Confederate Devil John — Claude Brown

Confederate Devil John is the story of John Wright as he grew up in Pike and Letcher Counties, Kentucky. John started life at an early age making corn likker with Rosan Burke. Rosan taught John how to make likker and to survive in the east Kentucky Mountains. After Rosan was caught by revenuers John set out to make his living outside the mountains. His initial horse-trading led him to meet John Hunt Morgan and joining the Confederate cause in the Civil War. He served under Confederate Capt. Quantrill, and he escaped during the battle when Quantrill was captured. During this period he met the James brothers, Bill Anderson and Sue Mundy. John and his best friend, Talt Hall, made their way back to east Kentucky after escaping capture to rejoin the Confederate Army. They were later captured and imprisoned in Fort Douglas. They escaped the fort returning to east Kentucky. John adventurous life begins by joining the circus, marrying Mattie, becoming marshal and judge, fathering thirty-two children and feuding with his archenemy, Caleb Jones.