Tales from Tennessee and Beyond: The Legend of Champ Ferguson

The following is a research paper that I wrote last semester (Fall 2013).

  Imagine lying in your bed, sick, unable to move physically. You hear a knock at the door, in walks a red headed man who stops at the foot of your bed with a gun pointed at you. The man is Champ Ferguson, and he has come to settle a score with William Frogg. Ferguson shoots Frogg in cold blood just because he is a Union sympathizer. The legend of Champ Ferguson was forgotten for many years until 1942 when Thurman Sensing wrote a book devoted to the highly publicized trial of one of the South’s most notorious outlaws. Today, authors such as Thomas Mays and Brian McKnight have written even more detailed books accounting the events of Champ’s life. The France Cemetery where Champ is buried has become a part of Tennessee’s Civil War Trails. The legend of Champ Ferguson is alive and well. The argument of this paper is to prove that there were many factors that motivated Champ Ferguson to serve with the Confederate States of America. This paper will also recap Champ’s early life and some of his activities in Appalachia during the Civil War.
   Samuel “Champ” Ferguson was born on November 29, 1821, in Clinton County Kentucky. He was the oldest of ten children, and his parents were farmers. Little is known about Champ’s childhood. He probably performed daily tasks around his parent’s farm. He, like most other children of his day, had little to no access to a formal education. He and his family attended church regularly. The Ferguson’s were most likely of the Baptist or the Presbyterian faith. In 1844 Champ fell in love and married Ann Eliza Smith. Together they had a young son, but in 1847, tragedy struck. Ann and their young son passed away from unknown causes. The loss greatly affected Champ. In 1848 Champ married Martha Owens. Together they had a daughter named Ann. Tragedy struck the Ferguson family again in 1850 when Champ’s father, William, passed away. This loss greatly affected Champ. Champ would take up farming as a profession, and he farmed 194 acres of land in the Spring Creek area where he was raised. Most of it he inherited from his late father. By 1860 the farm contained 462 total acres. Champ’s legal troubles began when he was accused of stealing horses from Floyd Evans. Ferguson claimed that Evans owed him money, so he took the horses to cover the debt. Evans on the other hand claimed that Ferguson simply stole the horses from him. This eventually got the attention of Andrew Johnson. This dispute came to a head when Ferguson was confronted by Evans, along with Elam Huddleston, and Constable Jim Reed. Champ fought off Evans and Huddleston, but he killed Constable Reed in the process. This got Champ in to serious trouble. He was held in the Fentress (TN) County Jail. This was just the infancy of one of the bloodiest guerrilla careers of this time period.
   Champ Ferguson, unlike his brother Jim, was a Confederate sympathizer. Jim Ferguson had previous run ins with the law much like his older brother. Both Champ and Jim held different political views however. Champ was a Democrat and Jim was a Whig. Champ’s murders of William Frogg and Reuben Wood would lead the entire population of Clinton County to turn against him. Ferguson had no choice but to take his family and flee Kentucky and settle in the Calfkiller River Valley in Confederate Sparta, Tennessee. He thought that if he served with the Confederate States of America he could gain forgiveness for his past crimes.
   Champ was able to live a fairly quiet life as a farmer. He was dealing with a fairly serious head wound that he had suffered in his encounter with Reuben Wood. He still went back up into Kentucky. His brother Ben had also declared his loyalty to the Confederacy. Ben Ferguson was fatally shot by one of Champ’s most loyal friends Raine Philpott. This event did not affect the relationship between Philpott and Champ Ferguson, however. Ferguson and Phillpott rode throughout the Upper Cumberland region engaging in acts such as horse stealing. Legend has it that if you came in contact with the two you would be lucky to get away. Champ had no real competition until David Beaty, a Union guerrilla, came to the area to persuade the people of the region to become Unionists. Tinker Dave, as he was often called, became Ferguson’s greatest enemy. Ferguson and Beaty had some close encounters but neither one could eliminate the other. Beaty eventually testified against Champ at his 1865 trial. People today, especially citizens of Sparta, applaud Champ for his efforts in protecting the region against Tinker Dave and his gang.

Ferguson and his gang later raided the farm of Jonathan Hale, in Clinton County. Hale was not home, but his wife Pheroba was. Ferguson and his men tore down the yard fence, and walked into the house and took a horn of gunpowder. They then left the farm, but returned a short time later and took three horses and two mules. From there Ferguson and his gang headed back into Tennessee. On their way they decided to stop at Champ’s mother-in- law’s house. They were met by a sixteen-year old boy named Fount Zachary. He was a picket who was working for the Unionist Home Guards. Ferguson dismounted from his horse and demanded that Zachary drop his weapons. Zachary complied and Ferguson took his knife and drove it through his heart. Champ and his gang took the body to his mother-in-law’s house where it was later claimed by the Zachary family. It is believed that the widow Owens did not want to touch the body because she disapproved of the activities that Champ was involved in. This incident solidified Champ Ferguson’s place as one of the most notorious guerrilla leader in the Upper Cumberland region.
