WE passed through the Plum Point region,turned Craighead's Point,and glided unchallenged by what was once the formidable Fort Pillow,memorable because of the massacre perpetrated there during the war.
Massacres are sprinkled with some frequency through the histories of several Christian nations,but this is almost the only one that can be found in American history;perhaps it is the only one which rises to a size correspondent to that huge and somber title.
We have the 'Boston Massacre,'where two or three people were killed;but we must bunch Anglo-Saxon history together to find the fellow to the Fort Pillow tragedy;and doubtless even then we must travel back to the days and the performances of Coeur de Lion,that fine 'hero,'before we accomplish it.
More of the river's freaks.In times past,the channel used to strike above Island 37,by Brandywine Bar,and down towards Island 39.Afterward,changed its course and went from Brandywine down through Vogelman's chute in the Devil's Elbow,to Island 39--part of this course reversing the old order;the river running UP four or five miles,instead of down,and cutting off,throughout,some fifteen miles of distance.
This in 1876.All that region is now called Centennial Island.
There is a tradition that Island 37was one of the principal abiding places of the once celebrated 'Murel's Gang.'This was a colossal combination of robbers,horse-thieves,negro-stealers,and counterfeiters,engaged in business along the river some fifty or sixty years ago.
While our journey across the country towards St.Louis was in progress we had had no end of Jesse James and his stirring history;for he had just been assassinated by an agent of the Governor of Missouri,and was in consequence occupying a good deal of space in the newspapers.
Cheap histories of him were for sale by train boys.According to these,he was the most marvelous creature of his kind that had ever existed.
It was a mistake.Murel was his equal in boldness;in pluck;in rapacity;in cruelty,brutality,heartlessness,treachery,and in general and comprehensive vileness and shamelessness;and very much his superior in some larger aspects.James was a retail rascal;Murel,wholesale.
James's modest genius dreamed of no loftier flight than the planning of raids upon cars,coaches,and country banks;Murel projected negro insurrections and the capture of New Orleans;and furthermore,on occasion,this Murel could go into a pulpit and edify the congregation.
What are James and his half-dozen vulgar rascals compared with this stately old-time criminal,with his sermons,his meditated insurrections and city-captures,and his majestic following of ten hundred men,sworn to do his evil will!
Here is a paragraph or two concerning this big operator,from a now forgotten book which was published half a century ago--He appears to have been a most dexterous as well as consummate villain.
When he traveled,his usual disguise was that of an itinerant preacher;and it is said that his discourses were very 'soul-moving'--interesting the hearers so much that they forgot to look after their horses,which were carried away by his confederates while he was preaching.
But the stealing of horses in one State,and selling them in another,was but a small portion of their business;the most lucrative was the enticing slaves to run away from their masters,that they might sell them in another quarter.This was arranged as follows;they would tell a negro that if he would run away from his master,and allow them to sell him,he should receive a portion of the money paid for him,and that upon his return to them a second time they would send him to a free State,where he would be safe.The poor wretches complied with this request,hoping to obtain money and freedom;they would be sold to another master,and run away again,to their employers;sometimes they would be sold in this manner three or four times,until they had realized three or four thousand dollars by them;but as,after this,there was fear of detection,the usual custom was to get rid of the only witness that could be produced against them,which was the negro himself,by murdering him,and throwing his body into the Mississippi.Even if it was established that they had stolen a negro,before he was murdered,they were always prepared to evade punishment;for they concealed the negro who had run away,until he was advertised,and a reward offered to any man who would catch him.An advertisement of this kind warrants the person to take the property,if found.
And then the negro becomes a property in trust,when,therefore,they sold the negro,it only became a breach of trust,not stealing;and for a breach of trust,the owner of the property can only have redress by a civil action,which was useless,as the damages were never paid.
It may be inquired,how it was that Murel escaped Lynch law under such circumstances This will be easily understood when it is stated that he had MORE THAN A THOUSAND SWORN CONFEDERATES,all ready at a moment's notice to support any of the gang who might be in trouble.
The names of all the principal confederates of Murel were obtained from himself,in a manner which I shall presently explain.
The gang was composed of two classes:the Heads or Council,as they were called,who planned and concerted,but seldom acted;they amounted to about four hundred.The other class were the active agents,and were termed strikers,and amounted to about six hundred and fifty.
These were the tools in the hands of the others;they ran all the risk,and received but a small portion of the money;they were in the power of the leaders of the gang,who would sacrifice them at any time by handing them over to justice,or sinking their bodies in the Mississippi.
The general rendezvous of this gang of miscreants was on the Arkansas side of the river,where they concealed their negroes in the morasses and cane-brakes.