The Secrets of Hickory Hollow

By FA Shepherd

The Secrets of Hickory Hollow revolves around the history of the lives of rugged Scottish pioneers that settle in an isolated southern Appalachian Mountain valley. Over the years their little settlement grows and establishes itself as an independent community complete with a church, a school, and government policies and laws of its own. As generations go by, the residents of Hickory Hollow are caught up in the changing times that lead their lives and the community into an intricate web of lies, deception, crimes and greed. In the immediate aftermath of the effects of WW II on their community, a sheriff that dispenses justice with his heart instead of the law, a G Man with his own ideas about history and a Cherokee half breed copes with revenuers, Nazis, murder and some of the communities own prejudices in order to restore the community back to the quiet little crossroads bedroom community it once was.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Nov 23, 2011
• ISBN: 9781467873918

FA Shepherd

FA (Freddie) Shepherd is a retired research chemist, retiring from Tennessee Eastman’s Research Laboratories in 1992. After retiring he began spending his winters at Bob’s Landing in Florida, his summers in a house that he built himself on TVA’s Cherokee Lake in East Tennessee and doing some traveling. He was in Moscow in 1995 for their 50th anniversary celebration of the end of WW II. He also traveled to Great Britain and did some short term mission trips with Crossroads Missions building houses and churches in Mexico. He is an army veteran with service in Germany in 1958, and was in the Tennessee National Guard for more than 10 years. He has been a member of Colonial Heights Christian Church for more than 40 years. He now lives in Gray, Tennessee and enjoys playing golf and writing. Freddie has a way of seamlessly blending history with fiction and some of his own experiences to weave a variety of partly truth and partly fiction stories and tales. The Secrets of Hickory Hollow is his third book. Visit oldshepbooks.com for details about his other books.

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The Secrets of Hickory Hollow

FA Shepherd

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AuthorHouse™

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

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This book is a work of fiction and a complete figment of my imagination. Any similarity or resemblance between people or actions described in the book and real life is purely coincidental.

FA Shepherd

© 2011 FA Shepherd. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 11/18/2011

ISBN: 978-1-4678-7391-8 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-4678-7392-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4678-7393-2 (sc)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011960711

Printed in the United States of America

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Epilogue

Prologue

Two old men are standing in the middle of the fourteenth fairway at the Clouds Creek Golf Course enjoying the fresh air, the beautiful East Tennessee fall colors and the fact that they are still able to be out here. Not in any hurry to hit their next shots and seemingly oblivious that anyone else is around but them they are still standing there enjoying the moment when a course ranger pulls up beside them and asks if anything is wrong. No why, they asked? Because you are holding up several groups behind you he said. Tell them to play through the old men say, and get back in their golf cart and drive it over to the edge of the fairway. Then while sitting under some hickory trees that are showing off their bright amber and orange leaves they watch as the balls from the group behind them land at least a hundred yards beyond theirs. Remember when we could hit’m that far Frank, Sam said. Ah those precious memories Frank said.

Clouds Creek Golf Course is the center piece of Clouds Creek State Park. The park had been created out of what was once the largest farm in Hickory Hollow. Frank Stevens and Sam McCloud play there almost every day, but enjoy the fall more than any other time of the year. When the hills surrounding the golf course become a blaze of color it just seems to make the game more enjoyable. Both men who are now in the winter of their lives are thankful just too still be alive and able to enjoy it. No place in the world is as beautiful as East Tennessee during the fall leaf season and the Clouds Creek Golf Course is especially beautiful at this time of year. If one has a good imagination while standing on the hill where the fourth tee box is you can see almost all the way to the end of the valley. However, if you have lived here you don’t need an imagination. While you are standing on that hill looking down the fairway and out across the valley all of your past memories come flooding back.

Hickory Hollow is in a picturesque valley in the foot hills on the Tennessee side of the Unaka Mountains. The valley is more than ten miles long and five miles wide and is isolated from the rest of the world by the mountains on three sides and the Nolichucky River on the southern end of the valley. The first white settler in the valley was George McCloud. George had left Scotland to get away from the British and had settled near Cowpens South Carolina but was never satisfied there. He joined with the Over Mountain Men to fight the British at Kings Mountain and came back across the mountains with them and tried to settle down on the banks of the Watauga River in East Tennessee. George did like the little settlement of Sycamore Shoals and the people, but was never quiet at home there. To satisfy his wonder lust he started taking long hunting trips and sometimes would be gone for weeks at a time. On one of these trips he found the valley that would become his home.

