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KINCAID
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Our thanks
to Steve Smith (address below), who provided this Kincaid information:
An interesting article on John Kincaid II of Fincastle, TN. He was the
son of John Kincaid I and Nancy Young. He married first to Virginia
"Jane" Smith, daughter of Ali (Eli) Smith and Jane Denny. He married
second to Elizabeth Moss, daughter of Marcellus Jordan Moss and Olivia
Huff. He lived and owned the area now known as Fincastle, Campbell
County, Tennessee and also had family ties and property in Claiborne
County, TN and Union County, TN. One must read this with the knowledge
that it was written at a time when the country was torn by the closing
of the Civil War and there was much hostility. He sent many sons to
fight for the Confederacy. John Kincaid III, later of Vernon County, MO,
fought in the Civil War. He lost a beautiful plantation home and farm
afterwards. The Kincaid's lost all of their possessions at the end of
the war. Many left the East Tennessee area.
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The following article appears in the Brownlow's
Knoxville Whig and Rebel Ventilator for Wednesday, February 22, 1865. It
is on page #1, Col #2. The italicizing has been lost from the original
article.
Following communication
relative to the killing of John Kincaid, is from the pen of one of his
neighbors, well versed in the facts, and may be relied on in every
particular. Mr. Kincaid was a bitter, thorough and unrelenting rebel,
and when he made oath here, in order to recover his cotton, that he had
always been a Union man, was not as much to blame as his attorney who
prepared the statement for him to swear to. But without multiplying
remarks, suffice it to say, he has met the fate that many others will
meet who have persecuted Union men and families, and are now suing them
for old debts. Lawyers may, by their learning and ingenuity, procure the
acquital of such men; judges may favor them, but injured~ insulted, and
oppressed Union men will redress their own wrongs - and, for the life of
us, we are not able to see that they are in error:
John Kincaid
Intelligence arrived, a few
days since, that this wealthy rebel had been killed near his own house.
The particulars of his death are contained in the following extract from
a private letter:
"Mr. Kincaid was shot dead
two days ago by some discharged soldiers of the First East Tennessee. He
had established his loyalty it seems, and went straight away to law (his
strong point or his weakness always) against some poor fellows over on
the river who had been in the service and lost all they had by the
rebels. He was at town on Thursday and got the executions, which he gave
to the sheriff to go and serve immediately. The Sheriff set off the same
evening, found the people, but failed to get the property. They were
going to shoot the Sheriff and said then, that Kincaid would be killed
before twenty-four hours. Accordingly, the next evening, two men rode up
to Mr. Kincaid's and inquired for him. On hearing that he was over at
Mr. Meadows' at a trial they went over, called him out, and shot him
twice, one ball passing right through the heart. He fell dead without a
word, as the story goes."
"Mr. Kincaid was one of our
most bitter persecutors during the war, but always to our faces just as
friendly as could be. Even after father's death, he sent soldiers to our
house to press our cattle and horses; and when father was within a few
days of death, he sent for him (Mr. Kincaid) repeatedly to come to some
business that required someone versed in the law, and he refused to
come. Yet three days after my father died, he came to our house to spend
the day, and come in, oh, so cordial, he and old Jim Cooper. I rose and
walked out of the room without speaking to either of them. The proofs of
his enmity exist - but we have long sense determined to let the dead
past bury its dead, and to seek no redress for injuries at any human
tribunal. In one way or another we can still live, and I should feel
contaminated by the touch of any money which '.was fhe price of my
father's blood! We shall bring no "damage suits" against anyone - for
their sins they can answer to God, and gold cannot compensate for what
we have suffered."
"Neither did we exault in
his death - the time is past when he could very materially injury us,
and his "policy" now would have led him to a very different cause; but
were I one of the jurors on the trial of those who shot him, I should
cheerfully give in voice for acquittal."
"It was Kincaid, I forget to say, that told General Zollicoffer that
father had sent my brother to Kentucky with money and dispatches to Mr.
