Shirley Applewhite Moore
This book tells the story of Sammy D, who takes his nine-year- old grandson, Ricky, on a camping/fishing trip on Reelfoot Lake, where his ancestors settled in the late 1800's.
He tells Ricky the story about how the settlers had to fight the West Tennessee Land Company in order to keep control of their land and fishing rights. After all legal means were exausted, they organized a vigilante group they called The Night Riders.
The Night Rider's attempt at showing their power goes a few steps too far when they kill the lawyer who they believe betrayed them, and it condemns a number of them to prison and even to a death sentence.
A candid look into this author's father, Sammy D and grandfather, Sam Applewhite accused of being a Night Rider, arrested for the murder of Captain Quenton Rankin, tried, convicted and sentenced to hang.
This book will astound readers as to the authenticity of the events and keep them glued to the pages. Shown with actual pictures taken from the headlines, and archives of many well known national newspapers and articles.
A tale of guilt, betrayal and murder. Reelfoot Lake will leave readers entertained as they embark on a journey alongside the historic Tennessee Night Riders on their mission to protect and preserve this beautiful paradise.
This story is shocking and captivating and will compell readers to finish the book without wanting to put it down.
It truly is a page turner.
Shirley Applewhite Moore, a native of Tennessee, spent her childhood on the shores of Reelfoot Lake. Since then, she has spent many years traveling extensively throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
She established her roots in Texas in 1972.
Her story has been derived from historical family events.
A retired Barber Stylist of 35 years, Shirley is a divorcee, the proud mother of five children, grandmother to nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
She is currently in the process of writing the saga of her incredible life story in another great non-fiction novel.
1 THE LEGEND
As he pulled the boat onto the shore of a little island, Ricky asked, "Why are we stopping here?" A layer of mud caked his shoes and he slid walking up the incline. His grandaddy shoved the boat higher on shore and pulled a stringer of fish from the belly of the boat.
"Well, Shay, this is one of my favorite islands an' we're gonna cook some o' these here fish we caught, so you can help me find some wood an' we'll start us a little camp far." He dropped the fish on a patch of grass and they began scouting for driftwood.
As they walked under the tall cypress trees searching for fallen limbs and branches, Sammy D (no period) thought how good it was to be with his grandson. He only saw the boy once a year when his daughter, Shirley and her husband Whitey, took their vacation. Whitey worked at the Ford Motor Company in Livonia, Michigan, and the lake was a wonderful escape from the city.
Sammy D loved his granddaughters, 3 year old Tammy and 5 year old Kathy, but he cherished his time alone with Ricky. His name was Richard, for his great-great-great grandfather. His mother called him Ricky, but Sammy D called him "Shay", a shorter version of Rick-a-Shay, which was a nickname he gave him when he was only a toddler. Every time he would put the boy to bed, he would bounce right back out and go somewhere else.
Sammy D bent and stacked several twigs into a teepee shape. It would be a few hours before the sun was down behind the trees and everything would begin to cool off, but he wanted the fire to be burning before then.
Ricky came running up to him with an arm full of wood, "Is this enough, Grandaddy?" He dropped the bundle of twigs beside Sammy D.
"You bet, Shay. Now we'll just put a little coal-oil on this an' wait fer it to catch on good." He pulled a small flask from his pocket, soaked the stick teepee with a few well-aimed squirts and struck a match.
It wasn't long before they were sitting before a roaring fire. The sun was setting. Soon it would be getting dark and chilly. Crickets started singing in the bushes near them. The fire was beautiful and Ricky watched his shadow dance in the firelight.
"Grandaddy, How do know about this place?" Ricky poked at the fire with a long stick.
"Shay, yore the sixth generation in our fam'ly to be here." Sammy D chuckled as he looked out over the lake. "We been here more'n a hunnerd an' fit'y years. this is our lake, yores an' mine an' ever'bodys." He stared into space for a few minutes and then continued.
"Thar's a story they teach down here in school. I lerned it, an' ever'body 'round here lerned it. The Legend of Reelfoot Lake. That's this here lake. Set down here by me, an' I'll tell ye the whole story"
