General Notes

[coosa1.ged]
William Watson Rutland was the grandfather of Gail Rutland Geno.
William Watson Rutland married Nancy Emily (Emma)Culver, October 18,
1882, shortly after the death of his mother & father, Watson & Mary Ann
Estes Rutland. Nancy was the daughter of Asa Oliver & Nancy Pody Culver.
Wm. W. & Nancy E. reared 10 children. Most of these children were born in
Coosa Co.
There is a story that Wm. W. killed a man in the late 1800s. The man
was a Shaw. At present I don't know the facts, but I do know that story.
The action happened on an election day at a place called the Devil'S HALF
ACRE. This location is supposedly to have been deeded to the Devil
himself. It is located near Kelly's Crossing in Coosa Co., Al. just off
Hwy. # 22.
It seems that Bill, my grandfather, and the sheriff were sitting on a
fence. The Shaw man approached them coming down a hill. Bill said, "Shaw,
if you cross that branch, I'll have to kill you." Shaw crossed the
branch, where upon grandfather Rutland shot him. (My brother, Bill now
owns the gun).
The sheriff is supposed to have said, "Bill, you know I'll have to
take you in for that."
Bill answered, "I figured you would."
They got on their horses to go to the jail. The sheriff announced
that it was too far for them to make it there before nightfall, so they
would go to his house for the night. After they ate supper, prepared by
the sheriff's wife, he showed Bill to the room he was to occupy for the
night. As he left the room, he told my grandfather, "Bill, your horse is
saddled up out back. The next morning Bill was gone.
The family moved about a lot for the next several years before ending
up in Verbena, Chilton Co., Al. The moves may have been to avoid the
Shaws, I think, more than the law enforcement officials. The statement
has been made that he (Mr. Shaw) needed to be killed anyway. Written by
Gail Rutland Geno