| Sources |
- [S94] Sevier County, Tennessee Census, 371C, 1880.
- [S117] The White-Caps - A History of the Organization in Sevier County, E. W. Crozier, Publisher, (Copyright 1899), Chapter XXIV.
Pleas Wynn is the son of Captain E. M. Wynn, and was born at Pigeon Forge, seven miles south of Sevierville. His parents moved to Sevierville when Pleas was a small boy. He was principally raised in Sevierville and was known about town as a shrewd and cunning chap.
His parents sent him to school, but Pleas was not very fond of books, and took more delight in outdoor sports. He was a strong and active boy and could endure more hardships than any boy in town.
He could play any kind of game; he was good at marbles, an expert ball player, and later on became the champion of the town at playing cards. He held this title for many years and was only turned down by George Thurmer, and as before stated he was hard to turn down at playing baseball. He was a member of the best club in the county, the old Eureka, a team that was seldom defeated, playing in a great many of the small town in East Tennessee, Newport, Dandridge, Mossy Creek and Morristown being among the number. He was short in stature and as swift as an arrow, and once on the ring he seldom failed to reach the home plate. He was familiarly known as Shorty, and bears that name to this day.
He was not regarded as a real bad boy, in his early days, yet he had many ups and downs with the boys in town, and was not afraid to fight. It was very seldom that he failed to come out first best with any boy in the ring.
He was very fond of hunting and fishing and was an expert at both. There was scarcely a trail or by-path anywhere among the rugged hills surrounding Sevierville with which he was not perfectly familiar.
But by and by Pleas grew to manhood. And yet he had no occupation, except that of jailer during the last two years his father was sheriff of Sevier county, from 1888 to 1890.
Only a short time previous to this Pleas had married a most excellent young lady, Miss Mary Thomas, daughter of W. H. Thomas, and it was hoped that Pleas would lead a more useful life, and, for a time, it seemed as though he would. But his associates were bad, and step by step he went from bad to worse, and soon learned the habit of drink, and then that of gambling, and, coupled with that of idleness, they soon told their tale. His best friends concede that his downfall was due more to idleness than anything else.
- [S34] In the Shadow of the Smokies, Smoky Mountain Historical Society, (1993), 376.
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