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Members of the Scott Co. Rangers indicted for murder of the hanging of Cross & Vanover

By David Jeffers and Allen Keeton

In the years between 1861 and 1865, Scott County saw many changes in sentiment about the war. For the most part most residents who weren’t serving for either the Union or the Confederate Armies tried their best to stay neutral. But, with the infamous Champ Ferguson’s Confederate unit along with Tinker Dave Beaty’s Independent Scouts, raiding the homes and citizens of their basic essentials like food, guns and horses from the western part of the county we had the Scott County Rangers doing the same from the eastern boundaries of the county. On one instance there was an old man who was asked “What side do you agree with?” The old man replied, “ Well, yesterday morning the Federates came through and took my chickens, every last one of ‘em. Before dark the Yanks came through and took my milk cow. As fer as I care, both of ‘em can go to hell!” The events are well documented of Scott County’s secession from the State of Tennessee to form the Independent State of Scott in June 1861, those members of the court have been identified as Justices of the Peace (County Commissioners) and they were; Archibald Murphy, L.B. Goad, Robert G.H. Jeffers, Jacob Lawson, James Cecil, Milton Terry, Wiley Rich, J.J. Duncan, William A. Hembree, Dennis Trammell, John Hughett, Greenberry Creekmore, James Thompson, Pleasant Chambers and James Buttram. The County Judge or as it is known today as the County Mayor was Wimer Crowley.
Immediately after the resolution was adopted a copy was then sent directly to the General Assembly and Governor, Isham G. Harris (pictured to the right). Upon receiving the letter of secession he dispatched some 1,700 troops from Nashville to search for and arrest or hang every member of the Scott County Court. None of those men were ever found or arrested. One of the most well known events of the Civil War in Scott County was the hanging of Lark Cross and Ransom Vanover by a band of Confederate soldiers, who until now were unidentified by historians. We have found documentation in the Scott County record books of the men who were charged with the hanging of Lark Cross and Ransom Vanover. Henry Clay Smith documented this event in his book “Dusty Bits of the Forgotten Past” and Paul Roy in his book “Scott Countians in the Civil War”. The following is the accounts as stated in Paul Roy’s book, “Scott Countians in the Civil War”. Near the headwaters of Buffalo Creek, the rebels encountered a number of Captain Duncan’s Home Guards. A skirmish ensued in which four of the rebels were killed and several wounded, the Home Guards sustaining no loss whatever. The rebels then re-treated down Buffalo Creek, destroying and carrying off everything valuable that fell their way. On the route they captured Larkin Cross and Ransom Vanover both of whom they hanged in the apple orchard belonging to the Widow Angel. Mr. Cross was a good citizen, and his loss was severely felt. He leaves a wife and five interesting children. Mr. Vanover belonged to the Second (loyal) Tennessee Infantry, and was ill at the time he was so cruelly murdered. He was highly esteemed by his neighbors and leaves a wife and two children wholly unprovided for.
Through recent research we have identified the Confederate unit who were ultimately responsible for the hanging of Cross and Vanover as members of the Scott County Rangers. With Frank, Perry and Pryor Gibson, Calvin, Ewell, Reddin and Joseph Smith along with James Tye, Willis Bruce, Isaac Griffith, Ramsey and Nicholas Patterson being named as a group and was the Scott County Rangers. This group were all closely related. In the records book; MINUTES Civil & Criminal Court; Scott County, Tennessee. April 9, 1866 to February 22, 1870. On August 16, 1866; A Bill of Indictment was handed down by a grand jury for the murder of Larkin Cross and Ransom Vanover. A true Bill was sent forth in the names of the defendants as follows; Calvin Smith, Perry Gibson, Pryor Gibson, Arch Keith, Jasper Keith, John Keith, Ramsey Keith, James Tye, Reddin Smith, Isaac Griffith, Nicholas Patterson, Ramsey Patterson, Ewell Smith, Willis Bruce, Frank Gibson, William McCoy and Joseph Smith. For the shooting and hanging of Ransom Vanover and the hanging of Lark Cross. These were a band of men who at one point or another were with separate units but would come together to forage or raid the residents of Scott County. The Scott County Rangers were founded by Ewell Smith and Henry Polk Gibson, both were residents of Scott County prior to the beginning of the Civil War. Ewell Smith was reportedly seriously injured in early 1861 and Henry Polk Gibson became the Captain of the unit. One fact remained to keep this band together was that they were all related. James Gibson, the father of Henry and Pryor Gibson was indicted for treason on April 15, 1866 which was actually over four years after being killed on February 7, 1862.
