Henry McKinney

From the book "Charles McKinney and Related Families" written by Estelena McKinney Harper

Henry McKinney son of Charles McKinney and Peggy Lowery was born about 1823, McKinney Gap, North Cove District, Burke County (McDowell), North Carolina as were all Charles' children except Sally Hobson's. They were born in the Grassy Creek section. Of course all of this was the same county at that time. Grassy Creek was in Yancy and later became Mitchell County where it has remained.

Being one of a large family, forty-eight he said, he must have had a very interesting and lively boyhood. With all the things that I heard about my ancestors he stands out as the most interesting and loving one of all. Living with a large family as his he must have developed his sense of humor early in life in order to survive. In this setting maybe that was his stimulant for a healthy outlook on life. Everyone that I have talked to about him told me about his quick wit. They said even before you could finish the sentence he would have an answer for you. I have met many interesting people in all walks of life but I would not trade my heritage with any of them. I am proud to be the great-grandaughter of Henry McKinney. Mother Ibie McKinney, was visiting me recently from Colorado and when I made this statement to her she replied, "You should since you are exactly like him." When I asked her to explain she said I looked like and acted like him. From descriptions that I have of him he was not very tall and had blue eyes. His complextion was light and very soft. I don't know the color of his hair but I imagine it was like most of the McKinneys that I know. Starting out to be a tow-head and gradually turning to red or light brown.

Henry and Sarah Wiseman were married in 1850. Sarah was the daughter of Josiah and Sarah Carver Wiseman of the Three Mile area of Avery Co. The Wiseman family was one of the first settlers in the Toe River region in fact one of Josiah's sisters said there were only about seven families in the area when she was a little girl. Henry would tell everyone that he had borrowed the money from Sarah to get married on. She would solemnly declare that she didn't know what he had wanted the money for. Another one of his favorite stories he got such a kick out of telling to people was after they were married Sarah returned to her Father's house to get her things. When she returned her father had loaded three large wagons with everything to start housekeeping in grand style. After the things were unloaded and not one to be out done in anything Henry said to Sarah, "Now I am going home for mine." When he returned he proudly came in with one shirt over his arm.

I am sure that all of you have heard the song "Frankie and Johnnie" and for you decendants that weren't fortunate enough to be raised back in the Blue Ridge mountains this is a true story of a man and a woman that lived in what is Mitchell County today near Kona. Their real names were Charlie and Frankie Solvers. Sarah loved to tell the story of Henry attending the hanging of Frankie. Long before daylight on July 12, 1832 Henry was on his way to Morganton in Burke County to see the first woman in that county hung for murdering her husband. Frankie was jealous of another woman and brooded over this for a long time. Sooo she decided to do something about the situation. On December 22, 1831 Charlie had cut wood all day to have enough to last over Christmas. That evening exhausted he fell asleep by the fire with their child in his arms. After removing the child she took the axe he had used that day and chopped his body into pieces. All the wood he had chopped that day was used to burn the body. However not all would burn and the evidence was found. After confessing what she had done she was sentenced to hang. Henry made it to Morganton on time and everything went along smoothly. Frankie mounted the steps to the gallows and sung the song she had made for the occasion. Henry was still doing fine but when the horse was rode out from under her he fainted dead away. My Father and Grandfather Burleson spent the night in this cabin without knowing before hand. During the night their covers were pulled several times like someone was trying to take them off. Next morning when asked how he selpt he told them what had happened - then - he was told where he had spent the night.

One thing that all of Charles McKinney's children had in common was their love for animals and the ability to train them to do anything they wanted them to. Henry had a pet pig that followed him everywhere, to the store or visiting friends and neighbors. He owned a horse named Dan that was the apple of his eye. One day they took a trip to Marion and a train ran into them. Henry ws knock several feet away but he was on his feet immediately. His only concern being for his beloved horse who was killed instantly.

Another horse Henry owned matched one of Waighstill Avery's. Since he was a work horse he was never too fat or too lean while Mr. Avery's was sleek and fat. In the summer time when he had guests from New York visiting him Henry would loan his horse to pull a surry for these refined ladies. One day he had to have his horse to do some work at home. While the servent went to the barn to get the horse the ladies invited Henry to visit. The gave him a glass of brandy which he kept sipping while talking to them. After some time had passed one of the ladies said, "Mr. McKinney you have a fine horse and we like him find but he is so thin." He was feeling pretty good by this time and replied, "If you had lived on the fat of your guts as Bill you would be thin too." Henry left with his horse and after the work was done brought him back for them to use. The ladies invited him in again. They said how much they enjoyed his visit before but that he talked so plain. He told them that wasn't him talking that time it was the brandy.

