About 200 people were mysteriously killed in the dark of the night between 1865 and 1871 in Northeast Texas .. concentrated in the area called "The Corners" at the juncture of Collin, Fannin, Grayson, and Hunt counties. ..The following DuBose family story, that illustrates the terror of this era, was sent by Jack DuBose of Conway AR.

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Jesse Knighten DuBose was assassinated in 1866. ..According to one source, Jesse was ambushed and killed by the husband of his niece, daughter of Willis V. DuBose, after Jesse had "horsewhipped the rascal in the streets of Greenville" for mistreating his kin. ..Other family sources have suggested that it may have been a revenge slaying for his involvement in the "ethnic cleansing" of Yankee sympathizers, as was the suggested cause of the death of Jesse's bro-in-law, John Hawkins. ..According to Hunt County records, ca. 1861 my g-grandfather, Jesse K. DuBose, and his brother, Dr. Amasas H. DuBose - both of Lone Oak, Hunt County - were charged with murder and assault. ..Both apparently were "in continuance" according to the court records through the war years. ..The charges were either dropped or ignored (Jesse was "assassinated" in 1866). ..Jesse's brother, Dr. Amasas H. DuBose, moved out of that area and lived to a ripe old age. ..According to family legend, this terror was related to the political unrest in the area associated with the brewing of "the wah" and with "regulating" the Yankee sympathizers. ..Jesse later served in Bourland's Regt. (1st Sgt, Co. K).

“John Hawkins was assassinated sometime after 1863. It is a very interesting story that deals with the hanging of Union sympathizers which John participated in. Later a son of a hanged man, returned and killed John. ... Leah Hawkins was the daughter of John M. Hawkins and Sarah Amanda DuBose. ..In the 1860 Hunt County Mortality Census, it shows Sarah A. Hawkins died in Jan. of 1860 of the flux..." per Shirley Derington of Houston TX in 1999.

....Editor’s note: Dr. Richard B. McCaslin’s book, TAINTED BREEZE, addresses The Great
....Hanging of October 1862 in Gainesville, Cooke County, but there were hangings of Union
....sympathiziers in other North Texas counties during this era. ..Please send information about
....hangings in counties other than Cooke during this era.
.
Family history. "Louvina Odom was the widow of both Willis V. DuBose and John M. Hawkins ('...On October 31, 1861, John M. Hawkins married Lovenia Odom DuBose...' [widow of Willis V. DuBose] '...in Hunt County, Texas. John died about June 25, 1866 in Hunt County, Texas.' . ..On August 31, 1857, Jesse Knighten DuBose was appointed administrator of the estate of Willis V. DuBose. ..John Hawkins's first wife was Sarah Amanda DuBose, youngest ch: of Jesse DuBose Sr. and Leah DuBose's ch. Amanda's siblings were Willis V. DuBose, Jesse Knighten DuBose, Amasa Hamilton, and James Gabreal DuBose. ..When Jesse Knighten DuBose was killed in 1866, his widow, Elizabeth Wheeler DuBose, remarried one J.J. Pound on Mar 23, 1868 Hunt County, Book A, Page 435). ..NOTE: the same citation lists, 'DuBose, Lovina [Odom], Hawkins, John M. 31 Oct 1861, Book A, page 108).' ..In 1868 H.C. Stillwell was appointed guardian of Leah O. Hawkins." per Susan R. Cole of Tulsa, OK in 1999.

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Patti, prochette@Juno.com