The Monroe Compromise

In the late winter and early spring of 1862, the Union and Confederate factions of the Upper Cumberland attempted to reach a peaceful compromise in order to prevent the raids into the counties of Overton and Fentress in Tennessee and Clinton County in Kentucky. Murder, theft, and arson had become very commonplace during the absence of so many regular soldiers to the war. At this site of the peace conference, held at Monroe in Overton County, the Northern side was generally the men of Fentress and Clinton Counties. Those counties were represented by: “Tinker” Dave Beaty, James M. Beaty, Claiborn Beaty, Mr. Zachary, Issac Wood, Mr. Koger, and Elijah Koger. The men who represented the Southern Cause and mainly from Overton County were: Winburn W. Goodpasture, Landon Armstrong, William Winton, and Jesse Robert. Champ Ferguson represented the Confederate interests of Clinton County, Kentucky.

Although the parties agreed not to raid into adjoin counties, the so-called “Monroe Compromise” was dead from the start. Within hours Ferguson and his men would kill four Overton County men on his way back to Clinton County. Also, Confederate Captain J. W. McHenry would raid into Clinton County as a result of poor communications between the peace conference officials and the soldiers in the field.

Champ Ferguson did not forget the faces of those men at the conference. He would later be charged with the murder or attempted murder of many of those very men. At least one of these men would testify against Ferguson at his war crimes tribunal held in Nashville in 1865.

This page last updated May 4, 2005