The Assassinations
Ambush was the favored tactic of this feud rather than standard warfare. It was safer for the concealed perpetrators and responsibility for the attacks was more difficult to determine. Many people lived, justifiably, in fear.
The first death of the feud was one of French’s friends, Silas Gayheart. A dozen white men and a couple black reportedly ambushed and killed Gayheart. The Eversoles denied the killing and many believed it was the cause of a different dispute that Gayheart had. French however blamed the Eversole clan.
One night French left Hazard, possibly to gather more men to attack Eversole. Once Eversole discovered this he withdrew his forces and left a few men in town. He waited for French to attack the town so he could make a surprise attack of his own. Neither was fooled by these tactical maneuvers and blood was spared. When French finally reentered the town in June of 1887 Eversole set out to meet him. They two sides had a shootout in town with only one of French’s men being wounded. After a day of shooting at each other French’s forces withdrew.
This type of cat and mouse scuffle happened throughout the summer of 1887. The cost of paying these men day in and day out began taking their tolls on the businessmen as they almost were bankrupt. The sides agreed to a meeting at Big Creek and a peace was formulated. The agreements would be that they could return home, would disband their armies, and surrender their guns. The grudge was still there and soon after their funds were replenished French accused Eversole of taking his guns back from Judge Josiah Combs, Eversole’s father-in-law. Eversole claimed that French hadn’t witnessed that, that he hadn’t disbanded his army, and that the deal only called for a partial surrender of arms. The short lived peace was crumbled.
The next major incident occurred on September 15, 1887. Joe Eversole and Bill G ambriel, a French supporter, began arguing in the street. This formed into a scuffle and some of Eversole’s men shot at Gambriel. While attempting to escape another man, reportedly an officer, shot him. As Gambriel turned away from his attacker, Joe Eversole pulled his pistol out and shot Gambriel in the head. One man was tried for the murder but acquitted of the charges.
There was a relative calm throughout the winter until April 15th, 1888. Joe Eversole, Nick Combs, his brother-in-law, and Judge Josiah Combs were on their way to Hyden for the regular term of the circuit court which Joe and Josiah had been members of for years. Josiah was riding slightly ahead of Joe and Nick when he heard the gunfire. Josiah turned and saw Joe and Nick fall to the ground writhing in pain. Joe almost instantly died after being rattled by 8 bullets. An attacker came down from the hill, shot Nick since he was still alive even though he pleaded for his life, and then sifted through Joe’s pockets. Josiah himself had been shot along with another 5 bullet holes in his clothes. After investigating it appeared the attackers had been camping for days waiting on them. French was accused and indicted but left town with a posse in fear of retaliation. No one was ever convicted of the murders.
After Joe was gone, John Campbell took over the war against French. Campbell surrounded the town with guards, had men patrolled the streets, and took on scouting the countryside. He feared a French attack so he only left people into town who knew the password. This was his undoing however. One night Campbell found a sleeping guard and startled him. The guard shot Campbell who died a month later from his wounds.
While Campbell was still alive, Shade Combs had an idea that he could end the feud by killing French and a select few of his men. Campbell gave him men and he set out to do the deed. French got wind of the plot and set up and ambush of his own though Combs escaped only to succumb to a successful ambush soon after at his home.
Elijah Morgan, son-in-law to Josiah Combs and a French Supporter, was the next to be assassinated on October 9th, 1888. He was working on an agreement between the Eversole clan and himself when he was ambushed. He wanted peace and the Eversoles told him to meet them in Hazard to discuss a deal. This was all a ploy to lure him in and he was murdered. It is widely believed this is retaliation for the death of Shade Combs since they occurred so close together.
Judge Lilly, responsible for the law in Perry along with other counties, had had enough. He dispatched state troops to Hazard which arrived in early November 1888. He wrote the governor on November 13th, 1888 telling him of the need for troops and that he would not conduct court in Perry along with other counties without a state guard for fear of shootings. On November 14th, 1888 Sam Hill, who was in charge of the state troops, wrote to Governor Buckner that only 35 people remained in town when they arrived. Many came back after the troops arrived and that the juries ties to the clans or fear of the accused has caused lawlessness. The November 1888 term of court went by with ease since the troops had showed.
Read more about this topic: French Eversole Feud