Serial killing in America is as old as the country is. Micajah “Big” Harpe and Wiley “Little” Harpe were around for the Revolutionary War, but had little reason to fight. What they really liked was rape, pillaging, and murder. They were known as the Harpe Brothers, although they were probably cousins.
When the Revolutionary War began, the brothers were said to have joined a Tory rape gang, motivated more by ill intentions than supporting the British crown. They brutalized young women, murdered patriots, and burned down farms. One intended target reportedly escaped harm at the last moment thanks to a Captain James Wood. Captain Wood shot at Little Harpe and broke up the attack – though the blast only wounded him.
In 1780, the brothers joined the British troops to fight through the Carolinas. After a year, they grew bored and aligned with the Cherokee Indians, pillaging the region. They exacted revenge on the aforementioned Captain by stealing his daughter, Susan Wood. They took her, along with another young girl named Maria Davidson, as their wives.
And that was just the beginning of their chaotic, murderous spree. The Harpe Brothers adventures included joining a pirate gang, escaping from jail, polygamy, but most of all, killing. Read their story at The Lineup. -via Digg