EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS OF GILBERT DOWELL’S LYNCHING

 Account #1

Circuit Court Document

A court was formed and witnesses were examined, but without attorneys. All parties present were heavily armed, mostly with double barrel shot guns.

John S. R. Gregory and Prof. John D. McGill, who taught school on Bear Creek Pike at the end of the lane east from the toll gate, about ¼ mile west of Sulphur Spring, both appeared before the mob and begged that as the Courts were again in full blast (after an interruption in the Civil War) that the law be allowed to take its course and that the Negro be sent to jail to await trial. Also Mrs. Ben Dowell, the owner of the darky, made a plea.

This advice was not only hooted at but threats of personal violence were made against

J. Sol Gregory and Prof. McGill and W.0. Roberts. There was no counsel assigned for the defense.

Gilbert was very calm, not excited; he acknowledged the burning of the barn and said that he did it in revenge for the sale of his wife and children in Louisiana.

Rev. R. G. Irvine then talked with Gilbert about preparation for death. An express wagon was the platform with a post and brace for gallows. Meanwhile a wide scaffold had been already built, and Gilbert was hung immediately by Coleman Goad, constable, who tied the knot. A sort of trap platform, trap knocked out from under him, he hung until a doctor pronounced him dead. Remains were carried to a barn, where they laid all night. He was buried not far from the burned barn.

After the war was over, Ben Dowell, the owner of the slave Gilbert, sued (or threatened to sue) J. H. Gregory for the value of Gilbert. James H. Gregory paid Dowell $400 for this.

This incident of mob law created intense excitement in Maury County, which existed for many years. Coleman Goad had to leave the county for it and moved to Troy, Obion County, in West Tennessee.

This excitement was intensified by the fact that James H. Gregory was a strong Union man, and a leader in the Republican Party in the days of Reconstruction and Governor Brownlow after the war.

During the Ku Klux excitement it was especially often referred to and discussed.

Account #2

Dave F. Gregory and Zack Osborne, May 12, 1904

Gilbert had also burned Dick Tinsley Chappell's corn crib (now Roan place). Chappell's crib was burned first, and then Gregory's barn, both the same night about 11 or 12 o'clock. Gilbert's wife had stolen some silverware of Chappell’s and she had shown it to Gilbert, who had concealed it in Chappell's barn. Being discovered and Gilbert confessing to the theft, he was whipped by Chappell and James H. Gregory. Gregory sold Gilbert's wife and children in Louisiana, a short while later.

Rev. R. G. Irvine had the barn rented (which Gilbert evidently did not know). Irvine lost horses in the fire. Next day after the fire suspicion fell on Gilbert, Irvine sent to Culleoka for Prewett’s bloodhounds, but Dave Gregory and D. T. Chappell, fearing that Gilbert might escape, went ahead of the dogs to Bannister Chaffin's farm at Rutherford Creek.

There, Gregory went into a field where Gilbert was plowing and arrested him before the arrival of the dogs. Gilbert asked no questions, but seemed to know intuitively the cause of the arrest. Dave Gregory and Chappell had Gilbert's plow horse taken care of at the Bannister Chaffin farm, and carried Gilbert back to Randal's River, keeping him in a crib or barn that night under the guard of Coleman Goad.

A great crowd assembled next morning, many arriving with double barrel shot guns and pistols, at another barn on the Gregory place. Davy Chappell, an old colored preacher, had a talk with Gilbert that morning in which Gilbert acknowledged that he had burned the barn of Gregory and the crib of Chappell's.

There was not much of a trial. W. O. Roberts says 23 - 24 men served as jury and examined witnesses that morning for three or four hours. J. D. Hood says most of the time he was praying. Gilbert was brought out and publicly acknowledged the burnings. Cole Goad tied the knot and pulled the cart from under Gilbert. He was hanged the second evening after the barn was burned.

Gilbert was about or 6 feet, 2 inches high or maybe 6' l ", well formed, copper colored, very muscular. In excitement his features were very repulsive but ordinarily not particularly bad looking.

W. J. Goad says this was in 1862, about the time the cherries were ripe. W. J. Goad says it was before his mother died in March 1863, also before his father joined the Confederate Army in 1863. The place of hanging was about 150 yards a little north of west of the "Gregory Cave Spring" on the Theta Pike at the Plum Thicket, right at the burned barn of Gregory.

Account #3


Mitch H. Butts, January 12, 1906

This execution happened in fall of 1862, probably cotton hoeing (not picking) time before the Fall of Fort Donelson.

