This is the Fifth cache in a series to chronicle the turbulent times of the Corners during the years 1865-1871 and the Lee-Peacock Feud that dominated the area during those six years.
Peacock and some of his men were holding a meeting at the Nance farm, Messengers had reported the meeting to Bob Lee, in Wildcat Thicket. Lee and a posse of his men made a raid on the horse lot, where the meeting was being held. In the fight that ensued three Peacock men, Dow Nance, John Baldock and Dan Sanders, were killed. There were no Lee casualties. Nance and Baldock are reported to have been buried in one grave in the Mt. Carmel Cemetery just West of Desert Creek.
The $1,000 reward for Bob Lee, dead or alive, was attracting bounty hunters to "The Corners." Three Kansas "Red Legs," dressed as citizens, laid plans to capture or kill Bob Lee for the reward. It was in the early spring of 1869. The Lees had reason to suspect the three Red Legs" were ready to make their move and were ready for them. When daylight came the scene appeared serene. In the kitchen of Bob Lee's home Dorinda Pierce and Melinda Lee were chatting about the day ahead at the Lee School where Dorinda taught, Suddenly the serenity was shattered by the sound of shots. They rushed down the road leading to Pilot Grove and found three dead men who were strangers. The bodies of the three "Red Legs" laid all day where they had fallen. Peacock's men were afraid to come and get the bodies for burial. Later the two women buried them.
Lewis Peacock planned retaliation and revenge. He asked for, and obtained, more troops. The troops, under Captain Charles Campbell, had orders to settle the feuding in Northeast Texas by capturing the leader of the Southern sympathizers.
Lee's loyalty ring was broken by a neighbor and erstwhile friend, Henry Boren. The Lees and Borens had come to Texas together and the families had been friendly, yet Henry was to betray the secret trails to Lee's hide-out in Wildcat Thicket.
On the morning of May 24, 1869, Bob Lee, dressed in his black suit, boots and black hat with plume, and with all his side arms, announced that he was riding to a neighbor's home not more than three miles away. If his secret plan was to ride south to Mexico, he had waited too long. His journey was short. Less than half a mile from his home and before he reached the outside, he was caught by the flash of Federal musket fire from the guns of Captain Campbell's 6th Infantry. Between eight and fifteen shots were fired and Bob Lee slid from his saddle without a word.
As an aftermath to Lee's death, Bill Boren, a nephew of Henry's, rode up to his uncle's house the next morning, called to his uncle to come out. Henry came out and was instantly killed by his nephew:, who silently turned and rode away, Death to a Traitor was evidently the opinion of some of the Borens.
After the death of Bob Lee in June 1869, his followers scattered to other parts of the state and the Peacock gang broke up, but a few of them stayed together, Peacock was the ring leader of the force.
The Cache is a small Thermos about the size of a softball hidden in the corner of the cemetery and can be accessed from within and from outside of the fence of the cemetery. There is a log book, but it may be hard to find at first. There is an easement that the city has placed to access the cemetery, but as of yet there is not a gate to get to the graves.
The easement is on Old Man Doyle's land who lives in the white house just around the corner on the road where the entrance to the easement is located. The easement runs just a few feet behind the back of the neighbors red brick house. He informed me that he allowed for the easement and that the neighbors in the red brick house were to provide a gate to access the cemetery but as of yet have not.
From the looks of things the neighbor is erecting a fence along the back of his house near the easement and along his property line that the cemetery shares. Old Man Doyle told me to hop the fence if I wanted to get to the graves and to come get him if the neighbors gave me any problems.
I hopped the fence and explored the graves while looking for a spot for the cache. I decided to place the cache where it could be reached without hopping the fence. My guess is that after the neighbor is finished with his new fence, the wire fence surrounding the cemetery will be removed to allow Old Man Doyle's goats to help maintain the cemetery, as he mentioned that the city had asked him to allow the goats to do that, but without a barrier to keep the goats from going thru the graveyard into the neighbors yard, he is keeping his goats safe for now.
The gate to the easement can be located at the following coordinates N 33° 23.225 W 096° 24.717 and has just enough room to park a car off of the road. There is a chain to secure the brown metal gate from swinging open but no lock to keep visitors out.