On this particular trip he had been hunting and camping along the Nolichucky River. He found that the narrow and wild whitewater river had carved a deep gorge when it crossed the mountains into Tennessee from North Carolina and then became a wide slow moving lazy stream as it flowed through the long lush valleys below the mountains. He had been trailing a deer one day when he came to the mouth of a large creek and decided to follow it and see where it came from. He found the creek was joined by several other streams that seemed to come from every hollow in the mountains. The farther up the creek he went the more he liked what he saw and had made up his mind to do a lot more exploring in this valley long before he found the spring that was the source of the creek. He decided the little knoll above the spring would make a good place to camp for a few days and the longer he stayed there the more at home he became and was soon building a cabin. He built a simple log cabin with a lean to on the back and started exploring this valley he had decided to call home. George named the valley Hickory Hollow in honor of all the trees around the spring and his cabin.

As George was exploring his valley one day he discovered something else about it. Indians. Hunting parties would occasionally come to the valley because of all the game. These were Cherokee Indians from across the mountain in North Carolina. They were for the most part a friendly nation of Indians, but could when there was a need for it be very warlike. George didn’t know which way this hunting party leaned so he decided to avoid them. A few days later George came out the door of his cabin to find it surrounded by Indians. His long rifle was just out of reach inside door but would have been of little use anyway. He would have gotten off only one shot before being butchered, so he decided to see if they were friendly. After some awkward attempts at sign language one of the Indians asked what he was doing here and if there were any others. Relieved that at least one of them could and would talk to him George told him his name and explained that he was alone and had been in the valley for a long time and had first come here to hunt. The Indian said he was called Grey Wolf and they had come from over the mountain to hunt also. Wolf told George the Indians called these mountains the Unegas and the area just above this valley was known as the mountain with no trees. Wolf also told George they came here every fall to hunt and gather nuts to take back to their village for the winter. George and Wolf continued to trade information until almost dark. George decided that a few of the others could also speak and understand his words, but Wolf was obviously the leader of this hunting party. George invited them to camp by his cabin for the night. Wolf agreed, but when George got up the next morning they were gone. George wondered why they called it the mountain with no trees since every where he looked or had been was covered with trees. He didn’t find out what Wolf was talking about until much later when he decided to go back across the mountains to South Carolina. He was following what was obviously an old Indian trail up a mountain ridge one day and suddenly came out of the trees into what appeared to be a meadow. Acres and acres of a grass covered knoll right in the middle of the hardwood forest. George had no way of knowing he had just walked into one of the Southern Appalachian Mountain Balds, but after looking around he knew why the Indians called this the mountain with no trees. He later found there were several of these strange bald spots in the mountains around his valley.

After that encounter with the Indians George started thinking about a girl he had known on the other side of the mountain before he followed the Over Mountain Men back to Tennessee. He soon found himself laying awake at night wondering what had happened to her and finally decided to make a trip back across the mountains to find her. George had been in Cowpens the first time for almost a year before he met Mary, but afterwards was a constant visitor in the Stuart home. He made no pretense about his intentions, but James, Mary’s Dad was not about to let his only daughter marry someone the family knew nothing at all about. Disappointed, George had joined with the Over Mountain Men and gone back across the mountain with them. If Mary Stuart was still single George was not going to take no for an answer. He was determined this time to win James Stuarts approval. Too his surprise and delight Mary was still single and George took a job with the local black smith and set about winning James’ approval. He made no secret about his intentions of marrying Mary and taking her over the mountains to his cabin. Six months later George and his new bride returned to what had become Clouds Creek in Hickory Hollow. While George was spending his evenings courting Mary he spent his days telling anyone who would listen about his valley. Soon several men were interested in seeing what George was talking about and made a trip to the valley to see for themselves. After spending a couple weeks along the banks of what they had named Clouds Creek they decided George had been right and after returning to Cowpens would bring their families back to the valley. After marrying Mary Stuart, George led a little wagon train of these settlers back across the mountain to his valley.

The men that followed George back across the mountain to Hickory Hollow were mostly stout Scotch-Irish farmers and they loved this valley because it reminded them of the valleys back home in the Scottish Highlands. They brought with them a strong conservative work ethic and their faith in God. Because of that one of the first buildings they put up after their houses and barns had been built was the Hickory Hollow Church. This little log building contained a simple alter and a few benches that were nothing more than halves of logs with legs. In addition to the worship services this little building also became the first school house in the valley, as well as the first court room, and the first public use building. They were a fiercely independent bunch and this attitude was reflected in their church organization and worship services. The church had been built in the middle of the valley on the bank of Clouds Creek and became known as The First Church of Hickory Hollow. It not only was the first church in the valley, but for more than a hundred and fifty years it was the only church there. When that first building was replaced by a larger one some thirty years after the valley was first settled the new building was renamed The Clouds Creek Church. By the time of the Civil War some sixty years after the settlers first arrived in the valley there were still less than two hundred residents in the valley. Most residents in the valley were farmers but there was also now a sprinkling of other trades such as a couple of black smiths, a few carpenters, a miller, a cobbler, a wagon maker, and a store keeper. These were all located in the little village that had grown up around the church. Since these first settlers were from Scotland there were also a few stills for the production of corn liquor in operation in Hickory Hollow. Almost anything that was needed in the valley could be made there so there was very little need for contact with the outside world. Every time one of the settlers went back across the mountain to visit family more settlers would follow them back so the population and trades in the valley grew.

