[Granville-Hough] 5 Oct 2009 - Whodunit

[Trustees for Granville W. Hough]

  Which Hence Sullivan fought Joe Flynt? One of the epic confrontations 
occurred at a Court House, so it is said, between Sullivans and Flynts. 
It could have been in Smith County or in Covington County. The site was 
more likely Collins as the Flint families mostly lived in Cohay Beat of 
Covington County south of the Smith County line. There had been a fight 
wherein one Hense Sullivan had stabbed Joe Flynt, and Joe Flynt had shot 
Hense Sullivan, but did not kill him. Two hundred representatives of the 
two families gathered at the courthouse, all armed for battle. One 
Sullivan stood up in his saddle and said to the Flynts: “You shoot 
first.” The Flynts looked around and there were far more Sullivans than 
Flynts, so they galloped away to live and fight again some other day.
The problem today is to determine which Hence Sullivan was in this fight 
with Joe Flynt. Was it old Hence, son of Tom, or was it son of old 
Hence? The eulogy of old Hence indicates he was a peacemaker and a 
stalwart church member. The subsequent life of young Henderson as a 
storekeeper and merchant indicates no violent tendencies. Of course, he 
was brother to Wild Bill, Neese, and Red Jack, and anything was possible 
in his youth.
The third Henderson Sullivan, son of Loderick, never got into a fight in 
his life, so far as is known. He lived a life of peace and fathered 
preachers and teachers.
Then there was a fourth Stephen Henderson, also called “Hense,” and he 
was son of Neese. He sounds more logical than any of the above. He was 
about 30 years old in 1900, just the age for someone with intent to 
commit mahem to do it skillfully.
Since the incident with the Flynts is not dated or placed, it seems 
likely to be this person. He could have cut Joe Flynt accidentally; or 
Joe could have gotten in the way of someone else swinging a sharp knife 
and thought it was Hense. But this particular Hense Sullivan probably 
did whatever was done with malicious intent. I have never heard the full 
story of this causative event. All I ever heard was that Flynts were 
smart enough to go the other way when later faced with overwhelming odds.

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Harold Hopkin’s recollections about Henderson Sullivan, son of 
Henderson. “Mary Eubanks was daughter of Charles Green Berry Eubanks and 
Elizabeth Ann Hopkins, both buried at Fairmount. Mary and Henderson 
Sullivan were married in early 1870’s by (her grandfather and) my great 
great grandfather Samuel Hopkins (1793-1875) who was a justice of the 
peace at the time. This Henderson Sullivan kept a dry goods/grocery 
store in Mize and the pair were well liked. Some of their grandsons were 
Clint Sullivan, James Sullivan, and I think Barney Sullivan. Clint was 
married to Willie George Bradshaw, a classmate of mine in high school 
and daughter of Claude Bradshaw, the high school superintendent for some 
years in the 1930’s. I’ve been told that Willie George is still alive 
and lives in Clinton, MS (in 2006). I don’t know about her husband 
Clint. I believe that some of this family were intermarried with the 
Ashley family, and I used to correspond with Mary Ashley Perry, who 
lives in Missouri.” (Granville Hough was in 7th and 8th grade with the 
second Bradshaw girl, and recalls that Claude Bradshaw was 
Superintendent at least six years.)

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Wisdom of Paramahansa Yogananda as reported by Carol DeMars Collins: "Do 
not expect a spiritual blossom every day in the garden of your life. 
Have faith that the Lord to whom you have surrendered will bring you 
Divine fulfillment at the proper time."