To tell the rest of the Rousey story it is important to understand Kentucky before, during and after the war. Kentucky elected to stay neutral, this, however, didn’t save them from fierce fighting and the privation of war. On the eve of the war, about 20% of the population was slave and many, even those who would support the Union didn’t find anything wrong with the practice. Because Kentucky was a border state and sits at the convergence of two other Southern states, Virginia and Tennessee much of the population was tied to the Confederacy through family.
Kentucky was far from a backwater state. It had an excellent educational system, booming commerce with the Mississippi River and its tributaries providing easy shipping of products. Politically it was potent with not only national leaders of note but the birthplace of Lincoln.
Kentucky was strategically important to both the North and South. The Commonwealth ranked ninth in population by 1860, and was a major producer of such agricultural commodities as tobacco, corn, wheat, hemp, and flax. Geographically, Kentucky was important to the South because the Ohio River would provide a defensible boundary along the entire length of the state.
When the war started both sides were quick to build forts in the bordering states to protect their interests in Kentucky. But the peace was short-lived.
On September 4, 1861, Confederate Major General Leonidas Polk violated the Commonwealth's neutrality by ordering Brigadier General Gideon Johnson Pillow to occupy Columbus. Columbus was of strategic importance both because it was the terminus of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad and because of its position along the Mississippi River. Polk constructed Fort DuRussey in the high bluffs of Columbus, and equipped it with 143 cannons. Polk called the fort "The Gibraltar of the West." To control traffic along the river, Polk stretched an anchor chain across the river from the bank in Columbus to the opposite bank in Belmont, Missouri. Each link of the chain measured eleven inches long by eight inches wide and weighed twenty pounds. The chain soon broke under its own weight, but Union forces did not learn of this fact until early 1862.
In response to the Confederate invasion, Union Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant left Cairo, Illinois and entered Paducah, Kentucky on September 6, which gave the Union control of the northern end of the New Orleans and Ohio Railroad and the mouth of the Tennessee River. Governor Magoffin denounced both sides for violating the Commonwealth's neutrality, calling for both sides to withdraw. However, on September 7, 1861, the General Assembly passed a resolution ordering the withdrawal of only Confederate forces. Magoffin vetoed the resolution, but both houses overrode the veto, and Magoffin issued the proclamation. The General Assembly ordered the flag of the United States to be raised over the state capitol in Frankfort, declaring its allegiance with the Union.
Its neutrality broken, both sides quickly moved to establish advantageous positions in the Commonwealth. Confederate forces under Albert Sidney Johnston formed a line in the southern regions of Kentucky and the northern regions of Tennessee, stretching from Columbus in the west to Cumberland Gap in the east. Johnston dispatched Simon B. Buckner to fortify the middle of the line in Bowling Green. Buckner arrived on September 18, 1861 and immediately began intensive drill sessions and constructing elaborate defenses in anticipation of a Union strike.
Barbourville (September 19, 1861)
Camp Wildcat (October 21, 1861)
Ivy Mountain (November 8-9, 1861)
Rowlett’s Station (December 17, 1861)
Middle Creek (January 10, 1862)
Mill Springs (January 19, 1862)
Richmond (August 29-30, 1862)
Munfordville (September 14-17, 1862)
Perryville (October 8, 1862)
Paducah (March 25, 1864)
Cynthiana (June 11-12, 1864)
Most of the fighting was south and east of Boyle and Casey Counties because they lacked river and rail access and the Union built a fort in Boyle County. This doesn’t mean they were ignored by the fighting or their relatives in other counties were spared. The Casey and Boyle counties sent their boys and men to fight for the Union.
After the war, there was the occupation, Military Reconstruction. The South was carved up into 5 districts, Tennessee was excluded because it was the first state to ratify the 14th amendment. Southern states were required to ratify the 13th and 14th Amendment to regain their statehood and citizens rights. But the 15th Amendment which gave voting rights to all citizen (except Native Americans) wasn’t ratified until 1870. With no pardons for most Confederate officers, unable to serve on jury duty or vote they were also expected to rewrite their Constitutions, the South was not happy. This caused problems for newly freed slaves. The government had set up schools and agencies to help them make the transition to freedom. The very idea of slaves getting help while they were held to what must have seemed an impossible standard caused the states to start passing “Black Codes” designed to reassert their control over slaves. These codes set what and when Blacks could be in public, where they could shop or go to school and church, it was a new form of oppression.
