The death of Robert Jefferson Bennett

Since I started genealogy, I have heard of the murder of my great-great-grandfather, Robert Jefferson "Jeff" Bennett. The story goes Jeff was killed shortly after the Civil War by Henry Alexander "Tuck" Richmond.

From what I've read, it boils down to a difference of opinion as to whether or not West Virginia secede from the union with other southern states or to separate from Virginia and become a state of its own.

One such person who argued for statehood was Samuel Richmond.  He was very verbal about his loyalty to the Union, proclaiming his beliefs far and wide. Jeff, however, was at the other end of the spectrum, wanting secession. In fact, he and John "Sprightly John" Richmond were the only two who voted for secession during a vote in what is now Green Sulphur Spring District in Summers County. I don't know if Samuel and John were related or not. I never saw anything indicating they (John and Sam) were related, not that it really makes a difference or changes the outcome of what happened.

I digress. Anyway, per Judge James H. Miller in his account of the incident in History of Summers County, 1908, page 411---"The feeling was intense, and a great deal of bitterness had been engendered between the partisans of the Southern and Northern cause preceding and during the four years of the Civil War."

I can only image it was these feeling which precipitated the following events.

Richmond owned a grist-mill and operated a ferry service at the lower side of the falls on what I assume is the New River. On September 11, 1863, just months after West Virginia statehood, Richmond ferried Allen Vincent across the New River from the Raleigh County side to the Summers County side. He was ambushed on his way back across the river after dropping Vincent off. It was reported he was ambushed by two unidentified men. The ball went through Richmond's lungs. However, he was a very determined man and of powerful physique, he rowed himself back to the Raleigh side of the river, where he was carried home and died sometime in the early morning hours of September 12, 1863.

A man named Henderson Garten and Jeff, as he was a secession advocate, were the ones who supposedly committed the murder.

From page 414 of the History of Summers County---"The date of the shooting of Samuel Richmond, the senior, was September 11, 1863. This has always been understood as a cold-blooded and unprovoked murder, done in the heat of partisan passion, when the woods were full of bushwhackers on both sides ready at any moment, when they believed the interests of their partisan sides demanded, to commit cruel, unnecessary and unprovoked destruction of human life and of private citizen's property. Many depredations of that character were done during the strife of the Civil War, which went unpunished, and which would not be tolerated in times of peaces."

I suppose this explains why no charges were brought against Jeff. That, and they didn't have proof of his participation of the attack.

Flash forward two years.  It is the end of the Civil War and there were festive events scheduled to celebrate the war's end being held on the New River. Jeff had gotten up early to get ready for the day. While Nancy was fixing breakfast and preparing a picnic lunch, Jeff was sitting under an apple tree with the children playing in the yard. Raiders on horseback came riding through the farm. A shot rang out, killing Jeff instantly. Nancy came running out, trying to gather the children to remove them from harms way. One daughter went running toward her father but was told by one of the raiders to get back or he'd kill her, too, slapping her across the face with the butt of his gun. Jeff's dog began ferociously barking at the raiders. They turned the gun on the dog, killing him, as well. Nancy took the children into the woods as the raiders set flame to Nancy and Jeff's house, stealing as much meat from the meat house they could before riding off. No one was ever charged with this heinous crime. Robert Bennett, one of Jeff's sons, claimed Richmond's son "Tuck" was the person responsible for Jeff's death. It was said several years later, Lewis Marshall (another son of Jeff's, who was six at the time of the incident), came across "Tuck" when he was fishing in the river (either New or Greenbrier) and nearly beat him to death.

There is another account in which it said Jeff was inside when the raiders came riding onto his farm. They called him out onto the porch, killing him and his dog, too.

In yet another account, Arthur Dodd of Alderson said when he was a child, his mother (daughter of Robert Bennett, eldest son or Jeff) pointed out "Tuck" as the man who killed "Jeff" Bennett, his great-grandfather.

I have read more accounts stating he was sitting under a tree at the time of his death and that my great-great-grandmother, with her children in tow, ran into the woods in fear of being killed, too. No matter which account is correct, the fact remains murders were committed basically over statehood.