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Russell Gregory’s Murder at Cades Cove
Russell Gregory moved to Cades Cove, Tennessee in the early 1840s from North Carolina. He became an important cattle farmer and community leader in the area. Like most people in Cades Cove, Gregory supported the Union during the Civil War.
North Carolina Confederate rebels killed him in December 1864 after he led an ambush against raiders. Gregory Bald, a 5,000-foot mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains, bears his name. He used this mountain to graze his cattle during warmer months.
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Union Territory in Confederate State
East Tennessee stayed loyal to the Union even though Tennessee joined the Confederacy in 1861. Many people in Blount County, including Cades Cove, opposed slavery. This loyalty made the area a target for Confederate attacks throughout the war…