I went back over some of the other information I had on the Stivers/Cundiff incident. Reading through the Henry Lucas entry in the Dickey Diaries I read this paragraph: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kyclay2/diary/dd/hlucas.html
I was an overseer for the White's, have known them all well. They were great money makers. I worked for James and Daughtery White. My stepfather Pierce Cottingim used to steer salt boats. I never did. My grandfather Richard Lucas was a man of great physical power. He was a drummer in the militia. A man named Butts from Tennessee, rode 400 miles to whip him. He rode up to grandfather's saddler shop and called, "Does drummer Lucas live here?" Yes sir. Well, I live in Tennessee, 400 miles from here, and I have come to whip you. What have I done to you? Oh nothing, I am the bully of Tennessee and I understanf that you are the bully of Kentucky, and if I whip you, I will be the bully of the world. Well, do you wanna fight now, or can it wait til morning? Get down and go in. I keep a motel and it shall cost you nothing. No, I won't whip a man and live off him too. Well, it may not turn out that way, said grandfather. He went to another motel. The next morning they fought after the manner of times and grandfather was victorious. The Tennessean seemed perfectly satisfied and returned to his home. My grandfather afterwards joined a Methodist Church. He was a big hearted hospitable man. My Materal Grandfather was John Cundiff. My father died when I was 6 years old, it was about 1828. Grandfather Cundiff was a loyal friend, he would do anything in his power for his friend, was a great power of elections. My Uncle John Cundiff killed Eli Bowlin.
Bowlin was a bully, a man of great power. He led my uncle to, Old Bill Duncil's house, where ol Molly Henson lived. They had a quarell about the woman. Bowling kicked my uncle, a small man. He went away and came back with a dirt knife. He called Bowlin to the door and plunge it in to him. He died in a few minutes. My Uncle left the country and never returned. Uncle Sam Lucas took his wife to him. Eli Bowlin was a bad man. His son, James Bowling was hunting for Uncle John when he met my grandfather Cundiff. "Jim put that gun down", we have gotton rid of 2 bad men and let the matter stop. The Cundiff's of Breathitt are of the same stock.
This particular bit caught my attention:
My Uncle left the country and never returned. Uncle Sam Lucas took his wife to him. Eli Bowlin was a bad man. His son, James Bowling was hunting for Uncle John when he met my grandfather Cundiff. "Jim put that gun down", we have gotton rid of 2bad men and let the matter stop. The Cundiff's of Breathitt are of the same stock.
What stock? The "hunting a man down and killing them" stock or the "peacemaker" stock?
The Cundiff's seemed to be of a mind to put up a fight when bullies come around. According to Mr. Lucas, they were bullies as well:
David Walker was the bully of Clay County when I was a young man and my uncle James Cundiff was almost equal. James Cundiff was killed by Lewis Stivers, son of Reverend George Stivers. I think Stivers was insane. He wanted to kill General Garrard. He was a soldier in Colonel Lucas' company, when he killed Cundiff. They were camped at Manchester. Cundiff was in the same Company. Stivers was court marshalled and shot. Every ball took affect. General George Morgan was in command. There were 12 soldiers, 6 guns loaded. I came into town a few minutes after he was shot.
So...we have a drunk(Carlton's diary) and possibly insane(Lucas' Dickey entry) in Stivers up against a known bully (Lucas' Dickey entry) on his home turf in Cundiff. Recipe for disaster? Here's what I'm thinking...
Cundiff and the rest of the Guard relief are sitting "20 rods" from their post. Stivers, being perhaps a bit short on intellect and long on John Barleycorn, becomes the target of Cundiff's bully rhetoric. Stivers leaves his post to confront Cundiff. Bullying language continues. Stivers says enough and "I'll fix you". Trots off to get his rifle and does the deed.
Couple of GLARING problems here:
1) Why didn't the Sergeant of the Guard stop this insanity?
2) Why did the rest of the relief run off rather than tackling this guy?
