Research Publications

Harpe Brothers - Harpe Victims

Page 10 of 11

Necrology of Those Killed by the Harpes
(Early Records Do Not Give Full Names of All Persons.)

  • Mr. William Ballard, a man mistakenly killed instead of Hugh Dunlap, an enemy of the Harpes, possibly instrumental in their being driven from Knoxville
  • Mr. Bates, a Marylander looking for land
  • Mr. Paca, Mr. Bates' fellow traveler
  • Mr. Bradbury
  • Mr. James Brassel, a traveler murdered by the Harpes, whose brother escaped
  • M. Coffey, a boy
  • Mr. Dooley
  • Mr. Moses Doss, a man possibly making advances toward one of the Harpe women.
  • Mr. Gilmore, Hutchens' friend and neighbor, killed after the murders at the Stegall farm
  • Mr. Hutchens, Gilmore's friend and neighbor, killed after the murders at the Stegall farm
  • Mr. John Graves, a farmer
  • M. Graves, thirteen-year-old son
  • Mr. Johnson, a possible betrayer of the Harpes to local authorities
  • Mr. Stephen Langford, a traveler who befriended the Harpe Band
  • Major Love, a surveyor killed while visiting the Stegalls
  • Mr. Peyton, a peddler
  • Mrs. Mary Stegall, wife of Moses Stegall
  • M. James Stegall, their infant son
  • Mr. Stump
  • M. Johnny Trabue, a 13 year old boy
  • The Trisword family along with black slaves [1] (Possibly 10 persons) [2]
  • Mr. Trowbridge
  • John Tully
  • A small unidentified black lad
  • A small unidentified girl [3]
  • Three unidentified men killed at the mouth of the Saline River in Illinois [4]
  • Unidentified man killed at Cave-in-Rock in Southern Illinois

Rothert lists the total number of the Harpes' victims as 28; Wellman believes that the number indeed could have reached 39. These authorities and other writers agree that actual number could be greater. No one can estimate how many isolated persons were killed whose bodies were never found.

[1] Rothert likewise disbelieves that the Harpes were to blame for these homicides because of the rumor that two Indians assisted them and asks where the brothers could have found such emergency allies. Wellman, however, believes that the presence of the Indians was an inaccuracy and accepts the crime as a Harpe killing.

[2] The exact number of slain persons is unrecorded. The family comprised two brothers and their wives and children, along with a unspecified number of slaves.

[3] She is thought to be Micajah Harpe's own child.

[4] Rothert doubts that the Harpes were responsible for this killing.