continued to lie in their double grave near the Natchez Trace. As
time rolled on the narrow Trace widened and, as roads frequently
do, it wore deeper into the slight elevation over which it led.
About the year 1850 this widening and deepening process reached
the fleshless bones in the solitary grave, and the two skeletons,
protruding piece by piece from the road bank, were dragged out by
dogs and other beasts until the highway widened beyond the grave
and the burial site became part of the ditch along the Natchez
Trace.
Some twenty years ago, upon straightening out a part of the Natchez
Trace, the small section of the old road of which the burial place
was a part, was discarded as a highway, and today the old road bed,
including the site of the grave, is a mere jungle of briars and
brush.
Thus the last vestige of these two villains disappeared on the very
highway upon which they had committed so many crimes, and possibly
on the very spot where one of their victims breathed his last. The
ocean of time has closed over every one of the personal relics of
all these enemies of society, but the waves that their activities
started still carry on as ripples of human interest.
Coiners at the Cave
The Cave had been used for religious purposes, as a haven in time
of distress, as an inn and as a decoy house for murder and robbery.
Through the widely scattered references to it in early books of
travel and in magazines and newspapers we find also occasional
indications that it had been, at different times and for short
periods, the workshop and headquarters of counterfeiters. There
are, indeed, few details concerning its occupation by bandits and
criminals of any description; this is the veil of mystery that
shrouds it in enduring interest. The knowledge that distinct facts
about definite crimes committed there can never be obtained has
challenged the imagination of various writers. Facts about the
counterfeiters who used it are much less in evidence than facts
about those following other forms of crime; probably because
counterfeiting must of necessity be more secret than other crimes.
There is nothing to indicate that any of the counterfeiters of
Cave-in-Rock were guilty of robbery by force or of murder. The
part they played in outlaw river life was in the purchase of goods
from passing boats and the payment for these goods in counterfeit
coin and currency. Not until it was too late would the receivers
of such money discover they had been duped. For this reason the
counterfeiters could not long use the Cave at one time. There were,
as far as is known, only three counterfeiters identified with the
Cave. Two of these were among the first lawbreakers to convert the
place into a workshop for a nefarious trade; the other was among
the last of its outlaws.
Dr. Frederick Hall, who went up the Ohio in 1839, states in his
_Letters from the East and from the West_ that “this noted cavern
is styled Counterfeiters’ Cave.” He further comments that “in times
gone past, never to revert, it was inhabited by counterfeiters,
robbers, and murderers.” Charles Augustus Murray, in his _Travels
in North America_, writes of his trip down the Ohio in June, 1835.
He says that the current report of the country at the time of his
visit to the Cave, was that when this den of thieves was finally
broken up “it contained great quantities of gold, silver, silks,
and stuffs, and false money, with an apparatus for coining.”
It is not known what disposition was made of the coining tools and
false money referred to by Murray. Nor is it known what became of
any of the apparatus and illegal money left behind by the Cave’s
other counterfeiters. The person who expresses the opinion that
an “upper cave” exists, is likely to add that great quantities
of good and bad money are hidden in the undiscovered cavern. The
counterfeiters probably carried away all their coin and coining
apparatus. The only trace of suggestive evidence preserved today
indicating the former occupancy by counterfeiters is the half of a
double die or mold which was found many years ago in the vicinity
of the Cave. It has been cherished as a possible relic of the
counterfeiting regime there.
[Illustration: IMPLEMENTS AND WEAPONS USED BY THE OUTLAWS
Counterfeiter’s mold, knife blade, iron tomahawk, and stone idol
found in vicinity of Cave-in-Rock, and a flint-lock pistol of the
style used about 1800]
This die was seemingly hidden near the Cave by one of the men who
had used it for the purpose of making counterfeit half-dollars
and the large five-dollar gold pieces of those days. It is a
double plate of iron four and three-quarter inches long and two
and one-quarter inches wide, welded together. The upper plate is
one-eighth of an inch thick and in it are cut two discs, each
being one and one-half inches in diameter and having a gap at
the top, opening to a funnel shaped “feeder.” It is said that a
particular local clay or some other suitable material was placed in
the circle and into this pliable matrix the impression was made of
one side of a genuine half-dollar, or of an old style five-dollar
gold-piece, which was of about the same size. This formed, when
hardened, a more or less durable mold for one side of the new coin.
