"White Lightning Feuds": Hiding Out In The Attic

White Lightning Feud Series: Part 6

 

NOTE: This is another in our series of articles reprinting prior published information on the White Lightning Feuds.

 

Historical Series Chronology Resposes have been favorable to this historical series. Additional material continues to come to light. This means the series will be longer than originally expected; therefore, we are including a brief chronology of past articles: Part 1 (printed 10/13/05) - J. H. Tuggle's rabid dog bit several livestock and other animals; W. W. Maddox assassinated by unknown person and rewards totalling $500 offered for arrest and conviction of the killer; J. H. Ramsey wounds J. D. Tuggle near Denman and Co. Hardware in Homer... Part 2 (printed 10/20/05) - Near Denman and Co. Hardware in Homer, J. D. Tuggle shot at John H. Ramsey, missed, and killed Professor J. H. Williams; W. W. Ramsey died and Hamp and Henry Tuggle were wounded in a shootout between the jail and Knighten's saloon in Homer... Part 3 (printed 10/27/05) - J. D. Tuggle and I. N. Glover died when ambushed by unknown assailant about three and a half miles toward Summerfield... Part 4 (printed 11/10/05) - Murray Tuggle, Hamp's 15-year-old son is shot and wounded; continuation of Dosia Williams' account of Hamp Tuggle's stay at Loyd Hall... Part 5 (printed 11/10/05) - Murray Tuggle, Hamp's 15-year-old son is shot and wounded; continuation of Dosia Williams' account of Hamp Tuggle's stay at Loyd Hall Part 6 (printed 11/17/05) - Henry Tuggle killed in field in presence of his three children. Link Waggonner shoots a Mr. Holland, then flees to Texas...

 

* * * * *

            The following is the concluding excerpt from Chapter IX "A Feud and an Indian" of the book War, Reconstruction, and Redemption on Red River, the Memoirs of Dosia Williams Moore, printed in 1990 and edited by Carol Wells.

            The foreword to the book explains that Dosia Williams Lewis Moore lived in Rapides and Natchitoches Parishes during and after the Civil War. Born in South Carolina, she came at three years of age with her parents to Louisiana. The book is based mostly on a collection of Dosia Moore's accounts stored in the Archives Division of the Watson Library at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches.

* * * * *

(continued from last week)

            William told me of Mr. Tuggle's trouble and that he was going to hide him in the attic. He said that if the officers came in search of [Mr. Tuggle], he could retire to the hiding place.

            In the third story of the house at Loyd [Hall] there was an opening in the south wall, just at the head of the second flight of stairs. This opening led into the loft over the upstairs gallery with no footing but the joists to which the ceiling of the gallery was attached, just a dark hole which we never used or even explored. If danger came, Mr. Tuggle could go into this dark hole, a piece of furniture placed over it, and no one would suspect that it was there.

            I hurriedly prepared a bed in the garret. Mr. Tuggle took possession, and I sent up his supper. During the time that he was in hiding, my husband and I carried him his meals with our own hands, for we dared not let the servants know that he was hidden in the house. One of the maids complained that there "sure was a heap of dishes to wash every morning." We told an interesting story of our indulging in midnight suppers, and as we often did sit up till the "wee small hours," the excuse was good.

            The deputy sheriffs searched about the neighborhood but never thought to suspect Loyd Hall. After a time, the excitement quieted down. Mr. Tuggle's lawyer wrote him "not to be taken, but to get home and give himself up." He could not pass through Alexandria, as they were on the lookout, and he did not know the country well enough to find his way through the woodland trails.

            My husband had a faithful Indian friend, a Biloxi named Banks, who knew every swamp and stream in the country. He could guide Mr. Tuggle to a little-used ferry of which William knew, where his wagon could be carried across on a flatboat. He would then be in Grant Parish, and from there could find his way home. By another Indian, my husband sent word to Banks to come at once, that he needed him. That night when Banks came, I went out to the gate with my husband. The Indian's salutation was, "Friend, who do you want me to kill?" It was said as calmly as if he had greeted him in the usual way.

            William explained what he wanted Banks to do, and as Mr. Tuggle and Elmo were ready, they got in the wagon and started at once. The younger boy (NOTE: This would be Murray) and Mr. Tuggle's brother-in-law had left some time before. Elmo had stayed quietly at my sister's home. Banks, on his horse, silently led the way, and the wagon drove off. The Indian guided him across the river, and from there Mr. Tuggle reached Homer in safety, gave himself up, stood his trial, and was cleared.

            Thus ended the Ramsey-Tuggle feud.

