American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1862-10-03
NARRATIVE OF MR.. JOHN WHELAN.

has been a citizen of this county and city for
the last ten or twelve years, has kindly fur
nished us with the following account of his
capture by the Federals in Missouri-his
treatment while prisoner, and many other
crueties and barbarities perpetrated by the
Lincolnites, which either came under his
own observation or that of others whom he
knows to be reliable. Can any one read of
these atrocities without the desire to exter-
inmate such a vile horde of barbarians from
the face of the eerth Mr.. Whelan assures
US that instead of this being an oyerwrought
picture, it scarcely comes up to the reality.
About the first of Sept, 1861, received at
St. Louis passport for myself and fourteen
servants, to go to Dent county, Mo-. intending
to make my way thence, ala White river,
home. Having arrived in Dent, | was arrest
ed by I. S. troops under command of Colonel
Littlefeld, of the l4th Illinois volunteers, and
who was at that time commandant of the
post at Salem, Mo.
Littlefeld forcibly took from my person my
gold watch, a considerable amount of money,
and other articles of minor value, all of which
he appropriated to his own use. He had the
impudence to wear my watch upon his person,
while I was prisoner, and taunt me by say
ing, Upon my honor e., this rebel watch is
a splendid time piece" After keeping me
prisoner and subjecting me to all kinds of
insults for week, he gave me up my negroes
and mules, but retained everything else.
Before leaving, however. they gave two of
my negroes pistols and bowie knives, telling
them at the same time if they would use them
and return to them, they should be
protected. But, thanks to Providence, some
of my other servants who remained faithful,
and whom they were unable to seduce into
their murderous designs, notwiths tanding
their promises of freedom and protection,
Informed me of their plans, when | searched
their baggage and found the weapons con-
cealed therein.
then proceeded on my journey, when, on
the fourth day, two of my negroes, notwith-
standing they were handcuffed, slipped up
behind me and let large rock drop on the
back of my head, which rendered me insensi-
ole, but the other negroes came to my assist
ance, and saved my life. The two would be
nurderers made their escape to the Yankee
camps, where, according to promise, they
arrested, under civil process, for attempt
to murder, but the commander said {" no
power on earth could get them out of his
camp, and a slave was perfectly justifable in
using all the means which the God of nature
gave him in gaining his freedom"
Being unable to travel on account of the
wound | received was staying at farmers
house with my negroes, when cavalry COM
pany of Kansas iayhawkers, under command
of an abolition, jayhawking preacher named
Wood, came unexpectedly and arrested six of
US, all of whom were on our way to the South.
Amongst those arrested was a man by the
name of George Cook, of Dent county, Mo-,
and as true a Southern man as ever lived.
They were determined to murder him. and
the plan they adopted was as follows: Wood
told him he was released, and that he might
proceed on his journey. After he had gone
about half mile, Wood sent two of his men
to murder him. When they overlook him
they commenced shooting at him without
giving him any warning whatever, and ball
from a horse-pistol struck him in the cheek
and passed out at the back of his neck. They
then rifed his pockets and brought back his
horses and wagon to their camp. Thinking
he was dead and the true tale would never
be told, they said they acted on the defen-
sive-that he shot at them first, being hid
from their view in the brush. But, contrary
to their expectations, he recovered, and is
now, ] understand, in Prices army. On the
same day they shot a boy only fifteen years
old, while he was blowing in the field. They
also shot an old man, more than sixty years
of age, after they had taken him prisoner,
bis crime being that he had fed Southern
soldiers, They took complete possession of
the farmers house where / was staying