The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1861-07-05
Reign Of Terror in Tennessee. hole
Families Fleeing for their Lives.

neighborhood Of this village, and is
cousin Of the Mr.. Straight, Of Cincinnati.
30 summarily driven out of Montgomery.
Ala, few months ago, has fifteen rela-
tives now In Salem, Marion Co., ILL.,, who
have been compelled to flee from their
homes in Solon, White Co., Tenn, at the
peril Of their lives, for no crime but that
OF loyalty to the Union. Among the
number are his parents, between sixty
and seventy years of age. This father
being described as "white-haired old
man. and several helpless children
The Straights emigrated from Ashtabula
County in this State, 10 Tennessee, some
years before the existing rebellion broke
out, and had there accumulated consider
able property, which has now fallen into
che hands of the traitors. They are rep.
resented as industrious, intelligent and
high.minded, and their unfortunate ex.
perience affords new and most striking
illustration of the barbarizing influences Of
she slave system.
MIR. Straights brother.i .in.law writes
from Hamilton o., ILL.,, Immediately
after the arrival Of the exllsd party in
that State, as follows:
It is under extraordinary circum-
stances address you from Illinois, but
the spirit Of rebellion that begun in South
Carolina, has extended far enough North
to embrace Tennessee, and there is n
Reign of Terror such as was never wit
messed on this continent before. The
people have certainly gone mad. A great
many families have been driven away.
Among them was Mr.. WadsworLh, (for-
merly P. NJ, and Mr.. Hit. They have
hung several Of their own men, (that is,
natives Of that State They thre atened
us with halter for some time before we
would leave. We finally had to 60, leav.
ing everything bo: our clothes and bed.
ding. Your father and Allen had 10
acres Of corn planted, 25 bushels OF pota-
toes planted, l6 acres of oats, good gar
dens, &c.. 7 good cows, young stock.
sheep, hogs, &c. It's bad enough. Our
means are nearly exhausted, and we shall
have to stop. Yours, &C..
+. R. ALLYN.
Mr.. Straisht's sister also writes from
the same County:
DEAR BROTHER You will be sur
prised when you see the post-mark on
this letter. and learn that we are North OF
Mason aud Dixon's line, and still going
Northward. think you know why we
are here. We are eating our dinner un-
der an oak tree. Father and mother,
tired out, are lying on the ground, asleep.
You will hear more from US soon.
Your sister.
ANNA E. STRAIGHT.
The following letter from the same
writer shows the danger from which the
party fed, and the destitute condition In
which .hey arrived in Salem, III. We
understand that Mr.. Straight's father has
some debtors in this section, and trust
that, on reading it, they will feel the ne.
cessity ofimmediate payment
June 23I, 1861.
Dear Brother and Sister:-I once more
address few lines to you, to let you
know that we have stopped for short
time. Father wishes me to say to you tha,
he i, now penniless. aud he wishes to
know If there is any prospect of his
ever getting anything from -. HI
would ike to get some money to buy
him a little home, If it is no more than 9
house and garden spot. He
needs ii as bad as he ever will. We had
to leave everything to the Southern Con.
federacy. We could not stay in such a
place. We have no COW, no money, nc
provisions, and, if we should be sick, WI
should suffer.
Mr.. Covill has gone back to Thompson
If they did not kill him on The road, he
can tell you how we left things. We
have one chair, and that is all tho furni.
;ure we have no stove, no table,-noth.
ing. We had just got our house vel
furnished, and had 10 leave everything
withou, getting cent for anything.
They are hanging men that were borr
and raised in Tennessee, because they
were Union men. They set.a day tt
come up to our house, and hang AlleI
huu peoiBe, huu nau bot Auch OouhPhul
organized, and il rained, and raised tn
water. SO that they could not get there
There were four fami
lies came in two wagons-Allen's, Ed
mond's, Charley's and Fa,her's-in all
fifteen. We could only bring our bed
and clothing. and hardly that. Yo,
know nothing OF the excitement South.
From your sister,
ANNA 4. STRAIGHT.
Address Salem, Marion Co., Illinois.
We are told that the Mr.. Covil! abov
mentioned has arrived in Thompson wit
an OK x.team, all the property he was abl
to save from the traitors, and with whic
he made his exit from the Southern Cor
federacy. He succeeded in getting safel
out OF Tennessee and through Ken;uck,
only by representing at every stoppiu
place, that he was moving TO the ne!
township. As might naturally be e,
pected. he has n very unfavorable opinic