In like manner another mold was prepared in the other half of the
coining apparatus for the other side of the counterfeit piece.
The two parts of the mold were then placed in proper position
and the hot metal poured into the cavity through the funnel-like
opening. This process doubtless produced, as a rule, a more or
less crude imitation, but since many of the genuine coins of an
earlier date were somewhat crude and were still in circulation,
the counterfeiters experienced comparatively little trouble in
imitating the old pieces.
Among the early counterfeiters who made the Cave their headquarters
for a time was Philip Alston, who looms large in the romance and
gossip of the latter part of the eighteenth and early part of the
nineteenth centuries. He was a gentleman by birth, education, and
early association. He comes down to us handsome in figure and grand
in manner, wearing broad-cloth, ruffles, and lace. He had an air
of chivalry to women and of aloofness, superiority, and mystery to
men. He was the “Raffles” of pioneer days and legend paints him in
high colors.
Alexander C. Finley, in his _History of Russellville and Logan
County, Kentucky_--a unique publication from the standpoint of its
style--says Philip Alston was driven out of the South and settled
in Logan County about 1782. A few years later “his thirst for
counterfeiting again returned.” But “feeling insecure” Alston moved
from place to place in western Kentucky. “About 1790 he crossed
over the Ohio and became the fast friend and disciple of the
notorious counterfeiter Sturdevant [Duff?] at the Cave-in-the-Rock.
But he did not reside here long before he came to himself and
wondered how he, the gentlemanly Philip Alston, although an elegant
counterfeiter, could have become the companion of outlaws, robbers,
and murderers ... and so he returned to Natchez.”«35»
It is quite likely that a counterfeiter named Duff had been making
use of the Cave long before the time of Philip Alston’s short stay
at the place. He may be regarded as Cave-in-Rock’s first outlaw.
Neither history nor tradition has preserved Duff’s Christian name.
One version suggests that he may have been the John Duff who met
George Rogers Clark on the Ohio, near Fort Massac in June, 1778,
and who, after some bewilderment, showed General Clark the way to
Kaskaskia. It is not improbable that the two were one and the same
man. At any rate, very little is known of John Duff, the guide, or
of Duff the coiner.
Governor Reynolds in _My Own Times_ and Collins, in his _History of
Kentucky_ devoted only a few lines to Duff, and these lines pertain
to his death. The author of _A History of Union County, Kentucky_,
prints some five pages on his career, based on traditions gathered
in 1886. Duff apparently lived the latter part of his life in or
near Cave-in-Rock and procured his lead and silver along the Saline
River and in other sections of southern Illinois. He evidently
operated a counterfeiter’s den in different places. According to
tradition, there were at least three places known as “Duff’s Fort:”
one was at Cave-in-Rock, another at Caseyville, Kentucky (near the
mouth of Tradewater River, fourteen miles above the Cave) and a
third in Illinois, at Island Ripple on Saline River (thirteen miles
above its mouth and about twenty-eight miles, via river to the
Cave). Like all outlaws of his and other times, Duff was obliged to
shift his headquarters. It is probable that some of the localities
in which he lived no longer have any traditions regarding his
activities there.
In 1790, Philip Alston, as stated by Finley, fled to the Cave
and became a “fast friend and disciple” of Duff. Collins, in his
chapter on Crittenden County, Kentucky, says that Duff lived
near the mouth of Tradewater River in 1799 and then, or shortly
thereafter, was killed by Shawnee Indians and that “there was
reason to believe some one residing at Fort Massac had employed
the Indians to commit the crime.” Governor Reynolds briefly states
that Duff was killed “near Island Ripple in the Saline Creek, and
was buried near the old salt spring,” and that “it was supposed the
Indians were hired to commit the murder.” Just where he was killed
cannot be ascertained with any certainty after a lapse of so many
years. There are two or three coves or small caves on Saline below
Island Ripple, each of which is known as Duff’s Cave, and each has
a local tradition to the effect that Duff was killed in it.
