Devil John Wright of the Cumberlands

Join us on a journey through the rugged terrain of Appalachia as we explore the life of Devil John Wright, a man whose legend is as vast as the mountains he called home. Don't miss this captivating episode of our podcast!
#podcast #storiesofappalachia #AppalachianStories #AppalachianHistory #MartinVanBurenBates

[@neeceeboo777]

This story was amazing y'all. Looking forward to the next one.

[@edwardh1591]

Very interesting. We need to keep history alive.

[@kathyalderton905]

Martin Van Buren Bates is my great great great grandfather and john wright is an ancestor also

[@terrybranham4536]

Everyone from the Appalachian region are related, everyone knows that.

[@kathypichey4306]

Hmmm

[@angieblanton1698]

This is just an amazing story that I had no idea about!! I love it!! I am a Mullins from southeastern Kentucky and Virginia. And I have a nephew with the name John Wesley, not with the surname Wright, but nevertheless, this is very cool. Lol! I'm definitely gonna do more research about this! Thank you for keeping our Appalachian history/heritage alive. ❤

[@StoriesofAppalachia]

Thank you! We’re glad you liked our story

[@primesspct2]

Wow My mother in law is a Mullins out of Virginia. And on my grand fathers side I had an Uncle John Wesley Barlow! He was from right around Cynthiana. It's a small world when you get to looking isn't it?

[@angieblanton1698]

@@primesspct2 very cool! You're so right. It is a small world! ❤️

[@zacharyboggs7848]

The town of pound va historical society has pictures of his funeral . Also alot of info on my ancestors the fleming family. And info on the pound gap ambush.

[@StoriesofAppalachia]

Thanks!

[@vwredsfan]

Thanks for the great story.

[@StoriesofAppalachia]

We're glad you liked it. Thanks for watching!

[@thomasrichardson9401]

This is the history that needs to be shared with everyone.

[@primesspct2]

My family is from Cynthiana , and right around there. Sunrise to be exact. My family, cringe, fought and died for the confederacy.. But atrocities were committed by both sides. It sure seems like all the southern landowners that sought to keep their money ie, their slaves. But who paid in lives,,, poor rural non land owning people, in general. Not the people who owned anything, They as all rich people do sent poor people and pumped them up with phantom problems, that didnt really have anything that would benefit anything for them. Its funny how different some of our feeling vary over the issues, All men thought they were fighting for noble things. When I found my relatives tombstones, my feeling was one of great shame. "forgive them father for they know not what they do". Others are proud of their relatives that served. As they should be really. I think Jesus quote ,really applies to both sides. Maybe even all of us at sometime in our lives. Fascinating bit of history, thank you! many of my relatives still live in this country. Whitaker, Ravenscraft and Barlow being a few of the names in my family back then. Good people , I know that. Now spread all over Ohio and Northern Kentucky area, and further on south around Lexington.

[@user-ei1lw7wd1v]

John Wright was my GG Grandfather

[@c.w.johnsonjr6374]

I thought yall were talking about John P. Gatewood at first. Just like Devil Anse Hatfield, became an angel in the end.

[@woodsinme]

Why did I laugh when you mentioned Victoria? My first thought was "I bet!". Sorry, that was out loud.

[@terrybranham4536]

And they were all related cousins and nieces, and brother and sisters.

[@twisted-tenn1992]

Have Yall done a story on the Little River Lumber Company and the Train Wreck at Treemont.

[@StoriesofAppalachia]

We sort of talked about the Little River lumber co. when we did the Elkmont Hotel episode but not in detail. I’ll put that on a list of stories from the Smokies I’m working on. Haven’t done the train wreck one, though. We shall see what we can conjure up!

[@StoriesofAppalachia]

Wonderland hotel. Geez!

[@quintonlloyd2393]

My great grandfather was a Corporal in the 13th Kentucky Calvary he is buried on my family's property here in Russell County Kentucky Complete with a Union Headstone.

