Editor’s Note: Western North Carolina is rich with untold stories—many resting quietly in local cemeteries. In this Tombstone Tales series, we explore the lives of people from our region’s past whose legacies, whether widely known or nearly forgotten, helped shape the place we call home.

LEICESTER, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Along Leicester Highway, a short gravel drive leads to Brick Church, a brick sanctuary surrounded by one of Buncombe County’s oldest cemeteries.

Built in 1876 by local builder Thomas Redmon James, the church is situated beside a burial ground that holds early settlers, veterans and farming families. The grave of Amos Lunsford marks a story of sudden violence tied to a popular community gathering.

In 1889, a confrontation at the Turkey Creek camp meeting in Buncombe County turned deadly, setting off a criminal case that drew widespread attention.

Newspaper accounts from the time show Lunsford died after a dispute at the gathering, which had been held for decades. In the 19th century, camp meetings were central to rural life, blending worship and preaching with a large social event. Attendees often stayed for days, camping, visiting and worshipping together.

But in late August 1889, that tradition was disrupted by a confrontation that sparked an exchange of words between Lunsford and William Fore. An old grievance has been cited along with an alleged insult involving a child. Witnesses agreed that the argument escalated quickly into a physical fight.

Brick Church in Leicester, constructed in 1876, anchors a historic cemetery where generations of Buncombe County residents, including Amos Logan Lunsford, are buried. Photo contributed by Shannon Ballard.

Lunsford struck Fore in the face. Fore then drew a knife and stabbed Lunsford, who survived the initial attack but died days later. Newspapers described Lunsford as a “peaceable citizen” who left behind a wife and eight children.

Fore was arrested and jailed in Asheville, and the killing drew widespread attention because it had occurred at a respected religious gathering.

The camp meeting confrontation was front page news in The Asheville Daily Citizen on August 27, 1889. Image via Newspapers.com

By November 1889, Fore stood trial for murder in Buncombe County Criminal Court. Testimony reflected the confusion and chaos of the incident. Witnesses disagreed on who escalated the confrontation and Fore’s attorney argued he acted in self-defense.

A jury convicted Fore of murder, but the case did not end there. Following an appeal, Fore’s conviction was set aside in December and a new trial granted. The appeal was based on concerns that some jurors may have formed opinions about Fore’s guilt before hearing the case.

Fore later agreed to submit to a verdict of manslaughter rather than face a second murder trial. In February 1890 he was sentenced to 15 years in the state penitentiary.

More than 135 years later, Amos Logan Lunsford’s headstone marks the final resting place of a 44-year-old husband and father whose life ended suddenly during the summer of 1889.