* * * * *

NOTE: "Thus ended the Ramsey-Tuggle feud," according to Dosia Moore. In fact, the feud did not end with the conclusion of Mrs. Moore's recollections. Feud-based fears continued into the 1900s. James Dean, a local barber, tells of an incident involving his father Lon Dean and grandfather James Ebenezer Dean. According to James Dean, his father and grandfather were bringing their first bale of cotton to the gin at Homer in the fall of 1905. They were coming in from the area that would later be the route of the White Lightning Road. "A couple of men said to my granddaddy, `We need to check that wagon, Mr. Dean. We can't be too careful. Need to be sure nobody ain't hiding in the load.' And one of the men randomly stuck a knife several times into the cotton." Finding nothing, the Dean men were allowed to continue on their way.

* * * * *

Claiborne Parish Crimes

            The Homer Guardian-Journal is greatly concerned over the condition of the affairs prevailing in Claiborne Parish and insists that the lawlessness which exists there must be suppressed. We give elsewhere what [the Guardian-Journal] has to say on this subject, and it will be seen that [they have] good cause for complaint.

            Claiborne enjoyed for many years the reputation for being one of the most orderly and law-abiding parishes in the state with less crime in it than nearly any part of Louisiana.

            Its white farmers, many of whom came from other Southern States, are industrious, progressive and peaceful. The land is fertile and the parish prosperous and thoroughly Democratic. But of late Claiborne has been making a bad record for itself in the matter of crimes, and crimes, too, of the worst sort. Nowhere in Louisiana have there been more assassinations, most of them of the foulest kind. One single feud between the Ramseys and the Tuggles resulted in no less than six deaths_most of them assassinations, for the victims were shot down from behind by unknown murderers. These are but sample cases, and the disposition in Claiborne Parish seems to be to resort to the shotgun on the slightest pretext as a means of redressing private grievances.

            More than once the [Guardian-Journal] and the grand jury have called attention to the frequency of assassination in that parish; but this does not seem to have had the slightest effect, for a number of murders have been chronicled there in the last few weeks.

            The quiet and peaceful people of Claiborne, who are in an overwhelming majority, naturally want to put an end to this condition of affairs. They want to feel that their lives are safe from murderous attacks, and they wish to free Claiborne Parish from the unenviable reputation it has gained for crime. We hope and believe that they have been sufficiently aroused on this point and will take such decisive measures that all would-be murderers and assassins will conclude to emigrate from Claiborne. This can be done in only one way, by enforcing the law rigidly and allowing no one to escape its penalties. There has been decidedly too much laxity shown in this matter, and the idea has naturally been created that if a man wishes to protect himself, he must rely upon his shotgun. The fact that no one was punished for the assassinations which occurred as a consequence of the Ramsey-Tuggle feud was an invitation to others to take this means of avenging genuine or fancied wrong with the shotgun. If some of the homicides are punished, Claiborne will have no reason to complain of lawlessness but will return to its original condition of peace and order. We trust that its people will see the necessity of punishing all lawbreakers, no matter how popular they may be or what is their social standing.

— reprinted by The Guardian-Journal, page 1, from the New Orleans Times-Democrat

February 3, 1892

* * * * *

Another Assassination

            Mr. Henry Tuggle was shot while picking cotton in his field near Cotton Valley last Friday evening by some unknown person concealed in the bushes near the field. Mr. Tuggle's three children were with him in the field when he was shot. Two shots were fired, the first missing its aim, the second passing through the head. The weapon used was a Winchester rifle. Mr. Tuggle lived until Sunday morning and died. His remains were brought to this place for burial.

            Mr. Tuggle, it will be remembered, left his place near Homer some months since and moved to Webster Parish for the sake of keeping out of trouble, some of his brothers having been involved in an old feud which had resulted in several assassinations. For a man to be shot down in his own field in the presence of his children is horrible, and nothing should be left undone to punish the guilty party or parties.

We learn that Mr. Tuggle made a dying statement, but it has not been made public. Of course, people will naturally connect this assassination with others, but it may be that it has no such connection.

            We also learn that a man was shot on the Waggonner place near Dykesville on Friday night.

— Guardian-Journal, page 3

November 16, 1892

* * * * *

The Two Last Assassinations

            The man Holland who was shot in his house on the Waggonner place Saturday a week ago [November 12, 1892] has since died. It is said that the notorious Link Waggonner did this shooting, and for several days last week a band of armed men were scouring the country looking for Waggonner but failed to find him. Had he been found, it is probable that he would not have been accorded a legal trial, but the enraged and outraged people would have at once lynched him.

            We have since learned that Link Waggonner was in Texas where he will probably be arrested and brought back to Louisiana. It is also said that there are charges against him in Texas.

            We also learn that Henry Tuggle, who was recently shot and killed in his field at Cotton Valley, made a dying statement to the effect that.......to be continued.

******

Note: Bill Hightower and Jimmy Dean researched this series of articles.