The Tale of Tilley Bend
In the 1750’s there were Creek Indians living in the Southern region of the Appalachian Mountains. White settlers from North Carolina moved alongside the Creek Settelment and the two had a peaceful coexistence. According to census records they began to inter-marry and when the Cherokee came in and forced the Creeks out, the white settlers and their Creek spouses stayed in the area.
Late in the 1800’s Elizabeth Jane Tilley Bradley lived with her husband Jason Bradley and 8 children in the Tilley Bend area of the Toccoa River down from Stanley Gap. Elizabeth served as a healer in her community.
The Tilley family and the Stanley family became involved in a feud during the early 1900’s. One Sunday morning while the Tilley’s were at the Tilley Bend Church the Stanley men shot into the Church and killed Elizabeth’s oldest daughter and several other Tilley’s that were in attendance.
In retribution the Tilley’s gathered up men and raided the Stanley settlement while they slept.
Elizabeth’s pregnant daughter who was married to a Stanley was so devastated after seeing her husband killed, she and the baby died in childbirth. After losing both her daughters and her grandchild, Elizabeth was grief-stricken and cursed both settlements saying no child would be born and live to either family and that’s exactly what happened the following year.
Folks started whispering about her being a witch. A mob formed and took her from the Tilley village and hung her from the tree in the middle of the cemetery.
When the babies kept dying the next year, they hung her sister in law Mary thinking Elizabeth had inhabited her body.
The Tilley story is intriguing and a poignant reminder of the hardships and heartaches some people suffered in the past. Superstitions and misinformation culminated in a hatred that would destroy innocent lives along with guilty. This is definitely one of the saddest stories I’ve ever heard.
Yes, this is a story that probably happened more times than we know. Thank you for your comment.
This place so beautiful, it’s hard to imagine anything so horrible could have happened there but I’ve heard other tales of superstition, greed, hate. The fued of the Hatfields and McCoy’s pales in comparison to this. It’s one of the saddest I’ve ever heard. I’m thankful we progressed as a society to more tolerable, kinder, and closer relationships within families. This story of the Tilleys and Bradley’s should be an example to everyone to practice forgiveness and understanding and guide us to a more peaceful world.
Have visited Tilly Bend twice and have gone to the church and the graveyard. Elizabeth’s tombstone is no longer there. I heard it was removed in the mid 2000s . The tree in the middle of the graveyard still stands tall. I always say a prayer for Elizabeth’s soul. She was probably just a healer who meant well but also a woman with a broken heart and a lot of rage and anger. Her daughters death during childbirth was more than she could handle.
May she rest in peace.
Yes, I agree. It’s a sad story. Thank you for your comment.
Those were such terrifying timed to live in. It makes me think about the misinformation & outright lies tRump is telling. I do fear terrible times are ahead of we don’t vote blue. Sorry Tanya. That’s what came to mind.