LBL Sniper

[Bopeye]

  Hey guys. Sorry I am not on here much, but just stay covered up a lot. I sure have missed you guys though.
Last year dad had bypass surgery and then had a mild stroke four or five months ago which required some surgery to open up the arteries in his neck. It's kinda opened my eyes to some things as well. I take him and my kids everywhere we can go together, because the clock is ticking. The one thing dad and I have in common is we both enjoy researching and going to civil war places.

  Just recently we found out that one of only two men executed after the war for war crimes was a guy named Champ Ferguson. He was a guerrilla fighter for the south. What we didn't know is he committed most of his crimes in this area and is buried about 25 miles from here near his old farm. Interesting stuff........to us anyway. 

Anyway, dad and I are planning a trip to Ft. Donelson which is located on the south end of the LBL. It was the capture of this fort that earned Ulysses S. Grant his nickname. "Unconditional Surrender Grant", which is also the nickname he used while running for president.

  Today dad discovered some information on a guy that was an excellent sniper for the Confederacy. His main area of operation was near Ft. Donelson in a little place called the LBL. I know some of you won't be interested in this, but some will. He used .50 caliber rifle made to his specifications to do his deeds. Here is some information I copy and pasted that I think some of you might enjoy. If you want to know more look it up. I just wanted to give you guys a glimpse and if interested you can read more about him elsewhere. Y'all know how the LBL is, so it will help you know what kind of sniper this guy happened to be. If you will notice he was in his late 50's when he started his sniping career.

"John W. "Jack" Hinson, "Old Jack" (1807â€"1874) was a farmer in Stewart County, Tennessee who operated as a Confederate partisan sniper against Union forces in the Between-the-Rivers region of Tennessee and Kentucky during the American Civil War.

Hinson, a prosperous plantation owner (who freed all of his slaves), of Scotch-Irish descent, was neutral at the outbreak of the war but took up arms after two of his sons were executed as suspected bushwhackers by Federal troops; their heads were cut off and stuck on the gate-posts to Hinson's home.[1] Hinson used a one of a kind custom made 50 caliber long-range 41-inch barrel Kentucky Long Rifle that weighed 18 pounds to target Union soldiers more than a half-mile away on land, transports, and gunboats along the Tennessee River and the Cumberland River, killing as many as a hundred. Hinson also served as a guide for Nathan Bedford Forrest in his assault on the Union supply center at Johnsonville, Tennessee in November 1864. He was the father of Robert Hinson, who served as the leader of a highly effective partisan band in the Between-the-Rivers region until his death in combat on September 18, 1863. Jack Hinson was never apprehended despite the commitment of elements of four Union regiments to pursue him, and survived the war, dying in 1874.

He is commemorated in a roadside marker in Kentucky,[2] and his story has been told in two books by Tom McKenney;
Battlefield Sniper: Over 100 Civil War Kills, Tom C. Lt. Col. McKenney[3]
Jack Hinson's One Man War.,[4]"

Hope I didn't bore y'all too much. I just thought it added a little flavor to our beloved LBL.

[possumal]

Very interesting stuff, Bop.  Hope your dad gets along o.k. and will be around a long time for you to share time with.

[Hawks Feather]

Hi Bop,

Thanks for the history lesson.  It is always interesting knowing a little bit more about an area or a person.  Glad that you are able to spend time with your Dad and kids.  They are more important than spending time here or anywhere else. 

Jerry

P.S.  With all the Civil War work, are you starting to see the Blue side of things?                  Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[Bopeye]

P.S.  With all the Civil War work, are you starting to see the Blue side of things?                  Sorry, I couldn't resist.

It's funny you should say that Hawk. I hate to admit this, but my momma's side was blue. They migrated here from Germany and lived in Pennsylvania and oh yes, my mom's double first cousin is into geneology and low and behold what did she uncover??? Yep, you guessed it. It seems GGGG Grandpap was a yank. 
Now dad's side was Scotch-Irish and settled in Georgia. I reckon they were grey enough. 
Funny thing about right here where I live is if you go to the City Park, they have war memorials for every war including the Civil War. It is split almost evenly between U.S.A. and C.S.A. on that memorial. Truly was a border war in this area. 

[Todd Rahm]

I enjoy this kind of stuff Bop, thanks! I would sure be interested in finding that read too!

[Jeb]

  I always knew there was something in the woodpile not right 

[JohnP]

Good stuff Bop, I too enjoy reading "stuff" about the civil war.

[Bopeye]

I am very glad that so many of you enjoyed this. I have some more info. I will post later. I can't wait to get up to Ft. Donelson with my father and kids. There were 3 forts located in that section of the river. Two of them gave up without a shot, but Ft. Donelson fought hard. They broke out of the fort with the intention of escaping, but started whipping the yanks. BAD DECISION. Soon the Yanks outnumbered them and they had to retreat to the fort once again.  If they would have just stuck with the original plan. 

