrifice them at any time by handingthem over to justice, or sinking their bodies in the Mississippi.
The general rendezvous of this gang of miscreants was on the Arkansasside of the river, where they concealed their negroes in the morasses andcane-brakes.
The depredations of this extensive combination were severely felt;but so well were their plans arranged, that although Murel,who was always active, was everywhere suspected, there was no proofto be obtained. It so happened, however, that a young man of the nameof Stewart, who was looking after two slaves which Murel had decoyedaway, fell in with him and obtained his confidence, took the oath,and was admitted into the gang as one of the General Council.
By this means all was discovered; for Stewart turned traitor,although he had taken the oath, and having obtained every information,exposed the whole concern, the names of all the parties, and finallysucceeded in bringing home sufficient evidence against Murel,to procure his conviction and sentence to the Penitentiary(Murel was sentenced to fourteen years' imprisonment); so manypeople who were supposed to be honest, and bore a respectablename in the different States, were found to be among the listof the Grand Council as published by Stewart, that every attemptwas made to throw discredit upon his assertions--his characterwas vilified, and more than one attempt was made to assassinate him.
He was obliged to quit the Southern States in consequence.
It is, however, now well ascertained to have been all true;and although some blame Mr. Stewart for having violated his oath,they no longer attempt to deny that his revelations were correct.
I will quote one or two portions of Murel's confessions toMr. Stewart, made to him when they were journeying together.
I ought to have observed, that the ultimate intentions of Mureland his associates were, by his own account, on a very extended scale;having no less an object in view than RAISING THE BLACKS AGAINSTTHE WHITES, TAKING POSSESSION OF, AND PLUNDERING NEW ORLEANS,AND MAKING THEMSELVES POSSESSORS OF THE TERRITORY. The following area few extracts:--'I collected all my friends about New Orleans at one of our friends'
houses in that place, and we sat in council three days before wegot all our plans to our notion; we then determined to undertakethe rebellion at every hazard, and make as many friends as wecould for that purpose. Every man's business being assigned him,I started to Natchez on foot, having sold my horse in New Orleans,--with the intention of stealing another after I started.
I walked four days, and no opportunity offered for me to get a horse.
The fifth day, about twelve, I had become tired, and stopped at a creekto get some water and rest a little. While I was sitting on a log,looking down the road the way that I had come, a man came in sightriding on a good-looking horse. The very moment I saw him, I wasdetermined to have his horse, if he was in the garb of a traveler.
He rode up, and I saw from his equipage that he was a traveler.
I arose and drew an elegant rifle pistol on him and ordered him to dismount.
He did so, and I took his horse by the bridle and pointed down the creek,and ordered him to walk before me. He went a few hundred yardsand stopped. I hitched his horse, and then made him undress himself,all to his shirt and drawers, and ordered him to turn his back to me.
He said, 'If you are determined to kill me, let me have time to praybefore I die,' I told him I had no time to hear him pray. He turned aroundand dropped on his knees, and I shot him through the back of the head.
I ripped open ............