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| Perry Kincheon "Kinch" West 1 | |
| Burial: 10 Jun 1896 Grove, I. T. 1 |
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Individual:
From "History of Dade County and it's People" Vol 1, page 116. Dade Co, MO
KINCHEON WEST
In writing a history of a county and it's people, living and dead, good, bad
and indifferent, it sometimes becomes necessary to insert a page here and
there which appears upon its surface more or less dark and gloomy, and
especially when the incidents relate to circumstances which have their
foundation in the days that tried the hearts of strong men, and caused even
the foundations of our govenrment to tremble.
With malice toward none anc charity for all, I will try to relate the story
of "Kinch West" perhaps the most notorious, intrepid and fearless man that
ever lived in Dade County.
His boyhood was similar to that of any other country boy growing up in the
environment of the forest, field and woodland, living very close to nature and
enjoying a freedom which comes only from the hills. Like the Shepherd Boy of
old who came from the Judaeian hills to the court of a king and afterward
became a famous warrior, the life of Kinch West was transformed in a single
day from that of a quite, unassuming country boy to an armed desparado by the
enactment of a tragedy which would seem impossible in a civilized community.
On the 5th day of April, 1863, a company of men whose identity is unknown to
the writer of this article, visited the home of Billy West, father of Kinch
West, about eight miles east of Greenfield, killed the father, burned the
house and contents, and presumably the same parties a few days later killed
two of his infant sons, about the age of ten or twelve years, repectively.
Billy West had sons in the Confederate army, Kinch being one of them, and this
fact is supposed to be the cause of the tragedy.
When this appalling news reached the ears of Kinch, he became so enraged
that he immediatly resigned his position in the Confederate army, came back to
the vicinity of his old home and orgnaized an independent band to visit
vengeance upon the heads of the perpetrators of this vile deed.
Kinch and his followers claimed to know the names of the guilty parties, but
the concensus of opinion at that time was that his evidence rested largely on
suspicion.
His anger and wrath was fanned into a fierce flame by reason of the
exingencies of the war and the peril of the times. As soon as his band was
organized they commenced a merciless warfare against the supposed guilty
parties, and extended it to every party that interfered or in any way opposed
his plans. Houses were burned, lives were taken, property destroyed and a
perfect reign of terror existed in the community. Doubtless many deeds were
done and crimes committed which were laid at the door of Kinch West, of which
he was innocent, but his name was a terror and his threats a thorn in the
flesh to all who opposed him in the bloody warfare upon his enemies.
Kinch West never returned to Dade County after the war. The West family was
one of the oldest and most respected in the county and were early pioneers.
Many of his relatives now residing in the county are among out very best
people.
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- Text: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id62663624
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