Re: Wm. (the Loyalist ) Riddle?
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Wm. (the Loyalist ) Riddle?
Lucy Suder 9/04/07
an excerpt from http://www.fmoran.com/wilkes/clevben.htmlhttp://www.fmoran.com/wilkes/clevben.html
Cleveland Hangs Riddle
Soon after Cleveland's rescue Riddle and his men made a night raid into the Yadkin Valley, where, on King's Creek, they captured two of Cleveland's soldiers, David and John Witherspoon, and "spirited them away into the mountain region on the Watauga River in what is now Watauga County," where they both were sentenced to be shot, when it was proposed that if they would take the oath of allegiance to the king, repair to their home and speedily return with the O'Neal mare - a noble animal - and join the Tory band, their lives would be spared. This the Witherspoons agreed to, and returned with not only the mare, but with Col. Ben Herndon and a party also, when they captured Riddle, Reeves and Goss, "killing and dispersing the others."
These were taken to Wilkesboro, court martialed and executed" on the hill adjoining the village, "on a stately oak, which is yet (1881) standing and pointed out to strangers at Wilkesboro." Well, too, was captured and taken to Hughes' Bottom, one mile below Cleveland's Round About home-place, and hanged by plow lines from a tree on the river bank, without trial and in spite of the protestations of James Gwyn, a lad of thirteen, whose noble nature revolted at such barbarity. But Cleveland's cruelty was too well known to need further comment, for it is recorded of him that he once forced an alleged horse-thief to cut off his own ears with a dull case knife to escape death by hanging - all without trial or evidence.
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Re: Wm. (the Loyalist ) Riddle?
Lucy Suder 9/04/07