My husband, Mary, Donald, Will, and a host of others went walking with the Outlaw Tom Clark.
The Florence-Lauderdale Public Library sponsored 'Walkin' With Outlaws,' a walking tour through downtown Florence featuring the places and people from the life of 'Mountain' Tom Clark. The tour begins outside the library at 6:30 P.M.
The story of 'Mountain' Tom Clark is one of the most colorful in Lauderdale County history. Co-leader of a gang of notorious outlaws, Clark rose to infamy as the murderer of at least 16 men and possibly 1 child. His legend states that he was buried underneath East Tennessee Street because of his supposed boast that,
'Nobody ever runs over Tom Clark.'
Thomas Marion Clark was born in 1828 in the mountain area of East Tennessee, possibly in Franklin County, TN.
Hence his nickname "mountain" Tom. Tom's family eventually moved to Lauderdale between 1850 and 1860, settling near Greenhill, AL.
We had a guide that led us through downtown Florence, stopping at historic sites significant to Tom Clark and his gang of outlaws, the Clifton Shebang.
Along the tour, we met various people (played by local actors) from Tom Clark's life.
We met Second Lt. Elias Thrasher (1823-1900) of Co. B, 2 TN Mtd Inf., USA.
Lauderdale County native Elias Thrasher was one of ten children of William B. L. Thrasher and Rachel Hoalthousen.
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Elias Thrasher
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Reported by some Florence residents to have been committing 'depredations' with his men in and around Florence, AL, other residents believed him an honorable man whose men were evil. Though Thrasher's name is inextricably linked with the Clifton Shebang as one of its leaders (he was supposedly one of the leaders and participated in the Wilson murders), he was never officially accused of any of the crimes. He died peacefully at the home of his sister, Hettie Marks, in December of 1900.
We met Amrose Marion (1858-1930) and John W. (1865-1940) Clark, sons of Thomas Marion Clark and Sarah Bradford. Tom and Sarah had six children: three sons and three daughters.
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| Sarah Clark, wife of Tom Clark |
We met Captain Risden DeFord, of the Sixth TN Cav, USA. Capt. DeFord apprehended John Campbell and Charles Oliver, two Shebang members from the 2nd TN Mtd Inf., USA, who participated in the Wilson murders the night of April 30, 1865.
The men were escorted back to Florence, tried by Judge Vincent M. Benham, and found guilty of murder, rape, theft, and other heinous charges. They were then executed by a Federal firing squad a few miles outside Florence on what later became Royal Avenue and buried under an old Sweetgum tree.
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| Cornelia Blair, wife of William Edward Blair, City Marshall and Sheriff |
We met Charles Oliver, a friend of Tom Clark; Cornelia Blair, wife of William Edward Blair, City Marshall; Sheriff Hutson; Robert Simpson, Lawyer; and Judge Allington.
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| Charles Oliver |
During the night, the houses of Judge Allington, James Hancock, and R. T. Simpson were entered, and gold watches were stolen from the latter two. About half past two o'clock that night, two men were seen on the streets driving a sorrel mare to a buggy. Suspicion was at once fixed upon these as the guilty parties, and at sunrise yesterday morning, four men went in pursuit. It was ascertained that they had gone in the direction of Waterloo.
Florence lawyer, state legislator, and Confederate veteran Robert Tenant Simpson, 1837-1912. Simpson's house was one of three burglarized the night of September 3, 1872, by Clark and his two henchmen, Gibson and Davenport.
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| Judge Allington, James Hancock, and R. T. Simpson |
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| Wm. E. Blair, (City Marshal) |
The Capture of the robbers was effected by Messrs. Wm. E. Blair (City Marshal), Wm. Barks, Wm. Joiner and W. E. Warson. The robbers had stopped for dinner and were about unhitching their horse near the residence of Esq. Petty pool, a few miles below Gravelly Springs.
They offered little resistance, but expressed much surprise as Mr. Blair and others rode up, and the Marshal demanded their surrender. A search of their persons discovered nothing, but on examining the buggy, the pin of a breastpin was observed sticking through the lining of the buggy top.
The party immediately went "upstairs," in the language of one of the gallant men, and found there eight watches and a handful of breastpins. On opening a drummer's four satchels, which were in the buggy, files, saws, and other burglarious instruments were found, amongst which was a murderous slung shot.
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| Sheriff and Tom Clark |
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| Hanging of Tom Clark |
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| Mountain Tom Clark Hanged September 4,1872 |
We witness the hanging of Tom Clark.
The dark alley was where the citizens of Florence, Al, hanged Tom Clark.
The area was once a large vacant lot with a giant tree. Does the Ghost of the notorious villain "Tom Clark" still roam the streets of Florence, hunting for notable people to rob?
Buried in Wilson Family Cemetery in the 19th Century is the family of John Wilson, murdered by Tom Clark.
In 1818, three Wilson brothers —John, Matthew, and Samuel —came from Virginia to purchase large farms in this area.
The plantations of John and Matthew are near this cemetery.
All three brothers and their families are buried here.
Inscriptions on two gravestones tell of a Civil War atrocity when, on April 30, 1865, two local Union guerrilla gangs tortured and murdered John Wilson and his nephew, Matthew, Jr. Two others in the house were shot, yet lived to tell the story. The plantation overseer was murdered the following Morning.
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Outlaw! Killing! Shooting! Horrible death! Booger Gang! Mountain Tom Clark!
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