1A- The Rowan County Crew- Crooke (CA-KY) 1929
[This ballad is said to have been composed by blind fiddler James W. Day (b. 1861) also known as Jilson Setters. Settlers was discovered by collector and folk organizer Jean Thomas in the 1920s, who has documented the feud centered around Morehead, Kentucky in the years 1884-1887 during which 20 people were killed and 16 wounded (John Pearse).
R. Matteson 2014]
1A - THE ROWAN COUNTY CREW
Contributed by Mr. C. C. Cooke, Modesto, California, July, 1929 formerly a resident of West Virginia, who writes: "This is sung throughout eastern Kentucky as a ballad description of one of the most devastating of Kentucky feuds, the "Martin-Tolliver feud," which earned for Rowan County, Kentucky, the sobriquet of "Bloody Rowan." This ballad is said to have been composed by Johnny Day, a blind man of Breathit County, Kentucky." Music noted by Miss Alloe Drobish.
1. Come all young men and ladies,
And mothers and brothers, too,
And I'll relate to you the histr'y,
Of the Rowan County crew,
Concerning "Bloody Rowan,"
And her many hideous deeds,
My friends, please give attention,
Remember how it reads.
2. 'Twas in the month of August,
All on election day-
John Martin he was wounded,
They say by Johnny Day.
Martin did not believe it,
He did not think it so,
He thought it was Floyd Tolliver,
That struck the terrible blow.
3. Martin did recover,
Some time had come and passed,
And in the name of Morehead,
Those men had met at last,
Tolliver and a friend or two,
About the streets did walk,
He seemed to be uneasy,
With no one wished to talk.
4. He went into Judge Cory's grocery,
And stepped up to the bar,
But little did he think, dear friends,
He had met that dreadful hour.
This thing of death was near him,
Martin rushed in at the door,
A few words passed between them,
Concerning the row before.
5. The people all were frightened,
and began to rush out of the room
A ball from Martin's pistol,
Laid Tolliver in the tomb.
His friends they gathered round
His wife to weep and wail,
Martin was arrested him,
And soon confined to jail.
6. He was put in the jail of Rowan,
There to remain awhile,
In the hands of law and Justice,
To bravely stand his trial.
The people talked of lynching him,
At present though, they fail,
The prisoner's friends they moved him
To the Winchester jail.
7. Some persons they forged an order,
Their names I do not know,
The plan was soon agreed upon,
For Martin they did go.
Martin was discouraged,
He seemed to live in dread,
They have sought a plan to kill him,
To his jailer, Martin said.
8. They put the handcuffs on him,
His heart was in distress,
They hurried to the station,
Stepped on the night express,
Along the line she lumbers,
At her usual rate of speed,
There was only two in numbers,
To commit this dreadful deed.
9. When they reached the town of Parsons,
They had no time to lose,
A band approached the engineer
And bade 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.
10. Martin was in the smoking car,
Accompanied by his wife,
They did not want her present,
When they took her husband's life.
When the dreadful deed was committed,
She was in another car,
She cried, "Oh, God, they've killed him,"
When she heard the pistols fire.
11. The deaths 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 only wish that I could see
Our land once more in peace.
12. They killed this deputy sheriff,
Bumgartner was his name,
They shot him from the bushes,
After taking deliberate aim.
His death it was a dreadful one,
It may never be forgot,
His body was torn and riddled,
With thirty-three buckshot.
They wounded young Ad Sizemore,
Although his life I've save,
He seems to shun the grogshop,
Since he stood so near tho grave,
I compose this as a warning,
Beware to you young men,
Your pistols will cause you trouble,
On this You may depend.
In the bottom of the whiskey glass,
The lurking devils dwell,
It burns the breast of those who drink lt,
And sends their souls to hell.