Maynard, and that he had couriers all the time, And it was he who sent a
detachment of Colonel Raines' regiment and had father take prisoners to
Fincastle, where, for the fourth of fifth time, he was compelled to take
a long nauseous oath of three foolscap pages, to gratify Messrs. Kincaid
and Cooper. The officer, Captain explained all about it to father, going
up; but that coming from his friends - at least those whom he had always
regarded as such - was the unkindest cut of all to father. Why the
enmity of those Valley people should have centered so upon father was
always and still remains a mystery to me. That it killed him finally,
there is no shadow of doubt in my mind."
The remark that "establishing his loyalty" refers to
proceedings at the recent term of the Federal Court.
On the first of July, 1864, the United States
District Attorney, filed in the District Court at Knoxville, and
Information against two bales of cotton seized by William Homar,
Treasury Agent, about the 10th of December, 1863, was claimed by John
Kincaid, alleging that "said Kincaid had been for a long space of time
before said seizure, and then was giving aid and comfort to those
engaged in insurrection and rebellion against the United States." On the
4th of November, 1864, Mr. Kincaid made oath to and filed in the Court
an answer in writing in which he swore as follows: "Claiment had not for
a long space of time before the date of said seizure, or then, or that
any other time, given and comfort to those engaged in insurrection and
rebellion against the United States." Claim states that, for about a
period of two whole years, the people of East Tennessee were left with
protection by the government of the United States, and were under the
jurisdiction and control of the Government of the so-called Confederate
States of America, who held military possession of the country, and were
in the habit of arresting citizens and taking their property at
pleasure, and that, in common with other Union men of East Tennessee, he
occasionally fed rebel soldiers, and sold for the use of the rebel army,
bacon, oats, corn, and horses. This was done, however, under the general
duress which prevailed in the country, and from an apprehension that if
he did not sell the property, it would be taken by force, and that if he
did not feed such soldiers as called upon him, he would be badly treated
by them, and claimant denies that acts so done can be properly construed
as giving 'aid and comfort' to the enemy. Claimant states that he is and
always has been a Union man, and voted against session in the Tennessee
election of 1861."
The court ordered the cotton be surrendered to Mr.
Kincaid.
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NOTE: This article was typed from the original copy
of the Brownlow's Knoxville Whig and Rebel Ventilator, edition for
Wednesday, February 22, 1865. The copy is on file in the Special
Collections Section of the Library of the University of Tennessee,
Knoxville Campus, Knoxville, Tennessee. Unfortunately, I cannot identify
all involved in this article.
Steve Smith
1027 Boston Ridge
Woodstock, GA 30189 |
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The following transcription is from the 1887 History
of Vernon County, Missouri, pages 554-555, for John Kincaid III, born
Powell Valley, Claiborne County, Tennessee; who married Margaret B. Huff
of Cumberland Gap, TN. See also another article from the same book
regarding Thomas W. Smith who married
Hester A. Kincaid of Powell Valley, TN.
John Kincaid and Tom Smith
had led marauding Confederates through Powell Valley, TN in March 1865
on a hunt of revenge. Afterward, John VanBebber, David Cawood, and
perhaps others were killed. He left Powell Valley after this and ended
up in Missouri, where he went by the name of John HUFF. It has been
tradition that the home of John Kincaid had been used for the interests
of the northern cause at the end of the war. This is an example of the
type of hate that existed in the area at the end of the Civil War. John
KINCAID II and the father of John KINCAID II had been assassinated in
January 1865. John VanBebber was married to Minerva Jane Kincaid, first
cousin to John KINCAID III. Minerva Jane Kincaid was the daughter of
William Kincaid, a brother to John Kincaid II.
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1887 History of Vernon County, Missouri, p.
554-555:
JOHN KINCAID
(Farmer and Raiser of Thoroughbred
Short-horn Cattle, Post-office, Walker)
[Section 31 of Blue Mound Township]
Probably no man within the
limits of Vernon County has had an experience equal to that of Mr.