   By now Champ was getting the attention of the federal officials. J.A. Brents was one of the first Union officers to hunt Ferguson. On April 17,1862, Don Carlos Buell tasked Colonel Edward C. Williams with sending four companies of troops from his 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry to Clinton County to help prevent these raids. Word soon got to Champ, causing him to stay in Livingston for the rest of April. Ferguson and his men slept in people’s houses in Fentress County. He and his men were preparing for another invasion into Kentucky.
In May of 1862, Champ, along with his former lawyer Willis Scott Bledsoe made another raid into Kentucky. On this raid Ferguson killed Alexander Huff, a known Unionist. Earlier, Ferguson had taken Huff’s son, Preston, as his prisoner. Champ also held a grudge against Huff because he had been involved in getting him arrested. Ferguson later said that he did not kill Huff; his men did. Next Champ murdered James Zachary, who was the father of Fount Zachary, whom Ferguson had murdered earlier. Ferguson later rode with John Hunt Morgan on his First Kentucky Raid. This made Champ redefine the nature of his service. He said he was a regular soldier when convenient, and claimed to be a Confederate partisan at other times. Ferguson often referred to himself as a captain even though he never enlisted in the Confederate army.
   After these raids into Kentucky, Champ returned home to his wife and daughter in Sparta. After a month had passed, Champ was back on the borderlands in August 1862. Champ would continue these skirmishes until late summer 1862. The Louisville Courier Journal published an article accounting some of the activities he had been involved in. Ferguson’s next big skirmish happened in Clinton County. Ferguson and his killed Thomas Washington Tabor, also known as Wash Tabor. Ferguson shot him in the head. Tabor was not even armed, the reasons for this murder are not known. Tabor was a known Unionist, which could have been a factor. As a result of Ferguson’s actions many residents of Kentucky who were Unionists sought to protect themselves better. J.A. Morrison was one of the first individuals to organize a homeguard to protect himself and his family against guerrillas. Ferguson meanwhile took his gang and moved back to Tennessee to continue his guerrilla activities.
   After returning to Tennessee in 1863, Champ Ferguson befriended General George Dibrell. Champ very much respected Dibrell, and many of Dibrell’s men rode with Champ. Ferguson and Dibrell fought alongside each other at the Battle of Wild Cat Creek in Sparta. Dibrell’s 8th Tennessee Cavalry and Colonel Robert H.G. Minty’s 4th Michigan Cavalry engaged in a battle on Dibrell’s farm. Dibrell’s forces won the battle. Dibrell wrote in his report “that at some time during the battle, the strength of his force was increased when Champ Ferguson arrived with several of his men and a number of Sparta men.” By this point, Ferguson’s relationship with John Hunt Morgan had become strained. Ferguson had formed a strong relationship with Dibrell, one that would last throughout the war. Ferguson also remained close with many of his raiding buddies, especially Colonel John Hughs of Livingston. Hughs had served in the 25th Tennessee Infantry under Braxton Bragg. He accompanied Bragg on his invasion into Kentucky and also fought at the Battle of Stones River, where he was wounded.
   After fighting at Sparta, Champ Ferguson returned to raiding. One of Ferguson’s most outspoken critics was Dr. Jonathan Hale. Hale was responsible for writing many anti-Ferguson pamphlets. His goal was to alert the Federals of Ferguson’s activities and his whereabouts. On September 1863 Champ and his men raided the Hale place. Ferguson stole the piano of Hale’s daughter, Pheroba. He then took the piano back to Sparta. He consulted Julia Ann Williams who operated a store in Yankeetown. Williams had no idea how much the piano was worth. She would later testify at Ferguson’s trial that she knew the piano belonged to the Hale family. Ferguson eventually sold the piano for $200 to a local woman. Champ along with his wife Martha collected the $200 from the buyer. This leads many historians to believe that Mrs. Ferguson knew of his activities and helped Champ with his financial dealings.
   In 1864 Champ Ferguson was still a major threat in the Upper Cumberland area. Ferguson and his relationship with George Dibrell was still very strong. Both men knew that they could depend on each other whenever the need arose. Ferguson was also gaining occasional recognition from the Confederacy for his actions. The year 1864 also marked a time in which the Federals were beginning to crack down on guerrilla activity in the area. Perhaps the greatest threat to Ferguson was William B. Stokes. He was known as the “anti-Champ Ferguson.” Stokes and his 5th Tennessee Cavalry had one main goal, to eliminate Champ Ferguson. Stokes and his 5th Tennessee Cavalry arrived in Sparta on February 2nd. He and his men traveled north along the Calfkiller River. They traveled as far as Putnam County eventually turning around and retracing their steps. Stokes and his men camped close to Ferguson‘s farm. They came very close to achieving their goal, but could not close the deal. Champ was also pursed by Brigadier General Eleazer A. Paine as well as Colonel Henry McConnell. McConnell and his 71st Ohio Infantry tracked Ferguson all the way into the Flynn’s Lick area in Jackson County. The hunt for Champ Ferguson at the Federal level had just begun.
