Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-07-16
BY MCLANAHAN & DILL.
Ehe Confederate Preachers Ia the Nash
vile FeuitemtIory.

vile Fenitentiory.
Correspondence Of the Cincinnati Times
NASHVILLE, July s. I have availe1
ny self Of the opportunity Of visiting the i'm
| prisoncd divines. a permit" obtained from
| the provost marshal, walk through the hot sun,
and ask for admittance at the door of the State
penitentary. Going up a narrow pair of stairs
1 am shown into room, and fad therein the
persons whom l seek. DR.. Seh0n and Mr..
Baldwin are old acqusints,uces, and are heartily
glad to see me. The others extend me a hearty
welcome, and | sit down for a short converse
ton.
The apartment is about twelve feet square.
and is ventilated by an IRON grated window, and
a small trsnsom window having commune alton
with The hall 1 have just left. In these narrow
limits the 1--WE prisoners are kept, sleeping on
cots distributed through tho room, and psrtakng
Of the prison fare-pOrk, beans and corn bread
--at the table below, to which they are conduct
ed by an armed guard three times each day.
Half an hour each day they are allowed to re-
main in private with their families, after which
they remain IN tie quiet secluSiOn Of their room.
WHAT THEY THINK OF 1T.
II my conversation with DR.. Sehon, regarding
his arrest, he referred to q short conversation Oc
curing In this city in February last, in which
he has been represented as having said to those
with whom he was conversing s. Is it possible
shat you have come down with these Yankees to
murder US poor Southern peopleF'
Having been one of the persons addressed, l
gave the words of DR.. Sehou precisely as they
were spoken. lie said, on meeting with Cad
dis and myself: " Is it possiAls that you young
men, whom 7 have prayed over in your boyhOod,
have come down here to AID in capturing US
Southern people 20 The remark was made in
! laughing way, but yet was just guch as l have
set It down. In its former version 1t found its
way into quite number OF Northern papers,
somewhat, think, to the prejudice OF the Teve-
rend gentleman.
Inregard to the more immediate cause OF the
arrest, they assert that no charges were made
against them They were required to take an
oath of allegiance to the general government,
but declined doing so, rs the terms were such
in their family relations they could not volun-
tarily do So aud the declaration asserts that the
oath must be voluntary on their part. AT the
same time they deny ever having, while in the
discharge of their duties as clergymen, either
during the Confederate or National control Of
the city introduced the political agitation of
the country in their sermons or their prayers.
They had never been required to take the oath
of allegiance TO the Southern Confederacy, and
there was 10 reason that such an act should be
demanded by Governor Johnson, they holding
It to be the duty Of every minister to hold him
the powers thai be-, without taking any part in
the conflict now raging throughout the land.
WHAT VIII BE DONE WITH THEM.
I have thought proper to devote this much
space to these persons, because some OF them
are well known in your city, and have many
friends there. 10 one will dispute my loyalty,
I think, and this in connection with the fact thst
I have no great paUtislity for ministers, viii, l
believe warrant the assertion, that l dare speak
the truth IN the matter, and detail the ciTcUmstan
ces as they really exist. This 1 know l have
done, and when l add that in 2 very few days
they viii be taken hence, and sent acIoss our
lines into those of the ConfedeTacy, have closed
The story as far as / am concerned. As it is,
they think they are uIiustly confined, and hold
they are '' imprisoned for conscience sake" not
being able, according to their mode CT thinking,
10 do what was required of them, and not hsy-
ing the power under a rule which ignores the
babsas corpus to obtain hearing before the
civil courts.
DisorganfzaITon in Ihe Federal Army.
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