Normsel
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- Sep 10, 2012
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Interesting story - The legend of Blue Ridge
Not sure if any of this is true.
This weekend while camping we went down to the creek below the lake. Much to our surprize we ran into a man coming out of the woods. We were startled because we thought we may be trespassing and would get in trouble.
The man was about my age and we said hi and we stopped to talk to him. He asked what we were doing and we told him we were looking for arrowheads.
He told us he was researching the legend of Blue Ridge. We asked what the legend was. He went on to tell a very long story.
I will try to tell as much as I can remember and hopefully keep the facts straight.
He said legend has it that an old man and his grandson had a shoot out with as many as 8 aggressors defending their still. Our ears really perked up about that time.
He said the old man and his grandson was at their still and were running a batch of mash when they heard a shot. Both the old man and his grandson grabbed pistols and went to investigate.They come out of the woods when another shot was fired. As they scanned the area they could see movement on the hill across from them. Then things went quiet for a time so the old man and his grandson sat on the hill in the shade of some trees trying to see if the could pinpoint where the aggressor or aggressors were.
Just as the old man stood up another shot was fired above his head and he dropped to the ground.
I should back up a bit and tell you why the aggressors were attacking. It has been said the old man and his grandson made corn Liquor for cost. They sold it for it cost plus a small delivery fee. Their business so brisk they could not keep up with demand. The result of that was the so called Hill boys couldn't sell theirs for profit. The Hill boys is what they were called but no one really ever knew their name.
Back to the story. As soon as the old man dropped to the ground the grandson fired his pistol. The old man had his eyes fixed on the horizon hollered to his grandson 10' to the left. They youngster emptied his pistol where the old man told him to shoot. Then the old man took aim at some movement and riddled the base of a tree with 6 shots. The Hill boys didn't realize the old man and his grandson were crack shots with pistols.
The kid could hit a flying bird or plink a squirrel in the head at 75 yards with his pistol. The old man wasn't to bad either, he could draw his pistol from his holster and hit a fish jumping out of the water.
Things got quiet for awhile so the old man and the kid decided to cook some lunch back at the still. The kid grilled some fish over the open fire he had caught in the morning and the old man threw some taters in the coals to cook and in the mean time he made some hillbilly salad out of what some call sour grass or lemon clover with a bit of vinegar and spices.
Just as the old man and kid sat down to eat a shot was fired whizzing above their heads through the tree branches. Not to be disturbed the old man jumped to his feet and shot a volley of six shots along the ridge of the hill across from them. Again things quieted down for a bit so they finished eating and enjoyed a cold glass of koolaid after lunch.
Anyway as things go with old people the old man wandered off into the woods to do what he had to do. The grandson went back out and sat in the shade of a tree with about 100 rounds of ammo. Of course just as the old man was doing what he had to do the grandson hollered for him to come quick. The old man pulled up his drawers as quick as possible and ran up the hill to his grandson. The grandson alerted him to lot of activity on the hill across from them.
The old man sat down with 150 rounds of ammo and was prepared for whatever was going to happen.
After about 10 minutes the Hill boys fired a volley of 5 to 6 shots which was probably not really smart. Both the old man and his grandson stood up and fired off 3 to 4 volleys of 6 shots each. They could see the hills boys scamper back behind the hill and again thing got quiet for a bit.
Then the Hill boys hollered at the old man and grandson telling them to quit making their liquor or else. The grandson hollered back unless you want another hole in your butt you had better leave us alone and he fired off a shot and it hit the dirt right in front of one of the Hill boys and he heard the Hill boy scream I am hit I am hit. The grandson knew better because he seen where his shot hit.
From then on the shooting got pretty intense for a cpl of hours. The Hill boys couldn't really see the old man and the grandson because they blended in with the trees and being in the shade helped. The Hill boys were shooting all over the place anywhere from 10' high to 50' from the right of them and to the left of them.
The old man shot at a tree and the bark shattered and splattered into the face of a Hill boy. the Hill boy screamed in pain and mostly fear.
The shooting lasted throughout the afternoon in the the early evening hours. The grandson and the old man shot in excess of 250 rounds of ammo. For the most part the Hill boys could rarely shoot because every time they peaked out to shoot the old man and his grandson would fire a volley of shots at them.
Then the grandson had an idea. He told his grandpa he had a tube and shell to shoot from it left over from the 4th of July that makes one heck of a bang after it is shot into the air and explodes. He told his grandpa that he would set it up to aim at the hill across from them shoot it. He told his grandpa the bang would make the Hill boys think it was either a shot from a cannon or maybe even a bomb.
Off the grandson goes while the old man held the Hill boys at bay. Shortly the grandson is back and he sets the fireworks tube at an angle and drops the shell into the tube and lights the fuse.
In seconds there is a big whoosh and the shell shoots from the tube and lands on the crest of the hill where the Hill boys were at. Then kaboom one heck of a big explosion (harmless of course) and the Hill boys ran off screaming they want to kill us.
The old man and his grandson walked back to the still and had another koolaid and felt confident the Hill boys would never be back.
So that's pretty much the legend of Blue Ridge. I asked they guy why the old man would risk his grandsons life in a shootout. He tells me the old man knew the Hill boys couldn't really see them from their hill and both he and the grandson were such good shots there was no contest anyway.
I told it as best I could. I asked what the mans name was and he said his name was Ralphie Watson. I know there are a lot of Watsons in the area going back to the middle 1800's so there could be some truth to this legend.
