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This is in the Memory of Jim Berry - my great grandfather - by Herman Curtis Cummings. Contact Mr Cummings Here The song you hear was written for the Jim Berry story by Ledendary folk singer Jimmy Driftwood and tells Jim Berry's story in music.
July 4 2009, County Coordinator Note: See also the Cemetery Page for Jim Berry's gravestone photo in Rushing Cemetery. |
The Legend of Jim Berry
Over north of Timbo and running northeast toward Big Springs there is a
valley known as "Dark Holler". A lady who spent some time around that area as
child said she always supposed it was so called because of the deep shadows
which seem to linger there, but most residents agree that it was named for a man
who once lived in this "holler" and many are the dark tales told of the man
himself.
Sometimes called "King of the Jayhawkers", Bill Dark is credited
with every sort of atrocity from robbery to murder in the days of the Civil War,
and many stories persist of his terrorization of widows and children in this
area. Of course we must realize that after a hundred years some crimes
attributed to Dark's gang of "Jayhawkers", or "bushwhackers" as they were
sometimes called, may have been committed by other renegades, but it is to be
remembered that Bill Dark lived in this area and was doubtless recognized alone
with some of his men whose family names still ring familiar, and that there were
also many unfitness murders with which Dark might well have been connected, so
perhaps the score is fairly even after all.
The name "Bill Dark" is almost certain to bring a tale of
violence from nearly any long time area resident over the age of 50 and
from many much younger, for such stories have a way of being passed from
generation to generation, particularly within the family of the victim. (Once more, Izard and Van Buren Counties, until 1873.) What
many people do not know is that Bill Dark led an interesting if macabre double
life. He had a wife named Adeline and a son called "Little Will". Bill was good
looking, red headed and, during the time of the Civil War at least, wore his
hair long, perhaps in imitation of Confederate officer Marmaduke who, along with
Joseph O Shelby commanded troops in this area, and whose long blonde hair was
much heralded.
Most surprising of all, Bill Dark was an officer in the Confederate
Army, a Captain serving under Colonel J.T. Coffee and commander of Company A of
"the Coffee Recruits". A letter written in pencil by Capt. Dark evidences fine
penmanship and an unusual command of the written word. Were the first sentence
complete, we might be able to determine whether or not the letter was directed
to Col. Coffee himself.
The name on the reverse side of the paper in the same handwriting is
"E.M. Flinn, Batesville (sic), Arkansas" and no title precedes the name. The
existence of such a letter causes one to speculate on what kind of individual
could wear the Gary officer's coat yet prey upon the families of Confederate
soldiers away at war. When were Dark's raids carried out? Were the members of
his gang soldiers in his command? Could it be that the "Business of importance"
which called him away from his company was in fact a Jayhawkers foray.
Here, then is what remains of the letter reproduced without editing just as it
appears today:
"furloughed all my men (paper torn) first of July. By order as I
supposed of Col. J.T. Coffee.
After you left here I organised an other company I.W. Cypert Capt.
I want to Thank - Lolly Woods, and the Jimmy Driftwood Legacy Project for helping me with this. DARK DAYS I got my men to gether at the earliest opportunity to proceed to our
camp - got as far as the mouth of Syllamore when I was called away on Business
of importance: left Capt. Cypert in command with orders to march to Mt. Olive &
thence in the direction of Salem in Fulton County. After I had attended to the
Business Refered to and was returning to the command I met all the men of both
companies returning home with furloughs Stating that Capt. Cypert had received
orders from you to furlough them: Capt. Cypert was not to be found was gone in
the vicinty of Calico Rock: He should have got orders through Judge Edwards of
Mt. Olive.
Col. I knew if you had ordered furloughs in your absence without some
on to approve them that it was an illegal proceedence. But what could I do the
me all scattered hell west & crooked Cypert gone to hell or some where else I
couldent tell for I never was at Calico Rock in my life I did not know what to
do neither do I till yet let me know by the earliest convenience what I shall do
& By God I will do it.
Your Col.
