The mountains of Western North Carolina became a hideout during the Civil War for deserters from the Confederate Army, scouting parties from the Union Army, and bands of thieves and marauders from both sides of the War. The local citizens in and around Henderson County, North Carolina did not have much in the way of protection from the criminal element that roamed the mountains during this time.
Beaumont was an estate built as a summer retreat in 1839 in Flat Rock, North Carolina by wealthy rice planter and slave owner Andrew Johnstone of Charleston, South Carolina. Johnstone was a part of the Charleston planter class that made Flat Rock home during the summer months in the mid 1800's to escape the oppressive heat of Charleston.
Six Union soldiers showed up at the front door of Beaumont on the afternoon of 10 June,1864 and announced that they were Confederate Scouts looking for deserters in the area. They demanded to be fed. It was a customary practice during this time to feed travelers and Johnstone ordered his servants to prepare a meal. The six men were acting suspicious and Johnstone was not at ease with their presence.
His eleven year old son Elliot was also very suspicious of their nature and he slipped into a room off the kitchen and loaded a pistol. He hid it to where it could be easily reached. After the meal was over, the six men prepared to leave, but instead four of the men drew their weapons on the elder Johnstone while the other two drew on the youngest Johnstone. As the shots rang out Andrew Johnstone was hit in the stomach by a pistol ball and he managed to empty his pistol but all of his shots missed their mark. One of the shots barely missed Elliot as he quickly reached his weapon and started firing with deadly accuracy.
He had wounded four of the men by the time he emptied his pistol. One of the gunmen fell wounded on the front steps where he died an agonizing death within minutes. Elliot grabbed the dying man's pistol and continued to fire, hitting the other two men as they fled from the house. One died on the lawn and they found another body in the woods beyond the house a short time later. Elliot managed to kill three of the six and the other three made their escape into the surrounding mountains. A search party was quickly formed by neighboring men but the other three soldiers were never found.
Andrew Johnstone was taken upstairs by the household servants where he died a few hours later from his stomach wound.
Very interesting. Andrews, located in the very southwestern corner of NC, suffered similar invasions, and, as you accurately stated, often ended in severe wounds and death of members of the household. However, Andrews does hold some very interesting Civil War secrets I know you're aware of....This quiet little valley town, founded in the late 1700s holds many secrets...Can't wait to read about your discoveries this quiet little valley. Good job, Dan! I like it!
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