[@4mylisteningmood]

Family Search has Solomon H Wright as John Wesley Wright's brother, not Martin Van Buren Bates

[@StoriesofAppalachia]

That is absolutely correct, and that's what we said, although after listening to it again, we might have been a little confusing. Solomon was killed in Lee County, and Devil John went there to get revenge on the landowner who murdered him. At the same time, Martin Van Buren Bates' brother, NOT Solomon Wright, was killed, and John joined Bates in a separate act against those who killed him. Sorry for any confusion but glad we got that straightened out!

[@kathypichey4306]

Yeah right another relative story

[@Jeffrey-ef5vc]

Kinfolk all the eay back to the van buren

[@tristanludwig-xv1tu]

THAT MY GGGG Grandfather

[@James-yg4xu]

He's said to be 7'11" tall who would want to mess with him? Or did I hear the height wrong

[@StoriesofAppalachia]

Indeed, Martin Van Buren Bates was 7’ 11” tall (his wife was just as tall). Devil John Wright himself was tall but not anywhere as tall as his uncle.

[@primesspct2]

@@StoriesofAppalachia You have to wonder about the giants spoken about in those parts of the world the tri-state area of ohio , indiana and kentucky?

[@Ranchermedic]

this is about my family Wife tracked my family tree

[@johnbyington3458]

Question: Where is Fairview, VA?

[@StoriesofAppalachia]

It's just south of Pound, Virginia, along Bold Camp Creek. There is a church there called the Fairview Church and that may have been where the baptism took place. I'm speculating on that because the source material didn't specify the exact location but it makes sense since John Wright had moved to Pound by then.

[@JohnByington-ux7lx]

Thanks. I've researched Bad John Wright over the years and didn't know where Fairview was...thanks again@@StoriesofAppalachia

[@gregedwards9862]

Talt Hall shot and killed my Great, great grandfather's brother, Frank Salyer. Hall was having an affair with Salyer's wife. He eventually took possession of all of Salyer's animals and property.

[@debbiehall6616]

Yes he did they say

[@CincinnatiRay]

Have you ever covered Judge Whitaker? He was arrested the night he was elected for drunk and disorderly conduct as legend has it.

[@StoriesofAppalachia]

No we haven't, but if you can point me to any info on this story we'll see if we can't put something together!

[@CincinnatiRay]

@@StoriesofAppalachia my family is from around Somerset KY Whitaker’s Bullock. My mother joined the daughters of the American Revolution on our linage to Daniel Boone through her grandmother Thornton. You will need to do some research but years ago I found information that there was a Judge Whitaker that was more colorful than Judge Roy Bean.

[@CincinnatiRay]

I just tried to look up info and couldn’t find anything but years ago I was looking around the internet and it came up under Pulaski County.

[@CincinnatiRay]

I can’t find anything on the net about it anymore it was over 20 years ago that I read about it maybe it was a fake post at the time that’s why I asked you about it. I’m really glad I found your site great work!!!

[@StoriesofAppalachia]

Thanks. I’ll continue to look around and if we find anything we might do a story about it.

[@debbiehall6616]

He hired talt to do some bad stuff he paid him for his protection and he is the one that got talt out of trouble

[@user-zn3sh9lq3e]

The name Devil is more often used than I thought Why would a parent name the child Devil

[@StoriesofAppalachia]

John Wright's parent's didn't name him "Devil". He got that nickname from the bad men he hunted down, who said that when John Wright was after them, it was like the Devil himself was on their tail!

[@LawrenceFox-jx1fq]

John Wright wronged ,put right those wrongs.

[@rileymod6541]

Interesting that he was a polygamist. Was he Mormon?

[@StoriesofAppalachia]

Nope. He was not religious to any extent other than to occasionally join his first legal wife at church (not Mormon). It was his second legal wife who got him to join the baptist church she attended, where he was baptized.

[@ROCK-vl5yw]

Cold blooded murderet and leaving children I In his wake