Historical True Crime by Chris Bunton
It was back in the day of frontier America when virtually everyplace was wild and free. A place where both good and evil could flourish.
People headed west. They longed for a place to call their own. So, they settled in the Appalachian mountains and had kids. They traveled to Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia where they built homesteads and farms.
They traveled down the Ohio River to explore and settle the wilds of the frontier Midwest, and beyond.
They brought good and evil with them. Everywhere humans went, civilization began to grow. Those who prey on civilized people began to grow as well.
Pirates, bandits, highwaymen, conman, hucksters, robbers and serial killers.
The stories that exist from this time are often horrendous. The things that people will do to each other, says something about humanity.
One of those stories speaks of the Harpes.
It is assumed they were born in Scotland. Then they immigrated as children to Appalachia in the 1700s. Their real names were William and Joshya Harpe.
They changed their names to Micajah and Wiley Harpe. Also known as Big Harpe and Little Harpe. Even though they often acted like brothers. It is believed that they were cousins, not brothers
They are said to have fought in the Revolution on the side of the British. This is where their love for violence and rape began, as they burned American farms and raped the women.
At some point, the Harpes are alleged to have kidnapped a couple of girls and used them as wives. The women developed some kind of “Stockholme Syndrome” and voluntarily stayed with the Harpes, joining them. The Harpes would murder the children that came from their “wives”, often in brutal fashion. They were living in Tennessee at this time. Moving around and terrorizing folks.
It is said that later on, Little Harpe married a minister’s daughter, and Big Harpe took the two other kidnapped women as his wives.
The Harpes then moved up into Kentucky, because things were getting to hot for them in Tennessee.
They lived and survived in the eastern forests like animals preying on anyone who they should come across. Killing them, cutting them open and filling them with rocks, so they could sink the body in a nearby creek.
Honestly, I cannot tell you everything they are alleged to have done. It is believed they killed at least 50 men, women and children.
They crossed back and forth over the Ohio river from Southern Illinois, to Kentucky killing on both sides of the river. Mostly travelers. It is said they cared nothing for money. Just killing and raping.
The governor of Kentucky swore out a reward of $300 for them.
It was at this time that the Harpes and their wives joined the Samuel Mason River pirate gang, who operated out of Cave-in-Rock, in Southern Illinois.
River Pirates at this time would prey off people carrying cargo on flatboats down the Ohio River from back east.
The Harpes enjoyed their time with the pirates so much they would allegedly strip the flatboaters naked and throw them off the high cliffs near the huge cave the pirates used as a base.
With this sort of brutality going on, the pirates got tired of them and drove them away.
It was after this that they showed up in Tennessee again. They murdered multiple people including Big Harpe’s own baby daughter for crying. He bashed her head against a tree.
They also murdered a Mrs. Stegall and her 4 month old daughter. This led to husband and father, Moses Stegall joining a posse to hunt down the Harpes.
Sources say they found the Harpes and captured Big Harpe and the wives, while Little Harpe escaped.
Moses Stegall is said to have sawn off Big Harpes head while he was still alive and mounted it to a post near Henderson Kentucky. A place called Harpes Head. You can find the location today.
The wives were tried and found not guilty. They remarried and lived out normal lives.
Little Harpe is said to have re-joined the pirates, under an alias. When the pirates were attacked and destroyed, Little Harpe tried to claim the bounty on pirate leader Samuel Mason’s head. But, when he showed his face to a group of people in Kentucky, one of the crowd recognized him.
He was hanged in 1804.
When I think of the Harpes, I imagine a mix of the movie “Deliverance” “Squeal Piggy!” and “House of a Thousand Corpses.” Or the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” families.
Can you imagine traveling through the forest and these guys coming into your camp? Or taking your family down the Ohio on a flat-boat, when river Pirates boarded and The Harpes were with them.
Killers have existed throughout human history. Some we call evil, and some we call good.
But, to a victim I doubt they make that distinction.
Sources and Further Reading:
https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-harpes/
http://www.illinoishistory.com/harpes.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave-in-Rock_State_Park
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpe_brothers
https://allthatsinteresting.com/harpe-brothers
https://the-line-up.com/harpe-brothers
https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2019/04/the-harpes-two-outlaws-of-pioneer-times.html
Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois. He has published in several magazines, and has written a poetry eBook called “Against the Man” and an Addiction Recovery eBook called “Made Free: Overcoming Addiction“ His newest book is called “The Future is Coming” and is a collection of dystopian short stories.
Follow Him on Medium: https://chris-bunton.medium.com/
Read His Spiritual Writings on Blogger: https://chrisbunton.blogspot.com/
Follow Him on Free Life Blog: https://myfreelifeblog.com/
Buy a cup of Coffee
Support the work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=13514235&fan_landing=true&view_as=public
Photos by the Author.
Read more True Crime on The Yard: Crime Blog
Follow us on:
Looking for a book to read? Try our Bookstore.
Secure your home with a Blink Camera System. They are easy to install and operate. Here’s a review on the camera and a post on the nightvision capabilities. Click the affiliate button below for pricing, details and to shop around.
Keep your kids safe with a Bark Phone. The safest phone for kids and teens. Check out details, pricing and more shopping through the affiliate button below.
Read More On The Yard
Happy Hour At The Holy Grail Bar
Flash Fiction by Pamela Ebel Emma Macaulay looked in the mirror on the back wall and watched as some of the parishioners crossed the parking lot of the church where the service was over and walked into the Holy Grail Bar for Happy Hour. As the noise level picked up the front door flew open…
Brooklyn
Flash Fiction by Diane Lefer So I was driving home about 3:00 AM. Around the clubs, of course, there are always people and cars, but near home usually there’s no one. That night, there was a car up ahead, stopped at a red light. Then this other car comes speeding up from behind, comes around…
The Womanizer
Crime Fiction by Dick Johnson Graphic Sex and Violence Warning The kissing was amazing. Not the lack luster kissing of a first date, but the hungry kissing that leads to fucking, and he knew it was coming. Her mouth was so warm and soft and inviting. Juicy is the word. She was juicy. The crickets…