The first wagons my father can remember were called "Tar Skeined Wagons" a bucket of tar hung on the wagon to be used when needed. Dad said , "I have seen Grandpa McKinney when his team came to a down grade get off the wagon and catch hold of a rear wheel spoke to keep it from going too fast and injuring the horses. The wagons didn't have brakes and Grandpa was a very strong man." This is another thing all of them seemed to have in common, the almost super human strength. My father had it too.

Henry joined the Confederate Army as a Private 17 March 1862. He was in Company A Regiment 49. One of the battles that he was in most the men were killed. He laid down in the mud for hours with only his nose sticking out so he could breathe. After dark he made his escape. In another battle he put the blood of a dead man on himself and keeping still to avoid being killed. Of course it wasn't all fighting - he furnished the Generals with whiskey. Since he knew the Blue Ridge country so well they used him as a scout. One paticular winter there came a heavy snow and it was very cold. While making his rounds he came upon a bunch of wild hogs huddled together to keep warm. Henry got right in between them and slept the night through without a thought of fear. It was too cold for them to move.

He decided he had to go home and help Sarah put out the crops. I don't know why he went in the first place as he had five or six children by the time he enlisted. Anyway he started out for home praying that if the Lord help him get out of this alive he would serve Him the rest of his life. He became so engrossed in prayer he didn't know where he was or how long he had been traveling. All of a sudden he came to an was hugging a large Negro woman. She was shouting and praising the Lord right along with him. After feeding him and giving him good clean clothes to wear he left for home. The Army tried to find him but he knew the area so well they never did. When they came around he went to some caves that were close-by. On the cards that the Archives have microfilmed of Confederate Soldiers his doesn't indicate that he deserted while others did have it written in that they did. I want to get a copy of his service record if it is available.

Now Henry made whiskey and brandy, always had made it, just like his Papper a-fore him had made it. According to some of the older ones in the family that I have talked to his brothers made it too. When the authorities became stricter about this occupation it seems like Henry was in court every session for having his still in operation. He was caught with the whiskey and the still was taken. Acting in his own defense he always got out of it and never spent one night in jail. Finally on one occassion the judge called him to the bench saying, "Mr. McKinney you have given this court a lot of trouble," and unblinkingly he answered right back, "And judge this court has given me a lot of trouble too." Mr. J. Myron Houston of Kalmia, N.C. told me of one occassion that Henry had a lawyer. The town of Calhoun was the first county seat of Mitchell Co. It was moved to Bakersville after about two years. Only two court trials were held there in Federal Court. Henry's was the first one. Yep, you guessed it, He was caught making whiskey. His lawyer told him that since he had been in so much trouble with his making whiskey they only way he could save him was for him to pretend like he was crazy. The day arrived and Henry appeared in court wearing the raggedest and dirtiest clothes he could find. Looking very much like the crazy man he was supposed to be he went down the aisle shaking hands with everybody on all sides and talking as loud as he could. The judge asked the baliff to bring that crazy man up the the bench. About that time the lawyer jumped to his feet and said, "Your Honor this is a client of mine. He isn't responsible for his actions because he is crazy." He went out from there a free man.

Once Henry pretended to be a Duputy Collector. They had authority to issue permits for stills in specified places or areas. He gave a man permission to operate stills between Grandfather Mountain and Black Mountain a distance of about thirty miles. Quite a few could have been placed on that permit.

Henry fell into the habit of going out with some of the men frequently and coming home feeling pretty high on some of that white stuff that they drank. Finally his wife and sister Flurie decided that the time had come for these little excursions to cease. On the way home they knew he had to pass a cemetary. They also knew that he was afraid when he came to that point in his journey. About the time he was expected to start home they found an old sheet and Flurie wrapped herself up in it and started to meet him. She arrived at the cemetery a little before her brother. It wasn't long before she heard him coming singing pretty loud to scare the spirits away. When he got fairly close she raised up from behind an old stump and let out a few moans. Henry took off sober by now as fast as he could run. It took some time for him to reach home since he went around the cemetery and above the house. This gave Flurie plenty of time to get back to the house before he did. When he came in Flurie was in bed and pretended to be fast asleep. When he came in Flurie was in bed and pretended to be fast asleep. Entering the house white as a sheet he told Sarah, "Sary, I'm going to die." She asked him why he thought that but all he kept saying to her was that he was going to die. That little episode cured his carousing for some time.

