Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-09-14
The Confederate Court &C Knoxvtue. i.
From the Knoxville PogIster, pit. II.

From the hdoXViile Pegster, pit II.
In the District Court of the Confederate States on
yesterday LincOlnite by the name of John W.
Smith was placed at the bar on charge of treason
and sufficient evidence sdduced to warrant his
Honor in holding him for trial in Nashville in Octe
Der. Smith is one of the leaders in Scott county,
and was with Maynard in his flight to Abrahsm's
bosom. There seemed 70 be general feeling of
regret pervadiDg the spectators that the willy Con
gresham was not in the place of his deluded pro
selyte yet the plea of ignorance and deluson could
not be successfully urged in defence of Smith, as
he was shown to be a man of considerable influence
in his locality and the bell-wether of the flock
in the range about Huntsville.
The prisoners from Hancock county, whose FAR
rest we noticed yesterday, twenty-five in number
were likewise srraigned before his Honor.
All of them but the ringleader, one Jarvis of
Hancock county, an Illinois Yankee by the name of
Barton, who was member of the tory Convention
at Greenvle, and the Lieutenant, out of the band
likely free negro, were dismissed upon making
their own statement of the manner in which they
were duped and deceived into the silly attempt to
expstriate themselves, for the purpose of joining
Johnson's fabulous army of $4,000 men. The poor
creatures all united in disclosing the base arts that
were practiced upon them. Their head men, they
declared, induced them tn believe that Andy John
was just on the other side of the Cumberland
mountains waiting to load them down with gold
eagles, bounty scrip, extra pay and land warrants
whilst if they remained at home they were to be
forced into the Confederate army, handcuffed and
placed IN 1rOnL IN every QgIlL
This ingenious story seems to have been cOncocted
in Knoxville, and simultaneously circulated in all
the Union counties of East Tennessee.
The negro Lieut.. dropped his feathers and trans
formed himself into a servant to some officer of the
Confederate States, and promised to behave him
self for the balance of his days as becomes good
niger in the land of Dixie, and never during the
war to suffer the bread of his new master TO get
burnt or his coffee scorched.
The captains, Jarvis and Barton, were placed on
trial. but the investigation not concluded at the
hour of adjournment.
1t also transpired during the examination, that
VIM. Odell of Hancock county, one of the body
guards who was arrested with Mr.. Nelson, and sub
sequently released at Richmond, had on his return,
joined this company, but at the first approach of
dagger had made his escape.
After these Hancock boys were released, they
voluntarily took the oath of allegiance to the South
ern Confederacy. As they were destitute of means,
the Southern Rights gentlemen Of the bar took up
collection to defray their expenses home. Welearn
that several of them have since enlisted in the
Confederate army, and others have announced their
intention to do so.
We trust that the leniency of the constituted au-
thOrtes to these miserable victims of deception may
not be misplaced, and that their release may be re-
ferred to the true motive which prompted it, feel
ing of pity and compassion for the weakness and
ignorance and no departure from the
fixed purpose of the judiciary to execute the Law
to its fullest extent for the punishment of every in
dvidual whose criminalty and guilt, coupled with
mental capacity sufficient to render him q fit sub
ect for punishment, shall be made appasent by q |
full patient and fair investigation.