Among the border states with slaves, Kentucky refused to ratify the 14th Amendment until 1976. Postwar violence was extreme and before long, led by conservative Democrats “Black Codes” were passed in Kentucky. All this gave rise to the Negro Regulators and the KKK, their ranks filled with former Confederate soldiers and the disaffected from the Union.
It wasn’t just slaves, it was any Black person could be harassed, beaten and in some cases lynched. Blacks had lived in Boyle and Casey County for years, some as slaves but many were free men before the war, they were the neighbors and in some cases kin. Perhaps the Rousey boys only saving grace was they hated the Klan and were upon them at every opportunity, they led a gang of anti-regulators. It is possible some of the people they killed outside the family were regulators or Klan members.
The Jordan Rousey Sr Family
Mary R, “Polly” Rousey was born in 1818, Carpenter’s Creeks, Boyle County, Kentucky. She married Enos Carter in 1837 raised five children, the 1870 census found them living in Pella, Iowa.
Leonard Rousey II was born in 1820 in Casey County, Kentucky. He married Mary Ann Bibb in the spring of 1840, they had eleven children. Leonard enlisted as a teamster in Company K, Indiana 12th Infantry Regiment on 24 Jul 1861. After the war, he moved the family to Jennings Indiana. He doesn’t appear to have been involved in any outlaw activities.
Hannah F Rousey was born in 1823 at Carpenter’s Creek, Kentucky. She married William McGinnis in 1839, raised ten children in Parksville, Kentucky. The McGinnis family was drawn into the feud. Ben McGinnis was one of the men who killed George Rousey, who in turn had murdered Jasper Shearin.
John Rousey was born in Casey Kentucky, 1825. He served in the Sixth Kentucky Cavalry during the Civil War. He married Mary Ann Lowery the fall of 1846, they raised eight children. I don’t know if he ran with the outlaw gang but he killed his younger sister’s husband and son. His son George W Rousey murdered Delila's other son Jasper Shearin and George was murdered by Ben McGinnis a cousin and James Shearin.
George W married Mary E Goode and had seven children together at the time of his murder. His son Elzie married my 2x great grandmother's younger sister Nellie Burger.
Jasper Newton Rousey was born in 1832, he married Elizabeth “Bettie” Russell and they had three children together. Jasper was at the wrong place at the wrong time.
This is an account of what happened from the time, clearly, there are some discrepancies.
This article appeared in the Stanford, KY paper, written by Joe F. Waters. The date is unknown, but at the time, Governor Bradley was Governor of the state. (Governor Bradley served from 10 Dec 1895-12 Dec 1899.) Martin Russell mentioned toward end of story.
I have often asked what was the cause of the bad feeling against the Rowseys in years agone, and while I was in the Millegeville section I found a manwho was conversant with the facts. As a child, some years ago, I asked why Jasper Rowsey, the only white man ever hung in Lincoln, was taken from the jail here and hung in what is now Buffalo Cemetery. "Because he had killed seven or eight men," I was told. This is a mistake. None of the Rowseys ever killed anybody. The bad feeling was engendered against them and their bad name obtained in this wise: A dashing woman from a Northern state dropped into Milledgeville and purchased a residence. She was a fine talker and in every way very attractive and the men folks didn't let her get lonesome. In fact, they would call and forget to go home till next morning. Among her admirers was Jasper Rowsey, who was himself a handsome follow - in fact the eight Rowsey brothers were above the average in good lucks. One day Jasper Rowsey was on the top of a knob overlooking Milledgeville, a half mile away and seeing a man by the name of Hughes going to this woman's house, mistook him for another rival who had threatened his life and taking aim, Jasper fired at that long range; the bullet striking a half dollar in Hughes' pocket, which saved his life.
This mistake of Rowsey caused everything that followed - caused the people to become afraid of the Rowseys, Jasper was hunted in the woods for some months. A reward of $100 was offered later, Jasper in the meantime having gone to Bradfordsville, where a fellow named Jeff slipped up behind him one day, knocked him senseless, tied him hand and foot while in that condition and lodged him in jail at Stanford. Rowsey, I am told, wanted a trial at once, but it was put off by the prosecution a time or two, and the night arrived finally when a mob took him from the jail and hung him to a tree in Buffalo Cemetery. From the several old men I have talked to about this hanging and who know all about this case, I have formed the opinion that Jasper Rowsey was more sinned against than sinning. He had not killed anybody, though he had been in a few shooting scrapes and showed on every such occasion that he was as brave as a lion - as all the Rowseys were.
