Rose Civil War Caves

This is a photo of Gary Barker taken in 2000 sitting in front of the infamous 'caves' where William B. Rose and Nancy Williams hid food and valubles from both Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War. They are located up the ravine that runs along side the old Stillwater Church on the hill. There are of course not caves, but limestone outcrops in the ravine that create some large depressions big enough to stand up in.

Below is a passage from Gary's book

"As the armies organized and began to move through the area they would loot the farms of food, horses and anything else they deemed "necessary". Citizens would hide food and valuables as best they could from the marauding armies, both Union and Confederate. One legendary hiding place was several small caves on the William B. Rose farm (that would later belong to his daughter Arzelia and her husband John C. Barker). They were actually a series of depressions created by limestone overhangs up a ravine that paralleled Stillwater Creek. Difficult to get to and protected from the elements, they were ideal hiding places (Appendix B-5)."

The following is an account passed down from Billy Rose through his daughter Arzelia to her daughter Luna Dell, who committed it to paper in 1957.

"There is a small cave that is located just east of the Stillwater church house (up the branch) where the Rose's hid their meat and valuables during the Civil War. The soldiers took the horses and some grain from Billy Rose's home. During the Civil War while the men folk were away fighting, the wives gathered their children in a house, near where Jim Linkous now lives, for the night. This was a secluded spot heavily wooded. They were afraid to stay alone at night because of night prowlers and they would make no light in their houses save the light from the fireplace.

Arzelia's sister, Sally, was a schoolteacher and owned a lovely saddle horse, which she rode back and forth to school. One morning the soldiers rode up to the barn to take what they wished and Sally saw them putting the bridal on her horse. So, boldly she started to the barn. Her mother (Nancy) pleaded with her not to go, thinking they might dare to harm her. But Sally was dauntless and confronted the soldiers. She said: "Now look here gentlemen, you surely wouldn't take a lady's horse that she rides to school. You are soldiers, yet there must be some gentlemen left in you."

They looked at one another sheepishly then took the other horses and left while Sally stood holding her horse by its bridle and petting it. When Sally returned to the house after putting her horse back in its accustomed stall, her mother said, "Sally, you are a brave girl. You out-smarted those soldiers."

Contributed by

Gary Barker

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