As it is told:
John Coffey and his Wife Jane Graves of the Church of England. His grandfather came from Ireland to America, where he died.
John who married Jane Graves, whose parents were came from England.
Four of John and Janes son's were: Austin, McCaleb, William and Reuben
Coffey.
During the Civil War, the four Coffey Brothers were divided in their sympathasies. While William and Reuben were pronounced Southern Men, McCaleb was a Confederate sympathizer, while Austin was a Union Man.
Two Michiganers Escape- Reuben Coffey, sick of living in turmoil with his neighbors, had left the Globe and moved to a house on Meat Camp, but needing some household articles had left for his Globe home, accompanied by his daughter Millie, who was riding a white horse. The robber's had taken all of McCaleb Coffey's horses, and when the white horse appeared, McCaleb threw a "grise" of corn over his back to be taken to Elisha Coffey's mill by Miss Millie. On their way down the mountain, Reuben and his daughter met two men, who said they were from Michigan and had escaped from prison. Neither were in Uniform or armed. Reuben had a gun and arrested them, after which took them by McCaleb Coffey's to David Miller's, one mile away. Reuben had hoped to get David to accompany them to Camp Mast on Cove Creek, but David excused himself. So Reuben went on alone with his prisoners. When they got to the intersection of the turnpike and Morganton Road, one of the prisoner's called Reuben's attention to two crued benches standing on one side of the road. When he looked in the direction indicated, his companion struck Reuben a heavy blow to the back of the head with a stick. In the ensuing scuffle the two overcame Reuben and took his gun. At that moment tried to shoot Reuben and failing only because the cap snapped. They heard Wilson Beech, a boy, returning at a gallop from the mill, when they ran off and escaped.
Kirks raid emboldened the Unionist in Watauga County. Between August 1864 and February 1865, the people of this section were harrassed beyond measure. Not only by thefts and robberies by outlyers and deserters, but by a body of men calling themselves Vaughan's
Cavalry, and claiming to be confederates. They came from Tennessee to Boone on their
way to Newton for the purpose of recruiting horses.
According to Old Folks still living, Vaughan's Cavalry were the worst. Stealing horses and mules, anything they fancied. And what they did'nt like they destroyed, throwing out of doors many of the household goods of the defenseless women and children.
To go back in time, Keith Blalock's mother had married Austin Coffey, while Keith was a little boy, and Coffey had reared him to manhood. Austin Coffey had lived almost in sight of his brother McCaleb Coffey in Coffey Gap of the Blue Ridge and on the old Morganton Road.
Blalock's Revenge:
Keith Blalock hunted out his enemies. Reuben Coffey was first sought, but he was not at home when Keith called. He and his aids then went to William Coffey's field, forced him to go half a mile with them to James Gragg's mill, and to sit astride a rude bench, where he was shot. Blalock turning this act over to a man named Perkins, because of the fact that William Coffey was the brother to Austin Coffey, his step-father.
These activities soon brought out some of Colonel Avery's battalion on the scene. And a party of Captain James Marlow's Company went to McCaleb Coffey's house in the coffey gap. There they found Austin Coffey, who was recognized by Boyd and arrested. Boyd left his prisoner with Marlow's men and went on home in the Globe. That was Sunday, February, 16, 1865. Nothing was seen of Austin Coffey after that, until his body was discovered a week later in the woods by searchers sent out by his widow. All sorts of stories circulated as to what really happened to Austin, and it was only recently that what is probably the true account was obtained by J. Filmore Coffey, of Foscoe. He is a son of Austin, born in 1858.
One night in 1882, at the house of a man named John Walker, near Shelby, when Walker learned Coffey's name, and that he was the youngest son of Austin, Walker told him that
he had been a member of Marlow's company when Austin was turned over to them. That they had taken him to a vacant house about half way between Shull's Mill and Blowing Rock Road. There a fire was kindled and Coffey fell asleep on the floor. While he was sleeping this John Walker was detailed to kill Austin, but refused. It was then that a base born fellow, named Robert Glass or Anders, volunteered to do the act. And while the old man slept, shot him through the head. The body was taken to a laurel and ivy thicket nearby and hidden. One week later a dog was seen with a human hand in his mouth, A search revealed the body.
When Keith Blalock was told that John Boyd had arrested Austin Coffey and that Coffey was dead, he swore he would kill Boyd if it took forty years after the war to do so.
On the evening of February 8, 1866, when Boyd and William Blair were going from a house on which they had been at work, they met Blalock and Thomas Wright in a narrow path at the head of the Globe.
Continued..
