Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1858-07-02
From the Crescent Of ihe ilth Inst j

The yigilants left Che State Arsenal id
a body, about two hundred strong, under
Captain Duncan; he representing to them
that the time had come for their depart
ure, and that he would take them to place
of safety. They marched down the levee
to the Barracks, below the city. Arrived
there, the order was given to stack arms.
This being done, Captain Duncan inform
ed the men that il was necessary that he
and the other leaders should remain there
for safety, but that they. being privates,
were not in SO much danger, and had bet
ter disperse and each man look out for him
self. The men, understanding that they
would not be permitted to remain there,
asked for their guns, that they might de-
fend themselves after leaving. The Cap
tain refused, telling them that they we're
better without weapons than with them,
and politely showed them out at the gates.
Many of them, instead Of coming back
to the city, went further down. Some
crossed the river in skiffs, to make their
escape as beet they could, while others went
back into the swamp and there seareied
themselves.
There they staid all that day, all night,
and the greater part Of yesterday. On
Thursday afternoon, about fifty Of them.
mostly foreigners, came forth from their
concealment, surrendered themselves to
police officer who was down that way, and
asked to be made prisoners, that they
might got something to eat, and be protec-
ted from the violence which they appre-
hended. Whilst the officer was bringing
them up, he received an order from Lieu
tenant Leggett to dismiss them, he having
no orders or authority to take them ptis-
oners. They were accordingly dismissed,
and advised TO keep on up home, under an
assurance that no harm would happen to
them. This however, only served to
frighten them worse..than ever; they fancied
it was only a ruse to entfap them in some
murderous ambuscade and SO turned back
and retreated to their hiding place in the
swamp.
Yesterday morning, different persons
who came up from the vicinity of the Bar
racks reported that during the night the
miserable men had broken into the gardens
and into some of the houses, and carried
off all the food they could find. Green
and over-ripe cucumbers, green melons.
and all kinds Of vegetables had been car
EiSu Oh anu piObdoiy uCfOufOu. ~ was
also stated that besides their starvation,
and the horrors of night passed among
the mosquitoes in the swamp, many Of them
had taken sick and were altogether in
most distressing situation.
Word was sent down to the men that
they were killing themselves for nothing,
and they had better come back TO the city
and dispense to their homes. II was guar
anteed them that they should not be in
terfered with or molested by anybody. In
the afternoon they seemed to get over their
fright, or at least TO get over il to certain
extent; for they were seen, one man hero
and another there. quietly stealing home.
They look as if they expected to see can
non pop out from behind every corner, or
the earth explode at every step. Whether
all of them came back or not, We could not
ascertain; but those who did, got homo
safely, and the pleasure they felt after
their terrible and wretched seven days ex-
perience as Vigilants must have been one
Of those pleasures that is not often enjoy
ed in life time.