The compiler of _A History of Union County, Kentucky_, is the
only writer who has gathered any Duff traditions, and since he
confined his research to the stories told in and near Caseyville,
his life of this Cave-in-Rock outlaw does not branch into the many
and varied claims made in local traditions of other sections.
Nevertheless, his sketch of this pioneer and counterfeiter is one
that might be accepted as typical of what would be found in the
other localities in which Duff had made his headquarters. In sum
and substance the story runs as follows:
Duff lived in a house called “Duff’s Fort,” which stood near what
later became the old site of the Christian Church in Caseyville.
Here he dispensed a rude but cordial hospitality. On the bluff
above was his meadow. The overhanging cliff near his house
furnished a shelter for his horses. The shallow cove in which they
stood is now almost filled with alluvial soil deposited by the
little brook which flows near. His household consisted of his wife
and a faithful black slave named Pompey, who would risk anything or
undergo any hardship for his master.
It is said that Duff was a brave man and a good strategist; he was
seldom found at a disadvantage. He often had narrow escapes in his
encounters with the officers of the law and the people living in
the vicinity. On one occasion, when he was closely pursued by his
enemies, he ran towards his home. There he found his wife at the
river doing the family washing. Near her was a large iron kettle,
in which she was boiling clothes. Without hesitation Duff upset the
kettle, rolled it into the stream, where it was quickly cooled, and
lifting the kettle over his head, he plunged into the water. The
river was low at this point, enabling him to wade most of the way
to the farther bank. Before he reached the Illinois shore, however,
his pursuers appeared on the Kentucky side and opened fire. Their
aim was well directed. Several of the bullets struck the kettle,
but rebounded without injury to the man beneath. On reaching the
dry land he took the kettle from his head. Holding it behind him
as continued protection, he ran for safety. The pursuers increased
their fire. More bullets rained upon the impromptu shield--but Duff
escaped unhurt to the shelter of the woods.
On another occasion when sorely pressed he took refuge with a
Mrs. Hammack, who was an old-time Methodist living in that part
of the country. She treated him so kindly that he decided to let
her have a glimpse of his hidden treasures. On the appointed day
he blindfolded her and his wife and led them by a very circuitous
route to a cave. After they were in the mysterious cave he removed
the bandages from their eyes and, by the light of torches, the
two women were enabled to see the large quantities of counterfeit
silver and gold coins in boxes and chests stored by Duff. He then
replaced the bandages and took the two women back to Mrs. Hammack’s
house. Mrs. Hammack’s impression was that the cave ran into the
side of a cliff but, notwithstanding many efforts, she was never
able to retrace her steps to the place. Mrs. Duff related, after
her husband’s death, that he had taken her from their home to the
cave on another occasion and in the same manner. He then promised
her that he would some day show her the way to his cave, but
explained at the time that he could not then do so, for his enemies
might torture her into a disclosure of his location when he was in
it. His intentions were frustrated by his sudden death. There are
three different accounts of Duff’s death given by local tradition.
One version has it that he was killed by some of the citizens of
the county, near the bluff where he quartered his horses. According
to this account, a number of men were pursuing him and when he
showed fight they were obliged to shoot him. Another says he was
killed by Indians with whom he had quarreled about a dog fight. The
following is the version most widely accepted:
Duff, three of his associates, and his slave Pompey, while in
Illinois securing white metal, were surprised by about six
soldiers sent from Golconda, Illinois, or some other point below
Cave-in-Rock. The counterfeiters were captured and taken down
the river in a boat. Handcuffs were placed upon all the white
prisoners. Pompey had not been manacled because the soldiers
carried only four sets of irons and, furthermore, they presumed
the negro cared little whether his master was doomed. Near
Cave-in-Rock they stopped for dinner. When they landed, all the
soldiers went ashore except one who was left in charge of the
prisoners and the boat. After stacking their arms near the boat,
they went into the Cave to build a fire and prepare the meal.
