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They weren’t just thieves—they were fathers, brothers, wives, soldiers, and survivors. The Mason Gang was a tangle of family and firepower, running whiskey and ambushes from the Ohio to the Natchez Trace. Some joined for blood, others for gold, and a few because they had nowhere else to go. Meet the key figures behind Sam Mason’s rise and fall: his sons, his pirates, the women who led decoys, and the men who carried out frontier justice with a pistol, tomahawk, or knife.

This list is incomplete and in DRAFT pending completion of the book regarding the trial. Note the Harpes are not included. If you would like to discuss this, comment below, please.

Mason’s Associates and their Crimes

The transcripts offer detailed accounts of the criminal activities and associations of Samuel Mason and his affiliates. This overview provides a structured insight into the network of individuals associated with Samuel Mason, highlighting their roles, activities, and mentions within the historical records..

Briscot, Philip – Son in Law of Mason

• Married Elizabeth and lived in Bayou Pierre

• Transcript Mentions: Pages 20, 45, 54, 55, 59

• May have participated in select robberies. Likely to be different from Philipps.

Barrat (also spelled Barat, Barret, alias Taylor)

• With Samuel Mason in various criminal activities. Connected to Brown, Hewitt, Woods and Patterson.

• Transcript Mentions: Pages 33-35, 77-78.

• Horse theft, murders near Cumberland, family on Clinch Rover, and participation in robbing wedding guests’ and stealing negroes (slaves). 

Brown

• With Barrat, Woods and Patterson.

• Transcript Mentions: Page 33-34, 38-39, 77-78.

• Horse theft, murders near Cumberland, family on Clinch Rover, and participation in robbing wedding guests’ and stealing negroes (slaves). Connected to Barrat, Woods and Patterson.

McElduff, John (Duff)

• With Mason at Cave-in-Rock, likely his brother-in-law (Mary’s husband).

• Transcript Mentions: Page 54, 99-100.

• Counterfeiting and theft, possibly river piracy, known associate of Philip Alston, counterfeiting and smuggling along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers

Fulsun

• With Barrat, Woods, Patterson, Gibson, Wigger, and Philipps 

• Transcript Mentions: Page 63, 76

• Robbery

Gibson (Guipson)

• With Mason at Cave-in-Rock.

• Transcript Mentions: Page 23, 26, 27, 28, 37, 39-41, 45-46, 49

Glass, Anthony

• Merchant at Nogales; purchased stolen goods from Mason.

• Transcript Mentions: Pages 31, 32, 34-37, 42, 48, 53, 58, 76.

• Receiving and distributing stolen merchandise, fencing operation.

Harvard, Henry

• From Tennessee; active participant in Mason’s criminal enterprises.

• Not mentioned in transcripts

• Ambushed and killed Constable Dunn. Regulators tracked him to his father’s house on the Red River and killed him while he was hiding under a bed.

Hewitt

• Not mentioned in transcripts. 

• With Barrat and Harvard at Red Banks.

• Regulators caught Hewitt near Diamond Island, considered killing him, but ultimately chose to disable his firearm. 

Mason, John (Alias/French Jean)

• Son of Samuel Mason; active participant in father’s criminal enterprises.

• Transcript Mentions: Pages 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 26, 32, 33, 35, 36, 38, 39, 41, 42, 43, 44, 49, 52, 53, 56, 57, 59, 60, 62, 63-65, 74, 75.

• Various robberies; escaped from prison after being accused of a Baker robbery.

Mason, Thomas

• Son of Samuel Mason; involved in the gang’s criminal activities.

• Transcript Mentions: Pages 6, 7, 27, 32, 35, 38, 39, 50, 51, 58, 62-64, 69, 71-73, 75, 99.

• Theft, Robbery, prison breaks; active participant in father’s criminal enterprises.

May, James (alias Peter Alston)

• With Mason along the Natchez Trace in the Mississippi Territory.

• Not directly mentioned in the provided transcripts.

• Engaged in river piracy and highway robbery.

Patterson (unknown)

• Affiliation: Resident of the Little Prairie; associated with Sutton/Setton, Gibson/Gupson, and Wigger.

• Transcript Mentions: Page 38, 76.

• Crimes Committed: Received a portion of stolen money; his family wore clothing obtained from robberies.

Philipps, 

• With Samuel Mason in various criminal activities. Connected to Barrat, Patterson, Gibson, Wigger, Fulsun

• Transcript Mentions: Pages 22, 26, 27, 34, 38-41, 45, 46, 49, 52, 53, 60, 63, 76, 77. 

• Committed flatboat robberies (Aurely and Baker)

Sutton, John (alias Setton, John Taylor, possibly Wiley Harpe)

• With Mason along the Natchez Trace.

• Transcript Mentions: Pages 24, 25, 30, 37-43, 47-50, 52-58, 60, 63, 64, 74, 88.

• River piracy, highway robbery, and murder.

Wigger (Wigueur)

• Affiliation: Collaborated with Sutton/Setton and Gibson/Gupson in robberies.

• Transcript Mentions: Page 23, 27, 28, 37-39, 41, 42, 47, 49, 52, 53, 56, 57, 63, 76.

• Crimes Committed: Participated in a robbery on the Chis road,??? stealing money and horses.

Woods

• Affiliation: Barrat and Patterson

• Transcript Mentions: 77

• Crimes Committed: Robbery