The tree was at the spot where the Saint Francis and Little Rivers are a quarter mile apart. The two rivers run in different directions. There’s no other place in the world like that. They say the Devil Preacher marked the tree with an “M” so his gang would know where to meet. The Devil Preacher was John Murrell. They called him the Land Pirate too. That was back before the Civil war. He’d trick slaves. He dressed like a preacher so they’d believe him. Tell them they could run away and get to the north and get free. He’d let them sit in the swamp and get skeeter bit and scared for a while and then he’d tell them that to get the money for them to get north and be free they’d have to let him sell them to another plantation and then they could escape again. When they escaped his gang would take them back to the first plantation for the bounty. Sometimes they’d just kill them and drop them in the river. Hollow out their bellies and fill them with rocks. Momma used to say John Murrell was my great great granddaddy. She’d say that when I was bad. I never found a song about the Devil Preacher because he’s too scary and I don’t want to hear the song. |