Because the church had been founded by Scottish descendants the church had its beginnings rooted in the tenants of the Presbyterian religion. However, due to its isolated location and the independent nature of its founders the church had from its very beginnings been an independent organization and associated with the Presbyterians in name only. One of its first circuit riding preachers had been a student of Alexander Campbell, a Presbyterian preacher who had formed an opinion that some of the teachings of the Presbyterian Church did not follow what he believed the scriptures taught. Alexander believed the scripture taught that baptism was by immersion and not the sprinkling method the Presbyterians used and the Lords Supper should be observed at least every Lords Day. He had passed his strong beliefs along to his followers and wherever they went they were preaching and practicing these observances. As a result, about half the members of the church had been dunked in Clouds Creek when they had accepted Christ and been baptized. This caused the first major difference of opinion in the church, but it had been settled quickly and quietly by the elders with their decision that from this time on immersion would be the only accepted form of baptism practiced by the church. However, any who had been sprinkled prior to this and felt they were right with the Lord would not be required to be baptized again. Also after this the Lords Supper would be an integral part of each Sunday’s worship service. One of these circuit riding preachers also told the church that most of the followers of Alexander Campbell were now being called Cambellites. However, these independent farmers decided that they would remain simply Christians and the church would still be The Clouds Creek Church. Thus Clouds Creek Church was never associated with any of the so called denominational churches of the day. By the time the Civil War started the church had already undergone two major renovations and was now in a whitewashed clapboard building with real church pews that had been handmade right there in the valley. The church building also now contained several Sunday school class rooms and they had their own preacher.

Because of the isolated location of their valley the war had been going on for several months before they knew anything about it. Although Hickory Hollow was of no military importance that didn’t prevent occasional raids by both sides into the valley. The farms in the valley did provide good forage opportunities and the moonshine stills were of particular interest. The only battle of any significance near Hickory Hollow took place on April 17th, 1863. This battle was never given a name by any historians but was known to the locals as McDonalds Charge. It took place when Captain McDonald led a little band of local Confederates against the Yankees holding the bridge across the Nolichucky River. The small one lane wooden bridge had been constructed a few years before the war started to replace Shipp’s Ferry. The bridge provided a much more reliable river crossing than the ferry which ran only when Mr. Shipp wanted it to and not at all during periods of high water. After being beaten back after several charges against the Yankees Captain McDonald retreated south to the little village of Erwin and waited for nightfall. During the night he led his little army across the river at Clouds Ford a mile up river from the bridge. Clouds Ford had been the main river crossing before Mr. Shipp put in the ferry and this good river crossing was unknown to the Yankees and was not guarded. While the bridge was the main crossing point for the northern raiders the ford was where the Confederates crossed the river on their raids. This river crossing was just upstream from where Clouds Creek empties into the river and had been where George crossed the river the first time he entered the valley. Captain McDonald and his men never made any more attempts to remove the Yankee blockade and sat out the remainder of the war in the safety and isolation of Hickory Hollow.

Even though the raids into Hickory Hollow did no damage nor contributed to the war effort on either side they did contribute to the hard feelings by neighbor against neighbor that had been simmering long before the war started. These bad feelings between neighbors had arisen over land squabbles and on more than one occasion over the ownership of a cow. There were no fences and occasionally a boundary marker would get moved or cut down and sometimes free ranging livestock wound up in a neighbors barn. When the war came to Hickory Hollow battle lines had already been drawn and theses sometimes spilled over into church business. It all came to a head one evening at a congregational meeting to decide the churches loyalty during the war. Like it would remain for the rest of its existence on just about any issue to come up in the church the feelings were divided almost fifty fifty. The preacher who had remained neutral throughout these meetings and arguments finally decided the issue when he reminded the church members their first loyalty was to God and as long as he remained their pastor that is the way the church would stay. Thus Clouds Creek Church in Hickory Hollow remained neutral as far as politics was concerned during the Civil War. However, if one looked closely on Sunday mornings one could see one group on one side of the building and another group on the other.

These hard feelings remained long after the conflict was over setting neighbor against neighbor well into the new century. More times than any of them wanted to admit, church and community issues were decided by personal feelings left over from the Civil War. It took an incident that happened seventy five years later and half a world away to finally unite both the community and the church. As the Sunday evening service was ending on December 7, 1941 a young man ran in and shouted the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor this morning. Instead of going home the preacher called the congregation back to order and held a prayer service. By the time it was over all past feelings were forgotten and the church and community were united in a common goal. The younger men of the community who would soon be going off to war hadn’t been born when their fathers marched down fifth avenue in New York to get on a troop ship bound for France in 1917. None of them could have seen how different this war would be or what effect it would have on their little community.