Mystery of Burk & Tucker Grave



Others have given numerous versions of the Burk & Tucker deaths and burial. Of those who gave the differing versions, all agreed that the persons buried in the grave are Joseph Burk and John A. Tucker.

Both Burk and Tucker were buried together in a single grave back in 1864 and the headstone was not erected until 1975, by descendants of either or Burk and Tucker.

NOTE: An interview by Goodspeed quoted a person as saying "it was Bob Tucker who was bushwhacked".

The story related was that Joseph Burk and John Tucker were bushwhacked during the civil war and there is speculation as to exactly who murdered them. Some say it was Rebels who did the crime while some believe it to be "Home Guard" or Renegades. Now, in all the theories I have yet to read where anyone has questioned the motive. For a murder there must be a motive.

They were watering horses on the Kings River so the stealing of horses could be a possible motive. Renegades needed little motive either. However, those theorists failed to take something into consideration that was very important.

John A. Tucker had two sons fighting for the union and his neighbor Joseph Burk had one sone fighting for the Union. It is highly likely that both these men were Union Sympathizers. Therefore, Rebels probably killed them.

It is stated that Tucker, Burk, and a young boy were walking on a road that went next to the Pharris field where you could see about 1/4th of a mile. They spotted riders approaching and instructed the boy to hide in the bushes beside the river. The men fled in the other direction but were overtaken by the alledged outlaws or Rebels and were killed. The boy went home and told his mother. The women got together and buried them in the same grave. Source: J. D. Little, Madison Co. historian.

We know that Tucker and Burk were neighbors per the 1860 census with Tucker at dwelling # 746 & Burk at #753. The widow of Joseph Burk filed for a widow's pension with an affadavit made on February 8, 1883. Susan L. Tucker & Salinda Casy testified that they saw the soldier (Joseph Burks's body) after he was killed. He was killed by a company or squad of rebels on Kings River, Arkansas, September 6, 1864. They were not present at the killing but heard the gunshots. Burk was said to be with a squad of Captain Bivens company. Captain Bevins was of AR Calvary, Independent Company. It was probably an informal unit referred to as Home Guard. The widow's pension was denied, so it is unknown if Burk was assigned to a Military unit in any way. The two men were buried by their women in an unmarked grave in Bollinger Cemetery and in the same grave.

A tombstone was erected in 1975 in the bolinger Cemetery located about 10 miles south of Kingston, Arkansas. The two ladies who headed the project were Alva Burk of Kingston and Sibyl Carter of Huntsville, arkansas. See inscription above.



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