The Kirkland Bushwhackers

From Stories of Appalachia by Steve Gilly, Rod Mullins

March 7, 2026 · 19 min

About this episode

The episode recounts the violent story of John Jackson Kirkland and his gang during the Civil War in the mountains between North Carolina and Tennessee.

This week, we tell a story from the lawless mountain border between western North Carolina and east Tennessee during the Civil War. As great battles raged elsewhere, outlaws and deserters came to the mountains to hide, to rob and to turn old trails and creek crossings into killing grounds. At the center of this story is John Jackson Kirkland and his gang, whose violence touched soldiers, civilians, rivals, and even their own kin. This is a story of a war without sides, and justice that never came. If you’ve not done so already, subscribe to the Stories podcast wherever you get your podcasts, so you don’t miss any upcoming episodes. Consider becoming a supporter of the podcast and get extra content along with an ad-free feed of our stories! Thanks for listening.

People in this episode

Hosts: Steve Gilly, Rod Mullins

Topics covered

Civil War
outlaws
deserters
mountain culture
violence
justice

Keywords

Kirkland Bushwhackers
Civil War
outlaws
North Carolina
Tennessee
violence
deserters
mountain border

Mentioned in this episode

Places: western North Carolina, east Tennessee