This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: ltate29 Surnames: Long, Blevins, Roberts Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.alabama.counties.cherokee/2711.5/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Additional info: See pages 121-124 at http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ga/county/fulton/walkerhistory/pg 101-200red.pdf Same or similar info at the following site: http://webspace.webring.com/people/ju/um_6747/GATEWOOD.HTM Reading further there I found: "The next band of guerrillas in importance was that headed by John Long and Sam Roberts. These men and their followers were Union in their sympathies. They operated principally in McLemore's Cove, but often crossed the mountain and raided the county round about. This was just about such another gang of outlaws as that of Gatewood, except, perhaps, not so large in numbers. They pretended to offer protection to all Union men and sympathisers, while opposing and persecuting men of opposite opinions. In a general way a description of Gatewood's actions and movements may be applied to that of the Long-Roberts gang. Long was a native of the Cove; he was not, however, related to the Longs in the lower part of Chattanooga Valley. There was deadly enmity between the bands of Long and Gatewood When they met there was pretty sure to be some little excitement, and very likely some one to bury. So far as the author has been able to ascertain by inquiry among the old citizens of the count! y the following men were killed by Long's band: Atlas Andrews (This was my great-grandpa' nephew, we theorize that this caused him to jine up with Gatewood), Wm. Stewart, Hiram Cochran, the two McSpadden boys, and sometime after the war Long killed Blevins Taylor on Lookout Mountain and was given a life sentence by the courts of Alabama but after serving 30 years was pardoned and soon afterward died. The slaying of the two McSpadden boys was a most deplorable as well as most brutal affair. It seems that they were at home on fur-lough from the Confederate Army. One of them was seriously, perhaps dangerously ill. The other was nursing his brother. Anticipating trouble from the Long-Roberts gang, they left home and were hiding in Dirt Town in Chattooga County. Here they were discovered by Long and Roberts and were brutally murdered, one of them in bed. In the melee Roberts had his thumb shot off by his opponents. (See Miss Orpha Center's account of this elsewhere). Mr. C. C. R! ansom, 85, an eye witness, relates this circumstance: Soon after the w ar, at old Liberty Church, in the Cove, there was preaching one night, when Long, under the influence of drink, came in. He first sat down along the aisle, then got up and sat in the "Amen" corner. All this time he was muttering about something. Finally he arose and left the house and as he did so was heard to mutter that he cared not a d-m for anyone present, and that they had better not follow him either. No one followed. It was only a short time after this that he killed Blevins Taylor on Lookout Mountain. He escaped and was at large for some time, but as there was a handsome reward for his capture, and knowing that sooner or later he would be apprehended, he decided to surrender. So going to a house near Cassandra. he went in and surrendered to Temperance Kirkes, saying he would rather surrender to a woman than to a man. He was carried to Alabama, tried, convicted, and given a life sentence. " If the John Long in the Wetumpka prison in 1880 is the correct one (31 in 1880 and born in TN) and he was living in Walker County GA (location of McLemore's Cove) in 1860, then the following 12 year old boy in the 1860 census might be him. John A Long Age in 1860: 12 Birth Year: abt 1848 Birthplace: Tennessee Home in 1860: Chattanooga, Walker, Georgia Gender: Male Post Office: Eagle Cleft Household Members: Name Age John Long 63 TN Elizabeth Long 50 TN David Long 14 TN John A Long 12 TN George A Long 10 TN Joseph Long 8 GA I didn't find a Sam Roberts in Walker Co GA in 1860, but did find a Sampson Roberts, 16, in Chattanooga, Hamilton Co, TN. Since Chattanooga is known for Lookout Mountain attractions, this could be the Sam Roberts of the Long-Roberts gang. See also the following found using Google Books... http://books.google.com/books?id=oeZr20kWbiAC&pg=PA152&lpg=PA152&dq="sam roberts" "john long"&source=bl&ots=ir3ilistFL&sig=o8Pb6rfOkhrQatxVYrpaDbnvrRY&hl=en&ei=W96gTObPOYaCsQPUkInWAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CDIQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q="sam roberts" "john long"&f=false Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.