10/09/2026
Monroe Murders & Mysteries: Murders of the Kirkland Bushwhackers
In the mid-1800s, the hills around Tellico Plains and Madisonville were terrorized by John Jackson Kirkland and his gang. They weren’t just bandits—they targeted women, children, and even infants. One chilling story: a newborn ripped from its parents, hidden in a hollow tree.
Today, you can still visit relics like Little Toqua Cemetery (site of one of their ambushes) or the grave of a man killed by the Bushwhackers along what’s now the Cherohala Skyway.
Would you wander those trails at dusk? You can find out more information about some of the murders at https://www.visitmonroetn.com/murderandmysteries.