Marshall McClung
Even though what is now-Graham County did not see any large-scale battles during the Civil War, it certainly did not escape roaming gangs of outlaws – such as the Kirkland Bushwhackers: Captain Tim Lyons, whose group went by the name of Company C, Third Tennessee Mounted Calvary.
In reality, they were mostly-Confederate Army deserters, bushwhackers, robbers and thieves. If this were not enough to deal with there were the conscript officers (forcible draft) from both the Union and Confederate armies that roamed the countryside looking for eligible men to join their ranks. When they happened upon someone fitting this description, they either joined – or were shot or hanged – on the spot, as was the case of two young boys buried in the Rock Creek section of Graham County, near the Goldmine Branch area.
One of the mysteries left with us from that era is that of Hanging Cove, located on what is now Atoah Circle. The cove is secluded and easy to miss. The story starts out with a young man with the last name of Blanton leaving Long Creek to look for their cattle. Blanton never returned and the family had a lengthy search looking for him.
Finally, his badly-decomposed body was found hanging from a tree in what came to be known as Hanging Cove. He was buried on the spot and his grave marked by stones.
Blanton was said to have been worried over having to go fight in the Civil War. Herein lies the mystery: did he hang himself or did one of the aforementioned conscript officers come upon him?
The mystery deepens even more. Some residents of the area began to say the cove was haunted. It was said that on cloudy, windy days, moans could be heard coming from up in the cove where the grave was. A noise of something swaying in the wind could also be heard.
Most people avoided the cove altogether. Those that did enter the cove said they were accompanied by a presence that gave them chill bumps when they neared the grave.
Another mystery is a man said to have been killed by the Kirkland Bushwhackers, not far from what is now the Mud Gap trailhead on the Cherohala Skyway. His grave is marked with a plaque, but lists him as unknown.
Who was he? Who put flowers on the grave from time to time?
What really happened to Blanton is probably lost in time. As far as the man buried by the skyway and who brings flowers to his grave, all I have ever been able to find out is that they are from Tennessee.
Marshall McClung is the historical columnist for The Graham Star. He can be reached via email, mcclungs@email.com.