Samuel “Wolfman” Mason Takes on the Natchez Trace
The story of Samuel Mason is a complex tapestry woven with threads of honor, duty, and a descent into infamy. From a respected militia captain during the American Revolution to a notorious river pirate and highwayman, Mason’s life took a dark turn, leaving behind a legacy of fear and whispered tales of hidden treasure along the Natchez Trace. His transformation from a patriot to a pariah serves as a cautionary tale, illustrating the corrupting influence of desperation and the allure of illicit gain on the American frontier.
Born on November 8, 1739, in Norfolk, Virginia, Samuel Mason hailed from a family of good standing. He spent his formative years in Charles Town, West Virginia, before marrying Rosanna Dorsey around 1767. Their union would eventually produce eight children. In 1773, the Masons relocated to Ohio County, West Virginia, where Samuel’s public service began to take shape. As tensions with Great Britain escalated, Mason joined the Ohio County Militia, Virginia State Forces, rising to the rank of captain in January 1777. He was entrusted with the command of Fort Henry, a crucial outpost on the Ohio frontier, in what is now West Virginia.
The American Revolution tested Mason’s leadership and resolve. While colonial forces engaged the British to the east, Captain Mason faced the constant threat of attacks from Native American tribes allied with the British. His fears were realized on August 31, 1777, when a large raiding party from various eastern tribes descended upon Fort Henry.
The initial assault targeted men working outside the fort, with the raiders attempting to seize horses. Hearing the gunfire, Mason rallied fourteen men and rode out to their rescue. However, this was a calculated trap. The Native American warriors ambushed the rescue party, resulting in heavy casualties. Only Captain Samuel Mason survived, narrowly escaping death by concealing himself behind a log. Severely wounded, he was eventually rescued and, after recovering, resumed his command of Fort Henry for another two years. This moment highlights the courage and resilience that would later be overshadowed by his criminal activities.
In 1779, seeking a more stable life, Mason moved his family to Washington County, Pennsylvania, purchasing a 500-acre farm. He seemed to be building a respectable life. In July 1781, he was elected justice of the peace and later named an associate judge. By 1782, Mason appeared prosperous, paying taxes on his land, livestock, and even owning four slaves. However, beneath the surface, financial troubles were brewing. Burdened by debt and facing accusations of theft, Mason’s fortunes began to decline. In 1784, he left for Kentucky, leaving behind a mountain of unpaid bills. His Pennsylvania farm was sold at a sheriff’s sale the following year to partially settle his debts. Even after the sale, a significant portion of his debt remained, and in 1789, a representative from the Pennsylvania court was dispatched to Kentucky in a futile attempt to collect the remaining sum. This financial downfall would prove to be the catalyst for his descent into lawlessness. The pressures of debt and accusations of dishonesty seem to have pushed Samuel “Wolfman” Mason Takes on the Natchez Trace down a dark path.
The early 1790s saw Mason establishing himself at Red Banks, present-day Henderson, Kentucky. He later moved further downriver to Diamond Island, and it was here that his involvement in criminal activities began. By 1797, he had relocated his base of operations to Cave-in-Rock, situated on the Illinois shore of the Ohio River. This strategic location became the hub for Mason and his growing band of followers.
Cave-in-Rock provided a convenient facade for Mason’s illicit operations. Riverboat travelers were welcomed with apparent hospitality, offered rest and food. While the unsuspecting visitors enjoyed the respite, Mason’s men surreptitiously assessed their supplies and goods, identifying items of value. The next day, as the travelers continued their journey around the river’s bend, they would be ambushed and robbed. This calculated deception underscores the ruthless nature of Samuel “Wolfman” Mason Takes on the Natchez Trace and his gang.
During their time at Cave-in-Rock, Mason and his men briefly sheltered the infamous Harpe brothers, notorious for their brutality and considered by many to be America’s first serial killers. Even the Mason Gang, known for their own ruthlessness, were appalled by the Harpes’ actions. After the Harpes began taking travelers to the top of the bluff, stripping them naked, and throwing them off, they were promptly asked to leave. This episode reveals the moral boundaries, however twisted, that even outlaws sometimes observe. The legend of Samuel “Wolfman” Mason Takes on the Natchez Trace is forever intertwined with the dark history of the early American frontier.
In the summer of 1799, the Mason Gang was driven from Cave-in-Rock by a vigilante group known as the "Exterminators," led by Captain Young of Mercer County, Kentucky. Forced to abandon their headquarters, Mason moved his operations further downriver, settling his family in Spanish Louisiana. He then turned his attention to the Natchez Trace in Mississippi, where he became a highwayman, preying on unsuspecting travelers.
