, 1861-10-16
OUR KENTUCKY LETTER.
CHARACTER OF GIN. Z0LLICOFFER
WHEREAE0 E0Ur3 OF BRECKlaRIDGE.


'eiiable. It appee1a from hie statement thst
te 1unor of Ger. Zollicofe1's retreat beyond
he mountains is untrue. With these COM
oine other facts in regard to the rebel General
Fkich may be more Interesting. -
Gen ZollicofFer is about fifty yeers Of age,
ai1, thin, and tor his age, strong and firm.
ae is Of German descent, but in his sharp,
angular features, little Of the characteristics
If that race arc to be seen. There is little of
tie 1orctb1e about hia character. He swims
with the current, but never stems the tide.
Silent end obserVant, non-committal and eau
t;c1s, he goes with the people, but never at
tempts to lead item. 4 daring leader he can
neyer. be. 4 political demsgogue, he was
silent during the troubles which ended with
the Eece ssion Of Tennessee, but loud enough
in bis 6enur ciation Of the " Lincoln Admins
t1alion" when the people had assumed their
pretent footing. He was made Brigaaier |
General and appointed to tie command Of /
East Tennessee. Here his whole course has |
betn in keeping with his non-commlttal !
lc]iey. Unexpectedly lenIent to the East |
Teu1eesee unionists, he has been called, IN |
more Than oue Instance, traitor to the /
Southern Confederacy. have seen in one or
Two West Tennessee papers very bitter articles
On himself and course In his invasion Of
Ke1tucEy he seemed to labor with the same
end in Tiew-to make capita! with both sides. !
Il would seem II if he shaped his military
career as If looking forward to the contiu-
geIcy Of the triumph Of the General Govern
be among the frstto renew his allegiance,
AID his hniency towards the East Tennessee
ans, Hll be an argument which he will. offer
in bis own behalf
Ger. Zclicofer has, since his first entry in
to public life, rose and sunk With the political
wave In 1879, When only II years old, he as
eumed tho control Of q newspaper called the
Columbian 0aseTgsT, and remained in that con-
lection until: 1887 when by its influence he be-
came State Printer. But the wave had its ebb,
and he tank with il, not daring to breast 1t,
and had to return to the editorial chaig. a.
succeesifely became editor and politician,
controlling the Nashville Bonner and holding
the offices Of State Comptroller and State IN.
ator until 1852, when he Ias sent to Congress,
where he retained his seat until 1855, when he
tgain retired to private life. When the rebel
lion had been completed in Tennessee he WAS
made Brigzdi<r General. as have stated.
Gen. Zollicof1er left Knoxville, his head
quarters, With only portion Of his Brigade,
He knew the people OF Esst Tennessee too
we'll to leaye his rear unprotected, and 5000
men 81 lesst guard the important points IN
Eatt Tennessee south of Cumberland Gap.
That such caution Is necessary Is apparent
frcm tie late cordnct Of certain Unionists in
Fentrees ard other counties. They hare
stized upon and hang numbers Of the seces
sloIi6ts Of Ftntrees county and have SO band
| ed themselves together that the county Is q
! terror to the surrounding rebel counties. L
| Il Onth and half Eince two companies Were
cent By Gen. Zollieoff=r to this county. AS
| they ente1td 1t and marched to the county
l A-.. Ii l.
ttrs who strolled along with them as faras the
taWp, IL quifipg the intentions Of the force
sid 1ftir purpose. The nearer the rebel
| companies approached the town more numsr
Gus did the hunters bscome, until isseemed as
| If the Whcle country had been out hunting
rebel companies were ordered BY the hunters
to surEtndtr. As they found themselves sur
rounded by about 600 men armed with uaer-
ring 1iaee, they laid down their arms, we're re-
least aDd marched backto Gen. Zos;icoffer,
sa',s arm. Sans powder, saas sverstbing. Gsn.
gus1d snd.h has left 1t bs hind, advancing into
Kentucky with shout 1000 men only,
He in at pres eht in Clay county; -Whera hiE
headquarters are Established not far from the
town Ct Lo1don- His force is scattered ia
squads through Clay, Kuox and ,Whitby coun
sond Bs,bop.syilie to Cumberland Gap. In
sttad Of failing to take London, he has up tc
4 a ye1y late cay occupied it, with few men on
i y, however, ard even nov threatens It by tht
rear approach Of the same force, His inten
ticns appear to be similar to those Of Ger
Buekntr.. He has no more ambition than K
Mske his invasion rato, the result Of Whicl
tetms to be to get little proTender and pro
SiEitnsfor Confederate bonds. I don't kno'
that, like BuckreT, he is impudent enough II
give checks On banks where he has no depa
ti1s, in exchange for food, but certain it ia tina
the three counties have named are taxed 70
the suppcrtpf his arms. These depreciation
Lave. naturally become of q harnsstng natur
to the people, and many have suffered. Th
J rebel soldiers cannot, Of course, be controlled
AID many outFage8 have been committee
t The following extract from . letear will Civ
; N idea Of the character these depreciation
Z Lave assumed, The letter 1g dated, a. ve
!. y, hocs caette county, Octopef %, AZ Wn1e
Il pace tne #11Ie1 aaa oeen 1oseeo W taAe Il
!. "Esi r, ,nfs~,a. rehs,, tava aes+rors;7 avs,
II th,rg ws had r. + tie xe1la: They nave =.
It lahsn sfsa5 ss.;l y TaH ssPt ma1a
nave " my paeh: 1asy ekeal e7elyt Ln
~ ~ sns ninGs upyn} sse1 ~ ~ ~ ~
lng, Muiss. sloanirg aug lauiss !e"eiy the
akIeoa.aops kn. pos 70 shame me mosF neata
e. 4atlen ana the most savage mode Of warl1
N 4tans hot nme 70 ten you o1 tae vailoos
~ o'uities theJ ba7e perpetrased, but the VOL
N tsat yGn can eoneeaVe would not 90 tns
DIS 'o!Tnes Thess depredst,ops hare caused many ci
u zeDs ofthe counties named to f1y to Col Cara
e. ftr protection, although ZoliieoHGer has issu
IS, surdry carefully Worded dproelsmations, aEse
ut Ing hat bis mission Is tG protect an aad IL not t.
Is. tigpiheant Of the man, that his proclamat!o
st1diously avoid the utage OF an5 low, yuls
- a1d disxespectfn1 names to deaiguaee the Uni
~ administration and Us soldiers. His p1oc
L matorY eHus;one are the only decent ones Il
IdSe eSss ofen e aehtin 1o those