Kincaid, and it is but just and proper that a sketch of his life should
appear here, not only because he is one of the large landholders of the
county, but owing to his prominence in various walks in life, and
especially for the part he has taken in the welfare of this community.
He was born December 30, 1829, in East Tennessee, the fourth of six
children in the family of his parents, John and Virginia (Smith)
Kincaid, natives respectively of Virginia and North Carolina. The former
was a most successful farmer and trader and of considerable wealth, some
idea of his standing being inferred from the fact that after losing no
little property and many negroes during the war his property brought
$113,000. He was among the many who laid down their lives on the altar
of their convictions, his death resulting from members of Brownlow's
militia in 1863, who fired and killed him instantly. His wife had died
in 1835. John, in company with his brother, Benjamin F., was possessed
of too true a spirit not to aid in the defense of his section when it
became necessary to suppress invasion, and accordingly he enlisted in
Co. D, 2nd Tennessee cavalry, under the celebrated leader, Gen. Ashby,
this being the first regiment and company raised in the country.
Benjamin was quartermaster throughout the war. John entered as a
private, but subsequently he was made the leader of scouting and guide
parties for Kirby Smith, Gen. Scott and Ashby. He took active part in
the battles of Chattanooga, Missionary Ridge, Kenesaw Mountain,
Chickamauga, and others, and was present at Greenville, Tenn., when Gen.
Morgan was killed. Though often requested to take the oath of allegiance
Mr. Kincaid was possessed of too much honor to thus act contrary to the
dictates of his own conscience, and as the result of this refusal his
property, amounting to $50,000, was confiscated and sold by the United
States Government. In May, 1865, he surrendered at Louisa, Ky. January
7, 1882, a requisition from Gov. Hawkins, of Tennessee, was demanded of
Gov. Crittenden, of Missouri, for Mr. Kincaid, which was granted and
four men from that State came to accompany him back, but the entire
community rose en masse and refused to give him up. Through the
influence of the leading citizens of Vernon county the requisition was
afterwards revoked. This will give some idea of the popularity accorded
Mr. Kincaid in this community. During twelve years of his residence in
Missouri he went by the name of Huff, and it has been but some three
years since he has used his proper name here. Mr. Kincaid was married in
1859 to Miss Margaret B. Huff, of Cumberland Gap, Tenn., who has borne
her husband five children, of whom only Edward Lee, Daniel, and Lulie
are living. Mr. Kincaid owns a valuable farm of 677 acres, five miles
northwest of Walker, which is well improved. Politically he is a
Democrat. Since 1872 he has lived in this county, previous to that time
having resided in Jackson, Johnson, and Lafayette counties.
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Steve Smith provides this additional information:
I just joined the Vernon County, Missouri rootsweb.com email list
and sent this on. I was hoping it would help someone in their
searching. I was born and lived in the Powell Valley area of
Tennessee until just a few months ago. My family has been there for
over 200 years. The Kincaid family is well known in that area for
their plantation homes built before the Civil War by slave
labor. They are beautiful homes. Before the war, they were the most
wealthy and prominent in the counties of Claiborne and Campbell.
These two counties are in northeast Tennessee. Claiborne joins
Kentucky and Virginia to the north, and Campbell is west of
Claiborne joining only Kentucky. This is where the Cumberland Gap
goes through the mountains of the Cumberland, made famous by Daniel
Boone on his way to find the bluegrass of Kentucky.
I had always heard legend that when a certain group of men from
Tennessee rode a train to Missouri on a mission to apprehend and
arrest John Kincaid that they were met at the train station by
members of the community and told to go back and that they could not
have him. This was all over the strong emotions and sentiments
caused by the ugly war. Most all Claiborne County people supported
the Union cause during the war. I can easily see how such activities
of the Kincaid's made for bad feelings. My grandfather Vanbebber
also held slaves, but he remained loyal to the Union, or at least he
was neutral because he never joined any militia. I had several other
grandfathers to fight in that war. Several never made it back home
alive. One fought for the south, but he was from Hawkins County,
and they seemed to be pro-Confederates. He moved from that county to
Claiborne County shortly after the war. I suppose he didn't move to
a hospitable place.
