Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1861-12-19
Of Bridge Burners al
GreereyiIIe.s

Q
GreeneyilIe.s
A correspondent of the Atlanta
Confederacy dating his letter
Greeneville, Tenn, Dec. I'd, says:
The excitement caused by our
hanging two bridge burners has in
some measure subsidized, and every
body seems satisfied that the SEN
tence was just, and that the Gov
eminent and its laws shall be rec
ognized by the 4 s.oyal people in
East Tennessee. True, some of
Johnson's votaries and Brown
lows tag rag and bob tail Union
men condemn this execution
They may howl in their mountain
gorges, and heap imprecations up
on our heads, but it will only be
for a season. We viii surely keep
up this novel amusement until the
supremacy Of our good and glori-
rious Confederacy is established.
The doomed culprits were not
aware of their doom until q few
moments before the hour, 4 o'clock
p. m, and short as the time was,
they busted themselves in speak
ing on oath their full confession
Of guilt before the Court Martial.
Fry confessed that he poured the
turpentine on the bridge, and after
wards set fire to this combustible
material, carried the sentinel eff
some half mile, and made him swear
never to reveal the names Of the
the offenders. Providence has
saved the sentinel the trouble,
for they have INST the fate SO Just
~ melted cut to them. They
came in sight of the gallows-a
temporary affair erected on the
hillside in view of the town-and
a large oak limb was substituted
as the crCssbcam for this novel en-.
CINE Of death, and a sliudder
passed over them, which was per-
ceptible by all. They then knew
that in few moments they must
die the death of a felon. The
whole battalion under arms was
drawn up around the ground, and
The ropes were adjusted by Cor
poral McVay of our company
the caps drawn over their pale
faces, the ladder was taken trcm
the free-the stiffness of death
pervaded the whole throng-the
minute hand was in a few seconds
of 4 o'clock-the watch still went
tick, tick-the knees shook visi-
blythe whole frame was ready
to give way to natures spirit
bark! it is 4 o'clock. The trigger
is touched-and 10! dangling at
the ropes end between heaven and
earth, are seen two struggling hui
man beings! The struggles Of one
were short; the other seemed a lit
tie 10th to give up the spirit from
its tenement Of clay, but in a few
short moments they were both dead
BY order, they were left to hang
all night and q portion of the
next day, when they were buried
beneath the tree upon whose giant
limb they hung, and where THEN
wretched lives were brought to al
end. Could that cid and honored
oak have spoken, it would no doubt
have beseeched us not to tarnish
its good name and old age by the
touch of such miserable tories.
1 1t has had a wonderful effect on
unionism here, and scores are com.
ing in night and day, taking the
oath of allegiance to our Govern.
ment, and by this serious subject.
proclaim to the world that they
will defend it against all its enc
mics.
4 We have taken Andy Johnson
house as a hospital, and it has Gre
ated some little fuss among his
relatives, but we have occupied it,
and it makes a splendid receptacle
| for our sick. / hear that Andy
wept bitter tears in Louisville
when he heard that our forces had
occupied East Tennessee.
Arrest Of ParseD BrOWnlCw.
The Knoxville Register, of Sat