Not sure if any of this is true.
This weekend while camping we went down to the creek below the lake. Much to our surprize we ran into a man coming out of the woods. We were startled because we thought we may be trespassing and would get in trouble.
The man was about my age and we said hi and we stopped to talk to him. He asked what we were doing and we told him we were looking for arrowheads.
He told us he was researching the legend of Blue Ridge. We asked what the legend was. He went on to tell a very long story.
I will try to tell as much as I can remember and hopefully keep the facts straight.
He said legend has it that an old man and his grandson had a shoot out with as many as 8 aggressors defending their still. Our ears really perked up about that time.
He said the old man and his grandson was at their still and were running a batch of mash when they heard a shot. Both the old man and his grandson grabbed pistols and went to investigate.They come out of the woods when another shot was fired. As they scanned the area they could see movement on the hill across from them. Then things went quiet for a time so the old man and his grandson sat on the hill in the shade of some trees trying to see if the could pinpoint where the aggressor or aggressors were.
Just as the old man stood up another shot was fired above his head and he dropped to the ground.
I should back up a bit and tell you why the aggressors were attacking. It has been said the old man and his grandson made corn Liquor for cost. They sold it for it cost plus a small delivery fee. Their business so brisk they could not keep up with demand. The result of that was the so called Hill boys couldn't sell theirs for profit. The Hill boys is what they were called but no one really ever knew their name.
Back to the story. As soon as the old man dropped to the ground the grandson fired his pistol. The old man had his eyes fixed on the horizon hollered to his grandson 10' to the left. They youngster emptied his pistol where the old man told him to shoot. Then the old man took aim at some movement and riddled the base of a tree with 6 shots. The Hill boys didn't realize the old man and his grandson were crack shots with pistols.
The kid could hit a flying bird or plink a squirrel in the head at 75 yards with his pistol. The old man wasn't to bad either, he could draw his pistol from his holster and hit a fish jumping out of the water.
Things got quiet for awhile so the old man and the kid decided to cook some lunch back at the still. The kid grilled some fish over the open fire he had caught in the morning and the old man threw some taters in the coals to cook and in the mean time he made some hillbilly salad out of what some call sour grass or lemon clover with a bit of vinegar and spices.
Just as the old man and kid sat down to eat a shot was fired whizzing above their heads through the tree branches. Not to be disturbed the old man jumped to his feet and shot a volley of six shots along the ridge of the hill across from them. Again things quieted down for a bit so they finished eating and enjoyed a cold glass of koolaid after lunch.
Anyway as things go with old people the old man wandered off into the woods to do what he had to do. The grandson went back out and sat in the shade of a tree with about 100 rounds of ammo. Of course just as the old man was doing what he had to do the grandson hollered for him to come quick. The old man pulled up his drawers as quick as possible and ran up the hill to his grandson. The grandson alerted him to lot of activity on the hill across from them.
The old man sat down with 150 rounds of ammo and was prepared for whatever was going to happen.
After about 10 minutes the Hill boys fired a volley of 5 to 6 shots which was probably not really smart. Both the old man and his grandson stood up and fired off 3 to 4 volleys of 6 shots each. They could see the hills boys scamper back behind the hill and again thing got quiet for a bit.
Then the Hill boys hollered at the old man and grandson telling them to quit making their liquor or else. The grandson hollered back unless you want another hole in your butt you had better leave us alone and he fired off a shot and it hit the dirt right in front of one of the Hill boys and he heard the Hill boy scream I am hit I am hit. The grandson knew better because he seen where his shot hit.
From then on the shooting got pretty intense for a cpl of hours. The Hill boys couldn't really see the old man and the grandson because they blended in with the trees and being in the shade helped. The Hill boys were shooting all over the place anywhere from 10' high to 50' from the right of them and to the left of them.
The old man shot at a tree and the bark shattered and splattered into the face of a Hill boy. the Hill boy screamed in pain and mostly fear.
The shooting lasted throughout the afternoon in the the early evening hours. The grandson and the old man shot in excess of 250 rounds of ammo. For the most part the Hill boys could rarely shoot because every time they peaked out to shoot the old man and his grandson would fire a volley of shots at them.
Then the grandson had an idea. He told his grandpa he had a tube and shell to shoot from it left over from the 4th of July that makes one heck of a bang after it is shot into the air and explodes. He told his grandpa that he would set it up to aim at the hill across from them shoot it. He told his grandpa the bang would make the Hill boys think it was either a shot from a cannon or maybe even a bomb.
Off the grandson goes while the old man held the Hill boys at bay. Shortly the grandson is back and he sets the fireworks tube at an angle and drops the shell into the tube and lights the fuse.
In seconds there is a big whoosh and the shell shoots from the tube and lands on the crest of the hill where the Hill boys were at. Then kaboom one heck of a big explosion (harmless of course) and the Hill boys ran off screaming they want to kill us.
The old man and his grandson walked back to the still and had another koolaid and felt confident the Hill boys would never be back.
So that's pretty much the legend of Blue Ridge. I asked they guy why the old man would risk his grandsons life in a shootout. He tells me the old man knew the Hill boys couldn't really see them from their hill and both he and the grandson were such good shots there was no contest anyway.
I told it as best I could. I asked what the mans name was and he said his name was Ralphie Watson. I know there are a lot of Watsons in the area going back to the middle 1800's so there could be some truth to this legend.