Pryor later stated that his father, James was bush whacked and robbed by Dan Carpenter near Jacksboro. Henry Gibson was killed in a skirmish in Anderson County on October 8, 1863. After his death his son Frank brought his body back to the family farm to be buried. While there a band of Union soldiers heard of his return and went to the Gibson farm. Frank was notified of what was happening so he hid in some brush close by. The Captain of those soldiers was talking loud enough that Frank could hear. He later stated that he was disrespecting his mother and eventually cleaned his pipe in her clothes basket causing it to catch fire, so Frank shot and killed him and fled. He later returned and took his mother and his younger siblings and moved to Cherokee, North Carolina and eventually to Swain County,
North Carolina, where they remained. Although these men were indicted by a Grand Jury for the murder of Cross and Vanover, all of the men who were named in the indictment had already left the county. Henry Polk Gibson and Ewell Smith were long standing members of the communities of the eastern part of Scott County, therefore they were well known by these residents. The following is a list of the men who were indicted and a glimpse into their life after the war. EWELL SMITH; was the son of John L. and Kizzy (Gibson) Smith, he was married to Julia Ann Owens. Ewell died in Montague, Texas. REDDIN SMITH; was a brother of Ewell, the son of John L. and Kizzy (Gibson) Smith, he married Millie Ann McCoy a sister to William R. McCoy. Reddin died 1906 in Barron County, Kentucky.
CALVIN SMITH; was a brother of Ewell, John L. and Kizzy (Gibson) Smith, married Ellen Lewallen. Went to Wayne County, Kentucky after the war, he died in 1927 in Fresno, California. PRYOR L. GIBSON; was a brother of Henry P. Gibson, the son of James and Mary (Tye) Gibson. He went to Ford County, Texas and was married to
Charlotta Archer. He died February 16, 1931. PERRY GIBSON; was the son of George and Mahala (Adkins) Gibson, a nephew of Henry Gibson. Records indicate that he was captured October 7, 1863 in Shelbyville, Tennessee. He was married to Sarah Blevins and he died July 16, 1912 in Dekalb County, Alabama.
FRANK GIBSON; was the son of Henry Polk Gibson, he married Miranda Conley. He moved his mother and siblings to Swain County, North Carolina following his fathers death and moved there himself after the war ended.
ARCHIBALD KEITH; was married to Melinda Gibson a sister to Henry P. Gibson. He moved to Leesville, Texas after the war and died January 31, 1893. JASPER KEITH; was the son of Archibald and Melinda (Gibson) Keith. He moved to Leesville, Texas after the war and died 1909.
RAMSEY KEITH; was the son of Archibald and Melinda (Gibson) Keith. He moved to Gonzales, Texas after the war and died in 1903. JOHN KEITH ; was the son of Archibald and Melinda (Gibson) Keith. He moved to Gonzales, Texas after the war and died in 1903.
NICHOLAS PATTERSON; was the son of John and Sarah (Keith) Patterson a sister to Archibald Keith. He married Lavania Martha Cross, the sister of Lark Cross, Martha died in 1885 in Kimble County, Texas. Nicholas was born 1827 and died 1897 in Claudcroft, New Mexico.
RAMSEY PATTERSON; was born 1826 in Anderson County, Tennessee, the son of John and Sarah (Keith) Patterson a sister to Archibald Keith he married Drucilla Wilson, they moved to Texas after the war. JAMES TYE; was born January 29, 1831 in Whitley County, Kentucky and was the son of George and Margaret (Pearce) Tye, Sr. He was married to Nancy E. Goodnight, he was the brother-in-law of Henry Polk Gibson. He died in Burleson County, Texas January 19, 1876. WILLIAM McCOY; was born June 3, 1831 in Anderson County, Tennessee and was the son of John and Nancy (Hatfield) McCoy. He married Martha Hurtt in Scott County, Tennessee in 1856 and he was a brother-in-law of Redin Smith. He died September 23, 1898 in Barren, Kentucky. WILLIS BRUCE; was born December 16, 1829 in Campbell County, Tennessee and was the son of Daniel and Mary (Clotfelter) Bruce. Willis married Nancy Bridgeman in 1850, He enlisted into the Civil War September 1, 1862. He died in Whitfield, Georgia.
ISAAC GRIFFITH; was born July 11, 1836 on Brimstone Creek, his parents were Fielding and Mary (Reynolds) Griffith. Isaac has been the most well known Confederate soldier from Scott County, Tennessee. His service has been well documented. It wasn’t known that he had rode with the Scott County Rangers until recently we discovered documentation of his association with the Rangers. He is the only soldier in this unit who was indicted for the hanging of Larkin Cross and Ransom Vanover who wasn’t immediately related to either the Henry Gibson or the Ewell Smith families. Isaac was married to Winna (Lawson) Griffith and following the war they moved to Cleveland, Bradley County, Tennessee. Isaac died January 11, 1924 in Bradley County, Tennessee. Early on during the Civil War tensions rode high with some choosing sides and some trying their best to stay neutral. There were several incidents like this, small skirmishes and attacks from the gue-rilla forces that dominated the Scott County landscape. Throughout most of the war the major forces seemed to avoid the area, and then only in passing through with no major battles being fought in Scott County. Even though this incident was from a Confederate unit, the Union forces were equally brutal to those who had farms and families.
(It would be important to state that these are the men who were named in the indictment, some may have been named simply because they were Confederate soldiers.
Actually James Gibson was named in an indictment for treason in 1866 but had been dead at least four years.)
Researched by Allen Keeton, head of research and David Jeffers, President – Scott County Historical Society