The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-07-01

| conflict Of arms in conversation with
witness, Humphreys expressed himself
in favor of the secession of Tennessee.
! II. q. Scovell sworn Sometime in Oc-
tober, 1861, he was arrested on war
rant emanating from the so-called Con-
! lcderate States, and taken before Hum
| phrcys, on the charge Of sedition and
rebellion against the Confederate States.
and giving aid and comfort to the United
States, for having said United States
flag would float over the capital of Ten
nessee and all the capitals Of the scced-
ed States. The judge told him that he
was a dangerous man, but decided that
he was not an alien enemy. Witness
was held TO bail in the sum of $4,000
bonds which were executed. lie told
Humphreys that prominent lawyer Of
Nashville had said as much as witness
had; Humphreys replied if he knew
who the lawyer was he would arrest
him in less than twenty-four hours
Humphreys then told him (witness) that
he thought he should increase his bail to
$4,000.
The next witness called was William
G. Brownlow, who, being sworn, testi-
fed | reside in Knoxville, Tennessee,
when | am at home | have known West
H. Humphreys for about twenty years I;
| stepped into the court house at the
time Mr.. Dickinson was tried before the
sO-called Court over which Judge Hum
phreys presided; | stood far back in the
room as silent observer of things l
did not remain long, and did not hear
V,,uah ,r thn Mw Nil.
son made a short speech in which he de-
Tended himself, and ] understood him to
decline taking the oath of allegiance
he was much affected, and shed tears
the agreement was that he should 60 outOf
the country, and he packed up his trunk 20
leave; he was charged with beng Union
man, stubborn, unyielding Union man;
he was among the wealthicst merchants
of Knoxville, and a man of unimpeach-
able character and high standing; after
ward the case was rc-COnsidered, and
they agreed to let him stay, if he would
give bonds in large amount with security
to keep the peace and for his good be-
haviOr. IL was not his wish or will, !
think, but his friends gave them
for him | was present, also, at the
trial of DIR. Thornbcrg, He was a gem
tleman TO whom ] was much at
tached, He was strong Unionist, and
had made up company of cavalry,
to escape through the Cumberland Gap
and go TO Kentucky and join the Union
army. But he was captured, and conlin-
ed as prisoner, by the Rebel army. He
was kept several weeks at Cumberland
Gap, and then driven in on foot by a COM
pany Of cavalry. He owned the finest
saddle horse in that country, but they
led the horse after him, and refused to let
him ride. The next morning he was
marched into the COURTROOM between
two rows Of infantry with muskets and
bayonets, and followed with the crowd.
Judge Humphreys made a speech. am
aware that ! am under oath, but ! must
characterize it as a bitter vindictiye, po-
litical, stump-specch, from the bench.
There was one Of the jurors there, a man
from Charleston, by the name Of O'Conor
with a Palmetto badge upon his coat
know there was some talk about it,
Judge Humphreys, in that stump speech;
| recOlleCt the sentiment, though cannot
agree to repeat the wOrds-in the case Of
L llolnbtlkf bhlN llt Nbulu IAht W ldht
some time to consider the case. He did
not know whether it would fall under his
civil jurisdiction or would belong TO Gen
Zolliconer Gen. Zollicoiler had his camp
there then, in the military branch Of
the Government. He said the militia
ry authority must be upheld, and gave
the citizens TO understand that ne would
be backed up in his Court by Hollicoler
who had bayonets and muskcts enough
to sustain one Judge. There was, per-
haps, some excuse for his saying this, as
there was a strong intention on the part
of the Union men 10 put down both him
Thornburg to the Nashville Jail This
OConnor was a Tennesseean, but the
State Of Tennessee did not move fast
enough to suit his Secession haste, and lac
migrated to Charleston, South Carolina;
and after he came back he was put upon
this Jury. There was talk Of indicting
some of them for treason against the
United States but Judge Humphreys
met that by saying that there could be no
treason committed by the United States
in times of revolution, and we were now
in a revolution, and he took great pains
to say that the usurpation Of the Federal
Government, and the atrocious conduct
of the present President of the United
States, all together had released Tennes-
see from any obligations 10 the Govern
ment whatever. This was said by this
Judge on the bench in a stump speech, in
either September or October, 1861. Judge
Humphreys appointed a Deputy, called a
Commissioner 10 act in his absence, so as
TO keep the Court sitting all the time, and
it did sit all the time, except when the
Commissioner was bcastly drunk aud
fell in the gutter, His name was Robert
Reynolds, a large man, aud a boastly
drunkard. The Guards had TO take him
out Of the gutter and put him IN the guard
housc-a fair representation of the South
ern Conrcderacy. Laughter in the gall
leries ! was arrested in the afternoon
Of the 9Th day Of December on a warrant
issued by this Commissioner Reynolds,
charging me with treason against the
Confederate Government in the following
editorials. The warrant cited the edito-
rials. l was then publishing a newspaper
My friends volunteered without nv soil
citation TO make up bond Of 100000
aud security for my appearance before
the Confederate Court.
The reply Of the Commissioner was
that 1t was not a bailable case, aud the
Marshal committed me 10 Jail While ]
was in jail in the month of December
Judge Humphreys came back. ! never
had an interview with him, but one Of
the military officers came into Che jail,
20 be in that
for me. / told
the authorities