A History of the Daniel Boone National Forest 1770 - 1970

During the period following the Civil War, Kentucky was a highly partisan area. Many of her citizens had fought in one or the other of the armies and many more had participated in guerrilla activities. As a result of these experiences, many individuals had become belligerent and quarrelsome, quick to take offense and reluctant to avoid a fight. In addition intense political activity frequently tempered full law enforcement. Out of this situation grew many of the Kentucky feuds. One of the famous Kentucky feuds, the Tolliver-Martin Feud of 1884-1887, centered around Morehead, the District headquarters of the Morehead Ranger District of the Daniel Boone National Forest. This feud, which actually started in Morehead, eventually involved more than 100 people, resulted in the death of many and continued over such a period of time and large area that it was usually referred to as the Rowan County War.

In August of 1884, in an election brawl in Morehead, Kentucky, involving a number of individuals who had been drinking, and including John Martin and his friend Bradley, both Republicans, and Floyd Tolliver, a Democrat, shots were fired and Bradley was killed. John Martin accused Floyd Tolliver of firing the shots and Floyd Tolliver accused John Martin.

The feud was on.

The grand jury which met in Rowan County shortly thereafter charged Floyd Tolliver, John Martin and John C. Day (acting sheriff at the time of the shooting) with malicious shooting, wounding and murder.

In 1884, during the November term of court in Roawn County, at which the case involving the three individuals charged was to be tried, Floyd Tolliver and John Martin, both of whom had been drinking, met in the Galt House, Morehead, had words, pistols flashed and Floyd Tolliver was killed. Many members of the Tolliver family, one of whom was Craig Tolliver, and who normally lived in Elliot County, assembled in Morehead and, as a group, swore to kill John Martin.

On November 9, 1884, as a result of these threats Judge Stewart, of Rowan County, suspended the preliminary trial and moved John Martin from the Rowan County Jail to the Winchester, Kentucky, jail in Clark County as a means of avoiding violence and in the hope that the hot temper of the Tollivers would cool somewhat before the case came to trial.

At this action by the court, Craig Tolliver took command of his family group. He arranged for the name of Judge Stewart to be forged in signature on an order directing the return of John Martin from the Winchester jail to the Morehead jail.

On November 15, 1884, by the direction of Craig Tolliver, town marshall Alvin Bowling of Farmers, Kentucky, who apparently was a member of the Tolliver faction, was sent to Winchester with the forged order and five armed guards to return John Martin to the Rowan County jail at Morehead. On their arrival at Winchester, John Martin protested loudly to the jailer that these men belonged to the faction which had sworn to kill him, that he would not reach the Morehead jail alive and demanded that the jailer verify with Judge Stewart that he had actually issued this order. His request was denied by the Winchester jailer and John Martin, with his hands handcuffed and his legs shackled, was placed on the train to Morehead. His wife had visited him in the Winchester jail earlier in the afternoon and was on the same train but in a different car, and did not know that her husband had been placed on the train. When the train stopped at the town of Farmers in Rowan County, a band of masked and armed men boarded it, moved directly to the car in which John Martin was held, and riddled his body with lead. His wife, in the car ahead, heard his screams. By the time she reached the car where he was held, John Martin's body was almost unrecognizable.

In March of 1885, Deputy Sheriff Stewart Bumgardner of Rowan County had stated in public that, "The Tollivers should be prosecuted." A few days later, he was killed while travelling on a public road by an ambush which riddled his body with buckshot.

In April of 1885, a few days following the above incident, Rowan County attorney Taylor Young was ambushed at the same spot and shot through the shoulder. Taylor Young had had enough. He left Rowan County, and moved to another part of the country as did many other prominent citizens.

In the spring of 1885, Sheriff Cook Humphrey of Rowan County, with his deputies and local supporters, fought a gun battle for several hours from the Carey House in Morehead with a group of heavily armed Tollivers and their followers from Elliott County. While the buildings were fairly well riddled with bullets and a few wounds resulted, no one was killed. As a result of this battle, more local citizens moved their families out of Morehead.

Shortly after this, one of the Tolliver associates, who had gotten in trouble in another county and had been sentenced to seven years in prison, made what he called a confession by saying that the sisters of John Martin and Sheriff Humphrey had paid him to shoot Taylor Young from ambush, had paid him two dollars and fifty cents per day in whiskey while following Young, and had offered two hundred and fifty dollars when Young was killed. It appeared that this alleged confession was another move by the Tollivers to discredit the family of John Martin, and it was apparent that Craig Tolliver and his followers would leave no stone unturned to accomplish this fact.