If any of you guys know of anywhere else we need to stop by while visiting Ft. Donelson that is Civil War related please let me know. Oh yeah, just east of the LBL in Ky. is where the great Jefferson Davis was born. We are going to go see that while we are there. I found it interesting that the Presidents of the U.S.A. and C.S.A. were born so close together in Ky. and with such very similar upbringing and backgrounds. 

After our trip to Ft. Donelson we are making plans for going to "Bloody Shiloh" and the "Siege of Corinth". The fall of Ft. Donelson is what opened the door for Shiloh.

[coyote101]

Hey James,

The Jefferson Davis monument is located in Fairview, Kentucky which is about 15 miles from where I live. Give me a holler when you are going to visit and I will try to link up with you if I am in town.

Pat

[Bopeye]

Hey James,

The Jefferson Davis monument is located in Fairview, Kentucky which is about 15 miles from where I live. Give me a holler when you are going to visit and I will try to link up with you if I am in town.

Pat

That sounds like a plan. I'd love to see you again. Now my dad will have a little trouble talking since his stroke, so I don't want you to think he is being a jerk. He just can't put his thoughts into words very quick. Just a heads up so you will know. 

[Frogman]

Just downloaded this book to my Kindle.  Looking forward to reading it.

Tom C. McKenney
" Jack Hinson's One Man War"

Thanks for the interesting post Bopeye!

Jim

[Bopeye]

You are welcome Jim. If you find anything interesting let me know please. He might have something other than a road sign in ky. that a person could go see. 

[Frogman]

Guys,

I just finished reading "Jack Hinson's One Man War" refered to in Bopeye's original post above.  What a great book!!  You can download it from Amazon to your Kindle for $14.95. 

Jack Hinson lived near Dover TN where Ft. Donelson was.  The first part of the book deals with the battle of Ft. Donelson.  Unfortunately the Confederate command at the fort was confused because there were too many generals there.  Some of them were politicians instead of military men and they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and surrendered the fort when Grant thought he was going to have to retire in defeat. 

Jack Hinson tried to remain neutral and hoped to keep his family out of the conflict.  That all changed when the Union occupation forces murdered two of his sons claiming they were guerrilla fighters.  Jack Hinson then ordered a custom made .50 caliber Kentucky rifle to help him take his revenge on the Yankee occupation forces and those traveling up the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers to suppoort Grant.  The book very well describes the sniper set ups and shots Hinson used to exact his revenge.  The locations in the book are very well documented and allow you to use Google Earth to find the locations as you follow the story.  The author has also located the rifle Hinson used which is still in existence.  The book seems to have been very well researched and has extensive references and appendixes in the back.

This story should be made into a movie!!

Thanks again Bopeye!!  I had nver heard of Jack Hinson prior to your post.

Jim   

[Hawks Feather]

Is the rifle in a museum or private collection?

Jerry

[Frogman]

Jerry,

Private owner.

Apparently Jack Hinson gave the rifle to his friend Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest after the war.  After being passed down through several persons the rifle is (at the time of the books publishing) in the possession of Judge Ben Hall McFarlin of Murfreesboro , Tennessee.  Even after the war Jack Hinson lived in fear for his life.  He was in fear of being arrested and hanged first by the occupation forces and then later on during the Reconstruction period by the carpetbagger authorities.

There are several photographs of the rifle in the book!  Also in the appednix there is a chain of possession section.  The book is very detailed!  An excellent read!

Jim

[Hawks Feather]

Thanks!  Sounds like a book I am going to need to read.

Jerry

Edit:  Started doing a search and found this: 

[Frogman]

Jerry,

That's neat.  That looks like the pictures in the book.  The rifle was very plain.  No shiny brass patch box or other decorative metal work.  Jack didn't want anything on it that might reflect light and give his shooting position away! 

The Capt. before his name is misleading.  He never served in a formal capacity in the army.  He was 57 years old when he began taking vengence for the death of his two sons.  He did serve as a scout with Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest a few times.  He helped lead Forrest's unit to a location across the river from Johnsonville when they shelled the city and set it afire destroying lots of Union supplies.

I really enjoyed the book and feel most of our F&F ers would also enjoy it since it's setting is near the LBL where we hold our annual get together and hunt.  Next time I'm there I would like to drive down to Dover and see Ft. Donnelson and the area where the story took place.

Thanks again to Bopeye for bringing this story to our attention!

Jim

 

[Bopeye]

I just finished the book as well Jim. It has to be in the top five of books I haver every read. The retired Marine that wrote it really knew how to take documented accounts and flesh them out to make a historically accurate yet entertaining piece of narrative.
I loved it and agree it needs to be a movie. 

What about ole "Virgil Earp, Wyatt Earps brother" being the guy that manned the big guns that tore through Nathan B. Forrests front line a year later and almost decimated Forrests command.
I absolutely loved the book. 

[Bopeye]

Here's Hinson's gun and the guy that owns it along with a pretty good article.

http://www.murfreesboropost.com/whittle-civil-war-sniper-rifle-dealt-death-to-yankees-cms-26639