All notes found by Nancy Feroe:

The Arkansas Gazette
July 30, 1871 - Page 1, Column 6

James Reece and Andrew Jackson Reece

The Bentonville Democrat, of the 22nd, says; An affray occurred in the western part of this county, near the head waters of Honey Creek, on Monday last, between two parties named Reece and Pierce, who lived in the same neighborhood. It seems that some time ago there had been some difficulty at school between the children of the two families, which has caused ill feelings to spring up between the older members. On Monday last some ten or eleven men were engaged in threshing wheat in a field near the residence of James Reece, the father of some half dozen sons, who were present. About nine o'clock in the morning, six men, four of the Pierce family, one named Manis and one named Williams, came into the field and stood around the thrasher near an hour. All of a sudden without any intimation, George Pearce struck Andrew J. Reece. with a pitchfork. James Reece, the father, struck Pierce with a grain shovel, and then father and son closed in with Pierce in a ground scuffle. William then drew a six shooter and shot James Reece in the back of the head, inflicting a dangerous and it is feared fatal wound, and also shot A.J. Reece, wounding him slightly. Pierce then regained his feet, and immediately shot A.J. Reece again, killing him instantly. A general fight then ensued in which two others, one on each side were slightly wounded. The assailants then retreated. When some thirty yards distant George Pierce turned around and shot back at the crowd, and at the same instant he received a shot from one at the thresher from the effects of which he died the next day. The assailants have not yet been arrested. Those are the facts as they were given to us by an eye-witness.
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They were not moved from a regular cemetery but from the location they were buried at on Honey Creek. The family buried the two men first where they were killed on Honey Creek. When the railroad came through in the 1890's, they were buried in the railroad's right-of-way so the RR wrote to the widow, Polly (Southern) Reece, who had moved back to Gilmer Co., GA and asked permission to move them. She directed them to be moved to the Mt. Enterprise (also known as Georgia)cemetery because George Pierce, the man who killed her husband and son, was buried in the Russell Cemetery located behind Steve Meek's house on Hwy. 72 at Russell Corner Rd.

When Andrew Jackson Reece's widow, Sarah (Darnell) Reece died, she was buried back beside A.J. Reece and his father. Sarah's parents are buried behind Gordon Kara's house at the corner of Kane Rd. and Shady Grove Rd.

I found out from a lady in California, Carole Littrel Brown, that most of the people who are buried in the old Backbone Cemetery down by the Washington County line are also related to the Darnell's. That one is really hard to get to.
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Full name: Rev. James Marion Reece

Born in South Carolina.
Died in Cherokee City, Benton County Arkansas

Shot while threshing wheat near his home. His son, Andrew was shot too and died instantly. James Marion was shot in the back of the head and died of his wounds on Sept. 22, 1871. (per the Gilmer County Heritage Book, 1832-1996).

Many members of the Reece family are buried at Pleasant Union Baptist Church Cemetery in Dawson County, GA. Other family members are buried at Ebenezer Baptist Church Cemetery (over 100) in East Ellijay, Ga.

Further information on the Reece family can be found (book and vertical file) at the Dawson County Library, Dawsonville, GA. 30534. = Submitted by Wanita Stokes Millsapps, 1037 Cowart Rd., Dawsonville, GA. 30534 - Dawson County Heritage Book.

In 1867, a wagon train headed by James Reece and his sons and families, along with several other families, 20 to 30, left the Dawson County community of Pleasant Union Primitive Church to migrat to Benton County, Arkansas. They took along a saw mill and a threshing machine, all pulled by steers. They prospered, they built homes, then a church and a school was opened. Everything went well with them until Saturday, July 17, 1871. On Friday, the boys at school got into a wrestling bout with other boys, and the Reeces emerged as winners. The next day the families had schedules threshing of their wheat and shortly after they started, up rode six men, four of the Pierce family, one names Manis and one named Williams, who came into the field and stood around the thrasher nearly an hour. All of a sudden without any intimation, George Pierce struck Andrew Reece with a pitchfork. James, the father, struck Pierce with a shovel. Williams then drew a six-shooter and shot James Reece in the back of the head and also shot Andrew, wounding him slightly. Pierce then regained his feet, and immediately shot Andrew again, killing him instantly. James was so badly wounded that he died about two months later, on 23rd September.
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Would you make a couple of other changes to this memorial:

First, would you add at the beginning of the BIO:
James Reece & Polly Southern were married on Aug 19, 1839, in Union County, Georgia. (FYI I found this in some old transcribed records - both names mis-spelled!

Then go down thru the BIO to where you mention the numerous burials at Ebenezer Baptist Church. That church is NOT located in East Ellijay; change that portion to read ... at Ebenezer Baptist Church which is located approx 10 miles from Ellijay on Hwy 52-East