Craig Tolliver had been elected town marshall of Morehead by the simple means of surrounding all of the election polling spots with heavily armed Tollivers who threatened voters that they must vote for Craig Tolliver. On this last Saturday of July, 1885, Craig Tolliver, using the information in the confession, swore out warrants for the two Martin sisters, Ann and Sue Martin, and Sheriff Humphrey, accused as accessories to the shooting of Taylor Young. He took approximately 20 armed Tollivers with him when he went to the Martin sisters' home, about six miles from Morehead.

Sheriff Humphrey of Rowan County realized what was going on and tried to protect Mrs. Martin and her daughters. The boyfriend of Sue Martin, Ben Rayborn, a deputy, also accompanied Sheriff Humphrey to the Martin home.

About nine o'clock on Sunday morning the Tollivers, after having spent the night surrounding the house, attacked the Martin home by gunfire, riddling it with bullets. Mrs. Martin, her three daughters, Sheriff Humphrey and Ben Rayborn barracaded themselves on the second floor armed with a rifle, pistol, and an old shotgun. Craig Tolliver tried to rush the stairway and was shot in the face with a shotgun. Sue Martin was able to slip out the back door and went to Morehead for help. On her arrival there she was arrested and jailed by others of the Tolliver faction in accordance with the warrant sworn out by Craig Tolliver.

After Craig Tolliver was shot in the face with a shotgun, he tried to intercept Sue Martin on her way to Morehead and fired two pistol shots at her, but she eluded him and escaped. He then ordered that his party set fire to the house. With the firing of the house, it became apparent that those inside would have to leave or be burned to death. Mrs. Martin agreed to run to the stable first to attract the attention of the attackers while the Sheriff and Ben Rayborn ran across a cornfield into the woods. Mrs. Martin's run for the stable held the attention of the attackers only briefly, and immediately they detected the two men running across the cornfield. Rayborn was hit initially by three bullets and went down. Sheriff Humphrey's clothing was penetrated by several bullets but he was not wounded and escaped to Morehead. The attackers, after rifling the pockets of Rayborn and taking his money and other possessions, left his body where it fell. Mrs. Martin and her two remaining daughters were not harmed, but Ann Martin the other daughter charged in the warrant, was lodged in the Morehead jail with her sister Sue. Sheriff Humphrey resigned his office in disgust. The Tollivers named their man, Ramey, in his place as Sheriff. July 2, 1886, was court day in Morehead. This was accompanied by the usual heavy drinking and loud talk by members of both factions. As a result of an interchange of hard words in the store of Howard Logan, his son, W. O. Logan, was shot by Deputy Sheriff Henry Ramey of the Tolliver clan. The resulting uproar required the calling in of troops to restore order in Morehead.

In October of 1886, store owner Howard Logan, whose son had been killed in July, was wounded from ambush while going to his store in Morehead. He and his family moved out of east Kentucky permanently. At this time Craig Tolliver boasted that he would run every Logan out of Rowan County.

A doctor, Henry S. Logan, who lived but a short distance out of Morehead, was arrested and jailed on a fabricated charge by the Tollivers. He had two sons, Billy and Jack, the eldest of which was about 25 years old and very sickly, the younger about 19-years old and studying for the ministry. Craig Tolliver (police magistrate) accompanied by Marshall Buck Manning and a 10-man posse, four of which were Tollivers, attacked the home of Doctor Logan, set fire to it and killed both sons as they ran for the woods. Their bodies were mutilated by stomping with heavy bootheels.

At this point a cousin of the two boys who were killed, Boone Logan, took up the fight. He was later to be nicknamed "The Man Unafraid". He immediately appealed to Governor Knott of Kentucky for protection and for prosecution of the killers of his cousins. He was told by Governor Knott that the Governor was helpless to intervene, but was given the information that, should a law officer armed with a warrant for the Tollivers, attempt to serve it and be resisted, the supporters of the officer trying to serve the warrant would be within their rights to use force to assist him in serving it. This piece of advice gave Boone Logan an idea. He organized about 100 men of the better element of the town into a resolute group who would operate under his leadership. He purchased 60 high-power Winchester rifles and ammunition in Cincinnati, and shipped them into town in boxes labeled furniture. He was ready for the test. Deputy Sheriff Hogg, who had accompanied Craig Tolliver and his posse in the attack on the home of Doctor Logan, but who said he ran away when the shooting started, was selected to serve the warrant on Craig Tolliver with the citizens group of Morehead, 100 in number, to support him.

