This is from Randy Russell and Janet Barnett's THE GRANNY CURSE AND OTHER GHOSTS AND LEGENDS FROM EAST TENNESSEE.The scurrilous stories about Jeffrey's wife were apparently started by Jonathan Daniels in his THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE. They have been repeated with salacious relish over and over. Russell and Janet have killed off John Andrews Murrell's father, Jeffrey Murrell, the Methodist minister. I'm still working on his being absent as a wandering preacher. Wandering, or just circuit riding? Or staying at home? So many variations can come from one moment of irresponsible high jinks--an author's deciding that he will spice up history with some of his own fantasies.
My stake in this other than trying to get to the truth is that Jeffrey's brother Benjamin was the husband of my Aunt Mary Sims. My Uncle Ben was the blood uncle of John Andrews Murrell, the Land Pirate of the Natchez Trace.
ReplyDeleteBut not all the crimes alleged against JAM can be verified. He went wrong, for sure, but he was the victim of sensationalists the way his mother became the victim in 1963. She may have done wrong too, but I'll have to get documents antedating Jonathan Daniels before I believe it, now that I have started scrutinizing his account in THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE.