Currahee Cherokee

Currahee Cherokee

The Roman Den

On my many trips back to and around "The Mountain That Stands Alone", I have been able to see many holes into hillsides and beside running waters. One of those holes is to the west of Currahee on the side of a ridge overlooking Big Leatherwood Creek. This is a cave that has become known as "The Roman's Den". This cave was probably in the beginning just a very small opening formed by spring water flowing from the side of the ridge and into Big Leatherwood. Later it could have been enlarged by a bear or some other animal to serve as their home. It could have also later been enlarged by members of one of the many tribes that claimed this area as their home. Then when the "Pale Face People" intruded into this area it could have been converted into something known by them as a "Spring House" where they could store food they wanted to keep cool and fresh. Many of my people took up some of the habits of these intruders and blended in with them. This later proved to be a good choice for them. They went undetected when the troops came to round up my people and march them off in the direction that the "Big Ball of Fire" disappears. Later Samuel Roman and William Smith (Bill) chose this cave as an ideal place to hide. Sam and Bill hid to avoid fighting in the Civil War. It was reported that they were half-breeds and therefore could not vote. They felt that if they could not vote they should not have to fight. This cave is composed of three rooms, one room in front, a spring in the back, and one in the rear. The front room is about eight feet square while the two in the back are about nine feet high and oblong. A considerable amount of dirt has washed into the cave since it was used by Sam and Bill. The two back rooms are almost filled with dirt, which prevents exploration of the back two rooms. The entrance of the cave faces west, near a ravine which extends a short distance to Big Leatherwood Creek. The door of the cave was cut and made to fasten inside and when camouflaged with cedar trees that no one would ever suspect it being there. As the trees wilted, they were replaced with new ones. Carved over the door were the words "God is love." Their beds and cooking utensils were probably in the front section of the cave. The boys probably went undetected because they never cooked in the daytime when they remained inside and rested. At night they came out "by the light of the moon" for fresh air and exercise. During this time their families, who lived a mile north would bring food and other necessities. They faired well for quite a while but some pilfering was in evidence. A cellar built of logs on the opposite side of the creek back in the side of hill and covered with rocks and dirt was where they stored their excess food. After having lived in the cave for about a year, food became scarce, not only for Sam and Bill but for everyone. One night while out searching for food, the boys stumbled upon Mr. Matthew's smokehouse. It was locked and the only way to get in was to undermine the log structure. They did this, and away they went with as many hams as they could carry. Mr. Matthews discovered his smokehouse had been wrecked and some of his meat taken. He was furious and declared he would kill the culprits if he ever found them. He offered a $100 Confederate bill for the apprehension of the thieves. A friend of Sam and Bill, who had served with them but had been dismissed for disability, had visited the den and knew of the ham. The $100 reward was just to tempting to him so he went over to Fort Hill and told Bull Horn Terrell, a guard at the mustering ground, where Sam and Bill were hiding. Terrell's house was near the mustering ground so he got his logging chains and went to the hideout with a few men. Sam and Bill were asleep in the cave when they got there so Terrell broke the door open and brought the two out. They were chained together at the ankles with the logging chain and were forced to walk back to Fort Hill at the foot of Currahee Mountain. This was tough walking for them with the log chain around their ankles, having to go over rocky ledges, through streams and boggy bottoms. When they reached Terrell's house, the first thing Sam spied was a gun on the wall. Being a sly guy and having a brilliant mind, as quick as a wink, he said "Mr. Terrell, I'm sorry, I know I was wrong. I should never have done such a thing. I want you to pray for me please. You are a good man and I need your help". Mr. Terrell was soon on his knees praying very fervently. Soon, Sam reached up and got the gun. He pulled the trigger but the gun failed to fire. Terrell heard the click and opened his eyes. The misfire saved Terrell's life but got Sam in more trouble. To punish him, he was tied on a pole. Two men lifted the pole and ran around in a circle bouncing him up and down. To further humiliate him, a man was sitting inside the circle beating a dishpan with a stick and laughing for dear life. Sam was becoming more furious by the minute. Finally Sam and Bill's sentence was pronounced. They would go to jail in Athens. The next morning, with Sam and Bill placed on one horse and a guard on another horse, they headed for the jail in Athens. On the way they stopped at a spring to get a drink of water. While there Sam put some rocks in his pocket. A few miles down the road they spied a left turn in the road. Sam said "Hey, mister, where does that road go?" Just then the guard turned his head to see the road and instantly Sam threw a rock and hit the guard in the head rendering him unconscious. He fell from his horse. Sam and Bill got off their horse and found key in the guards pocket to unlock the chains around their ankles. Sam took one of the horses which he would use to go to North Carolina where he would live out the rest of his life. Bill took the other horse and went west to join some of his relatives in Oklahoma. It is said that Sam carried Mr. Terrell's logging chain up on a ridge to the west of Currahee Mountain before leaving for North Carolina and buried it under a rock. It is also said that he drew a map showing the location and that this map was left with a resident of the area. It is also said that Bill wrote back to a friend, shortly after arriving in Oklahoma, that he had planted a potato patch but it was ruined when oil came up out of the ground. It is supposed that he became a "Oklahoma Oil Man" in a short while.

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