Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-06-11


C~osvardIv and Iahuuaan Coadact IN tho
south-An AssembIy - Iaalea ard Cbn-
, tiemen Fired into ~ Secession Troops.
We find in the Knoxyiils CTehn.) Wig,
Of Tuesday, the particulars ofa most wanton
and ~unprovoked assault BY Southern troops
upon a meeting Of Unionists at Strawberry
Plains, Tennessee. Tie WHO says:
We have never witnessed such a scene as
we heheld OF Wednesday, the 9Th instant
at Strawberry Plains, and we hope never to
BEE the like again. The procession Of Union
men on horseback, about four deep, was half
Q mile long. varieusly estimated 20 contain
irom eight 70 twelve hundred men. At the
head Of each division the Stars and Stripes
were floating 10 the number of six banners.
Marching by the Plains, and passing the
depot there was o train of cars having on
board some Alabama troops, who, strange to
cay, remained there with steam up for three
hours. D..r iafu
After the procession bad passed into the
gap of Mr.. Meek's Enclosure, leading into
his grove, where the seats and stands were
erected, and where o much larger assemblage,
among whom we're several hundred ladies
and children, were seated, awaiting the ar
rival Of the procession, at the head Of which
were Messrs. Maynard, Temple, and Flem-
ing, who were to address the meeting, the
train started toward us at a very slow rate.
Speaking had not yet commenced, though
Colonel Thornburg was up making some
preliminary remarks, as the remnants the
vast crowd were coming in and cro@ding
around the stand. AT the suggestion Of
Mr.. Meek, an old man who had Served in
the war of 1872, and who owned the prem
ises, the few scattering persons still at the
gap were urged to come In, and did so,
quietly, disturbing no one.
But here we will let Mr.. Meek tell the
tale just as It happened:
TAT the request Of DR.. Brownlow and
other gentlemen, | walked from the stand
down TO the railroad, to hurry up our Union
men, and urge them not to do or say any
thing to @e train then slowly coming 5y.
One man came within the Enclosure, quietly,
and was about twenty feet from the fence,
inside my field, the railroad and wagon-road
passing along close to the fence. There were
two men in uniform on the top of one of
the cars; each had q revolver in his hand,
one of them a stone, which he threw at me
with great force and precision, and l barely
lodged It. This was followed by one Of
them deliberately firing at me.
One of them knew me, for he had pre-
viously come to the house and asked for
water to fill his c%anteen, which / assisted
him in filling, treating him as politely as 1
knew how. This was the commencement of
the firing, and it was without any provoca-
ton whatever. A. K. MEEK, Sr,
This statement is corroborated by Messrs.
Marion Gate, Thos. @. Griffin, Edward I'M
derwood, Perry Cate, Henry Smith, and
Marion Petty, of Sewer County Messrs.
VIM. Lewis, w. A. Sherfey, Samuel Nc
Campbell, J. H. Dinwiddie, VIM. Province,
VIM. Houser, and Wm. CLANCY, of jefferson
County; and Geo. w. Sherrod, of Knox, who
were present at the scene. Mr.. VIM. M.
Lewis, of Jefferson County, says he was
standing close by when an open knife was
thrown at him from the cara, which knife
he picked up, and now has in his possession.