W. O. Roberts thinks $1,000 or $1,200 was paid by Gregory. He had a peculiar patch on his shoe. The crowd was all satisfied of Gilbert's guilt. W. O. Roberts opposed hanging on the “mob law” principle. A gallows was erected before the trial on the burnt barn. Green Irvine stood on a cart with Gilbert and took vote. All “ayes” crossed a line, and hollered yes.

I don't remember anybody praying. Probably about 1,000 people were there. The trial was all sober, quiet and in order. Gilbert’s neck was not broken, and his body wobbled around. He was a bad darky. The Dowells had never controlled their slaves.

The burnt horses stunk. Gilbert’s father Thomas P. was there. Gilbert weighed about 220 lbs. and was about 30 years old. My sister, Rosina, was there. He was hung about 15 or 20 yards north of the burned barn. John Fraser was there and W. D. Fraser.

Account #4

J. S. R. Gregory

 This was the first instance of mob law hanging in Maury County. Gilbert Dowell, colored, was slave owned by Ben Dowell's mother, the widow of Ben Dowell, of Dowell’s Branch, below West Point, about 9 miles NW of Columbia. He was about 35 or 40 years old, large, stout, and fine looking, bright, likable and smart. His wife Martha belonged to James H Gregory and had been raised by him; they had two children. Gilbert's sister cooks for Marsh Mayes. J. H. Gregory took Martha and the children to Louisiana when he sold them. Gilbert was left behind.

Gilbert Dowell, in revenge, in the summer after crops were laid by, for separation and sale of his wife and children, burnt the barn of J. H. Gregory and three horses that were in it that belonged to Rev. R. G. Irvine.

The barn was located on the Gregory Place, on Randal's River, about 6 miles NW of Columbia, now owned by Mrs. Mary Osborne (sister of the Gregorys, now 82 years old in 1906).

Suspicion fell on Gilbert after the burning of the barn, and Dave Gregory went to Lem Prewitt’s near Culleoka and got his Negro trailing dogs. The dogs traced Gilbert over to Rolan (or Bannister) Chaffin's in the Rutherford Hills, near the mouth of Rogers Branch.

About two or three days after the burning, the Negro was caught and carried to the burnt barn. A trial was held by “Judge Lynch Law,” at which were present: Sam Roberts, Wm. O. Roberts (Rev.), Sandy Gresham, W. O. Cherry (Rev.), R. G. Irvine (Rev.), J. G. Voorhies, Will Irvine, Dock West, Shug West, Eli Sellars, Dillifote (L.) Anderson, Mrs. Martha Hood (wife of J. D.), Mrs. Mary Foster, wife of Wm. Hood, a great many ladies, J. Dorrell Hood, Cole Goad, constable, John F. Jameson, constable, Lewis Goad, D. L. (Dillyfate) Hood, Charles Irvine, Malloy Foster, Dock Foster, Bob Sellers, Raleigh Dodson, John Anderson, all the Murphys: Bill, Henry, old man Murphy; all the Wests; all the Sellers; all the Porters (Dock, Ed); and Robert Bauguss. Coleman Goad and John F. Jamison, constables of Maury County, were also present.

There, Gregory went into a field where Gilbert was plowing and arrested him before the arrival of the dogs. Gilbert asked no questions, but seemed to know intuitively the cause of the arrest. Dave Gregory and Chappell had Gilbert’s plow horse taken care of at the Bannister Chaffin farm, and carried Gilbert back to Randal's River, keeping him in a crib or barn that night under the guard of Cole Goad.

Lynch Mob Estimated at 1,000

Coleman Goad
Gregory Thomas P. Butts
Rev. R.G. Irvine
Sam Roberts
Sandy Gresham
W.O. Cherry
Rev. J. G. Voorhies
Green Irvine
Dock West
Shug West
Eli Sellars
Dillifote L. Anderson*
Mrs. Martha Hood
J. Dorrell Hood
John F. Jameson, Constable
Lewis Goad
Dillyfate (D.L. Hood)*
Charles Irvine
Malloy Foster
Dock Foster
Bob Sellers
Raleigh Dodson
John Anderson
All the Murphys
Bill, Henry, and Old Man Murphy
All the Wests
All the Porters
Ed Dock
Robert J. Bauguss

Those Present Advocating for Gilbert

John Solomon R. Gregory
Professor John D. McGill
Mrs. Ben Dowell
Reverend W.O. Roberts

* Both men were named after LaFayette, which they pronounced La Fay It. Fort was pronounced Fote.