In the beginning of the story of Henry I told you a little of what he looked like. Now I am going to tell you what little I know about his wife Sarah. She was quite a bit taller than her husband. Her hair was dark and waved down to the end of course it was long. I believe she had brown eyes although I can't remember for sure. The size of the two didn't matter as they loved each other very much and got along fine except an occasional flare-up by Sarah. She was very jealous and on one occasion the results would have been disasterous to Henry if she hadn't come to her senses in time to stop him from doing the thing he threatened to do. Like a lot of women today she was age conscious. She always told the family she was either years older than Henry but on the census she always kept a proper one year younger.

Henry and Sarah sold their land in McDowell County and moved to Spear in Avery County. A neighbor by the name of Dont Buchanan got tired of their chickens going into his garden. One day he killed three and took them over to Henry. Without a trace of anger he told Dont to take two for himself as one was enough for him and Sarah. From then on Dont said his chickens could have stayed in his garden if they wanted to. Which proves what the Bible says, "A soft answer turneth away wrath."

In May 1901 a big flood hit Spear. The barn between the road and the end of a big rock that ended at the river. That morning he had turned the cow, horse and sow with her little pigs into the field in back of the house. As the rains kept getting harder the river rose higher Henry tied his wagon, buggy and sled to the barn. In the meantime catching all the wood that came by and pitching it in the yard as wod was scarce. When the first big wave came he went back to making things more secure at the barn. Just then the major wave hit sweeping Henry, barn, and all into the river. People on the other side were helpless to do anything but Dont Buchanan was on the same side. He ran as fast as he could to help comfort Sarah as he never expeted to see Henry again, him being about 79 years old at the time. By the time he reached Sarah she was standing inside the gate with water up to her knees. She couldn't cry, I think she didn't have tear ducts, so she just stood there like a statue looking down the river. Before Uncle Dont had time to speak to her up comes Henry on what had been the road with his hat in his hand. All she said to Henry was for him to get in the house and change his clothes or he would catch pneumonia. Before he would go in he had to reach out and get a back log for the fireplace that came by right at that moment. He told them as a young man he and his friends went swimming there. They would practice holding their breath and crawling on the bottom. He could stay under longer than any of his friends. And this is exactly what he had just done. When he felt the roots of the old oak tree he pulled himself up to the road thus saving his life.

Sometime after the flood they moved to Pancake not far from Plumtree which is still in Avery County. They were living ther when they died. After a long and wonderfully exciting life together, sixty-four to be exact, and with everyone loving them that knew them Henry departed this life. In the Office of Register of Deeds of Avery County Volume 1 Page 1009 Henry's Certificate of Death reads: Henry McKinney died 28 July 1914 at the approximate age of 90. Cause of Death: Cebral Appoplexy, due to fall from horse - about 8 days before. Father's Name: Charles McKinney. Mother's Name: Peggy Lowery. Attending Physician: C.L. Buchanan. Address: Plumtree, N.C. John F. McKinney gave this information. He was put to rest in the Yellow Mountain Cemetery below Plumtree.

Sarah didn't have very long to wait to join her husband. Volume 1 page 1025, same County, states: Sarah McKinney, born 9 January 1819, died 2 September 1915 at age of 96. Cause of death: Old Age. Father's Name: Josiah Wiseman. Mother's Name: Lilac Carvell - should have been Sarah Carver but the writing was bad and hard to read. Sarah is buried in the Yellow Mountain Cemetery too.

I have tried to put down a few of the incidents in the colorful life of Henry McKinney to preserve a part for our children and grand children. This I wanted to do for all of his brothers and sisters but the stories just failed to be given to me by their decendants.

I appreciate the stories my Father has told me of his Grandfather and also to other decendants of Henry that contributed to his life story. I am indebted to Horton Cooper, teacher and historian of Avery County and J. Myron Houston for their help with stories of the family.

He attended the hanging of Frances Stewart Silver in Morganton in 1833 and fainted at the sight; later experienced a ghostly presence when he spent the night in the Silver's cabin.He was often in court because of his manufacture of whiskey and brandy. The Judge admonished him, "Mr. McKinney, you have given this court a lot of trouble, "he unblinkingly replied, "and Judge, this court has given me a lot of trouble too!