Thunder in Greasy Cove: Stories from Appalachia

Nestled beneath the shadow of the Unicoi and  buffalo mountains in Eastern Tennessee lies a vast Valley known as Greasy Cove. This was the  Cradle of the first civilization for the white men who dared to cross to the unknown wilds  of the western side of the mighty Appalachian Mountains. It was the earliest Scotch and Irish  settlers who tried to carve out a new life here in the 1700s.

The forest were full of a rich  bounty of chestnuts beach and walnut trees which made it a haven for the largest population  of bears in this part of Appalachia. European pioneers came from all over to this hunting  paradise for their annual winter supply of meat and bear grease and after getting their share of  animals they would set up camps to harvest their supplies and during the hunting season. Large cast  iron pots full of bare fat would be kindled by fire and could be seen all throughout the valley  burning nonstop given this area its name Greasy Cove.

Now make no mistake about it Greasy Cove was  in the wilderness. Only the stoutest of men and the heartiest of women dared to call this sea of  isolation their home. There was no news from the outside world.

No government and no protection  since this land was still in the Kingdom of the Cherokee. The hour of the day was determined  by the shadow cast by the sun upon the home made dowel. The time of the night was reckoned  by the positions of the stars in the sky.

They measured the years and months by the moon and  they foretold the weather by observing the course color and velocity of the clouds and from the  temperature and the direction of the Winds. The animals were their teachers. As these newcomers  studied their habits along with the birds of Passage as aids in their weather predictions and  they watched and studied them closely along with the development and growth of the plants  herbs vines vegetables and cereal grains.

They survived on what the forest provided.  The red deer flinted through the voiceless solitudes and wild beasts roamed the jungles at  will. The fruits of the chase and the fishing rod together with the pounded maze supplied the  wholesome comforts.

Only the wealthiest of men who called these wilds home had the luxury of  Wheat and cake and that was only at the Sabbath breakfast milk and spring water were their only  drinks at Meals. Completely isolated they did what they could to break the monotony of frontier  life by holding quilting bees log rollings house raisins corn shucking flax pullings sugar maple  boilings and sometimes even the innocent abandon of the dance. All the while en liven with the  brimming gourds of nectar Mountain Dew.

It was here that a young man named Andy lived he had  spent his years of youth cutting his teeth. Hunting and fishing and had even made a name  for himself as a skilled Horseman and by the time he was 20 years old Andy was known all over  Greasy Cove as a man of adventure and games that required daring alertness skills and strength  and those engaged with the heartiest zeal. But above all these horse racing was his special  weakness and the truth is he knew more about the points of a horse race than all he did about  the science of government or the Ten Commandments.

To put it simply Andy was known to only ride the  fastest horses and he was a fearless rider that left men in awe. There goes Andy they would say  and he's riding so fast that he's bringing hell and thunder with him! Many said he was just born  with it in him since the fighting scotch and Irish blood co-mingled in his veins.

In his calm and  restful moods he was as tender and serene as a child. But when the storm of passion swept over  his soul oh he was a flaming furnace of fury almost wholly heedless of consequences and as  much to be feared and avoided as an enraged lion. Now Greasy Cove was also home to a  second important character in this story.

Colonel Robert Love. Now Mrlove was a prominent  figure and owned more land and Greasy Cove than any other man and he was also a patriot who  had served in the Revolutionary War when he was a mere 15 years old his fighting skills and  horsemanship caused him to steadily rise through the ranks and despite his young age he achieved  the rank of Colonel by the end of the war. His War pension and the large inheritance from his  mother left him one of the largest land owners in North Carolina during the 1780s now Colonel  love was also fond of sport especially horse racing so much so that he himself established  a racetrack on his farm in the flat land that bordered the Nolichucky River known as the Greasy Cove racetrack.

It was a half circle and a half mile in length. Now Colonel Love's horse was  named Victor of all. He had taken it to Virginia where he had defeated every race horse in the  state and now his horse was known as the champion of the Western Country too.

And as you might be  thinking animosity soon began to simmer between young Andy and the Wy War veteran Colonel Love  about just who had the fastest horse on the western side of the Appalachian Mountains. Well  things finally came to a fevered pitch when the young lad challenged Colonel Love to a winner take  all race at Greasy Cove racetrack to decide once and for all who the true champion was and what  happens next would change the course of American History. Hey guys JD Phillips here from the  Appalachian Storyteller.

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