This marker for Russell Gregory has another word chisled on it, but is not legible. Next to it are two more markers for him and his wife, Susan Hill Gregory. According to the marker text Russell Gregory was murdered by North Carolina Rebels.
"One story that encapsulates the Smokies' Civil War experience is that of Russell Gregory, for whom Gregory's Bald is named.
According to one well-known version, Gregory, angered over Confederate raids in Cades Cove, organized an ambush on a small band of rebels and forced them to retreat.
Gregory's son Charles was with the raiding party, and he recognized his father's muzzle-loading rifle, nicknamed Old Long Tom, as having fired the first shot, according to this version.
The story goes that Charles shared this information with his comrades and even revealed the location of his father's house, not realizing that the rebels would return that night to drag the elder Gregory from his home and shoot him on the spot."
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"Gregory Bald is a mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains. It has an elevation of 4,949 feet above sea level. The mountain's majestic summit makes it a popular hiking destination. Another feature that attracts many visitors are the flame azaleas that bloom over the bald every summer. The azaleas reach peak bloom around mid-to-late June.
Gregory Bald is located along the Tennessee-North Carolina border, between Blount County and Swain County. It rises appx. 3,000 feet above its northern base in Cades Cove, and appx. 3,300 feet above its southern base at Fontana Lake. The mountain is located entirely within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Gregory Bald is a type of mountain known as a grassy bald. Unlike most summits in the Appalachians, which are heavily forested or culminate in jagged peaks, grassy balds are covered by a thick layer of wild grass. Trees and other foliage are sparse. How and why a summit develops into a grassy bald is unknown. While there is evidence that Gregory Bald was a natural grassy bald, the National Park Service must currently work to prevent the summit from becoming forested."
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Russell and Susan Hill Gregory as listed on find a grave website:
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Note*
Because of the semi- or non-permanent nature of these markers, many of these markers erode or corrode away. Waymarking them is a way of recording their existance and sharing these tributes for the future. In no way was this Waymark intended as part of a game, but for historic and genealogical purposes only.