One of the prisoners whispered to Duff that he found he could slip
his irons off. Pompey hearing this, passed a file to him and,
taking advantage of the absence of the guard, who went ashore for a
few minutes, he filed away at Duff’s fetters and soon succeeded in
breaking them. At a signal, Pompey sprang upon the guard and tied
him to a tree and then proceeded to liberate the two men chained in
the boat. Duff and the other unfettered prisoner immediately seized
the stacked arms and rushed upon the men in the Cave who, having no
side arms, were forced to an unconditional surrender.
Some of the soldiers were tied and others secured with irons and
all thrown into the boat and set afloat. They drifted down the
river and, as they were floating opposite the fort from which they
had been sent, they were ordered to stop, but of course could not
do so. They were fired upon a number of times before the commander
discovered their helpless condition. He then sent out a skiff and
brought them ashore. In the meantime, Duff and his companions had
made their way up the river to the Saline and had got safely home
again.
The inglorious outcome of this expedition greatly incensed the
commander of the fort and he was determined upon revenge. He
accordingly hired a Canadian and three Indians to go up the river
to Duff’s Fort and kill him. They were to ingratiate themselves
into the good graces of the counterfeiter and watch their
opportunity to kill him. If they succeeded they were to return and
receive a reward.
They arrived in Duff’s neighborhood and camped below his house.
The Canadian soon became friendly with Duff, who did not suspect
the object of his presence, and was invited to his house. The
genial hospitality of the counterfeiter was fatal to the Canadian’s
plan, and each day he found himself less inclined to carry out his
murderous scheme. Meanwhile the Indians were becoming impatient.
One evening they informed the Canadian that they had concluded to
kill Duff the next day, whether he helped or not. He then decided
to put Duff upon his guard.
The next morning, although Duff was drinking rather heavily, the
Canadian disclosed the plot to him. Duff, seizing a stick, rushed
from the house, swearing he would whip the Indians with it and
drive them off. He met them coming towards his house, painted and
armed for a conflict. Pompey, recognizing the danger his master
was facing, rushed to him with a loaded gun, but before it could
be used the Indians shot Duff and his slave. “The leader having
fallen,” says the author of _A History of Union County, Kentucky_,
in concluding his account of Duff, “the rest of the gang were
speedily dispersed.”«36»
About a generation after the days of Duff there appeared upon
the scene a man named Sturdevant, whose counterfeiting career
continued in the Cave-in-Rock country until 1831. In the meantime
the flatboat pirates who had used the Cave as their headquarters
had disappeared and the mysterious Ford’s Ferry band was drifting
towards its dispersement.
The identity of Sturdevant is as vague as that of Duff. Tradition
has it that Sturdevant did not counterfeit money in the Cave but
that, beginning about 1825, and for a short time thereafter, he
used the “House of Nature” as a “Banking House of Exchange.” There
he met his confederates and exchanged, at an agreed rate, some of
the counterfeit money he made in his fortified home nine miles
below the Cave. Judge James Hall, in his _Sketches of the West_,
published in 1835, devotes two pages to Sturdevant. His is the best
of the few published accounts. It is well worth quoting in full:
“At a later period [that is, after Mason’s time] the celebrated
counterfeiter, Sturdevant, fixed his residence on the shore of the
Ohio, in Illinois, and for several years set the laws at defiance.
He was a man of talent and address. He was possessed of much
mechanical genius, was an expert artist and was skilled in some of
the sciences. As an engraver he was said to have few superiors;
and he excelled in some other branches of art. For several years
he resided at a secluded spot in Illinois, where all his immediate
neighbors were his confederates or persons whose friendship he
had conciliated. He could, at any time, by the blowing of a horn,
summon some fifty to a hundred armed men to his defense; while
the few quiet farmers around, who lived near enough to get their
feelings enlisted and who were really not at all implicated in
his crimes, rejoiced in the impunity with which he practiced his
schemes. He was a grave, quiet, inoffensive man in his manners,
who commanded the obedience of his comrades and the respect of his
neighbors. He had a very excellent farm; his house was one of the
best in the country; his domestic arrangements were liberal and
well ordered.