Most Respectfully
J.W. Dark
Capt. Comdg Co A
Coffee Recruits
MORE DARK DAYS
The story: Bill Dark was an infamous Jayhawk leader who raided in
this area during the Civil War. He married a local girl and made their home in
what is now called "Dark Holler" near Big Springs. Dark was a Captain in the
Confederate Army but still found time to carry out numbers of raids in the are
now known as Stone County(at that time a part of Izard County and Van Buren County).
Bill Dark's wife Adeline was well thought of both before and after
marriage to the "stranger from Baxter County". Once after a farmwife had been
robbed by Jayhawkers, the victim's sister, Lucindy Thompson Pierce, went to
visit Adeline, returned home to report to her husband that Dark's wife had bee
wearing one of the dresses stolen in the raid.
"I'm goin' back over there and tear that off her!" she cried. But her
husband advised, "Don't do that. You go back and tell her about it and maybe
she'll give you the dress." This Lucindy did and Adeline pulled it off and gav
it to her.
But not so much can be said of Adeline's husband. "Bill Dark was a
Jayhawker and he was a mean one."
He was counted the worst there was.
He killed a hundred people.
These were but a few of the initial remarks made by persons interviewed
about the infamous Jayhawker of Civil War days. One of the two most notorious
gang leaders who raided in this area (the other was a man named Sinclair whos
band came from Missouri), Dark was particularly despised for his brutality and
treachery--being both a Confederate army officer and a citizen of the vicinity
which he plundered.
Young men and boys were especially vulnerable to Jayhawk bullets. Feared
and hated by the outlaws, many were shot down on sight or used as torture
objects to ascertain the location of hidden money, ammunition or food supplies
Most of the men were away at war, the majority with Confederate, although some
went with the Union and many more hid out to avoid conscription. Consequently,
young men and boys not in the service lived in mortal fear for their lives,
sleeping in the woods and creeping back to homes when food supplies grew low.
Bill Dark's gang is believed responsible for the murders of two of Dark's own
neighbors who had come out of hiding to help kill a hog for their grandmother
The grandmother, Mrs. William Moore, and "Old Aunt Cath Cole" buried the boys in
the field. Dark is also said to have killed five or six children near Newnata
whose graves are protected by a rock wall constructed by the man who owns the
land on which they are located. He is believed to have killed a man named
"Dancer" who was in route from Tennessee when the family was robbed by the
Jayhawker band. The woman and two small girls came on in the wagon and settled
near Timbo.
Some say that Bill Dark burned his victim's feet, that he threw hot
grease on them and burned out fingernails. Two separate accounts are told of
incidents involving sweet potatoes. One says that a Mrs. Bloodworth was "bakin
sweet taters in a skillet" when Bill Dark's outfit arrived. When she refused or
was unable to answer his questions, he is said to have "filled her ears full" of
sweet potatoes. The other story says that an elderly woman named Mary Branscum
was cooking sweet potatoes. One of his gang ostensibly threw one of the potatoes
at Mrs. Branscum's treasured "eight day calendar clock with a red bird in it",
breaking it to pieces. Mrs. Branscum, sorely distressed, cried out "Ain't you
ashamed to treat an old lady so?" at which Dark is said to have rubbed the
remaining sweet potatoes in her face.
While raiding the home of Mrs. Sally Smith over on Red River, Dark force
Aunt Sally's wedding ring from her hand and placed it on his little finger. In
the home of Katherine Farris a gang of bushwhackers came upon a roll of ribbon
and lace carefully put away on top of a wall clock. Mrs. Farris begged to be
allowed to keep the mementos, explaining that they were scraps from the homemade
coffin of her dead baby. The leader of the robbers, perhaps Dark, tossed the
roll to one of his compatriots sneering contemptuously, "We'll giv them to our
babies to play with!"