  Meanwhile back in Sparta, William Stokes was still on the trail of Champ Ferguson. Stokes decided to send two of his companies back up from Sparta along the Calfkiller River on a scouting mission. The men led by W.B. Hyder were instructed to go through the Dug Hill community. What Stokes and his men did not know was that Ferguson and his men along with John Hughs and his men were hiding in the bushes along the road. George Dibrell and his men were at the battle as well. As the Federals approached, Ferguson and his men jumped out of the bushes and into the road, completely surrounding the federal forces. Hyder wanted to surrender, but Stokes did not want to. Stokes ordered his men to “bust through the rebel ranks as it was nothing but Death anyway.” This battle would become known as the Battle of Dug Hill or the Battle of the Calfkiller. Legend has it that Champ’s nemesis Tinker Dave Beaty was at the battle fighting with Stokes. The battle was a rout for the Federals and became a blemish on the records of Stokes and Hyder. Ferguson continued his raiding after the battle.
   Champ conducted raids south of Sparta following the battle with the federals at Dug Hill. He went all the way to Pikeville. He also raided the towns of Washington and Sulphur Springs, Tennessee. On March 27, 1864, the Nashville Daily Union released a story that Champ Ferguson had been killed. In reality, Ferguson had been wounded in a skirmish with William Stokes. The one person who benefitted the most from Champ being wounded was Tinker Dave Beaty. Beaty, with the help of Military Governor Andrew Johnson, was able to send supplies to those people who had been affected by Ferguson’s activities. By July 1864 Champ was well enough to continue his guerrilla activities. He and his gang traveled down to Georgia and destroyed the railroad lines at Marietta, Cassville, Calhoun, and Resaca. Ferguson was later arrested for these crimes and placed under the command of George Dibrell. This would take Champ Ferguson into Virginia.
   The Union forces led by Stephen Burbridge were executing a raid into Virginia. One of their targets was the salt works at Saltville, Virginia. Ferguson would join Brigadier General John S. William’s forces. Dibrell and his 8th Tennessee Cavalry also were involved at the Battle of Saltville. The Confederates had a total of 2,800 troops, where the Federals on the other hand had a total of 4,500. Once at the battlefield Ferguson, probably rejoined Dibrell’s army. Dibrell was at a disadvantage thanks to many of his men being green in military strategy and tactics. Together, Dibrell and his army, including Champ Ferguson, and General Felix H. Robertson and his 8th and 11th Texas Cavalry fought against Colonel Robert Ratliff and the 5th U.S. Colored Cavalry. At some point during the fight, Robertson lost his nerve and retreated back up the hill. Dibrell and his forces stayed firm in an effort to withstand the attack. The Battle of Saltville would be a victory for the CSA, thanks to a lack of ammunition for the Federals. There are no records of how Ferguson did in the fight, but many historians believed that he fought like a normal soldier. The total number of casualties for each side was 350 for the Federals and 108 for the Confederates. The next day one hundred of those Black Union troops were murdered by Champ Ferguson. This would become known as the Saltville Massacre. This incident would gain national attention, making everyone in the Union as well as the Confederacy aware of who Champ Ferguson was.
   Many historians believe that if any one man was responsible for sending Champ to the gallows it would be Eliza Smith. Smith was a lieutenant in the 13th Kentucky Cavalry. He had been wounded in a battle earlier in the war. Ferguson knew Smith from Clinton County, and he was also Ferguson’s brother-in-law from his first marriage. Smith was staying in a make shift hospital set up at Emory and Henry College. Ferguson along with his partner William Hildreth set out on the hunt for Eliza Smith. When they finally found him, they broke into the hospital scuffling with guards along the way. One guard, Dr. James B. Murfree, became the first known man to make Champ Ferguson stand down. When Ferguson finally located Smith he walked up to the bed and shot him in the head in cold blood. Ferguson waited to make sure that the wound was mortal before fleeing back to Sparta. On April 12, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House. This marked the end of the Civil War.
   On the morning of May 26, 1865, just before daybreak, Champ Ferguson was arrested at his home in Sparta. He was taken to Nashville and held in military prison. Ferguson’s high profile trial lasted three months, going from July through September 1865. The trial gained national attention. Ferguson was featured in newspapers such as Harper’s Weekly. His nemesis Tinker Dave Beaty testified against him as well as the widow of William Frogg, among countless others. Ferguson claimed he had only killed in self-defense. His defense would not help him, as he was found guilty on 53 counts of murder. On October 20, 1865, Champ Ferguson was hanged at the old state prison on Church Street in Nashville. Ferguson was one of only two men to be executed at the end of the Civil War.
   Today Champ Ferguson’s story is alive and well. In 1942 Thurman Sensing published the first ever book written about Champ. Ferguson’s grave is a tourist attraction today and receives many visitors each year. Historians such as Thomas Mays, Brian McKnight, and Troy Smith have written books chronicling his life. The 1976 film The Outlaw Josey Wales was loosely based on his life. Champ Ferguson thought that he was doing the right thing. He wanted to protect his family and his property. He just went about it in the wrong way. If the South would have won the war, Champ Ferguson would be a hero.