On June 22, 1887, Cousin Boone Logan and his followers decided to have a showdown with the Tolliver faction. Deputy Sheriff Hogg was sent out to serve the warrant on Craig Tolliver in the American House, which he operated as a saloon and as the headquarters for his faction. The Tolliver group was prepared and opened fire before the warrant could be presented. Deputy Sheriff Hogg left for parts unknown. The citizens group, lead by Boone Logan, opened fire on the American House and on the Central Hotel where some of the Tolliver faction had taken refuge. A heavy gun battle ensued for some time. Boone Logan directed that his group set fire to the Central Hotel where Craig Tolliver had taken refuge, which was done. Craig Tolliver, who had bragged many times that he would never die with his boots on, and that, "No damn Logan will make me break my promise," came out of the Central Hotel in his stocking feet with pistols flashing. He and others of his following went down in a hail of bullets from Boone Logan and his followers. The battle raged for two hours. One of the humorous happenings which has been recorded for posterity was the fact that one of the Tollivers, young Cal Tolliver, was shot in the seat of the pants and lived. Cate Tolliver surrendered. Again troops came to Morehead to restore order. Except for the high feeling on both sides, some of which probably remains to this day, the Rowam County War was over.

Members of the family of both factions of the Rowan County War still live in the Rowan-Elliott County area. The average individual, when visiting in that part of Kentucky, is most discreet about mentioning the names or the circumstances of any of the happenings of the Rowan County War to this day if he wants to stay out of trouble. The details of this feud are still discussed in hushed tones seated before the fire or the television set. The subject, frequently discussed by the old men in the country stores or around the open fire on backcountry fox hunts, is mentioned discreetly and in hushed voices. So ingrained in the folklore of the people of that area is the story of the Rowan County War that a ballad had been composed based on the story. Only a few of the older men still remember the ballad which was found in an old, old magazine loaned by one of the residents of the Elliott County area.

Here it is.

ROWAN COUNTY TROUBLES

Come on young men and ladies, Morhers and fathers too. —
I'll relate to you the hist'ry — of the Rowan County crew —
Concerning bloody Rowan and her many heinous deeds
Now friends please give attention, Remember how it reads.

It was in the month of August upon election day,
John Martin he was wounded, they say by Johnny Day,
Martin could not believe it, he could not think it so,
He thought it was Floyd Tolliver that struck the fatal blow.

They shot and killed Sol Bradley, a sober innocent man,
He left his wife and loving children to do the best they can,
They wounded young Ad Sizemore; although his life was saved,
He seemed to shun the grog shops, since he stood so near the grave.

Martin did recover, some months had come and past,
In the town of Morehead those men both met a last;
Tolliver and a friend or two about the streets did walk,
He seemed to be uneasy and with no one wished to talk.

He walked in Judge Carey's grocery and stepped up to the bar,
But little did he think, dear friends, that he met the fatal hour;
The sting of death was near him, Martin rushed in at the door,
A few words passed between them concerning a row before.

The people soon were frightened began to rush out of the room,
A ball from Martin's pistol laid Tolliver in the tomb.
His friends soon gathered round him, his wife to weep and wail;
Martin was arrested and soon confined in jail.

He was put in the jail of Rowan there to remain a while,
In the hands of law and justice to bravely stand his trial.
The people all talked of lynching him, at present though they failed,
The prisoner's friends soon moved him into the Winchester jail.

Some persons forged an order, their names I do not know,
The plan was soon agreed upon, for Martin they did go;
Martin seemed discouraged, he seemed to be in dread,
"They have sought a plan to kill me," to the jailer Martin said.

They put handcuffs on him, his heart was in distress,
They hurried to the station, stepped on the night express.
Along the line she lumbered at her usual speed;
They were only two in numbers to commit the dreadful deed.

Martin was in the smoking car accompanied by his wife,
They did not want her present when they took her husband's life;
When they arrived at Farmers they had no time to lose,
A band approached the engineer and bid him not to move.

They stepped up to the prisoner with pistols in their hands,
In death he soon was sinking, he died in iron bands.
His wife soon heard the horrid sound; she was in another car,
She cried, "Oh Lord/they've killed him!" when she heard the pistol fire.

The death of these two men has caused great trouble in our land,
Caused men to leave their families and take the parting hand.
Retaliating, still at war they may never, never cease,
I would that I could only see my land once more in peace.

They killed the deputy sheriff, Baumgartner was his name,
They shot him from the bushes after taking deliberate aim;
The death of him was dreadful, it may never be forgot,
His body pierced and torn with thirty-three buckshot.

I compose this as a warning, Oh/ beware, young men/
Your pistols may cause trouble, on this you may depend;
In the bottom of a whiskey glass the lurking devils dwell,
It burns the breast of those who drink, it sends their souls to hell."