Aunt Jane Stevenson watched her livestock driven off in successive raids
Finally, Dark took the last one--the milk cow which "was a freshenin" (about to
bring calf). When he saw the animal was unable to travel, he shot her, leaving
the carcass in the yard. Aunt Martha Gammill "had thirteen children and her man
was dead". Dark's gang took the last heifer--drove it down over the hill by the
spring and killed it and dressed it right there," putting the meat into sacks
and carrying it away on horses. Mary Ann Branscum has told her children how the
women gathered the fallen kernels of corn from the feeding of the Jayhawkers'
horses and washed them to feed their own children.
One long time resident reports as fellows:
"The women hated him. If he'd see one walking in the road he'd jump down
off his horse and catch her. He killed Icy Mills' Daddy and sister over near
Alco. Burned his fingers and toes off and when he didn't tell what Bill Dark
wanted to know he said he would shoot him. He took him outside and his two
little girls a clinging to him, begging the jayhawkers not to shoot him. Bill
said, "Get away from him or you'll get what he gets" One of them let go but the
other'n hung on to her daddy and he killed them both."
There are many more "Bill Dark stories" which have been handed down from
parents or grandparents who lived through these trying days. They are tales of
cruelty and wanton destruction of burning every feather bed and quilt in a home,
of throwing "beegums" (hives) into the creek, of taking the last morsel of food,
of burning houses, of torturing and pillaging and killing. These are the reasons
why people hated and feared the name "Bill Dark".
DARK DAYS END
In order to help protect their homes, families and themselves, a group of
fifteen men formed what was called "The Home Guard" with an elderly man,
Christopher Columbus Denton, as their commander. Most of these were boys too
young to be in the army, and to old to be outside. Any male individual big
enough to manage a gun was a potential threat to the Jayhawkers, hence, was in
mortal danger all the time. One member of the group was 15 year old James Hiram
(Jim) Berry who lived with his parents over on "Injun Creek" but kept to the
woods much of the time.
One cold morning in the winter of 1864, Jim went to the home of a widow
woman over near the mouth of Little Tick Creek on the Little Red River near
Arlberg to help her kill and clean a hog. He was accompanied by another boy. The
widows sister had died during the night and the body lay in the cabin awaiting
burial. But in times like these even death had to concede to life and the
business of the hog took precedence. The fire was burning to heat the water in
the scalding kettle and the tell-tale smoke rose heavily on the frosty air. Jim
had brought along his little cap and ball pistol and at close range could
scarcely have missed hitting the big hog right between the eyes, but the young
man was known to be a fine shot and the widow, who had experienced one of
Dark's notorious raids, allegedly asked, "You reckon you could shoot old Bill
Dark like that if'n he come ridin' in?" Jim reckoned that he could and the
process of the hog cleaning proceeded. Suddenly the widow lifted her head and
her eyes must have met the boy's across the white car- cass of the animal they
were scraping. It was the sound of horses' hooves coming fast! There wasn't time
to make a plan. There wasn't time even to get out of sight. Bill Dark's gray
horse leapt the rail fence with the rest of the gang close behind.
"We'll have fresh meat for dinner!" the Jayhawk leader shouted as the
widow dashed into the cabin. Young Berry, clutching his pistol, ran behind the
cabin with Bill Dark in hot pursuit. Around the cabin they raced, Jim watching
for an opportunity to break for the woods; yet he knew that even if he eluded
his mounted pursuers he would be picked off by the armed desperadoes who sat
astride their horses idly enjoying the unequal race. Young Berry seed it was him
or Dark one, so when he rounded the corner where the "Stick and dirt" chimney
rose, he threw himself breathlessly against the wall. Bill Dark charge around
the corner, his gun drawn. Some say that Dark's gun jammed: the cap had come off
one of the tubes and hung in the cylinder and the ball caught and it wouldn't
turn; others contend that he was trying to remove his glove with his teeth, the
better to pull the trigger. The one thing about which there is no disagreement
whatsoever is that Jim's little cap and ball revolver discharged and Bill Dark
crashed to the ground, a bullet "square between the eyes, and he fell right in a
low place where they had dug up clay to patch the chimney. Hearing the shot and
seeing their leader's riderless horse gallop from behind the cabin, one of the
gang cried "it's a trap!" and the remaining Jayhawkers put spurs to their mounts
and dashed away.
