Holy cow! Thanks for posting the indictments. Revenge killing seems to have been the call of the day. I teach 8th grade US history and when it comes to depicting the border sentiments of the Civil War and after, I have only to look at family and friends in Fentress County! Martha In a message dated 9/14/06 9:18:37 AM, Wlcrab@aol.com writes: > Fentress Co. TN Circuit Court Minutes Vol. C December 1866-July 1871. > > July Court 1867  p. 48 > William Brooks and James Pile indicted for murder of Preston Huff, by  > shooting him with certain guns and pistols charged with gun powder and > laden  balls, > on May 14, 1867.  True Bill,  Eli Hatfield,  prosecutor.   S. D. Albertson, > foreman of Grand Jury.  Indicted  July 30, 1867. > > I suspect that James Pile is a nephew of Brooks by marriage, s/o Conrod  > "Rod" Pile and Susannah Delk. > > December Court 1867  p. 336-7 December 2, 1867 > Francis Crockett, Wm. Looper, Edly Paul, Wm. Huff, John Huff and Martin  > Guinn, on September 18, 1867 did kill and murderd in the 1st degree William  > Brooks, by shooting him. > True Bill. > Witnesses for the State: John Wright, Thomas Allred, John M. Gaudin and  > Addie Gaudin. > John W. Simpson, foreman of Grand Jury, and R. B Dawell?? Atty Gen.  > prosecutor. (Atty. Gen. name difficult to read) > > December Court 1867 p.348  December 3, 1867 > Indicted for the murder of William Brooks: > Eli Hatfield, John Huff, Henderson Upchurch, Robert Young, Robert Wright,  > Francis Crockett, Wm. Huff, Edley Paul, Noah Storie and Martin  > Westmoreland. > James Pile; prosecutor, John M. Simpson; foreman of Grand Jury. > > William Looper, John Looper, John Wright, Thomas Allred and James Pile  > witnesses for the State. > > There is also an indictment for the murder of William Brooks by Mrs. Nancy  > Brooks, but I do not have that at my finger tips.  I can't find where any  > of > them that were indicted were ever tried.  > > It has always been my understanding that Wm. Brooks was on the Union side  > of > the fight, if this James Pile is his nephew and s/o Rod and Susannah Delk  > Pile, then this James Pile was sympatric with the Union, his father Rod  > Pile > and his uncle Jeff Pile were killed by Ferguson a few days  apart. > > Wilma Gibson > > Alexander Huff b. ca 1803/10 and Martha Sallee Huff had a son named Preston b. 22 May 1842. Alexander may also have had a brother named Preston. Alexander Huff was killed by Champ Ferguson 2 or 18 May 1862 at the old Conrad Pile place where Jefferson Pile was living. Preston Huff testified at Champ's trial, even though he was not there at the time of his father's death. Preston Huff was part of Eli Hatfield's independent (Union) company and was later part of Tinker Dave Beaty's group. Preston's sister, Lucinda, widow of Eli Hatfield, also testified about her father's death at Champ's trial. A Mrs. Nancy Brooks also testified at the trial. William Brooks' wife was Nancy Pile, daughter of Elijah Pile and grandaughter of Conrad Pile, so Mrs. Nancy Brooks who testified might be the wife of William Brooks who later was accused of killing Preston Huff. Preston Huff, son of Alexander is listed on Jim Smith's website as the one that was killed by William Brooks. http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jcs_cowtown&id=I24503 It would be interesting to know which side the Brooks were on in the Civil War - that might explain the William Brooks' murder accusation. Can we assume that Alexander Huff had Union sentiments which led to Champ Ferguson killing him? Preston Huff's time with Hatfield and Beaty show that his loyalty was Union. However, Alexander Huff's sister was Celia Huff Sublett (my GGG grandmother) and her son, Henry William Sublett was Champ Ferguson's first lieutenant, and also listed as being present at the death of Alexander Huff (his uncle) . . . so . . . again showing how convoluted family loyalites were during the Civil War. Champ Ferguson, Confederate Guerilla by Thurman Sensing - the story of Champ Ferguson's trial - any comments on this book? Martha In a message dated 9/13/06 2:01:44 PM, doles@netcologne.de writes: > > Bruce York's website adds: > William Brooks was accused of the Preston Huff murder. He was tried by a mob > that broke into the jail in Jamestown and killed him September 20, 1867. > They tied him to a horse's tail and filled his body full of bullets as it was > dragged up and down the road. His body was left at a barn across the road from > the Elijah Pile home, where his wife and child were staying. > ************** > Does anyone know if the Preston "Press" Huff who was allegedly killed by > William Brooks was the son of Alexander b. ca 1809 & Martha Huff b. 1819? Was > his wife Mary Elizabeth Pile 1864-1932? > > thanks, > Fabian Doles >