The father of the Rowseys went crazy over the hanging of Jasper. The other two sons, who are living, are now residents of Missouri; Jasper Rowsey, who was hung here, left three children, two girls and a boy, the latter now a wealthy citizen of Eureka, Nevada, and the picture of him and his interesting family that I saw the other day, shows him to be a very handsome and intelligent looking gentleman. The history of the daring Rowseys would fill volumes.
Elizabeth Camlin Rousey was born in 1834, she married Robert Auston Watson and they had four children. Family lore tells she and her husband died in 1867 part of the violence after the Civil War. The children were taken by Quakers or Shakers. I have no idea if this is true, only that as a family they dropped from the historical record in 1867.
Micajah "Cage" Rousey was born in 1836, he was married Nancy Jane Christianson and they had eight children together. Micajah's wives were twin sisters. He divorced his first wife, Nancy Jane, married her twin, Mary Jane. Later his first wife moved back in with Cage and her sister and continued living with them until Cage died, then Nancy Jane remarried. Cage, as he was known, was a local legend.
From the Denver Evening Post - Thursday, February 02, 1899
The last of the bad brothers to die was Micajah, or "Cage" as he was familiarly known. He was shot and killed two years ago by Marshal Ellis of Junction City while he was resisting arrest. Cage was in many respects the most remarkable member of the family. A relentless foe, and ever ready to meet all comers, any rules to govern, he was, in matters of business and legal relations the very soul of honor. He would tell the truth, though the telling of it brought hardships, and he was throughly trustworthy in matters of credit. He cut a man named Phillips with a penknife. The wound was not necessarily fatal, but Phillips was drunk, and, going to sleep, bled to death. Cage was tried for the killing, and on his own admission was sentenced to ten years in the penitentiary. His lawyers got him a new trial, and on the second hearing he was acquitted.
Cage was wounded many times. Once he was shot in the mouth and the bullet lodged in the back of his neck, where it remained. Micajah Rowsey's favorite weapon was a long bowie knife, and he was never known to carry a pistol until his difficulty with Ellis.
Cage Rousey generally didn’t join the outlaw life, this is not to say he was a stranger to senseless violence. From the Danville Paper December 28, 1888
The only happening of an emotional nature In our town during the holidays was the shooting of "Cage" Rousey by Will Mann, and also in a second altercation by J. Blackerty, on Monday night. Rousey was drinking, and in a dispute with Mann (who is not a man, but a mere hoy) he waa making threatening demonstrations with a knife, when in apparent self-defense Mann shot, the ball taking effect in the left groin. - Rousey was taken to the Commercial Hotel, where his wound was dressed and he was put to bed. But "Cage" was not to be cheated out of the hilarity of Christmas, so at 2 o'clock in the morning he again made hia appearance on the street, where he soon met with J. Blackerty, who, it will be remembered, has shot Rousey on a previous occasion, and tbe old feud was soon boiling at fever heat, when Blackerty drew a pistol and discharged, it three times, every ball taking effect in the body of Rousey. Tbe latter was again taken to -the hotel, where two bullets were cut out, leaving two remaining, Christmas morning Rousey got up and went to his home three miles in the country.
Everything finally caught up with Cage.
Ellis was acquitted as was usually the case, they were murderous outlaws. Cage’s son George who may have been present when his father was killed got into trouble almost immediately. He was out drinking with a friend and cousin John Curry, the had a disagreement and George shot him in the leg. For whatever reason George was labeled the only coward in the Rousey family. Two years later he shot a German named Kaiser on the courthouse steps. Rousey ran up to him accusing him of shooting his horse and shot Kaiser dead. He was arrested and taken to jail. The sad aftermath is Kaiser’ s wife lost her mind and starved to death on their farm. George was married and raised four children, born 1882, 1884, 1895 and 1900 so he may have served time in prison. He died in 1931 in Louisville.
I am saving the last seven children for next time.