The teenage boy must have looked in stunned disbelief as the celebrated
renegade who lay at his feet "his brains leaking out" of the gaping hole in his
forehead, but Jim didn't linger to study the situation. He knew that he and the
widow woman were in imminent danger. The remaining Jayhawkers might be hiding in
the woods to pick off anything that moved. Climbing the hill in the opposite
direction from which the outlaws had ridden, he sent a smoke signal for Denton
and the rest of the Home Guard.
But the commotion did not go unheard. Another sister to the widow was even
then making her way toward the Cabin with her son Joe Moody. She was coming to
help bury the dead woman; little did she expect to assist in the burial of the
celebrated "King of the Jayhawkers ." Al- though it seems unlikely, many
informants report that Bill Dark lay in a state of semicon- sciousness for
hours after the shooting. The news traveled fast. Aunt Jane Stevenson and Mrs.
Bloodworth are both reported to have swum the river which was swollen "all out
of banks" in order to establish that their hated enemy was in truth dead. As
Mrs. Stevenson approached, the widow is said to have called, "Shout, Jane,
shout! Old Bill Dark's dead!" Aunt Jane, who remembered mole on Bill's hand
"jerked his glove off" at which the renegade blared his eyes at her like he
could kill her! Aunt Sally Smith, who had also arrived at the widow's home, upon
seeing her wedding ring on the outlaw's little finger, ostensibly chopped the
finger off to retrieve the ring-- "boiled it before she'd wear it again too"
--and Mrs. Bloodworth, recalling the hot sweet potato incident, is said to have
"kicked him in the teeth."
One account has it that Bill Dark's men did, in fact, return for the bod
of their leader (each taking a lock of his long red hair to wear on their
bridles) and throwing the corpse across a horse, carried it to Timbo for burial.
But far the more prevalent story is that the body was buried by the women under
a walnut tree near Oak Vale. One elderly resident says he used to pass it nearly
every day on the Kenner or Godsey place. Them women put him in the grave face
down so's he couldn't scratch out, some maintain. But Uncle Joe Moody himself
used to declare that the ground was frozen and that his aunt's body could not be
buried for several days. As the older boys had left, it fell to him to attach a
rope to dark's corpse and drag it to the river where the women made a hole in a
pile of snow-covered debris and dropped the body in-- we assume, face down. This
is about the location indicated as "Bill Dark's grave on a slough up on Red
River."
Young Jim Berry is said to have gone to a dance that night in the outlaw
coat and boots and called himself "Captain Dark." Needless to say, the young man
was regarded as a hero.
There is a kind of sinkhole back over toward the region in which Bill Dark
and his wife lived (they had two homes slightly separated). This has been called
Bill Dark Cave and its believed that he used it as a hiding place after many of
his raids. Local residents also believed that some of his loot was buried there.
A man who as a child lived in Dark's old log house remembers man a Sunday when
strange people would be seen crossing his father's land with shovels, picks,
and even bulldozers, searching for Bill Dark's money. He himself has even done
some digging, but to his knowledge, no one ever discovered any treasure.
After Dark's death his widow married again and this family is much
respected in our community. In fact, we appreciate the help some of them have
given in compiling the information for this story. They are among some twenty
seven persons who might be considered as principle sources. Although the name
are too numerous to list here, the author extends thanks to one and all.
Christopher Columbus Denton
Jonathon Moody
Ham Branscum
John Goonight
Carol Meriman
Brad Ramsey
James Hiram [Jim] Berry
The members of this company fought, caught, and punished with death all
Jayhawkers regardless of whether they favoured the North or South or the Devil
Their activities were in what is now Searcy, Stone, Van Buren, Baxter, Izard,
Independence, and Cleburne Counties.
Captain Chris Denton died of pneumonia in 1868.
MORE ON JAMES HIRAM [JIM] BERRY |