I hope this bit of information may help someone. Any postings I send
to the email listing is free for anyone to use. Any documents from
such books as this need no reference to my name. I only ask for any
researchers to use my name as reference to any bits of research I
share with them in their family quest, and I will always do
likewise. I found the information I sent from the 1887 book in an
internet search. I was glad to find this and it backs up some of the
family legend I had heard. Sometimes such legend turns out to be
family yarns and you never know of what percentage of it may be
true. If you know of any other KINCAID histories, I would be very
interested in reading them also. The war related histories make for
interesting reading. I appreciate anyone like you that makes the
efforts to display this type information for others to share.
Any other information
you may know on this family and related families would be
interesting information for me to have. The HUFF family was also a
very prosperous family of Cumberland Gap, TN. They owned the huge
farm that is now the site of the Lincoln Memorial University in
Harrogate. I'm not sure if any of the other HUFF family members went
to Missouri, but it could be very possible. There were many many
Kincaids, Vanbebbers, Yoakums, and related families in Ray County,
MO. Their families married and inter-married for several
generations. I have never been to Missouri, but I have many
relatives there from the Claiborne County, Tennessee area.
There was a huge slave
cemetery near my home when I was growing up as a child in
Speedwell. It was on the old farm of John VanBebber. John bought the
farm from Sterling Cox Kincaid, an older brother to his wife,
Minerva. My father took me there to the gravesite when I was about
12 (ca 1970) and I took a pencil and paper and wrote down the names
of the people with writing on their tombstones. There were only four
there with any names or formal stones. Probably about 100 were just
limestone rocks that seemed to be growing out of the ground in that
old grove. He told me this was the burial ground for the Kincaid and
VanBebber slaves. A few years later there was a man that bought this
old VanBebber farm and took a dozer to the gravesite. At one time
just a few years ago, a lady wrote to the Claiborne County email
site looking for one of the couples that I had written down. When I
saw the names in the email, they came to me from my memory and I dug
and dug until I found where I had wrote them down. Sure enough, the
names were there as she was searching. I wrote to the nice lady and
told her I knew where they were buried. She told me she lived in
Detroit, Michigan and had been searching for her great great
grandparents for years, and had no idea where they were buried or
anything of their lives except that they were from Tennessee and had
been slaves before the war. She drove to Tennessee the next weekend
and I took her to the gravesite. She was so happy to find this that
she cried tears of joy. She was African American also. I was only
too sorry to tell her the graves had been dozed away and the stones
were not to be found, but I had recorded the dates just as I had
found them on the stones. Her great great grandmother was a slave
and she was Florence Kincaid. She was owned by William Kincaid, a
brother to John Kincaid II. William died in 1856, before the war
began. John VanBebber is buried with his wife Minerva in the Kincaid
cemetery beside the huge old anti-bellum plantation home of William
and Susan Kincaid, very near the old slave cemetery site. Now the
lady has the dates for this Florence Kincaid and also her g-g
grandfather Hughes that was married to Florence.
The plantation home of John Kincaid III still
stands nearby also in Speedwell, where I was raised. It is a very
southern looking home with the huge pillars on the front porch
and all the brick were made on site by the slaves. The home had been
built for him by his father. All the old fences on the Kincaid farms
are long rows of limestone rock piled about 3 feet high. It
must have been many many hours work to dig up the rock and lay them
in long piles to form these fences for what seems to go for miles on
these old farms. The soldiers did damage to the home
while John Kincaid was away at war. My grandmother told me the
soldiers would ride their horses in the house. No wonder he was so
angry when he returned home and his father had been murdered and his
home was a wreck.
Happy searching.
Steve Smith
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Bethany Cemetery
Vernon County, Missouri
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JOHN KINCAID
Born in Campbell Co. Tenn.
Dec. 30, 1829
Died Dec. 4, 1899
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MARGARET B. KINCAID
Born Oct. 30, 1837
Died July 2, 1903
Gravestone photos by Nancy Thompson
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