The following is what is recorded in Military records by Lieut. Boyd:
"November 1863...morning of the 9th...about two miles farther on we
captured William Story on a United States horse. He was recognized
and well known as a horse thief and house robber. He attempted to
escape, and was killed...November 8th (Not sure why 9th comes before
the 8th) started in the direction of Houston; marched 5 miles and
captured William Hulsey, William McCuan, and Samuel Jones at the
house of James Harris, all well provided and packed, going to Freeman.
One of them had a horse that had been stolen some time since from
one of our men; also goods of different kinds. The first three were
killed, Jones because of his extreme youth and apparent innocence,
I had brought in, prisoner. Five miles farther, at the house
of John Nicholson, a known rebel and bushwhacker, we captured the
said John Nicholson, Robert B. Richards, alias Bruce Russell,and
Jesse Story, all of whom were killed. We then marched by way of
McCubbins Mill to Spring Valley, and camped at Wiley Purcel's......"
Later when there was an official question about his conduct in
killing prisoners he changed his story..."In regard to John Nicholson,
Bruce Russell and Jesse Story, the circumstances were similar to the
others. I knew the men were of notorious character as horse thieves
and house robbers; I knew they were in the neighborhood and I was
looking carefully for them, when we came upon them at the house of
Nicholson, which was a double log house with three outside doors,
through which they attempted to escape, and were shot running.
Nicholson had gone more than half a mile before we got him...."
One report says that Boyd, upon reporting to his commanding officer,
was told to "clean'em out." The officer denied saying that.
Question remains.........if John Nicholson was hanged from a tree in
his front yard, why was he shot in the back, saying he tried to escape?
The story goes on to say that they also burned the house of John
and Martha. One has to wonder how Martha and her kids made it
through the winter. Did they live with an older, married child at
the time? Given the date, there were a few of their children that
were old enough to have been married and on their own at the time.
Martha lived until 1908. She applied for and received a penson
($12 a month) for John's time in the service.
According to family stories, there was one man that got away (With a
bullet in his hat). Although, the Union Soldiers failed to put that
in their report. Absolom McIntire, hubsand of Martha and John's
daughter, Mary Adeline. He managed to get out the back door that was
mentioned in Boyd's report. Even though they managed to put a bullet
in his hat, he escaped to the bluff near the house and was able to wave
to his wife, when she came looking for him, to let her know he was
alive.
An added, word of mouth, tidbit; Supposedly, Absolom broke his back
when he leaped over a rail fence trying to escape from the raiders who
hanged his father-in-law, brother-in-law and family friend.