“Yet this man was the most notorious counterfeiter that ever
infested our country and carried on his nefarious art to an extent
which no other person has ever attempted. His confederates were
scattered over the whole western country, receiving through regular
channels of intercourse their supplies of counterfeit bank notes,
for which they paid a stipulated price--sixteen dollars in cash
for a hundred dollars in counterfeit bills. His security arose,
partly from his caution in not allowing his subordinates to pass a
counterfeit bill, or to do any other unlawful act in the state in
which he lived, and in his obliging them to be especially careful
of their deportment in the _county_ of his residence, measures
which effectually protected him from the civil authority. Although
all the counterfeit bank notes with which a vast region was
inundated were made in his house, that fact could never be proved
by legal evidence. But he secured himself further by having settled
around him a band of his lawless dependents who were ready at all
times to fight in his defense; and by his conciliatory conduct,
which prevented his having any violent enemies. He even enlisted
the sympathies of many reputable people in his favor. But he became
a great nuisance from the immense quantity of spurious paper which
he threw into circulation; and although he never committed any acts
of violence himself, and is not known to have sanctioned any, the
unprincipled felons by whom he was surrounded were guilty of many
acts of desperate atrocity; and Sturdevant, though he escaped from
the arm of the law, was at last, with all his confederates, driven
from the country by the enraged people, who rose, almost in mass,
to rid themselves of one whose presence they had long considered an
evil as well as a disgrace.”
Governor Reynolds notes that in 1831 Sturdevant’s fort was attacked
by some Regulators, and that one Regulator and three counterfeiters
were killed, and “the suspected gang broken up.”
James A. Rose in his article on “The Regulators and Flatheads in
Southern Illinois” says: “Regulators descended on the Sturdevant
stronghold only to find that their movements had been spied upon
and that they were expected. A number of shots were exchanged;
finally a charge was made on the stockade and the door broken down.
They found, however, that a small piece of artillery was trained on
the stairway leading to the Sturdevant stronghold, and a halt was
called and reinforcements asked for. During the night Sturdevant
and his band of criminals managed to make their escape. This is one
of the earliest records of the citizens of this region taking the
law into their own hands.”
Sturdevant was never again heard of in that or any other locality.
What became of him is not known. This attack on his headquarters
ended forever counterfeiting in the Cave-in-Rock country.«36a»
The Ford’s Ferry Mystery
After Mason left Cave-in-Rock other outlaws still continued to
use the cavern as a temporary stopping place or headquarters.
An outlaw’s stay at any place is of necessity short. Mason, in
1797, had lived there longer than any other. Those who followed
him were more or less migratory. Residents in the vicinity were
in no way implicated in the various acts that made the Cave so
notoriously dangerous, until the mysterious Ford’s Ferry band
began its robberies. Since 1834, when that organization ceased its
operations, the Cave has never been identified with outlawry.
To what extent James Ford, the owner of Ford’s Ferry--a crossing
place on the Ohio two and one-half miles above the Cave--was
connected with this organization was not revealed in his day nor
since, and it is not at all likely that it will ever be determined.
He is more frequently discussed in tradition, and his life is the
subject of a greater variety of opinions than that of any other man
connected with the tragedies of the Cave-in-Rock country. According
to one version, “Jim Ford was as black as some have painted him,”
and, according to another, his connection with the mysterious band
had the effect of preventing bad men from committing more crimes
than they would have if his influence had not acted as a restraint.
A careful study of the few written records and the many varied oral
traditions pertaining to Ford, indicates that when he reached the
prime of life conditions had undergone many changes. Outlaws were
no longer in a position to carry on their depredations with the
freedom that attended the earlier days. Population had increased,
and with that increase came a better reign of law. The line between
law-abiding and law-breaking citizens was rapidly widening. For
about ten years, ending in 1833, Ford apparently stood between
the two, and kept in close touch with both. By mingling with
the upright citizens he held in some measure the respect of the
community, and by acting as one of the leaders of the highwaymen he
reaped a share of their booty. In serving the two opposing classes
he faced, and finally met, the fate common to such men.