The Natchez Trace, a vital overland route connecting Natchez, Mississippi, with Nashville, Tennessee, became the stage for Samuel “Wolfman” Mason Takes on the Natchez Trace‘s final acts of infamy. The Trace was a dangerous place, frequented by bandits and highwaymen, but Mason’s gang quickly established a reputation for exceptional ruthlessness.
In April 1802, Mississippi Governor William C. C. Claiborne received reports that Samuel Mason and Wiley Harpe had attempted to board Colonel Joshua Baker’s boat between Yazoo and Walnut Hills (now Vicksburg), Mississippi. The governor responded swiftly, ordering Colonel Daniel Burnet to lead a group of 15-20 volunteers to track down Mason and his men, offering a reward of $2,000 for their capture.
Despite numerous searches, the Mason Gang continued their reign of terror along the Natchez Trace, perpetrating acts of horrific violence. Another posse, composed of residents and bounty hunters, was formed to pursue them. The posse discovered that Mason and his men were hiding less than a mile west of the Trace near Rocky Springs, Mississippi. Upon reaching the camp, they found it had been hastily abandoned. Although the outlaws’ trail was fresh, most of the posse chose to remain at the camp, searching for hidden loot, while only a few continued the pursuit. Eventually, they lost the trail and abandoned the search.
Months later, Spanish officials achieved a breakthrough. In January 1803, they apprehended Mason, four of his sons, and several other men at the Little Prairie settlement, now Caruthersville, in southeastern Missouri. The prisoners were taken to the colonial government in New Madrid, Missouri, where a three-day hearing was held to determine whether Mason was a pirate. Despite Mason’s claims of being a simple farmer maligned by his enemies, the discovery of $7,000 in currency and 20 human scalps in his baggage convinced the Spanish authorities of his guilt. Mason, his family, and the other men were placed on a boat bound for New Orleans, Louisiana, where they were to be handed over to the American governor in the Mississippi Territory. However, during the transport, Mason and Wiley Harpe, using the alias John Sutton, overpowered their guards and escaped. Though Mason was shot in the leg, he managed to flee.
Governor William C. C. Claiborne immediately increased the reward for their recapture by an additional $500, bringing the total reward to $2,500. This substantial sum motivated Wiley Harpe and another man to bring in Mason’s head in September 1803, hoping to claim the reward. Whether they killed Mason or he succumbed to his leg wound remains unknown. However, the two men were recognized, arrested, tried in federal court, and found guilty of piracy rather than collecting a reward. They were hanged in Greenville, Mississippi, in early 1804. The saga of Samuel “Wolfman” Mason Takes on the Natchez Trace came to a gruesome end.
The vast sums of cash and valuables stolen by the Samuel Mason Gang over the years were never recovered, giving rise to numerous lost treasure legends. Some of this treasure is believed to be hidden at Cave-in-Rock, Illinois, where the Mason Gang had their headquarters for several years. The 55-foot wide cave, carved into the limestone bluffs of the Ohio River, has been used for millennia by Native Americans and later became a notorious haven for outlaws. It is estimated that over $1 million worth of stolen loot, gold, cash, and counterfeit bills changed hands within its walls between 1790 and 1830 alone. In 1800, the Mason Gang was rumored to have hidden a large cache of gold here, but Mason was killed before he could retrieve it. In addition to the gold allegedly hidden by Mason, more caches of gold and silver are said to be buried along the cliff face. Cave-in-Rock is now a state park in Hardin County, Illinois, attracting visitors with its history and the lure of hidden treasure.
Another legend places Mason’s cache somewhere in the Rocky Springs, Mississippi, area, where Samuel Mason and Wiley Harpe once maintained a hideout in the early 1800s. After a large robbery on the Trace, they returned to their campsite. Aware that they were being pursued, they decided to bury their loot near their camp, intending to retrieve it later. However, neither Samuel Mason nor Wiley Harpe would survive to reclaim their ill-gotten gains. The legend claims that approximately $75,000 in stolen gold and silver coins are buried somewhere between the old church and cemetery at Little Sand Creek.
Yet another tale suggests that Samuel Mason buried a very large chest, approximately seven feet long, about four miles northwest of Roxie, Mississippi. The chest, filled with stolen valuables, including gold coins and jewelry, was supposedly buried near an artesian well on the Reber Dove Farm. If the story is true, the cache remains undiscovered.
Other locations rumored to hold Mason’s loot include Stack Island, Mississippi; the ghost town of Tillman, Mississippi, in Claiborne County; and somewhere near the Colbert Tavern and Inn on the Natchez Trace near Bissell, Mississippi, a favorite drinking spot for the gang, with as much as $250,000 hidden nearby.
The story of Samuel "Wolfman" Mason serves as a reminder of the darker aspects of the American frontier, a time when the line between law and lawlessness was often blurred. His journey from respected citizen to notorious outlaw, and the legends of hidden treasure that surround his name, continue to captivate and intrigue, solidifying his place in American folklore.
