Champ Ferguson

The man above was one of the Upper Cumberland's most notorious guerrilla leaders. Born Samuel Champion Ferguson on November 29, 1821, Ferguson became one of the Civil War's fiercest outlaws. He and his band conducted numerous raids in Tennessee and Kentucky. He rode with John Hunt Morgan on his raids into Kentucky. Ferguson also fought at the Battles of Wildcat Creek, Dug Hill, and Saltville. His nemesis was a man by the name of David Beaty (aka Tinker Dave) they had some close encounters throughout the war, but were never able to eliminate each other. Tinker Dave later testified against Ferguson at his trial. At the end of the war Ferguson was hanged at the Old State Prison in Nashville on October 20, 1865 on 53 counts of murder. Ferguson was buried in the France Cemetery in White County in "Good Rebel Soil." I will post more things about Champ in the near future.