Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1862-04-03

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win take. the oath Of allegiance to the
southern Confederacy, to obtain my
freedom, 1 will rot In jail with disease.
or die with old age. Nay, more--I
deny that you have government; 1
deny that you are authorized to sd-
minister the oath Of allegiance TO your
rotten mob Government, which no
power on earth WIN ever recognize
Before l will do so, I will see the entire
lsouthern Confederacy in hell and you
and / on the top of it. Great cheer.
ingl "sir," said be, "that is d-d
nlsin talk" Yes sir-ee," replied !.
He tipped his hat. made bow. which
I returned and we parted l hope to
mee, again, and that viii be when the
Federal army takes possession OF Knox
vile. e. - a-sg -
The Union sentiment Of East Ten
nessee has never given way, not a
particle. A more loyal, devoted, un-
firing band of Unionists never lived
on Gods green earth.
That little valley, forty miles wide
and about sixty miles long. Of which
Knoxville is the center. is full Of such
Union men and women. When j
came away, the Jail Of Knoxville was
full of Union men. ! was there in jail
when they took my companions out
and hung them. 1 did not see them
hung, because this was done over the
bill; but / saw them 60 ont, with the
black poplar cofins, and the soldiers
would turn round. and pointing to
Brownlow, would say, "You will swing
next" My reply was, 81 am ready
to be hung, and all I want is one hour
under the gallows, to give the pedigree
of these men,"
l expected to be hung, and had
made up my mind to it. 1 was told
that the drum head court-martisl lack
ed but one vote Of confirming my doom,
and that was the vote Of a Secessionist.
No man ever came so near being hung
and was not. One of my companions,
A. c. Hawn-the gallant Hawn, one
of the most moral and upright men OF
Knoxville, with a wife and two small
children-was sentenced to be hung by
this court.martial, and be had but one
hours notice to prepare himself. de
asked for a minister Of one of the
churches in Knoxville to be sent for,
but the reply Of the jailor was, mo
id traitor in the South has right
to be prayed for. and God does not
hear such prayers" Poor Hawn was
placed on the scafold, and a miserable
drunken chaplain of one Of the South
ern regiments was sent to attend to
him.
Just as they were about to launch
Hawn into eternity, the chaplain said:
"This poor unfortunate man desires me
to say that he was led into committing
the acts for which he is now to atone
with his life. by the Union men, and he
is really an object of pity"
Hawn rose, and in stentorian voice
replied, 81 desire to say that every
word that man has said is false. l am
the identical man that put the torch to
the limbers Of that .bIidge, and l am
ready to swing for il. Hang me as
soon as you can" He said he would
do it again if he knew this was to be
his fate for it.
No one can tell Of the suffering and
hardships that the Union men oi East
ern Tennessee have had TO undergo.
nor low many innocent men. without
hearing or trial, have been put 10
death. Squads Of cavalry are rowing
abou, the country committing all man
ner OF crimes, and shooting down all
suspected of treason to The Southern
Confrderacy. 1t was only necessary
to have finger pointed at man and
some one was ready TO shoot him
down. This WAS the case with poor
Pirrce. He had committed no act Of
treason. but was supposed TO sympa-
lhize with the Union men. Walking
across one OF his fields one day, some
one said there goes traitor. when one
OF squad of cavalry fred, and he was
struck with MIME ball.
The iails in the South are literally
full Of Union men, many Of them taken
from East Tennessee. Never was a
people so broken down. The Govern
ment owes it to the people, if they
never 90 anywhere else, to take care
Of East Tennessee. They have stood
firm.
There are no Union presses left in
the South, and moi Union editor but
one, and that is myself. They have
all been bought up. They offered me
, large sums Of money, but my reply
was. "Tby money perish with thee
, I will see you to the devil first"
They took my paper, my press and
my type, and gave me notice that
should not publish any more papers,
: took the advice of my friends ant
! family. and stopped the Whig. 1t wal
the only time in my life that ] evel
gave in, for, like Collins ram, al
2 ways had head ofmy own. Laugh
! ter.
5 They took my building. which wa
sixty feet long and two stories high
and transformed it into an arsenal tc
J repair the guns which Floyd stole from
| the United States Government.
: And this was not all. An Alabam,
: regiment came along one Sabbath day
' and stole from me nay only nigger.
Young man Of whom I thoupht yer,