Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1861-08-22
The jenkins Letters.

The jenkins Letters.
For several weeks prominent
topic of interest in this community
has been some letters alleged to
have been written by Rev. Vim.
Jenkins, a Dutch minister of Bed
ford county, to his church paper,
the Lutheran Observer, published in
Baltimore, Maryland. Some of our
old citizens will remember the
Rev. Mr.. j. He preached in
Fayetteville, at stated intervals,
about thirty years ago. The let
tiers, which we copy below from
the Shelbyville Erpositor, it ap-
pears were intercepted at Rich
mond, Va, and returned to the
Postmaster at Normandy in Bed
ford county, where they were first
mailed, and by The P. M. placed
in the hands of the Rowesville
"Home Guard" Committee for in
vestigation; and by the Committee
caused to be published.
These letters evidently bear up
ON their face, marks Of "undying
hostility to the Southern Confeder.
acy" and all those who aided in its
formation. If they truly reflect
the sentiments of the author, his
sympathies are all with the North
and against the South in this war,
and inasmuch as Tennessee is now
a member of the "aso-called South
ern Confederacy," we hope Mr..
Jenkins, if he concludes to remain
with us a while longer, will not
only ''TRT to be loyal" but PROVE
himself loyal to the government
under which he lives and which
brave Tennessceans are now Sc
calamity defending
TOWNSVILLE, Tenn, I
Bedford Co. June 10th, 1861. /
My dear brother, After a long
interval l again attempt to address
you. You may ask why this de.
lay in writing. Ianswer, that up.
ON the receipt of your last, / de.
termined to wait until i could
definitely say what day you might
expect me In Lovettsville. i al
last Eat down and wrote, and the
difficulties at Baltimore occurring
about the time, l deferred sending
it, until the whole meeting of the
General Synod was postponed in.
definitely. Then dispatch after
dispatch was received, which has
kept up such an excitement that !
have no heart TO do anything
And now that it is a forgone con-
clusion that Tennessee has madly
rushed upon the secession train,
upon a down grade to Bankruptcy
and ruin without q single brake to
stop her speed, / concluded that if
I did not write soon, there would
be no chance to get a letter to you
at all. Our Legislature-in secret
session-has ruined us, and the
excitement of the people has be-
come SO high, that it would not
surprise me, if hundreds were not
killed in q civil war in our midst,
such means, and threats, and meas
ures resorted to, to carry out the
State is beyond aparallel. Wehad
heard how they had done in Geor-
gia, Mississippi, and Alabama to
dragon them out, but the half was
not told, that has been practiced in
Middle Tennessee. Well, the deed
is done. Too late now except by
revolution to undo the deed. I
have to submit and try,,to be loyal,
until such times as can dispose of
my property and get away. Our
wheat crop is excellent, thank
God. We are now in the midst
Of our harvest, and a finer crop
[ have never seen grow upon my
place. We need it, for of a truth
,ne half of the people would have
starved without it. What its
price will be Icannot tell, for there
8 no money to buy with. l have
ust never seen money as hard to ,
,et as it now is. We have an |
of mules and horses to, ;